[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]New York City is one of the most visited cities in the entire world. There is so much to do in NYC that even if you lived here for one year you will still probably miss out on some of the great things that the city has to offer. Thus if you are on a short vacation it is important to plan out your stay in New York City so you don’t waste a minute of it.
The most important part of planning your 2-day itinerary in NYC is where you will stay. New York City has five boroughs that include Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island. You should first figure where you plan to spend most of your time as commuting all over will not only take a long period of time, it will also be very tiring. For the itinerary below we expect you to spend most of your time in Manhattan and the two-day guide will focus around some of the best things to do in the Manhattan area.
Best Things To Do In New York City In 2 Days
Manhattan is a very large island so you will waste lots of time if you plan to jump around the different parts of town. We will break this two-day itinerary into regions and you can interchange day one and day two based on what your plans are. The first day we will suggest upper Manhattan and the second day will be focused on lower Manhattan.
In addition, we suggest that you get a subway metro pass and fill it up to somewhere around $15-$20. This will save you lots of money compared to taking taxis everywhere and to be honest, sometimes the subway is even faster because you don’t have to deal with traffic.
Day 1 In Manhattan
Start your day in Midtown Manhattan by visiting Times Square, the reason we say start with this is because as the day goes on it will get more crowded. For those that don’t like large crowds, the morning time and evenings are best. From Times Square, you can walk a few blocks east to Rockefeller Center and if you like going up to The Top of The Rock. It is important to note that you should make a reservation so you can save time and not having to wait in line to go up.
Just a few steps from Rockefeller center is the iconic 5th Avenue. Here all the famous shops are located along this strip. If you take it north, you will end up at Central Park. Central Park is a wonderful experience no matter the season. In the middle of Central Park on the east side is The Met Museum, this is one of the most popular museums in the world as is a must see while you are in New York. One secret that many people don’t know is that there is a rooftop bar open from May-October and the views here of both Central Park and the city skyline are breathtaking.
If you are someone that enjoys museums, there are also other popular museums like the Guggenheim Museum, American Museum of National History and Copper-Hewitt National Design just to name a few.
Day 2 In Manhattan
After you have experienced all the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, it is time to make your way down to lower Manhattan. Here things are more relaxed and historical. What we suggest you do is start your day at the very bottom of the island and either check out Wall Street or One World Trade Center.
From here you can either go on a ferry to the Statue of Liberty or make your way north. A short distance from Wall Street and World Trade Center is SoHo. This is a very popular part of town for the younger crowd and if you are in the shopping mood, many designer brands are located in this area.
After your done shopping, you can walk to Washington Square Park for some great scenes and then stop at Union Square. If you have time and want to make your way to Brooklyn, from Union Square get on the L train and cross the river into Brooklyn.
Once in Brooklyn you can take a stroll to the waterfront where you will have stunning views of the Manhattan skyline. You can make your way to the Brooklyn Bridge and cross that back into Manhattan.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]