Explore Essentials: The Definitive Guide to New York’s Top Attractions

“There is a headline sight around every corner in New York City. The main trouble you’ll have when planning a trip to New York isn’t what to see, but how to see everything in one go! It doesn’t have to be overwhelming trying to plan around the city’s many attractions. Here’s the definitive guide to seeing everything New York has to offer without hassle.

_Photo by Ferdinand Stöhr on Unsplash_

Statue of Liberty
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There are few greater icons of America; Lady Liberty is a New York must-visit. Getting here is part of the fun, as she stands on an island. The only authorised transport option is Statue Cruises, which depart from Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan. Tickets include return ferry journeys and access to Ellis Island and Liberty Island. You can pay more to visit the Statue of Liberty’s Crown. You’ll want most of the day for this to allow for queueing times, security screenings and ferry journeys, and plenty of time to explore the immigration history at Ellis Island, too. If you just want a look at the statue from the water, take the Staten Island ferry – it’s free, and there are plenty of attractions on Staten Island itself.

Book it: Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Tour with Pedestal Access

Metropolitan Museum of Art
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The Met is huge and can get crowded, so you have to plan your visit tactically. You won’t be able to see everything in one go, so plan ahead and aim for the exhibits you want to see most. It’s open every day 10am-5pm, and until 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s least crowded on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings, and you should avoid coming on Saturday afternoon, when it gets packed.

There are lots of guided tours if you aren’t sure where to start. And if you’re visiting during the summer, make sure you head up to the roof terrace, which has amazing views of Central Park. Also, don’t forget that the Frick Collection and the Guggenheim are practically next door, so it makes sense to hit up all three in one trip.

Admission: $25

_Photo by jonathan riley on Unsplash_

Empire State Building
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The Empire State Building’s main decks on the 86th and 102nd floors are open every day of the year, including holidays. The least crowded time of day is early in the morning – the lifts start running at 8am and you can book a special sunrise visit even earlier. Amazingly, too, the last lift up leaves at 1:15am so you can take in New York’s skyline from the top until 2am! Don’t get confused by the many entrances to the tower; the observatory entrance is at 20 W. 34th St; the nearest subway stop is Penn Station/34th St two blocks west.

Book it: Empire State Building General & Skip-the-Line Ticket Options

Rockefeller Center
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Rockefeller Center sprawls across 22 acres and includes the Top of the Rock observation deck (admission $32-38), NBC Studios and New York’s most well-known Christmas tree and ice rink (in winter). Studio tours and the Top of the Rock cost, but you can linger in the main plaza for free to gaze up at John D. Rockefeller’s $100 million Depression-era complex. Tickets for Top of the Rock are timed and you’ll pay more at sunset. If you’re unsure what time you’ll be there then a flexible ticket can save you some stress.

Book it: Top of the Rock Observation Deck: Flexible Date Ticket

_Photo by Ethan Bykerk on Unsplash_

Brooklyn Bridge
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There’s a dedicated pedestrian and bicycle path elevated above the six lanes of vehicle traffic over New York’s most famous bridge. It’s just over a mile (1.6km) long and you’ll need 30 minutes to an hour to make it across, including stops. Walk from the Brooklyn side to Manhattan for amazing views in front of you. You can get the subway to Brooklyn (the A/C to High St or the 2/3 to Clark St), and then reach the bridge from Tillary/Adams St or a set of stairs on Prospect St between Cadman Plaza East and West. On the Manhattan side, you can access the bridge near City Hall Park at Park Row and Centre St. Walk in the other direction (Manhattan to Brooklyn) if you’d rather end up somewhere more exciting – this way you land in Brooklyn Bridge Park and can choose from a mass of great lunch spots in the surrounding area in Dumbo (just make sure you make plenty of stops to look back at the Manhattan skyline).

9/11 Memorial & Museum
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The 9/11 Memorial is an emotional visit. Quite appropriately, it depicts and commemorates some very stark truths about New York City’s darkest day – don’t be put off, but do be prepared, particularly if taking children. The museum is open daily and offers guided tours, which can help unpack the density of information and sheer size of the site, which encompasses the entire 16-acre area where the Twin Towers once stood. Buy tickets online to avoid queues. The outdoor memorial opens early at 7:30am, so you can visit in the morning before the crowds and then head indoors to the museum exhibitions from 9am. On September 11 each year, the memorial closes to all but family members of the victims, but after it 3pm opens again to the public. You can get free tickets (first come, first served) after 5pm on Tuesdays. There are several entrances, but the main one is at 180 Greenwich St.

Book it: Skip-the-line admission to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum

Central Park
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It wouldn’t be a visit to New York without a ramble through the world’s most famous urban park. What you do in Central Park will depend largely on the season. In summer, pack a picnic to eat in Sheep Meadow, with a view of the Manhattan skyline, or go for a splash on the Lake’s paddle boats. Autumn is a good time for a stroll through the foliage up to Belvedere Castle, or check out the Pumpkin Flotilla, a dusk sailing of 50 gourds across the Harlem Meer. In spring, head to the Reservoir, where hundreds of cherry blossoms flower in pink, and in winter go ice skating on the Wollman ice rink.

Find somewhere to stay by checking out our hotels in New York.”