One Day in New York City
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Along with weekend travel, one of my favorite types of getaways is the day trip. I know what you’re thinking. One day? How can you do anything? Is it even worth it? My answer is absolutely! If all I have is one day to visit somewhere new, I’d much rather do it than miss out. Although day trips can be stressful, they can also be a blast. I recently spent one day in New York City with my mom and sister, and it was a one-of-a-kind experience.
Keep reading to check out our one day itinerary, and stay tuned for my post on how to plan the perfect day trip.
Morning: Bagels and a Bus Tour
After arriving to New York City at 9 am vie Amtrak, the first stop had to be a bagel place. If you haven’t visited The Big Apple before, the stereotypes about the superior bagels are true. We visited Liberty Bagels and the place was packed, which is always a good sign. The bagel was chewy (in a good way) and fresh and delicious. It’s hard to describe, but take my word for it, best bagel you’ll ever eat.
Our next stop was our first excursion using the Go City New York pass. I know I know. I don’t usually like such touristy things, but since we only had one day in New York City, I went with it. This pass was a life-saver though, since it allowed us to pick a number of attractions for the day, at a lower price than we’d have paid individually. We decided on the 3 attraction option and started by boarding the Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus Day Tour in Midtown Manhattan. This was great for navigating Midtown with hardly any effort on our part. We also got to enjoy some of the views of New York from a different angle than if we’d walked or taken the subway.
Afternoon: The Met, Pizza, and Times Square
After riding around the city a bit, we used our second attraction on the Go City pass at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Since we were rushed for time, we only got to enjoy the first floor, but I will say this was one of my favorite museums I’ve ever been to. I especially loved that the building itself became part of the art. The architecture, lighting and styling of each room matched the type of art that was in it. On the first floor alone, we saw Greek and Roman, Modern, Egyptian, Baroque, and Oceanic art, just to name a few.
There was no other option for lunch but pizza, so we headed to Artichoke Pizza to meet a friend. We definitely got the New York City vibe in the tiny counter store with maybe 5 chairs to sit along one wall. The pizza was good, but I do have to say I don’t think it was as mind-blowing as it’s made out to be. Next time I visit, I will have to try a different place to test the theory.
After pizza, we headed back to Midtown to check out Times Square. Another tourist trap, but one we had to do at least once. We must have caught it at a good time, because it wasn’t as packed as I was expecting. I’m glad we did it, but I don’t feel the need to visit this attraction again.
Evening: Rockefeller Center
Our train back to D.C. didn’t leave until 9 pm, so we had plenty of time to enjoy the New York City skyline and lights once the sun went down. The #1 thing I wanted to do while visiting was Top of the Rock, which is the observatory at the top of Rockefeller Center. Tip: go early to get your timed entry, especially if you want to be up there at a certain time of day. We used our 3rd attraction on the Go City pass for tickets here, and it was definitely worth it. Although I would have preferred visiting in daylight, we weren’t able to get a slot until after it got dark. The views were still stunning though and I would definitely come back here on my next visit.
I hope that this itinerary for one day in New York City helps you out, but my main piece of advice would be to give yourself more time! If you have to stick to one day, be patient and flexible with your plans. We only got to do about half of what we wanted, and it was a full day.
Have you visited New York City before? What’s your favorite thing to do or see? And for more one day trips, stay tuned!
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Tracy
What a great itinerary for a day in NYC! Thanks for sharing!
kmf
Love, love, love NYC! You picked some great places to highlight for a one-day itinerary!
Jordan
Hi Karen,
Thanks! I wish we had been able to squeeze in Central Park, but that just means I’ll have to come back soon!