Fun Things to Do in New York - The Ultimate Tourist Guide for Your Trip

By Casey Makovich
Published: May 16, 2024

Greatest city in the world? You decide. From a skyline populated with more skyscrapers than we can count to the expansive green that is Central Park, there’s one thing that can’t be argued: New York City has something for everybody. Whether you’re traveling with kids, planning a romantic getaway, meeting up with friends, or just going solo, our travel guides have all the information you need to plan the perfect trip and make sure you see it all (and then some).

What are some popular attractions to visit?

These are just a few. Want more fun ideas for things to do in New York? Head over here for more New York attractions to see during your trip.

How long are you visiting?

Whether you're visiting New York City for 24-hours or a whole week, we've put together sample itineraries that include a ton of the most popular things to do in the city. From top-rated tours to iconic landmarks, these itineraries give you the best New York City experience based on the time you have.

Who are you visiting with?

No matter who you're traveling with, there are a ton of things to do in New York City for everyone. We've put together a list of top attractions and activities tailored to every type of traveler, from young kids to couples and even nerds.

What type of activities interest you?

Whether you're envisioning yourself checking off all of the city's top museums or you just really want to be part of a live audience, our New York City local experts put together a few 'best of' lists to help you streamline your itinerary.

What parts of New York City are you visiting?

We highlighted a handful of the top attractions and places to see by neighborhood so you can maximize your time in each location.

When are you visiting?

New York City offers a different experience with each season, weather, and holiday. Check out our lists of things to do in New York City throughout the year to make the most of your itinerary and experience unique, calendar-based events.

What's the best way to get around?

NYC is easy to navigate and there are lots of options for transportation, including public transportation, taxis, and shared ride services. Hop-on, hop-off tours: A hop-on, hop-off sightseeing bus tour, like Big Bus New York, is a great way to get acquainted with the city and visit popular attractions. Tours follow a specific route and time schedule, so plan accordingly if you have timed tickets or reservations. Public transportation: the MTA subway and bus system is the most popular way to get around the city. You can purchase a reusable MetroCard from vending machines at most subway stations. The subway is often faster than relying on cabs due to traffic. Tip: get the free moovit app for point-to-point trip planning and real-time updates for both subway and bus routes. Taxis: taxis are available and easy to hail down. Looking for more info? Check out our post on getting around New York for tourists.

Where should you stay?

There are plenty of great places to stay in the area. Below are a handful of hotel suggestions located near popular tourist attractions and fun things to do.

  • The Gotham Hotel
  • Langham Place, New York, Fifth Avenue
  • The Plaza Hotel
  • Hilton Garden Inn New York-Times Square Central
  • Hudson New York, Central Park

Where should you shop?

In between sightseeing, try and find some time to pick up some souvenirs. Here are a few popular areas to get some of the best shopping in New York.

  • Woodbury Common Premium Outlets
  • Bloomingdales
  • Macy's Herald Square
  • SoHo
  • Upper East Side

Make sure to check out all of the extra discounts and savings available on the New York City Explorer Pass.

Where to Eat?

Go on a tour of New York City’ foodie scene with our top picks for family-friendly places to eat in New York City. We’ve included top picks for every appetite and even made note of nearby attractions so you can sightsee while you taste your way through New York City’s culinary destinations. No judgment.

Fun Info from a Local

  • Despite what you may hear, literally, honking is illegal in NYC.
  • Approximately 1 out of every 21 New Yorkers is a millionaire.
  • New York City is the most linguistically diverse city in the world. Almost half of its residents speak a language other than English at home.
  • The MTA subway system consists of 722 miles of track.
  • New York City was the original capital of the United States.

Share your adventure with us!

Tag us when you upload photos from your trip to Instagram: @GoCity or #GoCityCard.

Casey Makovich
Go City Travel Expert

Continue reading

Blog

Things To Do In NYC For Chinese New Year

Spending time in NYC for Chinese New Year? This year it falls on January 25 and it’s the Year of the Rat. There are plenty of special events taking place in the Big Apple where you can celebrate. After ringing in the traditional New Year holiday on January 1, it’s round two with Chinese New Year. From firecracker celebrations and wild dance performances to martial arts demonstrations, there’s a whole host of ways to have fun during the many events in the city. The streets of New York turn outlandishly festive during the celebration of the Chinese New Year. What is the Year of the Rat? The rat is known to be the first of the cycle of 12 Zodiac signs. In Chinese culture, rats were viewed to be a sign of wealth and surplus, and those born in the year of the rat are deemed to be quick thinkers and successful... Here’s our list of 9 fun things to do in NYC for Chinese New Year including: Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade and Festival Chinatown Lunar New Year Firecracker Ceremony The New York Philharmonic Lunar Concert The Temple Bazaar The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) And more... 1. Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade and Festival 18th Annual New York City Lunar New Year Parade (Image credit: betterchinatown.com) This celebrated parade is vibrant and colorful with its dragon dancers, lion dancers, marching bands, and floats. This year, 2020, it’s the “Year of the Rat.” The parade route stretches from Mott to Chatham Square to East Broadway and towards Grand Street right next to Sara D. Roosevelt Park. This street party welcomes in the Year of the Rat with all sorts of themed food and drink vendors. The parade also features some amazing firework displays and entertainment. Admission to the Lunar New Year Parade is free and open to the public. 2. The Chinatown Lunar New Year Firecracker Ceremony The Better Chinatown Society organizes the Lunar New Year Firecracker Ceremony where hundreds of thousands of sparkling fireworks are launched into the sky. The pounding pyrotechnics are designed to ward off bad spirits for the new year. Afterward, there are a number of colorful dance performances. It’s a can’t-miss event. You can even book a Chinese dinner cruise on the Hudson River to see the fireworks. Circle Line Cruises offers a gourmet 12-course dinner. Admission to the Lunar New Year Firecracker Ceremony is free and open to the public. Tickets to the Lunar New Year Fireworks Cruise are separately ticketed. 3. The New York Philharmonic Lunar Concert The New York Philharmonic puts on an annual Lunar Concert to celebrate the Chinese New Year. This year sees the return of conductor Long Yu, the US premiere of the sensational Zhou Tian’s Gift, and the New York premiere of Texu Kim’s ping pong–inspired Spin-Flip. Tickets to The New York Philharmonic Lunar Concert are available for purchase online. 4. The Temple Bazaar The Temple Bazaar is truly a sight to behold. Here, Chinese New Year is celebrated with bright red lanterns floating through the streets. Enjoy Chinese music and awe-inspiring martial arts demonstrations; learn Chinese crafts like calligraphy and paper cutting. You can even munch on authentic, mouth-watering food from Taiwan and Shandong. Admission to The Temple Bazaar is free and open to the public, some events and activities may be separately ticketed. 5. Savor the Dim Sum You can’t experience Chinese New Year without indulging in some timeless and authentic delicacies. New York’s Chinatown is home to one of the largest communities of Chinese people outside of Asia, and settlers brought with them their much-beloved cuisine. To get a taste of the very best of it, you can embark on a walking tour of Chinatown (and surrounding neighborhoods) and learn through taste how this fascinating area grew and grew. Following your tour, you’ll be an expert on the area and well-deserving of a delectable dim sum lunch! We recommend visiting the Nom Wah Tea Parlor for some mooncakes. It’s the oldest dim sum parlor in NYC and dates back to 1920. The SoHo – Little Italy – Chinatown Neighborhood Walking Tour is included on the New York Explorer Pass. 6. Madison Street to Madison Avenue Parade This action-packed festival is all day long. There’s shopping, dance performances, and family entertainment. There’s also traditional Chinese face-changing, colorful lion dancers, and calligraphy demos. It’s just one more way to celebrate the Chinese New Year. This year, the colorful celebration will take place on Saturday, February 1, 2020. Admission to Madison Avenue Parade is free and open to the public. 7. The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) One of the best ways to fully appreciate your trip to NYC for Chinese New Year is to take a visit to the Museum of Chinese in America. Here you can learn all about Chinese culture and the traditions you’ll be celebrating with the Lunar New Year, and discover what life in NYC and beyond is like for its large Chinese population. The MOCA is a former machine shop inspired by a Chinese house with rooms extending from a central courtyard. It has exhibits that trace the development of Chinese communities along with mixed-media displays of Chinese restaurants and Laundries in New York. Tickets to the Museum of Chinese in America are available for purchase at the door or in advance online. 8. The New Kam Hing Coffee Shop Get your sugar and caffeine fix at the New Kam Hing Coffee Shop. This 30-year-old coffee shop doesn’t look like much but serves up the best boat-shaped white-sugar cake, coffee, and green tea. It also has an angel-food-like interior that is light and airy. What’s more, take the time to shop for some great Asian cuisine at the Hong Kong Supermarket. It’s a Chinatown megastore that has everything for Asian food fanatics. Get fermented black beans, fresh noodles, and dumpling wrappers. Everything’s fresh, and the sushi stall offers tasty to-go fresh rolls. 9. Concerts at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall How better to end this list than with the prospect of world-renowned symphonies featuring film and harp projections. There’s even a pre-concert reception where you can dine with the artists. Previous performers include Jiaxin Tian and conductor Gregory Singer. Orchestral performances are some of the finest in the world at the hallowed house of high arts: the Lincoln Center. Tickets are available for purchase online. Guided Lincoln Center Tour tickets are available on the New York Explorer Pass. So, from dazzling fireworks shows and colorful parades to great museums and concerts, it’s clear that there’s no shortage of things to do in NYC for Chinese New Year. Whether you’re a local or a tourist, no place celebrates the Chinese New Year better than the Big Apple. Remember To Save on Attraction Admission If you’re looking for things to do in NYC for Chinese New Year, spend some time in Chinatown checking out all of the festive events, and be sure to add some New York City sightseeing to your itinerary, too. Remember, some of these great options are available on the New York Explorer Pass, where you can save up to 50% on combined admission vs paying at the gate. Please note, the special events taking place at some of these attractions may be separately ticketed and not included with the New York Explorer Pass.
Samuel Ford
Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day the NYC Way
Blog

Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day the NYC way

Here’s how to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in NYC—parades, pubs, and plenty of green.
New York
Blog

10+ Things to Do in New York in Winter – December & January Activities & More

Winter in New York City is full of wonder and enchantment. The city is one of the world's top destinations during the holiday season where you can delight in magnificent department store window displays, street performers and singers, fabulous shopping, outdoor skating, seasonal festivals, and so much more. You might even catch some magical snowfall... So if you’re looking for things to do in New York in winter, check out our list of the best holiday activities and attractions. Go Ice Skating at Rockefeller Center New York City has a few places to enjoy the popular winter sport, so you have a few options to choose from: Ice skating at the Ice Rink at Rockefeller Center might be the most quintessential winter New York City activity and it's one of the most iconic places in the world to skate. After some laps around the rink, warm up with a cup of hot cocoa at any of the nearby coffee shops or cafes; we like Rock Center Cafe for its prime views of the rink. Snap a holiday card-worthy pic with the famous tree in Rockefeller Square, tour the center, and take a trip to the top of the building for sweeping winter views of the New York City skyline. Image credit: Bryant Park Facebook page. If you'd rather avoid the hard-to-navigate crowds that are sure to be at Rockefeller Center, head to the Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park for free admission for ice skating every day, through January. At Winter Village, you can get quality Skate rentals, sharpening, lessons, and there are bag checks and lockers available. Afterward, stop in Celsius for a bite to eat and festive drinks while you warm back up. Head to Wollman Rink in Central Park for skating with a picturesque background and a convenient location close to lots of attractions, including... Museum of Modern Art American Natural History Museum Metropolitan Museum of Art and more... Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree If skating isn't your thing, Rockefeller Center Plaza is still worth checking out for its iconic Christmas tree scene. The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is carefully selected each year among candidates from across the country, this world-famous tree is the best of the best. Lights go on just after Thanksgiving, and the tree is available on display for all to see for the entire month. It’s worth a visit to Rockefeller Center for even just a glimpse of this tree. Celebrate New Year's Eve in Times Square It's iconic for a reason, tons of fun to be had celebrating the ball drop in Times Square. If you are planning on attending, be sure to check out these tips for New Year's Eve in Times Square – it's a long, long day waiting out in the cold, but can be all worth it if you plan properly. Visit a World-Class Museum Want to get in a little culture during your visit to New York? Head to one of New York City’s top museums. Whether you're looking to experience the emotional tour of the 9/11 Tribute Center, explore all things weird at Ripley's Believe It or Not!, or want to experience a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece (the Guggenheim Museum) in person, you're bound to find a museum that suits your interests. For a more traditional museum experience, some of our top picks are the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York’s most renowned art museum, with its special exhibitions during the winter months, and the Guggenheim Museum, the sensational modernist building with its famous 'corkscrew' interior structure that plays hosts to a number of works by impressionist masters. Check Out Yankee Stadium For a taste of real New Yorker life, be sure to check out the legendary Yankee Stadium with a behind-the-scenes tour. You'll learn some of the unique history that makes the stadium great (at least in the hearts of Yankee fans). It's a great opportunity to take photos of Yankee artifacts and exhibits, as well as the field, dugout, and other specialty areas. Indulge your love of baseball in the offseason! Winter Jazzfest What started as a one-day event has evolved into a full multi-day annual festival. Jazzfest features some of the best established and up-and-coming jazz artists to make for an unforgettable event that celebrates the history and culture of all things jazz. Check out this year's lineup and settle in for a week of smooth tones. Under the Radar Festival Photo credit: Under the Radar Festival's Official Facebook Page The Under the Radar Festival at The Public Theater is one of the most exciting ways to experience New York City's famous theater culture. The annual event features diverse comedy troupes from around the world performing over a dozen shows. These performances provide high-quality cultural entertainment at a fraction of the price you’d pay to see a show on Broadway. Take a look at their site for all the latest information. Empire State Building Run-Up If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to work out more, consider heading to the Empire State Building for a totally unique and totally challenging workout: the annual Empire State Building Run-Up (ESBRU). While only a quarter-mile in distance, a sprint to the top of the 86th floor is no easy feat. The trip to the top takes visitors under a minute by elevator, and the fastest runners can do all 86 floors in 10 minutes. Start training now for this event. Check their site for more information and available dates. If you're interested in touring the Empire State Building but could do without the running, visit on another day to see the Art Deco interiors and amazing views from the exterior. Radio City Christmas Spectacular Image credit: Radio City Christmas Spectacular Facebook page. Attending the Radio City Christmas Spectacular is a popular NYC bucket list activity for visitors and residents alike. The show is always a little bit different each year, making it a fun tradition for those who've even already seen it. It’s got nutcrackers, dancing animals, flying presents, amazing special effects, and the world-famous Rockettes® – the best way to get in the holiday spirit! Can’t make the show? Take a tour of Radio City Music Hall and go behind the scenes of the famous show. Admission to this event is separately ticketed, but Radio City Stage Door Tour tickets are available with a Go City® pass. Remember to Save on Attraction Admission So there you have it. Our list of a few things to do in New York in the winter, including holiday events, other seasonal activities in December, January, and more. Regular admission to a number of these attractions are available with Go City. Choose as you go from dozens of top attractions and save on combined admission vs paying at the gate. See all available New York passes, attractions & prices. Please note, the winter events taking place at some of these attractions may be separately ticketed and not available on a Go City® pass. We hope you plan to add a few of these fun options to your winter vacation itinerary.
Casey Makovich

Get your free guidebook!

Plan your perfect trip with our insider guide – top attractions, itineraries and local tips straight to your inbox.