Our New York City Itinerary for 6 Nights

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Over October half term we travelled to the USA with our children, aged 14 and 12, to experience New York and Washington DC for the first time. This was a bucket list trip for us and we wanted to experience as much as possible, prioritising tourist attractions, views, history and culture.

I thought it might be useful to share what we did during our time in New York. We arrived, at the airport, on a Tuesday at 11am and were in New York City, exploring after dropping our cases at our hotel, by 1pm. We then had 6 nights in New York, and left to get a train to Washington DC at lunchtime on the following Monday.

So here’s our New York City Itinerary for 6 nights / 7 days:

Day 1:

We arrived at JFK airport at around 11am and had our cases by 11:30am. We got the airtrain from JFK to Jamaica station and then the subway to 57th street, right near our hotel. This was all so easy to navigate, quicker than we expected and really cheap. We just used contactless payment at the stations that worked really well.

Park Central Hotel New York

For our six nights in New York we stayed at the Park Central Hotel which was a fantastic base for the trip. It was just a short walk from Central Park, Times Square and the Rockefeller Center but far enough away to not be too busy or loud overnight. We left our bags here whilst we went to start exploring the city.

The LEGO® Store Fifth Avenue / Nintendo Shop / FAO Schwarz / Five Guys

Our first stops in New York were the shops! The kids had a few places they wanted to tick off, and we’d arrived in NYC much earlier than we expected so we went shopping! Our first port of call was the Lego Store where we bought New York themed Lego and Little Man’s top souvenir choice – a festive Star Wars AT-AT!

We then went to the Nintendo store – such fantastic theming throughout and a must for any Nintendo fan, and then went to FAO Schwarz where we played on the iconic piano and visited the Jellycat Cafe. We didn’t pay to do the Jellycat Cafe experience, literally just looked at the toys on sale, but this area was so busy, as you’d expect.

We popped to Five Guys just for some soft drinks, fries and a sit down as we were starting to flag after such an early start and the time difference. We found Five Guys to be super generous on their portion sizes but so expensive too. Easily the most expensive fast food during our time in New York.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

St. Patrick’s Cathedral is such an iconic building that we’ve seen in many movies and TV shows. It’s such a contrast to the super modern buildings around it and I loved visiting it for myself. We didn’t spend long at the Cathedral but entry is free and we paid a donation to light a candle. They also have a big gift shop just around the corner as the small one inside gets incredibly busy.

Top of the Rock at the Rockefeller Center

It was then time for our first pre-booked activity of the holiday – Top of the Rock! We absolutely loved our first views of New York from above. This was one of five viewing platforms we planned to see but, spoiler alert, it was the best!

We did the standard Top of the Rock experience, seeing three floors of views, history and information. It was fantastic! Busy but well organised and although you can now do the Skylift or The Beam Experience, we didn’t feel the need.

Times Square / Target / Disney Store

We finished the evening walking to Times Square, popping in the Disney Store and then going to Target to get snacks and muffins for the next day. We were back at our hotel by 6:30pm and after unpacking we went happily to bed. It was such a long day!

Day 2:

Statue of Liberty

Our first full day in New York started with the Statue of Liberty. This can only be booked through the official website and sells out very quickly – I think we booked three months in advance. There are three standard options with the Statue of Liberty tickets – to just visit Liberty Island, to climb up to the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty or to climb all the way to Liberty’s crown. We chose the crown option.

When you visit the Statue of Liberty you have to go to the Castle Clinton National Monument, just a short walk away from the dock, to collect your tickets before heading to the boat. The boat was so busy but well organised and it gave great views of Manhattan as you sail away.

After your initial entry time, the rest of the time you spend at the Statue of Liberty is free flowing, you can do everything in your own time. After admiring the views across the river, we headed for the Statue of Liberty museum and learnt about how the statue was made and why it was even made in the first place. This was a great way of learning more about America, and American and French history.

We then headed for the Statue of Liberty, walking all the way around the outside before heading up to the pedestal. The views here are great and if you aren’t able bodied or have children under 12, this is a fantastic experience.

However, if you can climb a really tight and high spiral staircase, and your children aren’t under 12, you can go all the way to the crown of the statue – an experience we were so pleased we did. The views are fantastic and it’s such an iconic thing to do. We loved it. Plus, it only cost around £70 for the whole trip in total for our family of four – just slightly more expensive than the other options.

After we were finished at Liberty Island we took a boat to Ellis Island. Here you learn all about immigration into America through the years and how Ellis Island was the first place many immigrants found themselves whilst their documents were checked, ahead of their new life in the US. Sadly, this area is undergoing a lot of renovation work at the moment so a lot was closed off or hard to navigate. We’d love to go back to spend more time here in the future.

Castle Clinton / SeaGlass Carousel

When we got the boat back to the mainland, we headed back to Castle Clinton where we grabbed a hot dog to keep us going and learnt more about this little fortress and it’s uses over the years. This isn’t very big so we didn’t stay long before heading to the Seaglass Carousel.

The SeaGlass Carousel is such a different but great addition to Battery Park. Costing just $6 each, riders sit in seaglass style shapes whilst music plays and they are spun and rotated around the carousel. LP and Dave went on it and enjoyed the little sit down!

Charging Bull / Wall St / New York Stock Exchange / GAP Factory Outlet

It was then time for some sightseeing! We went to see the Charging Bull, which was heaving with tourists, and walked past Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange which had so much more security than I had expected. This is also where Federal Hall National Memorial is but sadly it was covered in scaffolding when we visited.

Whilst in this area we popped to the GAP Factory Outlet which had some fantastic offers and great prices on everything in the shop. We don’t have GAP stores at home anymore so this was lovely to stock up!

Alexander Hamilton’s Gravesite

Our next stop was Alexander Hamilton’s Gravesite in Trinity Church Cemetery. Throughout our trip we went to as many Hamilton locations as we could for LP and this was one of the first. It’s a beautiful church, with modern signs next to each grave so you can see who is buried there and many tourists go to pay their respects. It’s also where Eliza Hamilton and Angelica Schuyler Church are laid to rest.

We walked to Alexander Hamilton US Custom House but it was closed due to the government shutdown and also covered with scaffold, and 57 Maiden Lane where Hamilton apparently lay mortally wounded but the plaque was again covered with scaffolding – can you see a theme here?!

Ghostbusters Headquarters

Another iconic place we visited was the Ghostbusters Headquarters and, amazingly, the doors were open so we could see the fire truck inside. Still a working fire house, this is such a beautiful building and a must-see for any Ghostbusters fan.

Stage Door Pizzeria

We still had a few more places to visit so had a break at Stage Door Pizzeria, a random pizzeria we found in the World Trade Center area. It was great value, not too busy and had nice views as it’s located upstairs in the building, with a deli downstairs. It was such a nice meal – and a nice break from the walking and sightseeing too!

Oculus World Trade Center

After our pizza we popped to Oculus at the World Trade Center which is a transport hub and shopping center but, most of all, it’s a really cool building from both outside and in.

9/11 Memorial & Museum

It was then time for our slot at the 9/11 Museum. You can visit the memorial without paying to visit the museum but we wanted to learn more about 9/11 and truly understand the impact in had on New Yorkers and Americans – something we couldn’t truly understand in the UK.

The museum is so emotive, as you’d expect, and some parts Little Man and I skipped as we just couldn’t cope with them. But, LP and Dave walked through the whole museum, reading all the signs and learning everything. It’s definitely a place you have to experience in a way that works for you. And I’m really glad we visited.

Afterwards we went to see the memorial but didn’t realise it was turned off overnight. One of the pools still had a light on but it wasn’t quite the same as in daylight so we hoped to go back later in our holiday – and did a couple of days later before walking across the Brooklyn Bridge.

One World Observatory

Our last stop was the One World Observatory, the quietest viewing platform we visited during our time in New York and the only one we did at night. We loved seeing NYC by night, it’s so different to during the day with everything lit up, but the windows at One World Observatory are so reflective that it was quite hard to take photos. And it also doesn’t have an outside viewing area, everything is indoors. But, it is the tallest building in America so definitely worth visiting! Plus, the lift on the way up is very cool!

Day 3:

Madison Square Garden / Andrew’s NYC Diner

We had some time to kill the following morning so walked to Madison Square Garden, purely to see the iconic venue, before having breakfast at Andrew’s NYC Diner. This had been recommended to us by a friend who had visited New York shortly before us and it was such a great tip. We had a really nice, classic American breakfast – complete with coffee that just kept getting refilled!

Empire State Building

After breakfast it was time for our visit to the Empire State Building. This was a highlight of our trip as it’s such a well known place, one we have seen on TV and in movies so often. Like with most viewing platforms, we learnt about how the Empire State Building was built, the people behind the structure and how it has featured in our lives ever since.

We went to the standard viewing platform on the 86th floor but you can upgrade to the 102nd floor if you wanted to. However, the 86th floor is where the outdoor viewing platform is and this was a great view for us and a fantastic experience.

Macy’s / Flatiron Building / Miniso / Lego

After the Empire State Building we had a little bit of downtime where we had a quick look in Macy’s and walked to the Flatiron district – mainly to see the Flatiron Building, not realising it’s currently covered in scaffolding! But, it was nice to see it and we went in the Lego and Miniso shops whilst we were there.

New York Public Library – Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

Another iconic place that we have seen so much in movies is the New York Public Library Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. Unlike the libraries we think of at home, full of books, this library building is full of library collections of items and artefacts related to literature, with a selection being on display. In the Polonsky Exhibition we were able to see the original Winnie the Pooh bear and his friends, an original Mozart manuscript and Charles Dickens’ writing desk and chair. But, aside from this, it was an incredible building to spend time in.

Bryant Park

Next door to the library, Bryant Park was on our list of places to visit but at the time it was mostly closed due to a Christmas winter market and free ice rink being set up.

SUMMIT One Vanderbilt

The next big part of our day was another viewing platform – SUMMIT One Vanderbilt. This was the strangest viewing platform that we experienced during our trip, combining incredible views with art to provide a multi-sensory experience that, in all honesty, we didn’t like. It was our least favourite viewing platform, despite being super popular, as it was far too busy, far too noisy and far too bright. The children said it was sensory overload and couldn’t wait to leave.

Grand Central Terminal / Chrysler Building

After the viewing platform we walked to Grand Central Station, ticking off so many iconic buildings in one day! We grabbed some drinks in the station food court and found a quiet corner to sit down outside, having a much needed rest! Little Man loved that the tower above the station was used as the Avengers Tower and that the bridge outside the station had appeared in Avengers movies too.

We popped into the Chrysler Building to look at the lobby before heading on our way, which was lovely to see despite not being able to go up the building.

Hamilton

We finished the day with a simple dinner at Popeyes in Times Square before we ticked off another bucket list activity – seeing Hamilton for the very first time! Seeing a Broadway show was a top priority for us and when we found out Leslie Odom Junior was coming back for a short period, and it coincided with our trip, we just had to go!

Hamilton lived up to all our expectations. It was fantastic and a real highlight of our trip. It was such an incredible show and even weeks later we are still singing the songs almost constantly!

Day 4:

Krispy Kreme / Brooklyn Bridge / Brooklyn Bridge Park / Van Leeuwen Ice Cream / Jane’s Carousel / DUMBO Manhattan Bridge View

We started our third full day in New York with a trip to Krispy Kreme – doughnuts for breakfast! We took our treats and drinks with us on a walk across Brooklyn Bridge and couldn’t have picked a nicer day for it. The sun was shining and the views were beautiful.

The walk takes about half an hour each way and there are plenty of places to stop and take photos on the walk across. Like many people, as soon as we reached the other side we headed for Brooklyn Bridge Park to take some photos. We also stopped at Van Leeuwen Ice Cream which was a lovely treat to enjoy in the sun.

We then had a quick go on Jane’s Carousel – a lovely unexpected find – before having a wander around Dumbo to take yet more bridge photos and mooch around Time Out Market and the shops. It was such a lovely morning.

New York Transit Museum

We spent the afternoon at New York Transit Museum which was a nice walk through Brooklyn Heights from Dumbo. It was nice to see some of the neighbourhood, parks and monuments during the walk and New York Transit Museum was easy to find and such a hidden gem of a place!

Situated in a disused subway station, New York Transit Museum teaches visitors about the history of the subway and New York’s transport systems, how the subway was built and how it has evolved over the years. It was fascinating – and the children loved that there were buses and trains that they could sit in and drive! This was such a cheap place to visit – with plenty of places to sit and rest too.

Fraunces Tavern / Staten Island Ferry

After a couple of hours at New York Transit Museum we hopped on the subway to go and have a trip on the Staten Island Ferry – stopping on the way to see Fraunces Tavern, another Hamilton/George Washington site.

A lot of people get the free Staten Island Ferry as an alternative to going to the Statue of Liberty – but for us it really paled in comparison. We loved our hour on the Staten Island Ferry, half an hour each way. It was a really nice chance to sit down and see NYC from a different perspective. But, seeing the Statue of Liberty up close, and even climbing it, was such an incredible experience.

Applebees

We got the subway back to Times Square and had our first Applebees experience for dinner – mainly because it was right there when we stepped out of the subway! This was such a nice place to eat, with a really relaxed atmosphere and great food too. We’d definitely go there again.

The Rink at The Rockefeller Center

We finished the day with another bucket list experience – ice skating at the Rockefeller Center! Now, the Christmas tree wasn’t quite up, but there were twinkly lights everywhere and it felt so incredibly festive that we spent an hour feeling like Elf. It was magical!

Now, The Rink at The Rockefeller Center is, without a doubt, the most expensive place to ice skate in New York City. It cost a lot of money. But, it was a real once in a lifetime thing, and we will remember it forever. Because it’s so pricey, it wasn’t very busy. I know that if we went to NYC again we’d try out one of the other ice rinks – like the Wollman Rink in Central Park. But, for us, The Rink at The Rockefeller Center was the icing on the cake of our NYC break. You can read more about our experience ice skating at the Rockefeller Center here.

Day 5:

Intrepid Museum

Our next full day in New York started at the Intrepid Museum which was in a completely different part of the city to where we’d spent time previously. It was lovely to walk to Intrepid, in a more residential neighbourhood, and enjoy the slower pace that the morning brought with it.

The Intrepid Museum was fantastic. Situated in, on and adjacent to the USS Intrepid aircraft carrier, it is home to so many aircraft from years gone by that had flown and seen action across the world – including a British Airways concorde from home. We especially loved going inside USS Intrepid and seeing Space Shuttle Enterprise, the prototype for Atlantis that we saw at Kennedy Space Center.

The Edge / The Vessel

After Intrepid we walked to Hudson Yards, an incredible development that has been built to be a city within a city, home to apartment complexes, high end stores and, the reason for our visit, The Edge.

The last viewing platform of our time in New York, The Edge is fairly new. It’s a triangular mostly glass structure that juts out from the side of a skyscraper, giving fantastic views of Manhattan and the Hudson river.

The Edge was fun. It was mostly outside which made a difference to the other viewing platforms and it gave great views. Little Man didn’t like it as it was too high and exposed outside for him but it was definitely a different experience.

We were then meant to climb Vessel NYC – a much smaller art installation that a real viewing platform – but our legs said no. So we skipped this and just admired it from ground level. Such a cool building!

The High Line

Our next activity was walking the High Line from one end to the other and, in hindsight, we should have done this on a weekday. It was SO busy but I am so glad we walked it. On a quieter day it would be a really peaceful, idyllic part of the city, and the views were fantastic. There were just far too many people for our liking!

Starbucks Reserve Roastery / The Donut Pub / Carrie Bradshaw apartment / Hangman’s Elm / Cornelia St / Joe’s Pizza / Friends Apartment Building

At the end of the High Line we ended up in the Meatpacking District and started a little walking tour of eateries, sights and famous places. This was lovely! Our first stop was the Starbucks Reserve Roastery where we got to see how coffee beans got roasted and all the pipes keeping the coffee beans in the cafe filled constantly. It was like something out of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the whole place smelt amazing!

We walked past Chelsea Market and popped in the Google Store before heading to The Donut Pub, somewhere I came across on Instagram. Small but mighty, we queued briefly and then bought coffee and donuts to eat in the park. This ended up being the park that had been used as triage after 9/11 and a really peaceful place to sit for a while.

Our next stop was Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment – which was so incredibly busy with tourists – followed by Taylor Swift’s old home on Cornelia Street – which was so quiet in comparison.

We saw the Hangman’s Elm, Manhattan’s oldest tree, walked past the Friends Apartment Building and stopped at Joe’s Pizza for dinner. This iconic pizzeria served some of the tastiest pizza and was so busy but with a queue that moved quickly. Plus, there was a lovely little park opposite where we could sit, enjoy the pizza and listen to a busker neaby.

82 Jane Street / Lego Flatiron Store

Our last stop of our walking tour was 82 Jane Street where Hamilton died. So, we walked there to take a photo before heading back to the Flatiron District. By this point we’d heard about the Lego passports that Lego offer – where you can get a passport book for free at a Lego store and then stamp it at every Lego shop you go to in the future. So we went to the Flatiron Lego store and picked up a free Lego passport.

FDNY Shop / Nintendo Shop / Lego Shop / Magnolia Bakery

We got the subway back to the Rockefeller Center and went to a few more shops – the FDNY shop, the Nintendo shop and the Lego Shop – to get another passport stamp – before grabbing banana pudding at Magnolia Bakery to take back to the hotel. This was one of our earliest nights but a day when we did so much walking!

Day 6:

Carnegie Hall / Columbus Circle

Our last full day in New York was dedicated to Central Park. We spent pretty much the whole day there and didn’t even scratch the surface. It is so much bigger than I ever realised!

You can read our full Central Park walking route – along with a map – here.

The day started with a walk to Columbus Circle, past Carnegie Hall, on the edge of Central Park. This is the centre of Manhattan and also the location for a big scene in Ghostbusters! We picked up a Starbucks – and a corn dog – and then started exploring Central Park!

Gapstow Bridge / Central Park Zoo / Delacorte Clock

Our first stow was Gapstow Bridge and, like many parts of Central Park, it’s somewhere we knew from many movies. After this we walked past Central Park Zoo, and loved how you can see into parts of the zoo. We’ve been to so many zoos that we didn’t visit on this trip.

But, we did stop at the Delacorte Clock just outside the zoo to hear it chime. Luckily, we arrived just before the half hour when it chimes and got to see the bronze statues of animals playing instruments and rotating to nursery rhymes. It was unexpected and lovely!

Billy Johnson Playground / Balto Statue / Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument / Literary Walk

Our next stop was the Billy Johnson Playground, one of many playgrounds within Central Park and great for younger children. We walked past the Balto statue and took some time to learn about the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument before walking along the Literary Walk, admiring statues of so many famous faces from literature.

Central Park Carousel / Umpire Rock / Tavern On the Green / Ghostbusters Apartment Building

Dave and LP then had a go on the Central Park Carousel, such an iconic part of the park, before we all climbed up Umpire Rock for some fantastic views and that great contrast of the park around us but the skyscrapers filling the sky. It was amazing!

We had a rest at Tavern on the Green – another location that we knew well from the movies! We had some grilled cheese sandwiches from their food to go hatch which were lovely – but pricey as you’d expect!

We moved on to see the tavern from the main entrance and then popped out of Central Park to find the Ghostbusters Apartment Building! As you can tell, today was all about movie locations and places that felt so familiar to us despite never seeing them in real life before!

Strawberry Fields / Bow Bridge / Bethesda Terrace and Fountain / Naumburg Bandshell

We went back into Central Park at Strawberry Fields where a busker was singing Imagine. A really lovely moment to experience. This part of the park was quite congested with people paying respects and listening to the music so we moved swiftly through and found ourselves at Bow Bridge.

This may be my favourite part of Central Park. Full of autumn colours, Bow Bridge was just beautiful and such a lovely sight to see. We stayed a while before walking to Bethesda Terrace and Bethesda Fountain, another beautiful – but busy – part of the park, and then had another sit down near the Naumburg Bandshell which was so much bigger than I’d expected!

Hans Christian Andersen Monument / Conservatory Water / Alice in Wonderland

We walked round Conservatory Water to see the Hans Christian Andersen Monument and the Alice in Wonderland statue, both popular parts of Central Park and lovely to see for ourselves. However, the Alice in Wonderland sculpture was being climbed on constantly by adults and children alike.

Central Park Boathouse

We’d experienced such a lovely but busy morning and broke up the day with boating on the Central Park lake. So, we joined the queue and hired a boat which wasn’t very expensive – $30 for an hour per boat – and luckily we visited just before the end of the season.

This was such a fantastic experience, a real bucket list moment. Boating on the lake in Central Park, with the Central Park Boathouse in one direction and Bow Bridge in the other and surrounded by all the colours of autumn. It was beautiful.

After boating we bought some snacks at the Boathouse Cafe – chips and dip, a kids grilled cheese and a caesar salad plus drinks. It was more affordable than you’d expect and great quality food.

Belvedere Castle / The Obelisk / Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum / Conservatory Garden

After our little pit stop we went to Belvedere Castle – one of the gift shop and information points in the park that happens to also be a castle – before heading to the Obelisk. Oh we do love an Obelisk and have seen so many all over the world.

It was then time to pop out of the park again to take a look at the Guggenheim Museum – somewhere we didn’t want to actually visit but wanted to see the awesome building for ourselves. We then went back in the garden briefly to walk through the Conservatory Garden, what may be one of the most relaxing and tranquil parts of Central Park.

Duke Ellington Statue / Frederick Douglass Sculpture and Water Wall / Swing Low: Harriet Tubman Memorial

Our time in Central Park had come to an end but the day was young! Dusk was just around the corner but we had one more stop to squeeze into our time in new York. So, we decided to walk to Harlem, and to break up the walk we saw a few statues and sculptures along the way – the Duke Ellington Statue, the Frederick Douglass Sculpture and Water Wall and Swing Low, the Harriet Tubman Memorial.

Hamilton Grange National Memorial

Our walk took us to the Hamilton Grange National Memorial, Hamilton’s House. Although it’s not in the location where Hamilton lived, it’s been relocated, it was nice to see his house. Due to the government shutdown we weren’t able to go inside but we appreciated seeing the house all the same.

Hersheys / Starbucks / Grand Slam / Krispy Kreme / M&Ms

By this point we were done. So, we jumped on the subway back to Times Square and pottered around some shops to buy our last few souvenirs before leaving New York City. We went to the Hersheys shop, bought Little Man a tumbler at Starbucks, went to the M&M shop and bought New York and NYPD hoodies from Grand Slam. It was very productive shopping! We finished with Krispy Kreme doughnuts to eat back at the hotel.

Day 7:

Juniors

At the end of our time in New York City we were moving on to Washington DC but, due to the government shutdown we knew that a lot of our plans in DC would be up in the air. So we delayed moving on to DC until later in the day, pushing all our plans back a day.

This gave us time to have one last New York breakfast at Juniors which was lovely! We ate so much – pancakes, bacon, eggs and even avocado on toast and home fries for LP. It was a great end to our time in NYC.

We checked out of our hotel, got a yellow cab to Penn Station and got an Amtrak train to Washington DC. It could not have been easier and was such a lovely way to travel. You can read about our adventures in Washington DC here.

And that’s everythin we got up to in new York city. It was an incredible trip and although we did everything we wanted to do, we still made sure we did it as affordably as we could. Here’s some key info:

– Travelled with British Airways and booked to hotel and flights as a package through British Airways

– Stayed at Park Central Hotel which was a great location, a short walk to Times Square and Rockefeller Center and a stones throw to Central Park.

– Booked attraction tickets through City Pass which saved us a lot of money. Aside for the following:

• One World Observatory was booked through Groupon
• Summit One Vanderbilt we booked direct
• Statue of Liberty we booked direct

– We used contactless cards for all our subway trips and train from the airport. Super easy and cheap!

The best things we did:

• Top of the Rock at The Rockefeller Center
• Ice skating at The Rockefeller Center
• Boating on the Central Park Lake
• Statue of Liberty with Crown access
• Seeing Hamilton on Broadway!