4 Days in New York: Day Trip Base Itinerary
Four days adds a shopping day to the 3-day plan without touching the two day trips that already work. Days one through three run exactly like the 3-day itinerary : settle into a Midtown base, Philadelphia on day two, Dia:Beacon on day three. Day four is Woodbury Common, a direct shuttle bus from Port Authority and a genuine full day for anyone who actually wants to shop. Need less time? Drop back to the 2-day or 3-day version. Need more? Move up to 5 days or 7 days .
Book these before you go:
- A Midtown hotel base near Penn Station and Port Authority, since day trips leave from both (check rates on Booking.com )
- Amtrak to Philadelphia before advance fares climb from $28 toward $60+ (browse a guided Philadelphia day trip on GetYourGuide )
- A Hudson Valley day tour if you’d rather not manage the Metro-North connection to Beacon yourself (book one on Viator )
The route at a glance
| Day | Focus | Travel time from NYC |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive, settle into a Midtown base | none, you’re already here |
| Day 2 | Philadelphia day trip | ~1h20 each way (Amtrak) |
| Day 3 | Hudson Valley, Dia:Beacon | ~1h15-1h35 each way (Metro-North) |
| Day 4 | Woodbury Common outlets | ~1h05-1h15 each way (shuttle bus) |
Day 1: New York, your day-trip base
Land at JFK, LaGuardia or Newark and head straight to your hotel; Midtown, near Penn Station and Port Authority, covers every day trip in this itinerary with a short walk or subway ride. Compare Midtown and Lower Manhattan rates on Booking.com before booking. Keep the evening easy, since you’re up early three mornings in a row starting tomorrow.
Day 2: Philadelphia, out and back before dinner
Amtrak’s Northeast Regional and Keystone trains run Penn Station to 30th Street Station roughly every half hour, fastest trips around 1h20, fares $28-60 (check amtrak.com ). Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and Reading Terminal Market are all a short walk from the station. See visitphilly.com for what’s open. Catch a late-afternoon train back for dinner in Manhattan.
Day 3: the Hudson Valley, one stop at Dia:Beacon
Take Metro-North’s Hudson Line from Grand Central to Beacon, roughly hourly service, about 1h15-1h35 each way, fare $15-24 (check mta.info for the day’s trains). Dia:Beacon is an 8-10 minute walk from the station, general admission $25 adult ($18 senior, $12 student, $5 child), open Friday through Monday, arrive by 4:30pm. See Dia:Beacon’s visitor page for hours. Leave Storm King for another trip, it’s 14 miles from this station and needs its own shuttle leg.
Day 4: Woodbury Common, a full shopping day and nothing else
Direct shuttle buses run from Port Authority multiple times daily, roughly 1h05-1h15 each way, round-trip fares roughly $24-45 depending on operator (verify the current price and carrier on premiumoutlets.com or with the bus operator before booking). This is a genuine full day given the round-trip shuttle time, so don’t try to bolt on a second stop; treat it as a dedicated outlet day or skip it entirely if shopping isn’t a real priority for this trip.
Is Woodbury Common worth a full day of your itinerary?
Only if outlet shopping is actually something you want to do, not a “why not” add-on. The 1h05-1h15 shuttle each way already eats a big chunk of the day, and the site doesn’t combine well with anything else given that round-trip time. If shopping isn’t a priority, swap this day for a second Hudson Valley stop, like Sleepy Hollow, instead.
How do you get from Manhattan to Woodbury Common?
The direct shuttle bus from Port Authority Bus Terminal is the standard route, running multiple times a day and taking roughly 1h05-1h15 each way. Fares vary by operator, so compare current round-trip prices before booking rather than assuming one flat rate; a rental car is the only real alternative, and it isn’t necessary for this trip.
Book your Woodbury Common shuttle seat a day or two ahead in peak season; the direct buses fill up on weekends and around holiday sales, and a sold-out morning departure pushes your whole day back.