As mentioned in our "Preparing your trip to New York" article, for a first visit to the city that never sleeps, the CityPASS is the pass to consider. We booked ours before leaving via Ceetiz, for €108 per person in December 2017.
01Harlem & Central Park
Early start, off to Harlem for a Gospel mass — a Sunday morning, of course. Very few tourists — we chose The First Corinthian Baptist Church, an experience we genuinely recommend, full of energy and devotion.
After the service, brunch at Amy Ruth's just a few steps away — we paid around $25 per person back then. After 9am the small room fills up fast. Then a stroll through Harlem all the way to Central Park, a real breath of fresh air in the middle of the New York buzz.
02Statue of Liberty & Financial District
Subway line 1 towards Battery Park, to catch the boat to Liberty Island. Same rule as the mass: the earlier you go, the calmer it is — we took the first boat, around 9am. Leave yourself time, the security check feels like an airport.
Liberty Island first, then Ellis Island and its museum on the history of immigration. Allow 3 to 5 hours for both islands, boat included.
Back in Manhattan for the Financial District: Wall Street, then One World Trade Center and the 9/11 memorial — the audio guide really adds to the visit.
03Natural History Museum & Columbus Circle
The American Museum of Natural History, one of the largest in the world and already familiar from countless films — a must for a first trip to New York. Mammals, birds, the Theodore Roosevelt memorial, the origins of Man: allow at least half a day. There's a Shake Shack just two steps away.
In the afternoon, on to Columbus Circle, much quieter: the Museum of Arts and Design, Trump International Tower, and the Empire Hotel, made famous by Gossip Girl (see our article on the filming locations). Around Christmas, a holiday market sets up right at the subway exit.
04Madison Square Park, Greenwich Village, Chelsea Market & the High Line
In the morning, head to Madison Square Park to admire the Flatiron Building and its unusual shape, then walk south into Greenwich Village — a much quieter neighbourhood that really looks like the New York you've seen in the movies. Fans will find the Friends apartment building and Carrie Bradshaw's building from Sex and the City here.
Food stop at Chelsea Market, that urban food hall set inside a former factory, before walking to the High Line — old elevated railway tracks turned into a walkway in the sky. From one end, you get a view of the Statue of Liberty and New Jersey.
05Brooklyn & Rockefeller Center
Off to Brooklyn, line F from Times Square. The borough covers several neighbourhoods — Dumbo, Williamsburg, Coney Island. We chose Dumbo, before heading to the Brooklyn Bridge, about 20 minutes on foot to cross it end to end.
Then back towards Rockefeller Center, not far from Times Square, to take in the city from above at sunset.
06Grand Central Terminal & Empire State Building
Grand Central Terminal, Manhattan's iconic station seen in countless films — a must for its architecture alone. Small detour on the way to the Empire State Building via the New York Public Library on 5th Avenue, just as impressive with its size and rooms full of books.
We climbed the Empire State Building at night — magical, and hardly anyone around, so zero wait.
07Shopping in New Jersey (optional)
Got a free day? The Mills at Jersey Gardens, in New Jersey, is very well known for shopping. Reachable by a direct bus from the Port Authority Bus Terminal, route 111.
08Dyker Heights or an NBA game at Madison Square Garden
Two options to end things in style. Dyker Heights, a Brooklyn neighbourhood famous for its Christmas lights — not to be missed if you're around at the end of the year. From Times Square, line D, about an hour by subway plus a bit of walking, no need for a guided tour. We got lucky with snow falling all day: even more magical.
The other option: catch an NBA game at Madison Square Garden. Check what's on before you leave and book early.
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