These days traveling like a tourist is out, and living like a local is in. Everyone wants to circumnavigate the sightseers and avoid the hordes that crowd the world’s most well-known spots.
But the truth is, we all want to see the same spots for a reason. because most are pretty incredible. Traveling like a tourist and living like a local can be harmonically living together. It is possible to pack your holiday full with once-in-a-lifetime, authentic, local experiences, while still ensuring you see those sights you’ve traveled so far to see. want to experience the greatest city on earth, new york, like a new yorker?
You have a dream: to visit New York City. You want to plan your vacations in details, because you know you'll have only seven days or so to enjoy New York to the fullest. That's the moment when you likely get lost trying to pick the best tours and sightseeing among so many attractions. the secret is to mix up the combination of the fresh eyes and excitement of a traveler and the insider knowledge of a local. it will make the perfect blend to explore new york city. you can find some valuable insights here.
The thing is: you want to experience New York as locals do because they know where to find the best spots in the city – both for themselves and for visitants. So how to choose the best things to do? Well, the answer lies on your personal taste and the things you usually enjoy the most – or new things you want to experience. to help you out with fulfilling the best experience in New York ever we are going to publish a series of lists, starting today.
[ 1 ] first things first
First-off: Let's have in mind that if you spent seven days in New York, you'd have around sixty hours available to enjoy tours and sightseeing in the city. Do the math: you have an average of 11/12 hours per day to take your tours and sightseeing. Also, deduct time spent with airport procedures, checking in hotels, unpacking your stuff, going to breakfasts, lunches, dinners, bars, then packing your stuff back, checking out and all.
All right, putting together transportation to and from each attraction, plus the time spent on each one to enjoy them (three to four hours each), you would have sixty hours left to enjoy those places you dream about.
Sixty-Hour Tour and Sightseeing list for a 7-day trip
so check out our list of 20 attractions, places which both travelers and New Yorkers love – how to enjoy them to the fullest, how to save money, how to fit all these attractions into those sixty hours.
After settling in your hotel or airbnb room, get ready to explore the most exciting city in the world. For starters, you can get your New York City Explorer Pass until one day before you intend to use it.
You might also save money with subway rides. Then, get an Unlimited Ride 7-Day MetroCard for US$31, which gives you unlimited subway ride within seven days. Important tip: your unlimited Ride MetroCard cannot be used again at the same subway station or the same bus route for AT LEAST 18 minutes.
watch the videos below to learn more.
[ 4 ] museums
there are 138 museums in new york city (2017). which ones should you pick? well, These are personal recommendations. Meaning, based on personal taste, and also on my experience as a local and with travelers – what they love the most. I've been to at least sixty percent of all museums in New York (One-hundred and thirty-two museums). Unless you are a museum aficionado (which is awesome and we also have special museum tours for you), I would pick two or three museums to visit. Why? Well, museums tours take a lot of time. If you spend too long in four or five museums (four to five hours each one), you won't have enough time to enjoy other attractions. So my favorite museums are:
the metropolitan museum of art
The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in three iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online.
Since it was founded in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum's galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures. At The Met you can also enjoy one of the best rooftop bars in the city, surrounded by incredible views of Central Park.
You can also download The Met app to get directions, transportation tips, and to see what's happening at The Met every day.
Guggenheim
An internationally renowned art museum and one of the most significant architectural icons of the 20th century, the Guggenheim Museum in New York is at once a vital cultural center, an educational institution, and the heart of an international network of museums.
Visitors can experience special exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, lectures by artists and critics, performances and film screenings, classes for teens and adults, and daily tours of the galleries led by museum educators. Founded on a collection of early modern masterpieces, the Guggenheim Museum today is an ever-evolving institution devoted to the art of the 20th century and beyond. Download the Guggenheim app here.
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History is the largest natural history museum in the world with a mission commensurately monumental in scope. The entire museum spans 4 city blocks and consists of some 25 interconnected buildings. Though today the phrase "natural history" is restricted to the study of animal life, the museum—founded in 1869 on the heels of discoveries by Darwin and other Victorians—uses it in its original sense: that is, the study of all natural objects, animal, vegetable and mineral. Click here to access a list of apps they offer.
Moma
Founded in 1929, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is a place that fuels creativity, ignites minds, and provides inspiration. With extraordinary exhibitions and the world's finest collection of modern and contemporary art, MoMA is dedicated to the conversation between the past and the present, the established and the experimental. MoMA's mission is helping you understand and enjoy the art of our time.
Even if you are not a big fan of reading and books, the NYPL is one of those places that will make you get lost in culture–to find yourself mesmerized surrounded by such beauty. Well, they have 92 different locations in New York. The most visited by tourists is the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, located at Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street. Click here to download the NYPL mobile app.
[ 6 ] downtown
Here are some tourist attractions in Downtown manhattan (14th Street/Union Square to Battery Park) that locals love, too.
one world observatory
One word: unforgettable! Yes, it is an incredible experience. Even New Yorkers usually visit the 101st, and 102nd floors of the One World Trade Center more than one time. I've been there twice myself. It's an amazing journey.
At the site, you can also walk to see the 9/11 memorial (the former site of the Twin Towers), the new train station OCULUS, and even do some shop at the Century 21 (very good prices for premium brands).
In the surrounding area, you can also take a walk on Wall Street, take pictures at the Wall Street Bull, and walk Battery Park. You can also book a guided walking tour to cover the whole area – known as the Financial District. There's also another very nice spot in that area: South Seaport Street. On a sunny day, you feel like you are at the beach right in the middle of Manhattan.
you have to visit DUMBO, a very nice neighborhood, with great awesome views of Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge Park, Jane's Carousel, and williamsburg.
statue of liberty and ellis island
Lady Liberty is also a classic. If you want to avoid lines and save money (it's for free), you can take the Staten Island Ferry. You are going to enjoy an incredible ferry trip, and see the Statue at a close distance. However, if this isn't enough for you, so take the Circle Line Statue of Liberty Ride, and also visit the incredible ellis island.
the meatpacking & the high line
One visit to The High Line and you will fall in love with it. One of my top favorite spots in New York. Seriously. You have to visit The High Line. It's a place where both New Yorkers and tourists LOVE.
Global art, cutting-edge creativity, high-end fashion, renowned chef's restaurants, and a vivid vibe –both on and under The High Line.
Once there, take a tour of the streets in the Meatpacking District, a very cool trendy neighborhood in New York – where you can find both men's and women's high-end fashion, super cool bars, and trendy restaurants. Prices in that area are overrated, though, so be careful with your credit card.
You could also visit the new building of the Whitney Museum of American Art – art surrounded by views of the Hudson River.
At the end of The High Line, you will be on 34th Street and 11th Avenue – which is Midtown Manhattan.
From that point, it's a 20-minute walk to the Empire State Building, on 34th Street and 5th Avenue. before that, make a pit-stop at b&H – at the corner of 34th street and 9th avenue. You could also take the 7 train at the 34th Street-Hudson Yards subway station.
[ 7 ] midtown manhattan
Geographically, the northern border of Midtown Manhattan is defined to be 59th Street in Manhattan, and although its southern border is less clear, it is variously taken to be 34th Street, 23 Street, or even 14th Street, Midtown spans the entire island of Manhattan along an east-west axis, being bounded by the East River on its east and the Hudson River to its west.
empire state building
If you visit the Empire State Building, there's no need to go to the Top of the Rock – or vice-versa. Both observatories offer wonderful views, but you will have the same aerial views just from a different spot. Pick one. I would go with the classic.
chrysler building
The Chrysler Building is a incredibly beautiful landmark, a masterpiece of architecture and design. In "The Secret Stories of an Icon" you can explore interesting facts and top secrets, so when you pay it a visit you will be able to better understand the dimension of the Chrysler Building in New York's life, and in the global scene.
times square
Walking a bit more toward Uptown (North) or taking any uptown-bound subway on 34th street, you will reach Times Square/42nd Street. It's always crowded with tourists and people. But you have to take a walk in there. Try NOT to buy or eat anything around that area, unless you are really need it, don't have the time to go someplace else, or if you are not willing to go to other areas.
Incredibly beautiful train station. It's not just a terminal, it's an experience. You can also find The Grand Market, a mouth watering experience, and an Apple Store. Click here to plan a four-hour experience in grand central plus surrounding area and a professional hollywood-style film and/or a photo tour of your story interacting with this amazing train station.
central park
Well, Central Park is Central Park. I mean, you MUST NOT miss it for the world. The Park goes from 60th Street to 100th Street. The best attractions are in between 60th and 72nd Streets, though. Take a peek at "The Secrets in the Heart of New York," an incredible visual story. Unless you are really curious to walk the park until its end, you should save your time to other attractions. Once you hit 72nd Street, you will be in UPTOWN
Uptown is basically a residential area. So just if you are curious about visiting these blocks, this is a list of things to do. From this list I would to with Park Avenue Armory (pretty good entertainment, very cool spot) and the American Museum of Natural History.
one of my favorite places in uptown is Park Avenue Armory – Part palace, part industrial shed, Park Avenue Armory fills a critical void in the cultural ecology of New York by enabling artists to create—and audiences to experience—unconventional work that cannot be mounted in traditional performance halls and museums. With its soaring 55,000-square-foot —reminiscent of 19th-century European train stations—and array of exuberant period rooms, the Armory offers a new platform for creativity across all art forms.
[ 9 ] insider tips from a new yorker
long island city waterfront
this is one of my favorite spots in town. If you are a photographer or love taking pictures or just want to explore a new experience, you should really go to Long Island City Piers. AWESOME views of Manhattan, stunning sunsets, a very nice park to take a walk, cool cozy bars and restaurants, and a nice atmosphere. Learn more in "The Best Spots To Photograph the City – from queens"
hoboken waterfront
From Long Island City, you have the chance to explore Manhattan views on the East River waterfront. From Hoboken, a small town in New Jersey, a 12-minute train ride from 34th Street, you can admire Manhattan on the Judson River waterfront. Learn more in "The Best Spots To Photograph the City – from new jersey"
brooklyn heights promenade
Whether You Take A Stroll Or Park Yourself On A Bench Along Its 1/3 Mile-Long Esplanade, You'll Be Experiencing Cinematographic Views Of The Statue Of Liberty, Freedom Tower, Lower Manhattan's Skyline, And Brooklyn Bridge. explore more.
WELCOME TO NEW YORK
Well, I think you have enough info and attractions to fulfill seven days in New York. This is just the first list of a series. There will be others coming up soon.
Tip: Do not worry if you don't speak English or if you think your English is not good enough. Relax. In New York there are eight-hundred different spoken languages. Meaning, there will be always someone to understand you wherever you are.
Now, start planning your next adventure in New York. Pack your things and dreams, and have a nice trip. And remember: we are here always to help with making your travel experience full of dream stories.