New York City lights

2 days in New York City: a weekend in NYC itinerary

A bite-sized trip to the Big Apple - let's go!
By Casey Makovich

Spending a weekend in New York and wondering how to make the most of it? We've got you covered with our tailor-made itinerary.

Planning a weekend in NYC, but unsure what to do and where to go to maximize your time? As there's so much to see and do in New York City, it can be difficult to know where to go first - choose from some of our best ideas to get the best out of your flying visit.

This weekend in New York City itinerary includes:

  • Big Bus New York Sightseeing Tour
  • The Guggenheim Museum
  • Central Park (free!)
  • Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum
  • 9/11 Memorial & Museum
  • Empire State Building
  • Times Square (free!)
  • Museum of Modern Art
  • Top of the Rock

💰 >>  See how you can save up to 50% on New York attractions 

🗓️ >>  Check out our example New York itineraries 

Day 1: Join a top-tier tour

Crosswalk sign NYC

Tours are ideal for first-time visitors to NYC, or for those who've been but not had a chance to explore much on previous visits. You'll get an overview of the city while learning about its fascinating history.

Option 1: Take a bus tour 🚍

A Hop On Hop Off Big Bus sightseeing tour gives you a comprehensive overview of the city's history, unique culture, and layout of all of the sites you want to go back to for a visit - all from the comfort of the top deck. Sit back and relax as this comfortable bus takes you around NYC, showcasing all of the big-hitter landmarks and hot spots that you may not otherwise get a chance to visit, like:

  • Empire State Building
  • SOHO/ Little Italy
  • Brooklyn Bridge/ City Hall
  • Wall Street/ Charging Bull
  • High Line
  • Madison Square Garden

Or, since NYC is one huge real-life movie set, you can hit the iconic movie locations trails with the NYC TV & Movie Bus Tour and see the famous backdrops to shows like Friends, and movies like Elf, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Miracle on 34th Street.

And there's plenty to see outside of Manhattan. On the NYC Bus Tour of Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, you'll delve deeper into the multicultural history of Harlem, the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn, including seeing the birthplace of hip-hop, famous neighborhoods like Chinatown and Little Italy, and the Yankees and Mets stadiums.

Informative tour guides will narrate the tour with insider information and important facts about tour highlights.

Option 2: Join a walking tour 👣

Have your walking shoes ready? Get the perfect introduction to NYC with the all-out Top New York Sights Walking Tour. Over five hours you'll be guided around dozens of the city's top sights, including iconic neighborhoods like Little Italy and Chinatown, architectural gems like the Rockefeller Building, institutions like the Museum of Modern Art, plus Times Square and Central Park. We've only just scratched the surface here, but check out the full listing - it's a doozy!

Option 3: Tour Central Park 🌲

Take a guided walk around one of the world's most famous green spaces with the Central Park TV & Movie Sites Walking Tour. If you've ever wanted to follow in the footsteps of the Glee cast, see the Boathouse Café from When Harry Met Sally, feed the pigeons where Kevin met the bird lady in Home Alone 2 , and even more, you're in luck!

Central Park spans 843 acres, but don’t worry – if you want to go off-script and explore it on your own terms, you can get a sense of its culture and atmosphere. Outside of the tour, some of the top attractions here include the Strawberry Fields mosaic, Bethesda Fountain and Terrace, the Central Park Zoo, the Central Park Carousel, the Loeb Boathouse, and many more.

Pick a few you want to see and make a plan for how to tackle them in the time you have free. If it's a nice day, stroll through the Ramble or sit next to the lake. There's always so much happening in Central Park -- you won't be short of something to do. 

Option 4: Bike around Central Park 🚲

If you prefer to bike rather than walk, then this is for you! Central Park is an essential destination, and if you luck out and the weather is right, the Central Park Bike Tour by Unlimited Biking will be a great way to spend two hours of your precious time. You'll see the John Lennon tribute, the Jackie O reservoir, the Shakespeare Garden, and even more.

Option 5: Cruise along 🛥️

Enjoy sailing around the world-famous NYC landmarks: the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Freedom Tower, the World Financial Center, and many more. You can spend a relaxed morning, afternoon, or evening taking in fascinating stories and history from experienced and knowledgeable professional tour guides. Circle Line's Best of NYC Cruise gives you a great all-round view, focusing on Manhattan, or you can see NYC after dark with the Harbor Lights Cruise. If you prefer a whistlestop boat tour, the 50-minute Liberty Super Express Cruise hones in on the Statue of Liberty.

Day 2: Visit one place to see everything

What's your one unmissable place to visit? Choose from our top picks that give you a real feast for the eyes - and this time, you can take it from the top.

Option #1: Empire State Building

Easily one of the most iconic structures in all of New York City, in a crowded field – the Empire State Building. Ascend to the Observatory on the 86th floor for some of the best views of all New York. A visit here first thing is an excellent way to orient yourself in the city at large. You’ll see everything from above before you explore the city on the ground.

Leave a little time to marvel at the interior and exterior of the building itself: its Art Deco style is very distinctive. Everyone entering this attraction is required to go through a security line, so plan additional time into your estimation. We recommend reserving at least an hour at this attraction (not including wait time).

Option #2: Visit the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

This one is firmly on the ground, but a feast for the eyes nonetheless: spend a chilled hour or two at one of the most popular art museums in the country. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is home to one of the greatest collections of modern art in the entire world. Some of the most famous works of art will be found in these galleries, including Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans, Van Gogh’s Starry Night, and Claude Monet’s Reflections of Clouds on the Water-Lily Pond.

You’ll also see works by the biggest names in contemporary art, from Jackson Pollack to Cindy Sherman and beyond. Come here prepared to be inspired! Be sure to check out the gift shop, too, for some unique presents.

Option #3: Discover the One World Observatory

After a day spent touring NYC's hotspots, see it all from above in the One World Observatory. Located on the top floor of the One World Trade Center building - 102 stories up - you'll zip to the top in the Skypod elevator in less than a minute, and be rewarded with incredible views that you can savor. Raise a toast with a cocktail or mocktail and take in the breathtaking 360-degree views over New York, reaching out to Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and more.

🎟️ Getting in: Admission is available on all Go City® passes - and you can claim a discounted Go City cocktail, called the Sightseer!

Option #4: Go to the Top of the Rock Observatory

This perennially popular attraction is another way to get a great birds-eye perspective on New York City. If you feel like you didn’t get enough with your Empire State Building visit, head to the iconic Rockefeller Center and explore the amazing Top of the Rock Observatory - plus, you'll get one of the best views of the Empire State Building.

However short or long your trip, see it all with Go City® 

See our New York vacation itinerary series: 

📅 1 day in NYC 

📅 3 days in NYC 

📅 One week in New York 

🗽 >> Compare passes and sample itineraries 

Go City app

Discover our full line-up of New York attractions including The Empire State Building, Top of the Rock Observatory, the Statue of Liberty, and more.  

🤩 >> If you want to see and do as much as you can, our All-Inclusive Pass is for you.    

😎 >> If you want to pick just a few attractions and visit at your own pace, our Explorer Pass is the perfect option. 

Casey Makovich

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