United States: 4-day New York travel guide
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New York has always been an easily accessible getaway from Canada. The Big Apple is connected to most major Canadian cities by air, and can also be reached by road.
New York poses a unique advantage in that it is possible to discover the city in just a few days. The long weekends of Labour Day and Thanksgiving are just around the corner, so it’s time to start planning your trip!
Having been to New York about 20 times, I suggest the following itinerary that will allow you to make the most of your New York bucket list. However, New York is so close to Canada that you’ll want to return even if you do everything on this list.
New York – 4-day itinerary
To visit New York effectively, it’s best to plan your days well; this metropolis may look small and compact on a map, but it’s quite the opposite.
First day
Central Park is located in the heart of Manhattan; this park is massive! You could easily spend the whole day walking around.
In mild weather, don’t hesitate to book a bike ride in Central Park, which has over 75 km of bike paths, or a rickshaw ride in Central Park.
For my part, I particularly like the area to the south, with its view of the iconic The Plaza Hotel. The contrast between the park and the density of the buildings is quite something.
Then, I recommend you visit one of the following three museums in New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met), the American Museum of Natural History,or the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
Each of these museums is very interesting and houses works such as Vincent Van Gogh’s ego portrait, the life-size model of a blue whale at the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, and Monet’s paintings.
Then, if Broadway musicals captivate you, I suggest you head to Times Square to pick up discount tickets at the TKTS counter.
Queues are often long, so it’s best to be there when it opens. Discounted tickets are only available for same-day performances.
For example, you could book a ticket for The Lion King or the musical Chicago.
In Times Square, there are several iconic stores that are worth a small detour like the M&M store, for example. Take a walk!
While waiting for your show time, you can take a stroll down 5th Avenue and do a little window shopping.
Finally, after your show, return to the center of Times Square to take the pulse of the square. Times Square comes alive at night with all the lights from the advertisements. It’s a VERY touristy spot in New York, but it’s pretty iconic so it’s not to be missed!
Second day
I suggest you continue exploring New York’s Midtown; several tourist attractions are clustered in the area, including:
- Grand Central Terminal
- New York Public Library
- Bryant Park
- Rockefeller Center
- Top of the Rock Observation Deck
- Empire State Building
- Macy’s
- Madison Square Garden
Grand Central station is still operational, so don’t be surprised to see lots of people coming and going. The hall’s ceiling is particularly impressive.
Afterwards, you can take a walk to the New York Public Library which is only a few minutes away. The building itself is majestic.
Bryant Park is right behind the library, which is perfect for sitting down for coffee and a bite to eat.
In the afternoon, take a tour of Rockefeller Center and the observatory. With this Top of The Rock ticket, you’ll visit one of New York’s most iconic vantage points!
Then, it’s worth making a detour to Macy’s which is a giant iconic store in New York. To round off the evening, why not take in a game or a show at Madison Square Garden? There’s always something going on at this place that hosts great artists and sports teams.
Third day
On the third day in New York, I recommend visiting the south of Manhattan.
This part of New York is packed with history. First and foremost, the 9/11 Museum and Memorial are not to be missed; this event marked the history of the 21st century.
The names of the victims are carved into the 9/11 Memorial and it is quite moving to be at this historic place where thousands of people lost their lives.
With this ticket for the September 11th Museum and Memorial, you’ll discover the site of the Twin Towers, as well as testimonies and exhibitions.
Then, when you think of the stock market and finance, you immediately imagine Wall Street. So, a trip to the New York Stock Exchange building is a must in my opinion; there’s also a statue of a bull representing a bull market!
End the day with a stroll over the Brooklyn Bridge: it takes about half an hour to get there from Manhattan. The views of New York City are beautiful, especially at sunset.
You could also discover artists’ lofts and retro boutiques on this tour of street art and hipster culture in Brooklyn.
Fourth day
For your last day in New York, I recommend a trip to the Statue of Liberty. This attraction is the emblem of New York City so it would be unthinkable to miss it on a first visit!
To visit the Statue of Liberty, it is best to get there very early in the morning, as the lines are very long. The Staten Island ferry is free and runs right by the Statue!
To make sure you have a place, book your visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island now.
Finally, the Edge observation platform should fill you with wonder with its breathtaking 360° view of New York.
New York – Where to eat?
There’s no shortage of restaurants in New York! Honestly, trying restaurants is part of the experience, but here are my inexpensive favorites:
- Ootoya: one of my favorite Japanese restaurant chains. The taste is similar to the Ootoya franchises in Japan!
- Koreantown: if you can’t go to Korea, Korean food in New York is great. The entire 34th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue is full of great Korean restaurants.
- Rubirosa Pizza: one of the best pizzerias in New York. The Margarita pizza is particularly good.
- Shake Shack: the burgers and fries are delicious and not too expensive (it’s the rival of In-N-Out Burger!)
- Food courts: a variety of options to suit all tastes and budgets (Time Out Market, Great Food Hall, Chelsea Market, etc.).
You could also try this culinary tour of Chinatown and Little Italy and discover the history of Lower East Side food culture.
New York – Where to stay?
When people think of a New York City getaway, they usually refer to Manhattan. However, there are five distinct metropolitan areas that make up New York City: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx.
For a short vacation in New York City, most people will be in Manhattan, so it is best to stay in this district.
There’s nothing to stop you exploring other parts of the city. This guided tour of New York’s contrasts will take you to unexplored parts of Harlem, the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn.
For families, the area around Central Park is the best place to be since the best children’s museums are located there, like the American Museum of Natural History. Then, after a long day in a museum, you can enjoy some fresh air in the park!
For fans of musicals, Midtown Manhattan or Times Squares will be the best place to stay in New York. For New York’s best-known tourist attractions, it’s best to find a hotel in the south of Manhattan which is also often less expensive.
When I go to New York, I particularly like to book my accommodations in the Financial District, since the establishments are more affordable in points and the public transportation makes it easy to get around everywhere. As a result, it’s often possible to use a free night certificate in this area.
This certificate is offered by the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card and the Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card
Here are some suggestions for Marriott Bonvoy hotels:
- Aloft Manhattan Downtown – Financial District
- Courtyard New York Downtown Manhattan/Financial District
- Courtyard New York Manhattan/Times Square
- Renaissance New York Times Square Hotel
- Le Méridien New York, Central Park
- The St. St. Regis New York
- JW Marriott Essex House New York
- Renaissance New York Chelsea Hotel
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $120 | |||
| $150 |
If you’re not going to a Marriott Bonvoy establishment, here are our other strategies for reducing your bill:
New York – How to get there cheaply
With Aeroplan points
United Airlines and Air Canada operate flights to New York. Both have advantages; United is a partner, so the price is fixed at 6,000 Aeroplan points for a one-way economy flight from Montreal or Quebec City.
On the other hand, it can be difficult to find availability. If you can’t find one, you can use a tool like ExpertFlyer to receive an alert when space becomes available.
To get to New York with Aeroplan points, you could quickly accumulate some with the welcome bonus of the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card.
What’s more, you’ll have the added advantage of being able to check in your luggage free of charge in case you get the urge to store in New York!
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With a buddy pass
Do you have a companion passe-boni that’s about to expire? The latter can be used on all Air Canada flights in North America, so you can take advantage of it to treat yourself to a little weekend in New York as a couple or with friends!
When using a companion pass, you can get a second free ticket. However, you still have to pay airport taxes.
With a car
New York City is approximately 600 km from Montreal, which is great for a long weekend. For a family, this is definitely the most affordable way to get to New York.
New York – Getting to the city from the airports
New York has three major airports:
- Newark Liberty International (EWR)
- LaGuardia (LGA)
- John F. Kennedy International (JFK)
Of course, you can easily take a cab or Uber, but the cost will be expensive. Here are some alternative and more economical ways to get to New York City from the various airports.
Go Airlink NYC shuttles
Go Airlink NYC is a reliable door-to-door service and seat reservations are available. Prices vary greatly and you can get a quote before you buy online. If you are going in a group, it may be cheaper to just jump in a cab.
These transfers are shared with other individuals. Therefore, it is possible to have to wait for the bus to fill up. Sometimes you have to wait, because you can be the first or last passenger to be get off.
Then, to travel more cheaply in New York, you’ll need to take public transport exclusively, even from the airport.
Newark Liberty International
The EWR airport is located in New Jersey and the trip to Manhattan can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes depending on the time of day.
The Express Bus Service
There is an express bus that connects EWR and various locations in Manhattan:
- Grand Central Station
- Bryant Park
- Port Authority Bus Terminal
Reservations are not possible on this bus service so you are at the mercy of the ridership. Departures are every 15-20 minutes.
The AirTrain
Personally, I love EWR’s AirTrain to New York because you’ll never get stuck in traffic, no matter the time of day.
The AirTrain is accessible from all EWR terminals, runs regularly and arrives at New York Penn Station in 30 minutes.
LaGuardia
LGA is the New York airport that is geographically closest to Manhattan. However, you will inevitably have to take a bus and a subway to get to the city. You can expect to get there in 1 hour. Some bus lines connect LGA to the subway system such as the Q70 and M60.
To reach Midtown, the Q70 travels to the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Ave station in the Queens district where multiple subway lines are available to take you into Manhattan. This bus also has a luggage rack.
However, you’ll need a MetroCard, which can be reloaded for future trips.
New York – Getting around
New York City is best explored by public transport; there’s a subway station on practically every corner! A MetroCard Pass Unlimited will give you unlimited passage for 7 days.
Then, the Uber and Lyft apps are very convenient when visiting New York in a group. Yellow cabs are also an icon of New York although they are a bit more expensive than Uber and Lyft, but it’s worth taking it at least once for the experience!
And credit cards are accepted at cabs, Uber and Lyft, so be sure to use a credit card with no foreign currency fees!
New York – Travel guides
Don’t forget to pick up a New York travel guide at the Ulysse bookstore.
Here are two travel guides about New York:
New York – Conclusion
New York City is the perfect destination for a weekend getaway. Although expensive, there are many ways to cut costs when you play your (credit) cards right!
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the budget for a one-week trip to New York?
New York is an expensive city. Your budget may therefore vary depending on a number of factors, including accommodation and the period you choose. In particular, you could save on gas, airfare andlodging with credit card rewards points.
What tours can I book in New York?
There’s no shortage of cultural and sporting activities in New York. The Civitatis and GetYourGuide websites offer a good selection of organized tours. You could book a visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island or a bike ride in Central Park.
When and where is the best time to visit New York with your family?
It all depends on your tastes. New York is best explored on foot in spring and autumn, when temperatures are pleasant. As for the holiday season, it’s very popular for its unique atmosphere. December is the time to see the many Christmas decorations in store windows.
How long will it take to visit New York?
As mentioned in our guide, a four-day stay will enable you to discover many of the city’s attractions, from Central Park and Times Square to the Empire State Building, specialized museums and the Statue of Liberty.
When is the cheapest time to fly to New York?
The cheapest month to fly to New York is usually November, according to Skyscanner. The best way to avoid missing out on a golden opportunity is to set up a price alert on this site.
Can I take a bus to New York from Quebec?
There are several coach companies, including Greyhound and Flixbus, to get you to New York.