Day 1 — Midtown
Times Square, Top of the Rock (or the Empire State), Fifth Avenue, the south of Central Park and the MoMA.
Day 2 — Downtown and the Statue of Liberty
The ferry (Staten Island, free, with a view of the Statue of Liberty), Wall Street, the 9/11 Memorial, then the Brooklyn Bridge and SoHo/Greenwich Village.
Deep dive: the perfect Brooklyn → Lower Manhattan morning (on foot)
The best part of Day 2 is this morning loop: start in Brooklyn at sunrise, walk across the bridge, and head down into the Financial District — all on foot, in geographic order, no zigzagging.
- DUMBO — the neighbourhood at the foot of the bridge, an iconic sunrise spot with the Manhattan Bridge as a backdrop.
- Washington Street — the famous framing of the Manhattan Bridge between the buildings; come early, it fills up fast.
- Jane's Carousel — the historic carousel under its glass pavilion, right by the water.
- Brooklyn Bridge Park — a walk along the East River (Pebble Beach, Empire Fulton Ferry) with the skyline right across.
- Brooklyn Heights Promenade — one of the best views of Lower Manhattan.
- Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge — about 30–45 min back to Manhattan, photo stops included.
- City Hall Park & St. Paul's Chapel — right off the bridge: a park and the oldest chapel in Manhattan.
- 9/11 Memorial & Museum — the two pools where the towers stood, deeply moving (museum optional).
- The Oculus — the transit hub and mall with striking architecture, near the World Trade Center.
- Wall Street & Charging Bull — the heart of the Financial District and the famous bull, at Bowling Green.
- Fearless Girl — since 2018 she faces the Stock Exchange (Broad Street), no longer the bull.
- South Street Seaport — the historic port district, perfect for a lunch break with water views.
- Pier 35 — the red swings facing the Brooklyn Bridge to wind down.
Tip: start early for the light and the calm, wear good shoes and, in summer, bring water. Want to follow this exact route? Open this itinerary on the MyFavsMap map, generate the optimized itinerary and adapt it to your pace.
Day 3 — Uptown and the High Line
The Metropolitan Museum and Central Park, then the High Line, Chelsea Market and Hudson Yards.
The logic: group by neighbourhood
First put your places on a map to see the clusters. If you have a Google Maps favourites list, start by exporting it or pasting your list. With MyFavsMap, you visualise your New York spots, filter by category and build your days by Manhattan neighbourhood — so you enjoy more and rush less.
Practical tips
- Subway: fast, an OMNY/MetroCard is all you need.
- Group by neighbourhood to avoid north-south back-and-forth.
- Book the viewpoints (Top of the Rock, Edge) in advance.
- Staten Island Ferry is free and passes the Statue.
- A 4th day? Brooklyn (Williamsburg, Dumbo).