One day in NYC: your do-it-all itinerary

Here’s an easy sightseeing option that lets you tick off all those NYC bucket-listers without the need to lift a finger. Hop aboard the Big Bus at Times Square to join loops of either Uptown or Downtown Manhattan or – heck – complete both in around three hours if you don’t feel the need to get off for a closer look at anything along the way.

The Uptown route is where it’s at for Central Park, the Rockefeller Center, Madison Square Garden, 5th Avenue, the Guggenheim and the mighty Metropolitan Museum of Art.

On the Downtown Route, you'll catch the bright lights of Broadway, plus Wall Street, the One World Trade Center and even glimpses of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

Lively commentaries on the buses provide a rollicking ride through New York history and culture along the way, as well as directing your attention to famous landmarks along the way.

Alternative option #1: Circle Line Cruises depart from Pier 83 in Hell’s Kitchen and fulfil much the same function as Big Bus (minus the ability to hop off, as you’d probably get a little wet). There are a number of sightseeing cruise options available, from speedy jaunts out to the Statue of Liberty to complete circuits of Manhattan Island.

Alternative option #2: For a rapid immersion into all things NYC, you could do worse than just hang on Times Square for the morning, where the people-watching is every bit as good as the mass of shopping, eating and cultural experiences here. When you tire of ogling fellow selfie-stick-toting tourists, duck into Madame Tussauds or the Museum of Broadway.

Can you even say you’ve been to NYC if you haven’t ascended, King Kong-style (or, y’know, in the elevator like everybody else) to the 86th-floor observatory in New York State’s most iconic skyscraper? No, dear reader, you cannot. Indeed, if you only have time to tick off one New York attraction while you’re in town, the Empire State Building is surely it.

Rising tall above the streets of Midtown Manhattan, this Art Deco beauty ain’t just any old NYC skyscraper – it’s basically the O.G. Completed at neckbreak speed during the Great Depression, it remained the planet’s tallest building for four decades and has starred in more major Hollywood movies than Tom Cruise.

Take in cool exhibitions and sculptures that highlight the ESB’s long history and its place in popular culture – and have your photo taken next to a frankly furious King Kong (complete with great trembling fists) before the main event: expansive open-air views across the Manhattan skyline and beyond. Think Central Park, the Chrysler Building, the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, New Jersey and more.

Check out our complete guide for tips on visiting the Empire State Building before your visit.

Alternative option #1: There are any number of observation decks you can choose from in New York – Edge, One World Observatory and more – but Top of the Rock, bang in the heart of Midtown, is the one you want if it’s picture-perfect views of the nearby Empire State Building you seek. Check out our guide to NYC viewing platforms here.

Alternative option #2: No head for heights? Dodge the observation decks and opt instead for cool ground-level views from the likes of Bryant Park or Madison Square Park

You’ve got to eat but you probably don’t have time for a leisurely four-course lunch banquet today, right? Chelsea Market is your friend. This New York institution – once a biscuit factory – is now home to some of the best bakeries and takeouts in town. Basically, you get the best of NYC’s foodie culture without the 5-star restaurant price tags.

Pick up pungent farmhouse cheeses from Saxelby Cheesemongers and a still-warm baguette from Amy’s Bread for a rustic yet decadent High Line picnic, or fill up at Los Tacos No.1, widely considered the finest taco joint in NYC. The lobster rolls at Lobster Place also more than deserve a shout out. 

What, you’re still hungry? Grab dessert at Doughnuttery, or pick up spellbindingly fudgy brownies at the Fat Witch Bakery for a decadently gooey post-lunch treat.

A rehabilitated stretch of elevated railroad track, the High Line spans about a mile and a half between the Meatpacking District and Hudson Yards on Manhattan’s West Side. There’s an entrance just around the corner from Chelsea Market, making these an easy pair to combine. So easy, in fact, that there’s a walking tour you can join if you don’t fancy going it alone.

The former railroad has been utterly transformed, creating a linear green oasis that seems to hover above the streets of the Lower West Side. Immerse yourself in the greenery and cool public art installations and keep your eyes peeled – you might spot native bees and butterflies among the wildflowers in summer, and even the occasional peregrine falcon hovering overhead.

The park offers fine views of the Hudson and Midtown skyline, with plenty of fun photo ops along the way. Check local listings too for special events like stargazing and horticulturist-led tours. And, if you’re walking all the way to the top, you’ll pop out at Hudson Yards, leaving you well placed for other top NYC attractions including Vessel, Edge, Circle Line Cruises and the Intrepid Museum. 

Alternative option #1: Like something a Bond villain might dream up, Little Island hovers above the Hudson between Pier 57 and the Gansevoort Peninsula and is a worthy park alternative to the High Line.

Alternative option #2: If the weather ain’t playing ball, head over to the Whitney Museum of American Art to eyeball landmark pieces by the likes of Hopper, Basquiat, Pollock, O'Keeffe and Warhol and more. And the gallery’s cascading terraces are lovely spots to sit if the sun does come out again.

So, we’ve covered bus tours, viewing platforms, parks and markets. All we need to round things out is a museum – and Intrepid is a doozy. Permanently moored in the Hudson at Hell’s Kitchen, this retired aircraft carrier saw action in World War II, Vietnam and the Cold War, surviving kamikaze attacks and a torpedo strike along the way. Her massive decks are now home to a whole host of magnificent machines that you can ogle, touch and – in some cases – climb aboard. We’re talking vertical take-off stealth jets, Bell 47 helicopters and even the mighty Space Shuttle Enterprise.

There’s also a Cold War-era cruise missile submarine you can clamber around inside, an ultra-kid-friendly Exploreum, and that eternal symbol of the golden age of travel: the British Airways Concorde. In short, if magnificent flying (and diving) machines are your bag, you’re going to be on cloud nine at Intrepid.

Alternative options: NYC isn’t short of a museum or 20, so if Intrepid doesn’t – ahem – float your boat, there are literally dozens more places you could go instead. We’d highly recommend the very moving 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Or, for something a little less heavy, try the American Museum of Natural History with its vast treasure trove of gems, fossils and outstanding animal dioramas. Meanwhile, art fiends shouldn’t skip the chance to tick off world-class galleries like MoMA and the Guggenheim.

If you’re sticking around for dinner, there are of course about a zillion options you could choose from in Midtown. But we favor getting just a little off the beaten path in trendy SoHo. Before you sit down to eat, get your Insta on with a short stroll among this boho hood’s signature cobblestone lanes and cast-iron architecture – the areas on and around  Broadway, Canal and Houston Streets are particularly photogenic in our humble opinion.

Dinner? Flip a coin and take your pick from dozens of great eateries, from oysters and champagne at celeb fave Balthazar to beer and burgers at the buzzy Faneli Café. Either way, it’s going to be a satisfying way to wrap up your whirlwind Big Apple day out.

Get the full lowdown in our guide to things to do in SoHo.