The Brooklyn Bridge and the Lower Manhattan skyline seen from the East River
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New York in 2 days

  • 2 days
  • 9.4 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

Two days let you separate Midtown's great icons from historic Lower Manhattan and still catch your breath in between. Day one mixes skyscrapers, a museum and Central Park; day two goes back to the city's origins, the memorial and the Brooklyn Bridge. The pace is brisk but sensible, with three classic New York meals.

Day 1Midtown, park and mysteries

Set out early on Midtown Must-Sees, which links the Flatiron, Empire State, Grand Central, the Public Library, Times Square and Rockefeller Center. Have a pastrami sandwich at Katz's Delicatessen, then spend the looser afternoon on Central Park and MoMA. At dusk, head south for New York Below the Surface: from Trinity Churchyard to the Collect Pond and Five Points, with tales of crimes and forgotten graves. End with bagel and lox at Russ & Daughters on the Lower East Side.

  1. Morning

    Midtown Must-Sees: From the Flatiron to Rockefeller Center

    Mixed · 4.2 km · 2 h 30 min

    1. Flatiron BuildingThe skyscraper shaped like a clothes iron that amazed New York in 1902.
    2. Empire State BuildingBuilt in just over a year during the Great Depression, it was the world's tallest building for nearly four decades.
    3. Grand Central TerminalThe station that nearly disappeared and was saved by a legal battle with Jacqueline Kennedy at the forefront.
    4. New York Public LibraryA marble palace built on the site of an old reservoir and guarded by two lions with names of their own.
    5. Times SquareThe square named after a newspaper, where the New Year's Eve ball has dropped since 1907.
    6. Rockefeller CenterAn Art Deco city within the city, built in the depths of the Great Depression and guarded by a golden Prometheus.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Pastrami on rye at Katz's Delicatessen. 205 East Houston Street

  3. Afternoon

    Central Park

    Manhattan's great green lung, designed by Olmsted and Vaux in the 19th century. Enter near Bethesda Terrace, circle the lake and cross Bow Bridge at an easy pace. It is the best breather between Midtown and the evening.

    Directions

    MoMA, Museum of Modern Art

    Home to Van Gogh's The Starry Night, Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon and Warhol's soup cans. It is a ten-minute walk from Rockefeller Center: pick three galleries and don't try to see everything.

    Directions

  4. Early evening

    New York Below the Surface: Crimes, Graves and Secrets

    Mysteries & legends · 3.2 km · 2 h

    1. Trinity ChurchyardA grave for a novel's heroine and a headstone written in secret code.
    2. Tweed CourthouseThe courthouse that became New York's greatest monument to corruption.
    3. African Burial GroundA burial ground for enslaved and free Africans, forgotten for two centuries beneath the city.
    4. Collect Pond ParkA freshwater pond some 60 feet deep once lay here. The city buried it, and the ground took its revenge.
    5. Five Points (Columbus Park)The most feared neighborhood of the 19th century, home to the gangs behind «Gangs of New York».
    6. The Manhattan WellThe well where Elma Sands was found in 1800, the start of the young nation's first great murder trial.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Bagel and lox at Russ & Daughters. 179 East Houston Street

Day 2From New Amsterdam to the bridge

Give the morning to From New Amsterdam to America's First Capital, about 2 km between Castle Clinton, Bowling Green, Fraunces Tavern, Federal Hall and St. Paul's Chapel. Have a proper New York slice at Lombardi's for lunch, then take the afternoon slowly with the 9/11 Memorial, a few minutes from the chapel. Finish by walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, with the skyline behind you on the way over and ahead of you on the way back.

  1. Morning

    From New Amsterdam to America's First Capital

    History · 2 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. Castle ClintonA fort that never fired a shot in battle and went on to be a concert hall, the gateway for millions of immigrants and an aquarium.
    2. Bowling GreenThe city's oldest park, where New Yorkers pulled down their king's statue in 1776.
    3. Fraunces TavernThe brick tavern where George Washington bade a tearful farewell to his officers in 1783.
    4. Federal HallThe spot where George Washington took the oath as the first president of the United States on April 30, 1789.
    5. Trinity ChurchThe Gothic Revival church that was once New York's tallest building and where Alexander Hamilton rests.
    6. St. Paul's ChapelManhattan's oldest church, where Washington prayed and where 9/11 rescue workers found refuge.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try New York-style pizza at Lombardi's. 32 Spring Street

  3. Afternoon

    9/11 Memorial

    Two vast pools sit exactly where the Twin Towers stood, with the victims' names carved in bronze around the edges. It is a few minutes from St. Paul's Chapel and calls for a quiet visit. The underground museum needs more time.

    Directions

    Brooklyn Bridge

    Opened in 1883, with Gothic-arched stone towers and steel cables, it is one of the city's icons. Walking across the raised promenade gives the best views of Lower Manhattan. It starts near City Hall and the Tweed Courthouse.

    Directions

The map

New York in 2 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed Mysteries & legends History Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for New York in 2 days

  • Book MoMA or any timed-entry museum ahead; last-minute lines in New York can swallow an afternoon.
  • On day one, Rockefeller Center to Central Park is a short stroll up Fifth Avenue; if your legs are tired, save the subway ride for the evening route.
  • Cross the Brooklyn Bridge in the morning or mid-afternoon rather than at noon in summer: it is hot and there is almost no shade.

Questions

New York in 2 days: your questions

Are two days enough for New York?

They are enough for the essentials of Manhattan without rushing. Brooklyn beyond the bridge, Harlem, the Statue of Liberty and the big museums need more time. For that, three days is better.

How far do you walk in two days?

The routes add up to about 9.4 km. Day one has roughly 7.4 km of routes plus Central Park and the museum; day two has about 2 km plus the memorial and the bridge.

Is MoMA worth it on a short trip?

Yes, if you like modern art: an hour and a half is enough for the most famous works. If you would rather stay outside, spend that time in Central Park instead.

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