Should I spend 1, 2, or 3 days in New York City?
Should you spend 1, 2, or 3 days in New York City?
Many visitors spend at least 3 or as many as 7 days in New York City during their trip. If you're not sure how much time you might need here, we have the answers because your journey calls for making the most of every moment. The city offers the chance to spend time at the museums, discover the big city activities, take in a show, and dine out at amazing restaurants.
New York City is one of the most iconic cities in the United States. It is filled with its own energy and personality, and visitors will enjoy exploring the unique neighborhoods and seeing world-renowned landmarks. The city is divided into 5 boroughs, with most visitors spending the majority of their time in Manhattan. Manhattan has high skyscrapers, world class shopping, and countless entertainment options such that there's never a dull moment.
Do you have one or two days to visit New York City? Here's our comprehensive breakdown of how much time you might need for your trip along with some suggestions for things to do.
Is one day enough time in New York City?
As a popular and famous city, New York City offers a large number of activities and attractions for visitors. One day is probably not enough time here. You might feel rushed to see the main attractions of New York City such as the famous sights and museums, the big city activities, the theatre, and the food. To thoroughly enjoy all that the city has to offer, you'll probably want more time. Most travelers schedule at least 3 or as many as 7 days to fully experience the cosmopolitan city. Nevertheless, if time is of the essence, we have some nice suggestions for your visit.
How to spend a day in New York City
When visiting New York City, you can't miss the Statue of Liberty as it's one of the most famous places in the world. Make sure you give yourself enough time to enjoy it.
Don't miss an evening at the theater while in town. Whether it's a musical, opera, ballet, or a famous Broadway-style production, New York City is known for its wide range of shows. Visiting Broadway is a quintessential NYC experience. Whether you enjoy the theater or simply want to experience something new, seeing a Broadway show is a true bucket list activity.
A few tour suggestions include:
- A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical on Broadway Ticket ($86)
- MJ The Musical on Broadway Ticket ($112)
- Back to the Future the Musical on Broadway Ticket ($78)
New York City is a very walkable city. With only a day in the city, you'll have no trouble exploring the local sights. The majority of the neighborhoods in Manhattan are very walkable and easy to explore on foot. Most people prefer not to drive here as it can be overwhelming and chaotic.
Is a weekend (two to three days) enough time in New York City?
A weekend trip is usually not enough time to experience the cosmopolitan city of New York City, so you may find yourself somewhat rushed. Or, perhaps you'll want to return another time to take it all in. You don't want to miss the chance to spend time at the museums, discover the big city activities, take in a show, and dine out at amazing restaurants. Many tourists set aside at least 3 or as many as 7 days for their visit. However, if your schedule only gives you a couple of days, we have a handful of recommendations to make the most of your weekend adventure in New York City below.
New York City
How to spend 2 days in New York City
If you have more than a weekend (two to three days) in New York City, you'll appreciate the added time for everything the city has to offer.
New York City is famous for it's world-class attractions, museums, and landmarks. You'll want to spend at least a day exploring one or more that you're interested in the most. The sights and museums around the city are too numerous to list, but some of the most famous include the Statue of Liberty, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, Central Park, and the Empire State Building. This is a city that is filled with iconic landmarks and you could spend weeks here and still not see it all.
A few tour suggestions include:
- Art Deco and Architecture Midtown Landmarks Tour ($40)
- Skip-the-Line Metropolitan Museum of Art Semi-Private Tour ($133)
- Skip-the-Line Metropolitan Museum of Art Exclusive Guided Tour ($133)
The delicious food of New York City is one of the main highlights of a trip to the region. Dining out is one of the highlights of a trip. Make sure you take the time to taste as much of it as possible during breakfast, lunch, and dinner at some of this city's best restaurants. And consider a food tour or cooking class. You can easily fit one into your schedule since many are just a few hours or half a day. The city has a diverse variety of restaurants, with everything from local dives to Michelin star options. There are many neighborhoods that are notable for their ethnic cuisine, particularly Little Italy and Chinatown. Quintessential NYC dishes include NYC pizza, NYC hot dogs, bagels, and Chinese dim sum.
A few tour suggestions include:
- Nolita's Tasty Global Bites with Ahoy NY Food Tours est 2009 ($125)
- NYC Lower East Side Walking and Food Tour ($95)
- Upper West Side Food Tour with Tasty Tours NYC ($79)
Public transit in New York City is easy and efficient. In just a few days, you should be able to get around the city quite easily. The city has one of the largest subway systems in the world. There's also an elaborate bus system, ferry system, and yellow taxis all around town.
More Info
If you're looking for more information about New York City, we have even more advice to help you plan your journey.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.
Some of the links on this website are sponsored or affiliate links which help to financially support this site. By clicking the link and making a purchase, we may receive a small commission, but this does not affect the price of your purchase.