Planning your first trip to the Big Apple? Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveler, creating the perfect 7-day itinerary for New York can be an exciting yet daunting task.
New York City, the city that never sleeps, offers an endless list of iconic landmarks, hidden gems, and diverse neighborhoods to explore. From the glittering lights of Times Square to the peaceful paths of Central Park, there's something for everyone.
In my expert experience as a frequent traveler and NYC enthusiast, I’ve crafted this itinerary to help you make the most of your week in New York. You’ll discover a mix of must-see attractions like the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, along with local favorites and off-the-beaten-path experiences that will give you a true taste of the city's culture.
This carefully planned itinerary covers everything from food and shopping to art and history, ensuring you experience the best of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and beyond. Whether you're into sightseeing, food tours, or nightlife, you’ll find an option that suits your pace and style. Get ready to dive into the ultimate 7-day New York City experience that will leave you with unforgettable memories and insider tips on how to explore the best of New York like a local.
New York in 7 days: the best route
Don't worry, we're here to help. So if you want to know what to do in New York in a week , just put on some comfortable shoes (we're going to cover quite a few km) and take good note of our itinerary. With this day-by-day route for a week , you'll be able to make the most of your trip!
Do you have less time? Oh, that's too bad! But don't worry, here we tell you how to make the most of the city on a 3-day itinerary in New York or even see how to organize yourself divinely in just one day in New York
Note : You can obviously change the order of the days according to your preferences (also keep in mind that the visit to Harlem has to be on a Sunday, in order to be able to attend the Gospel Mass), so move the days around according to your own calendar.
7 days in New York/Day 1
Midtown Manhattan
The first day of your week in New York is dedicated to the most iconic area, the one you've seen on your TV screen a thousand and one times. We're talking about Midtown, the heart of Manhattan, where you'll find iconic places like Times Square , St. Patrick's Cathedral , Bryant Park , the New York Public Library , Grand Central Terminal , or skyscrapers like the Empire State Building or the Rockefeller Center (and its Top of the Rock observation deck).
⭐ What to see and do in Midtown Manhattan
Tips:
- Get a New York Explorer Pass type tourist card
- Buy the Metro Card , a card with unlimited subway/bus rides. The 7-day card costs $33.
- Climb the Top of the Rock at sunset for a great end to your first day in New York. Here's how to get to the Top of the Rock , and you can buy skip-the-line tickets here
Where to eat: Halal Guys Food Cart, Ellen Stardust, Wholefoods at Bryant Park.
7 days in New York/Day 2
Hudson Yards, Meatpacking District
Don't stay up late, because you're in for a full day. The first thing you're going to do, after a good breakfast, is head to the new Hudson Yards area and see The Vessel , the space-basket-shaped monument that's driving New Yorkers crazy. Remember that you'll have to request your (free) tickets in advance: here we tell you how to visit The Vessel .
The next destination is the High Line , a curious elevated park that runs through the heights of New York on the route of an old urban train line. At the end of the High Line and after walking its 2.4 km, you will find yourself in the Meatpacking District , once a rather depressed area and today one of the coolest in the entire city.
Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen and Broadway
Take a stroll through Meatpacking District and you'll reach the Chelsea neighborhood where you have a date with its famous market: Chelsea Market . You can grab a bite to eat at its stalls and take a break before continuing on to Hell's Kitchen , an area full of bars and clubs.
These districts don't have any specific points to visit, but the best thing is to walk around them and immerse yourself in their atmosphere and architecture. Of course, don't miss three of the best murals in Kobra (Mount Rushmore, Gandhi and Mother Teresa, and We Love NY with Einstein) and have a pint at Rudy's Bar & Grill , where along with the beer they give you a free hot dog (yes, it's free, although you have to ask for it because sometimes they act like Swedes XD). Update 2022: ohhh, it seems that with the pandemic Rudy's closed 🙁
The last stop of the day is Broadway ! What better way to celebrate your stay in the city that never sleeps than with a musical? We went to see The Lion King and it was one of the best experiences of the whole trip!
⭐ What to see and do in Meatpacking, Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen
⭐ Kobra murals tour in New York
⭐ Buy your tickets for Broadway musicals here
Where to eat: Chelsea Market stalls, hot dogs and beer at Rudy's.
7 days in New York/Day 3
West Village, Greenwich Village, Soho, Nolita
Today's is one of our favorite routes in New York: we'll start from Madison Square Park , where the curious Flatiron building is located . Besides being able to admire it (and of course, take a photo session), we like it because right in front of it there's a little square with public tables and chairs where we love to have breakfast (grab a bagel and a coffee from one of the hundreds of street carts).
After gathering strength, we will begin to descend towards the West Village , a very charming and quite posh neighborhood with its typical red brick houses (yes, like Carrie's in the Sex and the City series that you can visit), and then we will go through Soho and Nolita . Don't miss a visit to Washington Square , a square with a lot of atmosphere where we love to sit and gossip about the dogs (okay, and their owners).
Remember to get the Revolut card ( with a €10 promo ) to avoid commissions when paying and withdrawing money abroad
Little Italy and Chinatown
The next stop will be the legendary Little Italy and Chinatown neighborhoods . Don't be scared too soon, although today we'll be passing through a lot of different districts, they are actually right next to each other and the distance won't be that big. The most interesting thing is to see how the panorama changes drastically when passing from one to the other, this way the pain in your legs is less noticeable ;). In Chinatown the options for cheap eats are almost endless, but our favorite is Wah Fung Fast Food where for $4 you can get super delicious BBQ pork and rice.
End the day with a beer at Rooftop 93 , the bar on the terrace of the Wyndham Garden Chinatown hotel, with stunning views of the city. Happy hour is open from 5 to 8 pm and a beer costs $7 (try the Brooklyn Brewery). It was the rooftop bar we enjoyed the most of all the ones we visited.
Tired? We get it: this is the craziest day of our 7-day New York itinerary 🙂 but isn’t it worth it?
⭐ What to see and do in West Village
⭐ What to see and do in Little Italy // What to see and do in Chinatown
⭐ These are the best rooftop bars in New York
Where to eat? Popular pizza at Kesté, burger at Five Guys, $1 pizza at 2 Bros. Pizza, Wah Fung Fast Food, Vanessa Dumpling.
7 days in New York/Day 4
Tour of contrasts
Today is a day of excursions, and what a tour it is! We are talking about the contrasts tour , which will give you a general overview of what New York is like, beyond Manhattan. Did you know that the city is made up of 5 different neighborhoods? Manhattan , Bronx , Queens , Brooklyn and Staten Island . With the contrasts tour you will discover corners of the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn (the latter is a-mazing), which would otherwise be more complicated to get to know, but not impossible, mind you.
Dumbo
At the end of the tour you will be dropped off in the DUMBO area , in northern Brooklyn, so you will have time to explore it thoroughly before crossing the magnificent Brooklyn Bridge and enjoying one of the best views of the city. It is also a good area to try what some consider to be the best burger in New York: the Shake Shack chain .
⭐ More information about the New York Contrasts Tour
⭐ The best excursions from New York
⭐ What to see and do in DUMBO
Where to eat? A burger at Shake Shack in Dumbo, pizza at Juliana's or Grimaldi's, or a lobster roll at Luke's Lobster.
Take out IATI travel insurance with a 5% discount here . Whatever your destination, save yourself trouble and don't take any chances.
7 days in New York/Day 5
Lower Manhattan
Day 5 will be spent exploring the Lower Manhattan area , focusing on the Financial District. Visit the legendary Wall Street and its two statues (the bull and the girl), the New York Stock Exchange building , Federal Hall with the statue of George Washington on its steps, Trinity Church , the National Museum of the American Indian , or the beautiful Stone Street .
Also visit the World Trade Center area , where you will see square fountains where the Twin Towers once stood. If you want to learn more about the sad event, there is the 9/11 Memorial and Museum right there . And two other interesting places are the One World Observatory (the tallest building in the United States, which you can go up by the way) and the Oculus subway station by Calatrava.
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
We will take advantage of the day to go to Battery Park and take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island , the island that welcomed (or not) immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries, and which today uses these facilities as an interesting museum about immigration. Most tourist cards include the ferry, but if you don't have them you can buy tickets online or directly at the ticket office. You can also sign up for this tour in Spanish .
If you want to save a little money and are happy to see the Statue of Liberty from afar, you have the option of taking the free ferry to Staten Island .
⭐ What to see and do in Lower Manhattan
⭐ More information about Ellis Island
Where to eat? Pisillo Italian Panini, Stone Street Tavern…
7 days in New York/Day 6
Harlem and Central Park
Today we have an alternative plan : we will explore the Harlem neighborhood and attend a Gospel Mass (we went to the Bethel Gospel Assembly and we recommend it, although go to the first mass, the second one tends to be more crowded with tourists). We will also have a brunch based on fried chicken and waffles, before leaving the multicultural neighborhood and spending the afternoon in Centr al Park , exploring the most famous park in New York and visiting its two star museums: the MET and the Museum of Natural History .
Remember that this day should fall on a Sunday, in order to attend the Gospel Mass, so move it according to your visiting days 😉
Tips:
- This itinerary must be done on a Sunday since gospel masses are held on this day (some churches also have Wednesday sessions but Sunday is still the best day).
- If visiting Harlem doesn't really interest you, you can spend the morning at Coney Island.
- Rent a Central Park bike here and you'll save a fortune.
⭐ What to see and do in Harlem
⭐ Tips for visiting Central Park
Where to eat: Brunch at Amy's Ruth, picnic at Wholefoods (Columbus Circle), hot dogs at Gray's Papaya.
7 days in New York/Day 7
Bushwick, Williamsburg and Greenpoint
This day is free: some people will only have half a day and others will have things to do: something that was left unfinished, shopping in one of the outlets in New York, such as Century 21… But if you have time and desire, our advice is to go and explore the Brooklyn neighborhood in more depth . With half a day you can visit Bushwick , an area full of street art, where there are some interesting restaurants (including some Mexican ones). And then the more hipster area of Williamsburg , known for being the Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of New York. We recommend you go to Lee Avenue , the main artery of the neighborhood, and where life is concentrated.
And finally, end the day in Greenpoint , a residential and not very touristy neighborhood, where you can really get a feel for how people live in New York, many of them of Polish origin. But it hides a surprise: the incredible views of Manhattan at sunset (you can go to one of these parks: WNYC Transmitter Park or East River State Park ). One of our favorite plans is to take a public ferry at one of the piers, and sail south along the East River. Here you have more information about the ferries .
⭐ What to do in Brooklyn in one day
⭐ Urban art route in Bushwick
⭐ Visit to the Jewish quarter of New York (Williamsburg)
Where to eat: Tortilleria Mexicanas Los Hermanos, Arepera Guacuco, Roberta's, Rzeszowska Bakery, Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop.
Map with the places to see in a week in New York
Here is a map where we have marked the itineraries by day for a 7-day trip to New York:
Of course there are still things to do (go to Coney Island, visit all the main museums, get to know Queens better...) but we think that this 7-day itinerary in New York is quite complete for a first visit. Of course we recommend that you adjust it to your tastes and needs, but after having visited the city twice (one of them for a month) we think that it is a well thought out itinerary and not at all far-fetched.
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