New York City is one of the top destinations to travel to in the United States. From its hit Broadway shows to the city’s epic bagels and interesting history, you’ll truly have an epic time no matter how long you choose to visit.
While much longer is recommended for a trip here, one day in New York City can easily be done if you plan everything right.
The key to having a successful one day in NYC is to get ample sleep (despite traveling to the city that never sleeps) and be ready to have a whirlwind of a day.
Even though the city is enormous, you can easily cover everything on this one day in New York City itinerary by relying on public transportation and walking when necessary.
Disclosure: *This post contains a few affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through my link.*
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Table of Contents
Useful Info for Visiting New York City
How to get to New York City
Since New York City is one of the biggest hubs in the entire world, you have tons of options to choose from when it comes to how to get to New York City. You can arrive by plane, train, bus, or even in your own car if you’re coming from one of the nearby cities.
The easiest way to get to New York City is to take a plane. You can find 3 major airports nearby: the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and the La Guardia Airport (LGA) in Queens, and the Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in New Jersey.
Each airport is very well connected to Manhattan by subways, trains, and buses and you can also take a taxi as well.
If you’re planning to arrive from another US city or Canada, you can take a train as well. NYC has two main rail stations in Midtown Manhattan: the Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station. Another option is to arrive by bus. There are many great affordable bus lines that offer routes to NYC, such as Megabus, Greyhound, or FlixBus.
Best time to visit New York City
If you’re looking for the absolute best time to spend one day in New York City, try to aim for the shoulder seasons, spring and fall. You can see the city buzzing with excitement for the warmer months as all of the flowers start to bloom in the spring.
Meanwhile, if you visit in the fall, you can witness some of the most beautiful and unforgettable fall foliage in the world.
Winter is definitely one of the most magical seasons in NYC. Since New York is one of the best Christmas destinations in the USA, visiting the Big Apple during the holidays is a great idea. If you’re planning to do this, make sure to check out my in-depth Christmas in New York itinerary!
However, you need to keep in mind that it’s also the most expensive time to visit and usually the city gets very crowded, not to mention the freezing cold. But if you plan your trip in advance, I’m sure you will enjoy it to the fullest!
Although summer in New York City sounds tempting, it’s actually not the best time to visit the city. It can get scorching in NYC in the summer and sometimes even heatwaves can occur with temperatures around 95-100°F (35-38°C).
It’s also important to know that New Yorkers love air-conditioning and the difference in temperatures between indoors and outdoors is shocking, especially if you are a foreigner and you’re not used to it.
How to get around New York City
Although New York City is massive, it’s very easy to get around thanks to the tons of different bus and subway lines. And if want to see the best of New York in one day, you’re going to need them!
The New York subway is actually the largest subway system in the world, with over 470 stations. You can buy a single-ride ticket for only $3 US at a vending machine, which makes public transportation the most budget-friendly option for getting around on your one day in NYC.
I know it’s tempting to use taxis when you only have limited time to spend in NYC but I would still recommend avoiding taking taxis as much as you can. Most taxis charge you by the distance driven in addition to the amount of time that you’re in the vehicle, and with NYC traffic, that can seriously add up.
The average pricing model is $2.50 US as an initial fee, plus 50 cents per 1/5 mile traveled. There’s also a 50 cents fee for each minute that you’re stuck in traffic.
Where to stay in New York City
NYC consist of 5 different boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island) and hundreds of different neighborhoods. Generally speaking, Manhattan is one of the best boroughs to stay in NYC, especially if you have only one day in NYC and you want to stay close to the main attractions.
If you’re interested in knowing more about the neighborhoods in NYC, be sure to check out my guide about the best areas to stay in New York City that includes 10 amazing neighborhoods with lots of useful tips and information about each area.
Finding a centrally located hotel is crucial for your New York itinerary as you can’t afford to lose precious time with commuting if you want to see the best of New York City in one day.
During one of our visits, we had the chance to stay in the Hyatt Centric Times Square and we absolutely loved it!
It’s one of the most incredible hotels in New York with the best views and also has an amazing location right next to Times Square so it’s the perfect place for your one day New York itinerary. Check their prices and availability here!
If they don’t have availability during your dates or you’re looking for something else, check out my other favorite hotels below for different budgets.
LUXURY – 1 Hotel Central Park
Offering a restaurant and a fitness center, 1 Hotel Central Park is located right next to Central Park. Each room will provide you with air conditioning, a seating area, and a private bathroom. The on-site restaurant, Jams, features an open kitchen and it is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
MID-RANGE – Hyatt Place New York/ Midtown-South
Just a 5-minute walk from the Empire State Building, this Manhattan hotel offers free Wi-Fi and modern rooms equipped with a flat-screen TV. A corner sofa and a refrigerator are included in each room at Hyatt Place New York. A work desk along with coffee-making facilities is also included.
BUDGET – MOXY NYC Times Square
MOXY NYC Times Square offers pet-friendly accommodations and features free WiFi and a fitness center. All rooms are equipped with a flat-screen TV and air purification systems and each room has a private bathroom. Guests can enjoy the on-site restaurant and a rooftop bar.
Overview of Your New York City in a Day Itinerary
The best way to see New York in one day is to think of your itinerary in chunks of time. So, morning, afternoon, and evening, for example. The morning will be spent in central New York City, where you’ll grab a delicious breakfast and visit Central Park, among other attractions.
Then, you’ll move on to explore Brooklyn, one of the most popular neighborhoods to explore that you won’t want to miss out on, even if you have only a day in NYC. Finally, you’ll end by going on a cruise or attending a Broadway show, it’s your choice!
Below you can see a breakdown that’s a bit more detailed for visiting New York City in a day.
Breakdown of your one day in New York City
- Morning: Breakfast at Tal Bagels, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, Exploring in Midtown Manhattan, Top of the Rock
- Afternoon: DUMBO, Pebble Beach, Brooklyn Bridge, 9/11 Memorial, Exploring the Financial District
- Evening: Sunset Cruise or Broadway show, Times Square
Map for your New York City in a day itinerary
Below you can find a customized map that includes all the locations you’re going to visit on this New York City itinerary.
I marked each time of the day with different colors – I used blue for the morning, green for the afternoon, and red for the evening, so you can easily see which places you’re going to visit during your one day in New York City.
If you open up this post on your phone and you click on the bracket in the upper right corner of the map, it will open up in your Google Maps app so you can always have it with you. Super convenient, right?
Morning of Your One Day in New York City
Have a breakfast at Tal Bagels
Visit time: 8 am – 8.30 am
There’s no better way to start exploring NYC in a day than by grabbing breakfast! You’re going to need to fuel up for the long day that you have ahead. Try to start your day bright and early, preferably around 8 am to be able to see as much as you can with having only 24 hours in NYC.
New York City is most well known for its bagels, so if you can, try to find a bagel place either nearby where you’re staying or head downtown and check out Tal Bagels on Lexington Ave.
This is a great place to grab some breakfast and you can either choose to sit down or you can take your bagel in hand (and your coffee in the other), and start exploring right away!
There are also other bagel shops in the area, like Pick a Bagel, Bagel Bob’s Bagels & More, and the Bagel Mill. Keep in mind that bagel shops are extremely popular in New York City, even among locals, so you may have to wait in a bit of a line to grab breakfast. Show up early to avoid this!
Check out the stairs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Visit time: 8.30 am – 8.45 am
After grabbing breakfast, make your way to see the Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as MET. This is one of the most famous museums in the world! It’s located on 53rd street, only a short 7-minute walk from Tal Bagels.
The museum is filled with modern art, and you could easily spend hours here exploring it all. However, with just 24 hours in New York City, I recommend just taking the time to walk by and see the iconic stairs.
If you’re a fan of Gossip Girl, then you may recognize these as the stairs that Blair often sat on with her friends throughout a lot of the episodes while she went to Constance.
Stroll around Central Park
Visit time: 8.45 am – 10 am
Right next to the Metropolitan Museum of Art you can find the famous Central Park. This is one of the absolute must-visit attractions with 24 hours in NYC that you won’t want to miss.
This park is truly iconic and is one of the biggest parks in the whole city. It was built in the 19th century and has been a staple in the city ever since.
While walking through Central Park, make sure to stop by a few essential landmarks. Start by heading to Bethesda Terrace, which is absolutely breathtaking. It’s only a 12-minute walk from the MET and it overlooks the lake and the Loeb Boathouse.
Next, head to Bow Bridge which is a beautiful cast iron bridge crossing over the lake. The bridge was built in 1862 and it’s been considered the crown jewel of Central Park ever since then. Fun fact: it’s actually the second oldest cast-iron bridge in America!
From there, be sure to check out Strawberry Fields which is a living memorial to John Lennon, the legendary leader of the world-famous Beatles. It was named after one of his favorite songs Strawberry Fields Forever and the memorial features a mosaic bearing the word Imagine.
Although you can easily spend a few hours strolling around Central Park, unfortunately with only one day in New York City, you have to be mindful of your time.
After visiting Strawberry Fields, it’s time to make your way towards the exit on 59th Street that you can reach with a 15-minute walk.
Explore Midtown Manhattan
Visit time: 10 am – 11 am
From 59th street, make your way to Midtown Manhattan. This area is home to quite a few important landmarks that you won’t want to miss during your one day in NYC.
Head right to Radio City Music Hall, which should be about a 15-minute walk on foot.
This is one of the most famous music halls in the city and is most well-known for being host to the Rockettes, who put on a show every holiday season. It opened in the early 20th century and has been an iconic establishment ever since.
Next, make another short 5-minute walk to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It’s a breathtaking 19th-century cathedral that is reminiscent of many churches in Europe, which you may recognize. It won’t take too long to go inside and explore.
Another must-visit along the way is Rockefeller Center, which is only two minutes away. This area is most well known for being host to the large Christmas tree the city gets every year.
If you’re lucky enough to follow this one day in NYC itinerary during the holidays, then you definitely have to see it with your own eyes! It’s one of the best Christmas photo spots in NYC and ice skating on the rink here is one of the best things to do in New York in December.
Take in the views from the Top of the Rock
Visit time: 11 am – 12 pm
End the morning of your one day in New York City itinerary by making your way to the Top of the Rock, which is right next door to Rockefeller Center.
It’s one of the best observatories in New York City and from the top, you can truly get one of the most rewarding views of the entire city, including Central Park and the Empire State Building.
The building itself has 70 floors and three different observation decks. It opened back in the 1930s but wasn’t known as the Top of the Rock until 2005. Remember to download the Top of the Rock app during your visit here, which gives you an in-depth look into your surroundings.
Top of the Rock opens at 9 am and the last entry is at 23.10 pm. Since this is one of the most popular attractions in NYC, make sure to purchase your tickets well in advance!
If you would like to be there for opening time, you can flip around this itinerary a little bit and visit the attractions in Midtown Manhattan after seeing the Top of the Rock.
Alternative: Empire State Building
Now, since you have only one day in NYC, unfortunately, you won’t have the time to check out the view from the Top of the Rock and the Empire State Building as well (unless you skip another part of this itinerary, which I don’t recommend).
Personally, I think the Top of the Rock offers a way better view than the Empire State Building so that’s why I recommend including this one in your one day in NYC itinerary.
However, if you’re dying to go up to the Empire State Building, feel free to choose that instead of the Top of the Rock!
The Empire State Building is open from 9 am to 11 pm daily, you can purchase your tickets here. You can reach the Empire State Building in 15 minutes from the Rockefeller Center on foot.
Afternoon of Your One Day in New York City
Stroll around DUMBO
Visit time: 12 pm – 1.30 pm
After taking in the views from the Top of the Rock (or the Empire State Building), it’s time to venture a little bit out of Manhattan and explore another borough: Brooklyn! To get there, hop on the New York City Metro and take the F line to York Street, which will take around 25 minutes.
From there, take a short walk to DUMBO, which is an excellent area to explore in New York City that you don’t want to miss. In case you’re not familiar with the area, DUMBO is actually an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.
This neighborhood is very trendy and offers lots of sightseeing to do, and it’s also one of the most popular Instagram spots in NYC.
A really great place to visit with a day in NYC in the DUMBO area is Pebble Beach. There are quite a few areas to sit down and take in the views so if you want to include a bit of relaxing time, this is the place to do it. While you’re at it, make sure to drop by Jane’s Carousel as well!
You will have around 1 hour to explore the DUMBO area or even more if you don’t want to walk all the way across the Brooklyn Bridge (which is the next stop on this one day in NYC itinerary). If you’re feeling hungry, you can make this your lunch stop as well!
A great place to have lunch is Westville DUMBO, which offers tasty American food. If you want to stay on the budget side, you can pop into Juliana’s instead, which offers the most delicious pizzas.
Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
Visit time: 1.30 pm – 3 pm
Next, take a short walk to the Brooklyn Bridge, which is one of the most iconic bridges in the whole city.
The bridge was constructed back in 1883 and crosses the East River. While on the bridge, you can look one way and get a great view of Manhattan and then look the other way to get a fantastic Brooklyn view!
The next stop on your NYC itinerary will be the 9/11 Memorial and in order to get there from the Brooklyn Bridge, you basically have two options. If you don’t mind walking, you can walk all the way across the bridge and then continue walking until you get to the memorial.
This is a fantastic way to take in the sights and see more of NYC in a day. It would take approximately 45 minutes to get to the 9/11 Memorial from the DUMBO area on foot (photo breaks are not included).
If you don’t want to walk all across the Brooklyn Bridge, you can turn back at any point and walk back to the High Street – Brooklyn Bridge metro station, from where you can take the A or C line to Fulton Street. From Fulton Street, it takes around 7 minutes to get to the 9/11 Memorial by foot.
Pay your respect at the 9/11 Memorial
Visit time: 3 pm – 3.30 pm
The 9/11 Memorial is one attraction you can’t miss out on when visiting New York City in a day. It was officially opened in 2011 and serves as a memorial to all of the lives that were lost during the September 11 attack in 2001.
Tourists are welcome to come and explore the memorial for free so this is definitely one of the best free things to do in New York. However, if you want to enter the museum, you need to purchase tickets for that.
With a quite heavy and heartbreaking subject, there is a lot to take in inside the museum. Visitors usually spend around 2-3 hours in the museum which is sadly not an option for you if you want to complete this one day in New York City itinerary.
But if you really want to go inside, feel free to flip around the itinerary a bit to have more time here!
Explore the Financial District
Visit time: 3.30 pm – 6 pm
After visiting the 9/11 Memorial, you will have around 2.5 hours until your evening activities start. You can either use this time to go inside the 9/11 Museum as I mentioned before or explore the Financial District instead.
For what it’s worth, I strongly recommend doing the latter (or at least split your time between the two).
The Financial District is one of the most bustling and well-known areas in New York City, mostly because it’s home to Wall Street, which is where you should start your journey. Attractions you need to drop by include the Trinity Church, the New York Stock Exchange, and the Federal Hall.
From Wall Street, head to the Charging Bull, a statue near Wall Street that is pretty famous. Fun fact: according to superstition, rubbing the balls of the bronze bull statue will give you good luck, that’s why the balls are so shiny!
Lastly, head over to Battery Park, often just referred to as The Battery by locals. This park is a lot smaller than Central Park but is still just as historic.
Unfortunately, you won’t have the time to visit the Statue of Liberty today but luckily you will get an awesome view over the statue from Battery Park!
Evening of Your One Day in New York City
Go on a sunset cruise or watch a Broadway show
Visit time: 6 pm – 9.30 pm
For the evening of your one day in New York City, you can choose between two equally amazing options: going on a sunset cruise or watching a Broadway show!
Option A: Broadway show
New York City is world-famous for its amazing Broadway shows so it’s definitely a great idea to include a show in your itinerary, even if you have only 24 hours in NYC! Keep in mind that tickets usually sell out fast so it’s worth booking your tickets well in advance.
There are tons of great plays to choose from, so you will definitely have a hard time deciding which one to attend! Prices for shows can also vary greatly.
For example, tickets for Some Like It Hot start from $50 US, The Lion King and the Wicked start from $115 US, while Hamilton can be $150 US or higher.
Option B: Sunset cruise
If you can’t attend a Broadway so for whatever reason (or you’re not interested in it), you can choose to go on a sunset cruise instead which is also an incredible experience!
Similar to Broadway shows, there are tons of different cruises to choose from. The tour I personally attended and can recommend from the bottom of my heart is the New York Harbor Lights Night Cruise.
This is a 2-hour cruise around Lower Manhattan where you can sail past the best attractions in NYC such as the Statue of Liberty, the One World Trade Center, or the Empire State Building.
The tour starts at 7 pm which means you will be able to see the sunset from the boat and you can also experience NYC all lit up at night.
The starting point of the cruise is Pier 83 on West 42nd Street and although the boat only leaves at 7 pm, you want to be there a minimum of 30-45 minutes earlier to secure a great spot on the boat.
Take in Time Square
Visit time: 9.30 pm – 10 pm
End your 24 hours in NYC by heading to Times Square. While you could’ve visited here earlier in the day, it truly comes alive at night. This huge plaza is covered in billboards and moving pictures almost everywhere you look.
Explore the area a bit and then head for dinner. There are quite a few places to eat in Times Square, but Carmine’s Italian Restaurant is easily the most popular. They serve up some incredibly delicious Italian food!
Other options include Havana Central Times Square for Cuban cuisine or Times Square Diner & Grill for American cuisine. Of course, you can find many other restaurants in the area so feel free to explore on your own if you want to!
One thing to note is that Times Square is typically the most crowded area in all of New York City, so it’s important to reserve a table in advance if you want to dine in the area, otherwise, you’ll have a very hard time finding a restaurant without a huge waiting line.
Planning a trip to New York City?
Then you might want to take a look at all our other travel guides about NYC. I promise, they are just as awesome as this article was!
Hotel guides:
- Top 10 Best Areas to Stay in New York City
- 18 Incredible Hotels with the Best Views in NYC
- 12 Epic New York Hotels with Central Park Views
- 16 Best Hotels in Times Square with a View
Travel guides:
- The Ultimate NYC Travel Guide for First Timers
- How to Spend One Day in New York City
- 4 Days in New York City Itinerary: How to See NYC in 4 Days
- Best Observatories in New York City: Which One to Visit?
- 32 Amazing Free Things to Do in NYC for Budget Travelers
- 25 Most Instagrammable Places in NYC You Can’t Miss
- 17 Insanely Useful Travel Tips for NYC
Christmas guides:
- The Perfect Christmas in New York Itinerary for 4 Days
- 13 Incredible NYC Christmas Photo Spots You Can’t Miss
- 15 Festive Things to Do in New York City in December
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