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The Perfect New York City Itinerary For 3 Days

This NYC itinerary is tailor-made to see the best of NYC in 3 days. Itinerary includes highlights like museums, parks, pizza, and Broadway plays. I’ve jam-packed this three days in NYC itinerary with fun things to do, historic sites, and a few tasty food stops. You’re sure to have a fabulous time in the Big Apple with my guide to the city.

What makes me such an authority on New York City? I’m glad you asked. I grew up just across the river in New Jersey, spent years interning and working in Manhattan, and I’m a frequent visitor to NYC. New York City is basically my home away from home and I’d love to share my knowledge with you.

Things To Know About Visiting New York City

Warning, you will have to walk quite a bit with this itinerary, but the sidewalks in New York are generally good and it’s not a very hilly city. (Apart from parts of Central Park, but that’s avoidable.)

If you’re budget-conscious and want to save a bit on the price of admissions, I recommend getting the New York City Pass. The city pass will save you 41% on 5 of the city’s top attractions. The city pass includes: admission to The Empire State Building Observatory and American Museum of Natural History, plus choose 3 of the following: Top of The Rock Observation Deck, 9/11 Memorial & Museum, Ferry Access to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and admission to the Statue of Liberty Museum and Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, Intrepid Museum, or Guggenheim Museum.

Click Here To Save On The New York City Pass

If it’s your first time in New York City, it’s worth getting acquainted with the subways system. Of particular note to people with disabilities, out of the 472 New York City subway stations, approximately 131 are currently ADA-accessible. You can find all accessible NYC subway stations here.

For more accessible transportation, consider using the bus system. All MTA buses in New York City are wheelchair accessible, utilizing front-door ramps for local and Select Bus routes and lifts for coach-style buses on express routes.

Finally, This itinerary is jam-packed. I’ve done my best to group things by neighborhood so you don’t have to worry about criss-crossing the town on public transportation. I’ve also given plenty of options for you to make your day as long or as short as you’d like. I don’t expect you’ll want to take a full tour of every location. For some attractions you may just want to snap a few pictures and be on your merry way. For others you may want to do a deep dive into the history, art, food, etc… It’s all about options.

Day One

The Empire State Building or Top Of The Rock

Grand Central Station

The New York Public Library

Bryant Park

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMa)

Central Park

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Day Two

The Vessel

The High Line

SoHo

Washington Square Park

Little Italy

Chinatown

The 9/11 Museum

One World Observatory

Day Three

The Statue of Liberty

Ellis Island

Times Square

A Broadway Show

Day 1

Start day one of your 3 day itinerary for New York with one of two observation decks. First, The Empire State Building is one of the most famous buildings in Manhattan. Its observation deck has been featured in countless movies and TV shows. But for my money, the better views are at the Top Of The Rock, including a view of the Empire State Building. I’m listing them both as options so you can take your pick.

Empire State Building

Named the Number 1 attraction in the United States by the 2022 TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Awards, this National Historic Landmark should be on everyone’s must-see list. Built in a record-breaking 1 year and 45 days, this 102-story building is one of the most iconic in not only NYC but the entire US.

From here you can see the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, and my home state of New Jersey. Okay, that last one may not be as exciting. But on a clear day, you can see an impressive 80 miles away through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the 102nd floor. Live out your Sleepless in Seattle fantasy by visiting the 86th-floor observatory, or immerse yourself in the exhibits showcasing the building’s history located on the 2nd and 8th floors.

Reservations are required. Click here for skip-the-line Empire State Building Tickets.

Address: 20 W 34th St., New York, NY 10001

Click Here For Tickets To The Empire State Building

OR:

Top Of The Rock

I recommend Top of The Rock as it offers some of the best views in the city, including 360-degree views of Central Park, the iconic Chrysler Building and Empire State Building, and the entire Manhattan skyline. It also lacks glass barriers to obstruct your photos.

If you visit Top of the Rock, check out the famous Channel Gardens and the lower-level concourse at Rockefeller Plaza. During the Christmas season, there is a popular ice rink and you can see the iconic Rockefeller Christmas Tree. Plus, Radio City Music Hall and St. Patrick’s Cathedral are just around the corner. If you’re there during the holiday season, don’t miss out on the gorgeous Saks 5th Avenue windows and light show.

Address: 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112

Click Here For Tickets To Top Of The Rock

Grand Central Terminal

Depending on where you’re coming from you may travel through Grand Central Station. But it’s so much more than a train station. It’s a gorgeous historical building that’s well worth looking at even if you aren’t there to catch a train. The building’s Beaux-Arts design incorporates numerous works of art earning it a place as a National Historic Landmark.

Believe it or not, Grand Central Terminal is actually one of the world’s 10 most visited tourist attractions. I highly recommend the NYC Secrets of Grand Central Walking Tour.

Grand Central Terminal is wheelchair accessible.

Address: 89 E 42nd St, NY, NY 10017

Click Here For Tickets To The Grand Central Terminal Tour

New York Public Library

Opened in 1911, the building was declared a New York City Designated Landmark, a National Historic Landmark, and a National Register of Historic Places site in the 1960s. Located along Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd streets the Beaux-Arts style library sits just east of Bryant Park.

Inside the building, you’ll find the main reading room, public catalog room, library shop, various reading rooms, and art exhibitions. You don’t have to be a local to visit. Out-of-state visitors can apply for a temporary card. My personal favorite spot is the maps division, which houses more than 20,000 atlases and 433,000 sheet maps, some dating back as early as the 16th century. There’s also a Manuscripts and Archives division containing illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods.

The rare books division houses the first Gutenberg Bible to be brought to the US, and first edition works by Shakespeare, Voltaire, and Walt Whitman, among others. However, admission to the rare book division requires pre-registration.

Even if you’re not a voracious reader, you can appreciate the building’s art and architecture. I also highly recommend the library shop if you’re looking for unique gifts for that literature lover or quirky NYC gifts and souvenirs.

The building has been featured in such films as 42nd Street, The Wiz, Ghostbusters, Network, The Thomas Crown Affair, Spider-Man, Sex and the City, Arthur, and many more.

The New York Public Library’s flagship location the Stephen A Schwartzman Building is fully accessible to wheelchair users.

Address: 476 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10018

Bryant Park

I used to come here to relax during my lunch breaks back when I worked in the city. It’s a great place to chill and people-watch. Located between 40th and 42nd Streets in Midtown Manhattan, the eastern part of the park is occupied by the New York Public Library. The western section contains a lawn, shaded walkways, and a carousel. But my favorite part of Bryant Park is the seasonal Bryant Park Winter Village and ice rink which takes place around the Christmas holiday season. During this time you can shop for all kinds of gifts and crafts from the booths set up inside the park.

Bryant Park is wheelchair accessible. All the public areas, walkways, and entrances to the restaurant are ADA-compliant.

Address: 5th and 6th Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets New York, NY

Museum of Modern Art

If you visit only one museum in NYC make it the MoMA museum. The thing is, there are many cool museums in NYC, but MoMA takes the cake. Here you can check out Van Gough’s “Starry Night”, Dali’s “Persistence of Memory” (my personal favorite painting), Picasso’s “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” and “Girl Before a Mirror”, Warhol’s “Soup Cans”, Magritte’s “The Lovers” and “The False Mirror”, Rousseau’s “The Dream”, Lichtenstein’s “Drowning Girl”, Mondrian’s “Broadway Boogie-Woogie”, and Wyeth’s “Christina’s World.”

If you’re not an art lover and often feel lost staring at rows of paintings you’ve never heard of please know that MoMA is not that. At MoMA anyone can feel that they at least know a little something about art.

It’s recommended you get Museum of Modern Art Tickets in advance.

Also, be sure to check out the neighboring MoMA store which is full of awesome gifts and cool art-related items.

At MoMA all galleries, entrances, and facilities are wheelchair accessible. Entrances with power-assist doors are located on 53rd and 54th streets between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.

Address: 11 W 53rd Street New York, NY 10019

Click Here For MoMA Tickets

Central Park

If you’re visiting New York for 3 days you need to swing by Central Park. Central Park is a much-needed respite from the busy streets of New York City. Located between the Upper East and Upper West sides of Manhattan, Central Park spans an impressive 843 acres. It’s the most filmed location in the world and the most visited urban park in the country. Central Park was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963.

The park’s main landscape attractions are the Hallett Nature Sanctuary, the Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, the Ramble and Lake, and Sheep Meadow. Central Park also offers several amusement attractions like the Central Park Carousel, Wollman Rink, and the Central Park Zoo. Other highlights include Bethesda Terrace, Central Park Mall, and Delacorte Theater. There are also tons of recreational activities like carriage horse rides, bicycle tours, sports facilities, Shakespeare in the Park, and outdoor concerts.

Click here for a Guided Central Park Pedicab Tour.

Click Here For Pedicab Tour Tickets

Also, consider getting tickets to the Central Park Zoo.

Click Here For Central Park Zoo Tickets

Even if you have no specific park activity or destination in mind, it’s fun to take a stroll through the park. You never know what or who you’ll see wandering through Central Park. A few years ago I saw the great Joan Didion, which was easily the highlight of my trip to NYC.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met is the largest museum in the Americas. By area, it is one of the largest museums in the world, making it a great rainy-day activity. It permanently contains over 2 million works divided over 17 different departments. The museum was founded in 1870 and contains works of art from classical antiquity, ancient Egypt, and paintings and sculptures from nearly all European masters. It also contains an extensive collection of American and modern art. The Met is also known for its amazing collections of musical instruments, costumes, accessories, and antique weapons and armor from around the world.

Click here for a tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

For more information visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art website.

The museum is wheelchair accessible. Accessible entrances are located at Fifth Avenue and 81st Street through the parking garage at Fifth Avenue and 80th Street.

Address: 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028

Day 2

Day 2 of our New York 3 days itinerary finds us exploring downtown Manhattan.

The Vessel

Oh Hudson Yards, what could have been… Unfortunately, today Hudson Yards is mostly known for an upscale mall with a now-shuttered sculpture, The Vessel. The Vessel is a really cool sculpture that makes for some excellent photos. While it’s currently closed, you can still view the Vessel, pictured above. Due to multiple people dying from jumping from the sculpture since its opening in 2019, you can no longer go inside.

If you’d like to know more about the area, check out the Hudson Yards Tour.

Click Here For A Hudson Yards Tour Ticket

The High Line

If you’re looking for an easy, accessible, and scenic walk, you can’t beat the High Line. One of my favorite unique NYC activities, the High Line takes you past a number of NYC cool places.

The High Line is an elevated linear park stretching 1.45 miles along a former NYC central railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan. The park runs from Gansevoort Street through Chelsea to the northern edge of the West Side Yard near Javits Center.

Attractions include plants and flowers, great views of the city and Hudson River, and multiple art installations and murals.

Another great attraction is the Chelsea Market and High Line Food Tour.

The High Line is fully wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair-accessible entrances and exits with elevators are available at Gansevoort Street, 14th Street, 16th Street, 23rd Street, 30th Street, and 34th Street. Wheelchair-accessible restrooms are available at Gansevoort Street and 16th Street.

Click Here For A Chelsea Market And High Line Food Tour Tickets

SoHo

SoHo is fun for shopping and small cobblestone streets. For a high-end dining experience in SoHo, I recommend a meal at Balthazar. The menu is $$$ but an amazing meal to splurge on. My family goes here every Thanksgiving for breakfast. I highly recommend the bread basket filled with tasty breads and sweet treats.

Soho is also home to the firehouse featured in the original Ghostbusters movie. New York is loaded with iconic movie locations, but few are as nostalgic as the 1903 Beaux-Arts building, home to the real-life Hook & Ladder Company 8. Used for the exterior scenes of the fictional firehouse where Peter, Ray, Egon, and Winston set up their ghostbusting operations, this firehouse attracts throngs of tourists.

The firefighters of Hook & Ladder 8, were among the very first responders to the World Trade Center on September 11. In fact, it’s still a fully functional firehouse, so please be respectful as you capture those shots for the gram.

After you finish snapping pics of the Ghostbusters Firehouse you can enjoy some shopping in the area’s many boutique stores.

Washington Square Park

I love Washington Square Park. If you happen to be traveling with your dog, it’s a great place to stroll through and visit the adjoining 2 dog runs. Located in Lower Manhattan’s Greenwich Village neighborhood next to New York University, it’s a well-known center of cultural activity. On any given day you can see chess players, people offering to sell you their poetry, free-style rappers, dancers, and other artists enjoying the park’s open space. The park has come a long way since the early 2000s when I was a kid and it was dominated by people offering to sell you their drugs.

It’s worth a visit to photograph the park’s famous Washington Square Arch on the north end of the park and the beautiful fountain in the middle of the park. There are also many flower beds and trees, children’s play areas, park benches, and well-paved paths to stroll.

The park is located at the foot of Fifth Avenue and is bordered by Waverly Place, University Place, West 4th Street, and MacDougal Street.

The park is wheelchair accessible.

Little Italy

One of my favorite unique NYC experiences is strolling through Little Italy. Bordered on the west by Tribeca and Soho, on the south by Chinatown, on the east by the Bowery and Lower East Side, and on the north, by Nolita, this neighborhood is known for its once-large Italian population. Today, Little Italy is made up of 50 or so Italian restaurants and cafes, and an ethnically diverse population of residents. Fun fact, it’s also home to Alleva Dairy on Grand Street, the oldest cheese shop in the United States. Opened in 1892 it’s still in operation today.

If you’re lucky enough to visit in September during the 11-day Feast of San Gennaro you can check out the area’s large street fair along Mulberry Street between Houston and Canal Streets.

While today the area may be more nostalgic than an actual hub of Italian Americans, it still has some of the best food in the city and you can’t throw a rock without hitting a great chicken parm. If you’d like some recommendations, I highly recommend Emilio’s Ballato, Peasant, and America’s first pizzeria, Lombardi’s.

For a full sampling of the best foods in Little Italy check out the Italian Food Tour of New York.

Click Here For Tickets To A Little Italy Food Tour

Chinatown

While Little Italy may be shrinking, Chinatown is growing. I’ve been to several Chinatowns across the US and I still say NYC’s is the best. With its many bakeries, herbal pharmacies, bars, bubble tea shops, temples, restaurants, bargain shopping retailers, and nightclubs, it honestly feels like a little slice of China. And if you’ve been a reader of my blog for some time, you know how many times I’ve visited China.

To get to Chinatown take the 6, N, W, R, Q, J, or Z line to Canal Street, an area known for its major bargain shopping scene. Even if you’re not into knock-off purses, there’s still a ton to do in Chinatown. Below are some of my top recommendations.

Golden Unicorn: The best dim sum in Chinatown.

Museum of Chinese in America: Learn about Chinese American identity and history.

Chinese New Year Parade: Chinese New Year happens in February. If you’re lucky enough to be in NYC at the time this parade cannot be missed.

The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory: This family-owned business has been around for three decades serving up Chinese-influenced ice cream flavors like ginger, green tea, almond cookie, durian, taro, and coconut fudge.

Click here for an amazing China Town and Little Italy Food Tour.

Click Here For Tickets To A Little Italy and Chinatown Food Tour

9/11 Memorial Museum

The National September 11 Memorial and Museum commemorates the September 11 attacks in New York City, which killed 2,977 people as well as the 1993 World Trade Center bombing which killed 6 people. The memorial is located on the former World Trade Center grounds. The grounds feature a forest of swamp oak trees, and two square reflecting pools where the Twin Towers once stood. 152 bronze parapets surrounding the memorial pools are inscribed with the names of the 2,983 victims. The museum itself contains a collection of more than 40,000 images 14,000 artifacts, 500 hours of video, and 3,500 oral recordings.

For tickets visit 9/11 Memorial Museum Admission Tickets.

The museum is wheelchair accessible. An accessible drop-off/ pick-up location is located at the intersection of Liberty Street and Trinity Place. The museum offers free admission to one accompanying caregiver. All restrooms have wheelchair-accessible stalls. Wheelchairs and walkers are available to rent on a first-com-first-serve basis.

Induction loops that transmit sound to visitors with T-coil compatible hearing aids and cochlear implants are installed throughout the museum. Captioning is also available on all video exhibits. An ASL tour is also available. The audio guide includes an audio description tour to help guide visitors who are blind or partially blind.

Address: 180 Greenwich Street, NY, NY

Click Here For Tickets To The 9/11 Museum

NYC One World Observatory New York

NYC One World Observatory offers unparalleled views of the city from over 100 stories above in the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. This is one of the many excellent indoor activities NYC has to offer. One of the coolest parts of the observatory is the registry of guests where you can enter your place of origin into the largest curved indoor LED screen in the world. The data displayed represents where guests from all over the world have visited. Visitors can also check out the Horizon Grid, a multimedia display highlighting all of the places viewable from One World Observatory.

The Sky Pod elevators climb 102 stories in 47 seconds to the top of the observatory. Guests are also able to dine at the restaurant ONE dine, and bar, ONE mix where they can relax and take in the gorgeous views.

For tickets, visit NYC One World Observatory Tours.

One World Observatory’s amenities and exhibits are fully accessible to guests with disabilities. There is a wheelchair-accessible entrance along West Street north of Vesey Street in the west Plaza Entrance. Alternatively, guests may also access the Observatory from inside the World Trade Center Oculus.

Address: 117 West Street, New York, NY 10006

Click Here For Tickets To One Word Observatory

Day 3

Day 3 is all about seeing the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and taking in a Broadway show.

Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty

Is there anything more iconically New York, or iconically American than the Statue of Liberty? If you’ve come to NYC you simply have to visit. However, please be advised if you wish to enter the statue’s pedestal and crown or Ellis Island tour, you will need reservations. Reservations are separate from the ferry tickets needed to access the islands.

To get there, take the Statue City Cruises ferry from Battery Park, at the southern tip of Manhattan. Statue City Cruises is the only boat company authorized to sell tickets for and provide transportation to Liberty and Ellis Islands. Do not buy tickets from any other boat company in New York Harbor. For full tour tickets check out Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Tours.

Click Here For Tickets To The Statue of Liberty And Ellis Island

When it comes to accessibility, most of the little island of Ellis Island and Liberty Island grounds and the statue itself are wheelchair accessible. The one exception to this is access to the statue’s crown. You can make the trip to the top of the pedestal easily with elevator access. However, making the trip to the crown requires a steep walk up the 162 steps of a spiral staircase from the feet of the statue to the crown. There is no elevator access past the top of the pedestal. It’s a hard walk and extremely claustrophobic. Each step is 9 inches in height and 8 inches in length. The staircase itself is 22 inches wide. I made the trip as a teenager but honestly don’t think I would be able to do it again today as a disabled adult.

Three wheelchairs are available for rent on a first-come-first-serve basis from the Statue of Liberty Museum. A valid photo ID is required to borrow one.

Times Square

As someone who spent the late 90s working in Times Square in a building directly next door to MTV’s Total Request Live and despised pressing my way through the throngs of bridge and tunnel teens who clogged up the sidewalk, I’ve more than had my share of Times Square. But, if you’ve never been it’s definitely something to check off your bucket list. Just be prepared for tons of traffic and tourists.

While there are a fair amount of things to do in Times Square, in my opinion, New York City has far more unique offerings than M&M World, The Naked Cowboy, a bunch of Elmos, Dave & Busters, and Madame Tussauds. But Times Square isn’t all bad. If you want to check out one of the many Broadway shows you’ll find yourself in the Times Square area.

For discount day of Broadway tickets check out the TKTS booth in Times Square. They offer same-day tickets for as much as 50% off. If you’re feeling lucky, you could also enter the Broadway ticket lottery where you’ll be entered to win tickets to hit Broadway shows for as little as $35 each. I’ve entered 10 or so times and was lucky enough to win 2 tickets to Kinky Boots once a few years back. Your luck will vary.

If you’re there right before midnight, check out the Midnight Moment. It’s the world’s largest and longest-running digital public art program. Every night, from 11:57 pm to midnight, the massive electronic billboards in Times Square synchronize to showcase a single digital artwork in this spectacular New York night show.

Where To Stay In New York City

This Times Square area in Midtown and the SoHo neighborhood are my top two picks for the best areas to stay in New York City. These areas put you close to public transportation and attractions. They’re also safe neighborhoods, My top hotel picks are:

Marriott Marquis - Located at Times Square and in the Theater District, this massive midtown Manhattan hotel offers complimentary WiFi and onsite dining options. Radio City Music Hall and Rockefeller Center are just 2641 feet from the New York Marriott Marquis. Wheelchair-accessible rooms are available.

Hilton Times Square - Located in New York, an 8-minute walk from Bryant Park, Hilton New York Times Square provides accommodations with a fitness center, private parking, a shared lounge, and a bar. Wheelchair-accessible rooms are available.

The Soho Grand - If you can splurge on a hotel in NYC this is the hotel to do it. Located in the upscale SoHo neighborhood, this luxury hotel is close to art galleries, designer shops, and popular restaurants. ADA Accessible rooms are available.

The Sheraton Tribeca - This 4-star New York City hotel is in the Tribeca neighborhood, across the street from trendy SoHo shopping. It offers guest rooms, a 24-hour gym, and a restaurant. Wheelchair-accessible rooms are available.

Getting Around New York City

Navigating New York City can be an accessible and enjoyable experience with a bit of planning. The subway system has many stations equipped with elevators, but be sure to check which lines and stops are wheelchair accessible. You can check for accessible subway stops here. Buses are another excellent option, as all city buses are equipped with ramps and priority seating.

Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft offer accessible vehicle options, providing a convenient way to traverse the city without the challenges of public transit. Additionally, consider exploring the city on foot or using a wheelchair, as many neighborhoods have wide sidewalks and pedestrian-friendly amenities.

Best Time To Visit New York City

The best time to visit New York City is during the spring and fall seasons, specifically from late March to June and September to November. These months offer mild weather, vibrant blooms in Central Park, and an array of outdoor festivals and events. Spring showcases cherry blossoms and outdoor art installations, while fall captivates visitors with the stunning foliage and the iconic Halloween and Thanksgiving celebrations. Additionally, these shoulder seasons provide a more comfortable atmosphere for exploring the city's many attractions, along with less crowded streets and more accessible travel routes for those with mobility challenges.

Final Thoughts On Three Days In New York City

I hope you’ve enjoyed this NYC in 3 days itinerary. While I recommend spending at least 4-5 days in New York City, 3 days is enough to see the major highlights and taste some amazing foods. Be sure to pick up a street corner hot dog and perhaps some knishes.

Have something you think I should add to my 3 day itinerary for New York? Hit me up in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.

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