6 Days in New York: First-Timer Itinerary

Six days keeps the 5-day spine, Midtown, Lower Manhattan, Central Park and the Met, the High Line and the Village, a full Brooklyn day, then hands you Queens, the borough most week-long trips skip entirely. One more day available? The 7-day itinerary rounds out all five boroughs with the Bronx.

Book these before you go

Day Focus
Day 1 Midtown: Times Square, Grand Central, one deck, Broadway
Day 2 Lower Manhattan: 9/11 Memorial, Statue ferry, Brooklyn Bridge
Day 3 Central Park and the Met, Upper Manhattan dinner
Day 4 High Line, Chelsea, Greenwich Village, SoHo
Day 5 Brooklyn: Williamsburg, Prospect Park, Coney Island
Day 6 Queens: Flushing, Astoria, Long Island City

Day 1: Midtown and one big view

  • Land at JFK, LaGuardia, or Newark; JFK and Newark connect by AirTrain ($8.75) to the subway or rail, LaGuardia has no rail link, only the free Q70 bus or a taxi
  • Tap OMNY at the turnstile, $3 a ride, no MetroCard needed since sales ended January 1, 2026, current fares are posted on mta.info
  • Walk Times Square once, agree any costumed-character tip upfront or skip the photo
  • Grand Central Terminal, free, worth the half hour for the whispering gallery alone
  • Pick one observation deck: Empire State Building (from $44 plus a roughly $5 fee) or Top of the Rock (roughly $42-60)
  • Evening: a booked Broadway show, or TKTS in Duffy Square for same-day discounts plus a roughly $8 fee

Day 2: The Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan

  • Early Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry from Battery Park, Statue City Cruises only, $25.50 round trip; the free Staten Island Ferry passes near the statue but does not dock
  • The 9/11 Memorial, free and outdoors, plus the Museum next door for another ~$30, check current hours on 911memorial.org
  • Walk the Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan-to-DUMBO, dinner in DUMBO or the Financial District

Day 3: Central Park and the Met

  • Morning in Central Park, free, past the Bethesda Fountain and the Loeb Boathouse
  • Afternoon at the Met, a mandatory $30 non-resident adult fee, budget 3-4 hours
  • Evening in Harlem for soul food

Day 4: The High Line, Chelsea, and the Village

  • Morning: the High Line, free, walked best before the crowds build
  • Lunch at Chelsea Market, budget $12-20 a dish
  • Afternoon in Greenwich Village and the West Village
  • Evening in SoHo for shopping and dinner

Day 5: Brooklyn, at its own pace

  • Morning in Williamsburg, breweries and vintage shops, reached by the L train
  • Midday at Prospect Park and Park Slope, free and Olmsted-designed
  • Afternoon at Coney Island, boardwalk and beach free, rides from roughly $4 each
  • Evening dinner at a Brooklyn institution, book ahead on weekends

Is Queens worth a full day out of six? Yes, and it’s the day most itineraries skip entirely. Flushing’s Chinatown and Koreatown run deeper and cheaper than Manhattan’s own Chinatown for regional Chinese food specifically, a genuine destination in its own right rather than a footnote.

Day 6: Queens, the borough most trips skip

  • Morning: Flushing, a real Chinatown and Koreatown food crawl, arguably more authentic and less tourist-priced than Manhattan’s version
  • Afternoon: Astoria for Greek food and a genuinely diverse, low-key neighborhood feel
  • Evening: Long Island City, East River skyline views and MoMA PS1 if you have the energy for one more museum

By day six you’ve covered four boroughs properly instead of rushing five. Add the Bronx and finish the set with the 7-day itinerary .