An Unforgettable 1 Day in New York City Itinerary: Best Bites and Big Apple Must Sees
New York City is one of the most densely populated cities in the US spanning over 300 square miles, 5 boroughs, and 339 neighborhoods. It’s one of the most beautiful melting pots of culture in America, which lends itself to fascinating museums, stellar cuisine, and truly incredible things to do.
Even if you only have 1 day in New York City, you can still cross off some total bucket list things. As I share this itinerary, I’ll give you some options depending on what you’re interested in, how much time, energy, and budget you have, and some bonus picks if you find yourself with extra time.
I’ve visited 5 times, so I know this 24 hour NYC itinerary is doable! Let’s go!
Summary and Quick Links
🛎️ Accommodation: Moxy in the Lower East Side ($150+ per night)
💃 Must do: City views from the Empire State Building ($45+ each)
🚶♀️ Recommended tour: Statue of Liberty + Ellis Island ($35+ per person)
Map of Your One Day in NYC Itinerary
How to Spend Just 1 Day in New York City
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Bagels for Breakfast: Russ & Daughters
There’s no better way to start a day in NYC than with bagels. I tried a few different places over the course of my visits and my favorite has definitely been Russ & Daughters.
They’ve been in operation for 107 years! Started by Joel Russ and his three daughters, they’ve perfected appetizing, which is a local New York Jewish term that loosely means the foods you eat accompanying bagels – aka cream cheese, capers, smoked and cured salmon, salads, etc.
Fun history fact here; appetizing shops sold dairy and fish while delicatessens sold cured and pickled meats to cater toward Jewish Kosher customs that dictate that these food types are kept separate.
Anyway, the original location of Russ & Daughters is on Houston Street, but they have expanded to a couple more locations and even have a cafe in the city, which serves meals that require a larger, proper kitchen.
Not sure what to order? Try a classic bagel and lox sandwich or a bagel with one of their 7 cream cheeses. They even have two vegan options!
You can also try other Jewish favorites here as this might be your only chance. I love blintzes (like crepes rolled up), latkes (potato pancakes), chopped liver, and black and white cookies!
PS the reason bagels are so iconic in New York is thought to do with the water that they’re boiled in. But I’m a chemist so I of course, have to share that the American Chemical Society found that the effect of the minerals in New York’s water were actually minor. So you be the judge! For science!
Mornings are for History…or Art…or Science…or Pop Culture
Let’s face it, New York City really has something for everyone and it would be presumptuous of me to assume that you and I are 100% into the same things. So, I’ll share what I’d do as a first timer, some alternative options depending on what you’re interested in, and some fun picks if you want a bit more of a non-traditional visit.
History Lovers consider a visit to either the World Trade Center or Statue of Liberty with Ellis Island.
Personally, if it’s your first time in NYC, I would go with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Not only are these icons of the city, but the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration in particular tells America’s beautiful story of immigration.
There are many tour operators where combined tickets are quite common that include the boat ride, Statue of Liberty entry, and Ellis Island Museum admission. They usually cost around $35 per person and leave from Liberty State Park in New Jersey.
It can be a bit cumbersome to get to Liberty State Park, but I promise it’s worth it to see these famous American icons. Consider a taxi for the most direct route.
If you’re on a tight budget, you can take the free Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty from the water without stopping to get off on the little island.
However, if you want to stay on the mainland to conserve your time or if you’ve been to any of those spots before, the World Trade Center is a must, especially for Americans. The 9/11 terrorist attack in New York City was obviously one of the most historic moments that many Americans have lived through, perhaps second to the panini.
At the World Trade Center, you’ll see fountain monuments where the Twin Towers once stood. Enhance your visit by learning more at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.
I won’t lie – this place is somber. It’s heavy. It’s not a fun museum. But it shouldn’t be. Similar to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, if you’re not feeling lots of emotions by the end of it, they didn’t do their job. And spoiler alert…they do their job really well.
The museum is quite large and features several floors of artifacts, video exhibits, and art commemorating and telling the story of the 9/11 terrorist attack.
Tickets start at $33 for adults. There’s a student discount and admission is free on Monday evenings, so feel free to switch around this itinerary to accommodate if you can!
Looking for a more uplifting morning? I can’t blame you. Art lovers will certainly find a museum to their liking. I love the Guggenheim mostly because of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building, but the modern art inside is a world-renowned collection.
Tickets are $30 for adults and they have a student discount.
Of course, the Met is another option. It’s the fourth largest art museum in the world, so be sure to leave yourself lots of time to discover all the exhibits. They have a much wider variety of art from around the world in comparison to the Guggenheim.
Admission is $30 for adults and there’s a significant student discount at only $17. It’s also pay what you wish for NY, NJ, and CT residents.
If you’re like holy cow, none of that sounds up my alley. Don’t worry…I’m a nerdy chemist, remember? So, I love a good science museum and pop culture gems.
Might I recommend a trip to the American Museum of Natural History, one of the best science museums in the US! The building itself is stunning. Plus, they have exhibits on insects, astrophysics, geology, Indigenous cultures, and more!
Tickets are also pay what you wish for NY, NJ, and CT residents. Non-resident tickets are $28 and there’s a student discount. Advanced tickets are required, even for residents.
Alternatively, if you’ve done the major things or are a fellow Harry Potter superfan, you might be itching to visit the Harry Potter Exhibition while it’s in town. I’ve been to it twice – once in New York and again in Atlanta. It’s certainly a fun time to see props, costumes, and photo ops!
For a free Harry Potter adventure, you can visit the Harry Potter Store, the only stand alone franchise brick and mortar store without a museum, exhibit, or attraction to accompany it. Inside you’ll find so many incredible exclusive items, photo ops, and even a survey to get a free pin. Don’t leave without a little butterbeer!
Lunch at Chelsea Market
Whatever you decided upon, I’m sure you’re ready for lunch now. There’s no shortage of incredible restaurants in New York, but my favorite way to find my favorites is at markets.
I seriously go to markets and food halls wherever I’m traveling, whether that’s home in Los Angeles at Grand Central Market or across the world at Mercado do Bolhão in Porto, Portugal.
Anyway, even if you aren’t a market connoisseur, Chelsea Market in NYC is one of the best in the world!
As you wander and browse, you can just pick what looks good. I promise an ultra-competitive market like Chelsea Market only has good food, so you can’t go wrong. However, I am sending you to pizza for dinner, so unless you want double pizza, maybe go with something else for now.
I actually made it here for dessert, so I can definitely recommend some of those!
I loved the mini donuts from The Doughnuttery – I had the coco mint pattie and flower power. I also had a bigger bite of a chocolate sourdough twist from Amy’s Bread.
I first discovered pastel de nata from Joey Bats Cafe in Chelsea Market just a month before I was invited on a trip to Portugal, where the dish originates from. I was obsessed from the first bite. Finally, I also took a little brownie to go from the Fat Witch Bakery, which was delicious later! I don’t mess with desserts!
Afternoons are for the Classics
Did you even go to New York City if you didn’t visit Central Park? Okay, yes…obviously. But, Central Park is such an iconic spot in the city, you have to add it to your itinerary, especially if you’ve never been.
Central Park was the first landscaped park in the US established in 1858. It’s over 1.3 square miles and has a castle, a zoo, a carousel, gardens, and numerous statues like the Alice in Wonderland one.
There’s lots to see and in fact, you can actually take a guided tour of Central Park by the Conservatory who oversees park maintenance, tourism, and funding.
You can also tour the park on your own by renting bikes or walking.
While you will see guided pedicabs and horse-drawn carriages, I’d avoid them. The first is often a tourist trap scam and will be WAY more costly than anticipated. That goes for pedicabs throughout the city, especially in Times Square. And I can’t say with 100% certainty that the horse-drawn carriage rides are ethical for the horses.
Therefore, I’d stick to bikes or walking.
No matter how you decide to spend your afternoon in Central Park, I guarantee you’ll enjoy the peace in the city. It’s truly a remarkable place.
Let’s head above the city now for some epic views!
If it’s your first time visiting and you don’t have kids, I’d go with the Empire State Building. The art deco building is absolutely breathtaking to see in person and the views from the top are certainly stunning – honestly, there’s no bad observation deck view in NYC, so you can’t go wrong.
Tickets start at $48 per person.
But, if you have kids, or want a more interactive city view experience, I’d recommend the SUMMIT One building instead. This viewing experience takes it to another level because it is also home to a number of art installations that make it more interactive.
I especially loved the balloon room and all the mirrors that reflect the skyline view all over the place. I will say, you’ll want to avoid skirts and dresses though because the floor is mirrored!
Advanced tickets are required as they can sell out. They start at $46 each.
Finally, I’ve heard great things about the 30 Rockefeller Plaza observation deck aka Top of the Rock! I can’t say much about it, but it is the cheapest admission of the three and centrally located.
Dinner at Two Boots
When you’re ready for dinner, I can’t recommend Two Boots enough. They have locations throughout the city and serve up some delicious pizza with a unique slice specific to each location.
In order to expand your day a bit and explore another neighborhood with history, visit the Two Boots in the West Village. Their signature slice is The Duchess, which has circles of five different sauces and pays homage to the world famous lesbian bar of the same name that was in their location in the 70s.
Their menu beyond this slice is so freaking good, you can’t go wrong.
Plus, across the street is Stonewall National Monument.
This free park commemorates the uprising following a police raid of the Stonewall Inn (across the street from the park), where the LGBTQ community would frequent. The demonstrations empowered advocacy for the LQBTQ movement and therefore, it’s an important monument to visit.
While you’re there, you can see a brand new Stonewall Exhibition at the Stonewall Inn as well. It just opened in June 2024. They have reenactment demonstrations, artifacts, and videos so you can learn about the uprising.
And finally, while you’re in the West Village, you can walk a couple blocks to see the exterior of the Friends apartment building if you’re keen. Obviously, you can totally skip it, but it’s right there if you’re interested!
Broadway show
To complete your day in New York, you have to see a Broadway or off-Broadway show.
A little history and background to get you oriented first. The term Broadway actually means two things. First, Broadway is a street that runs through Manhattan and the Bronx, part of it in the Theater District. Broadway also means the genre of theater productions that are performed in the 41 professional theaters in the Theater District (how many theaters can I fit into one sentence?).
Those 41 theaters aren’t necessarily located on Broadway street, although some are. That doesn’t mean the show performed there is not a Broadway production. The opposite in fact. Those are all Broadway shows! What defines the show as being a Broadway show is that it’s performed in a theater with at least 500 seats!
Now when we’re talking off-Broadway, that means it’s in a theater of 100 to 499 seats. And off-off-Broadway is 99 seats or fewer.
Phew!
Anyway, seeing a theater performance in New York is a must, whether that’s a Broadway production or not.
Prices range A LOT for these depending heavily on critical acclaim, day of the week, and time.
Depending on your budget you can see something classic like Chicago or The Lion King (a personal favorite of mine), or something up and coming like The Outsiders, Back to the Future, or & Juliet.
I recently saw Moulin Rouge as an avid fan of the movie, and I loved every second of it! The set design was insane!
And don’t forget to look into off-Broadway shows. I’d go for Little Shop of Horrors right now!
One final tip is that if you really don’t have a preference, you can get last minute tickets the day of the performances from TKTS windows either in Times Square or at Lincoln Center. I’ve gotten tickets for Anastasia on Broadway using this method and tickets were only $60 for an aisle on the first floor of the theater. It was wonderful!
Dessert or Drinks in Times Square
To cap off your night, I have two suggestions. Since you’re right near Times Square and it’s certainly dark enough after you’ve been let out of the show, let’s make a final stop…or two on this itinerary.
You can grab dessert and drinks in Times Square while taking it all in!
First, I’d recommend visiting Sardi’s. This restaurant and bar is known for their caricatures that cover the walls of celebrities who have visited Sardi’s. They’ve been in operation since 1927 and they have a bar that you can sit at to avoid the wait for a table. It’s just through the doors to the left!
A note that Sardi’s does close around 11 pm each night and is closed Sundays and Mondays. Because of that closing time, I’d head there first after you get out of your show, since most shows have a run time of 2 hours and 30 – 45 minutes and begin at 7 or 8 pm.
For dessert, I recommend a visit to Junior’s. They’re known for their cheesecake and while I don’t think it’s the best in the city (I’d give that honor to Eileen’s), it’s definitely delicious and has multiple locations central to Times Square. Plus, they have a to-go counter where you can pick up a slice of cheesecake to go!
You can also wait for a table if you’d like more involved desserts like a sundae or even a full meal or snack. I once popped in for some mashed potatoes because I was so hungry after my show. Oops.
Junior’s is open until 11 pm on Sundays and Mondays, 12 am on Tuesday through Thursday, and 1 am on Friday and Saturday.
That wraps up this 1 day in New York City itinerary! I hope you have the most wonderful time in the city that never sleeps. Don’t worry, I’ll answer some FAQs below.
How to get to New York City
Being one of the largest cities in the country, there’s lots of airports to choose from. JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark are all good options. I flew into Newark the most recent time and found it really straightforward to get into the city via public transit.
How to get around
The NYC subway system is fantastic for getting around the city. You don’t need to purchase a Metro card and can just use a contactless form of payment to tap into the subway station. There is a cap, so you won’t pay more than $17 in one week.
Of course, taxis are quite common in New York City. Hailing them can feel intimidating, but look for taxis that are empty but have their light on indicating they are operating right now. You’ll also find lines of taxis in popular attractions across the city.
Be sure to tell them the closest cross streets you’re going to, not the actual address or attraction name. And you want to say the street first, then the avenue (the east/west street then the north/south one).
Despite being common, I didn’t find taxis to be cost effective at all, so I stuck to the subway.
And finally, ride shares are available if you need a quick ride.
Where to stay?
I’ve stayed all over the place and while I have a few thoughts on the best area to stay in NYC, one of my favorite hotels was the Moxy in the Lower East Side.
It was quite close to a subway stop and within walking distance to some great food in Chinatown and on Houston Street like Russ & Daughters (the breakfast option on this itinerary) and Katz Deli, one of the most iconic restaurants in the city.
How much does this itinerary cost?
$380
(including accommodation for 1 night)
- Accommodation: $150 (1 night)
- Food: $40
- Activities: $170 (estimate which can vary based on what you choose to do)
- Transportation: $20
Would a CityPASS be worth it?
Short answer: no. Here’s why.
Despite the fact that I’ve listed quite a few attractions on this itinerary that coincide with those on the CityPASS, the fact is, you can’t do it all in one day. The CityPASS is only worth the $146 price tag if you can make that worth what it would have cost to pay for separate admissions.
So realistically for this itinerary, if you did the most expensive morning and afternoon activities, it still only costs you $85 maximum to pay for separate admissions. Therefore, the CityPASS won’t pay itself off.
If you have more days to spend in NYC, then yes it could certainly be worth it. But for one day only, it doesn’t make sense.
Looking for more New York posts? Read these:
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I really enjoyed reading this. The mix of classic attractions and practical travel tips is perfect for first-time visitors to NYC.