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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23 Comments
Courtney
It looks like you got a lot in in your one day visit!
Lisa Manderino
Hop on Hop off bus tours are so worth it! I love seeing everything!
Jordan
Hi Lisa,
It really was worth it! I will definitely do one again in big cities to save time and hassle.
Wendy Robinson
I agree. I’d rather do a day trip than do nothing at all. NYC has so much to do that you can easily plan an excellent day with some planning and a good attitude. Looks like a great time
Jordan
Hi Wendy,
You are so right about the attitude. I wish I had been a bit more patient with the time constraint. It was still worth it though!
Brooklyn
I absolutely love NYC! The bagels were amazing as you said. There was this cupcake shop in Greenwich Village (I can’t remember the name, it’s been 4 years) that has the BEST cupcakes I’ve ever had. I went back to NYC last year for wedding dress shopping at Kleinfeld and the trip did not disappoint, although my travel companions did, lol. There’s so much to do in NY that I don’t think I’ll be planning a day trip, but I’ll definitely be checking out the Met on my next go round.
Jordan
Hi Brooklyn,
Oooh, I love cupcakes. I will have to look into that next time. I won’t be doing that again either. haha. I hope you enjoy The Met!
Taci- Life Beyond Zebra
It can be so hard to see what New York has to offer in one day but this is a really good day!
Jordan
Hi Taci,
It really is! Next time will be a longer trip for sure.
jen
OH this looks like it was a great time!!! NYC is always a grand adventure!
Leeanne
We love New York. The reason the bagels are so good is because of the water. I used to live on Long Island and I know. We get bagels were I live but I always craze the NY bagels. Rockefeller Plaza is so great too. I love the view from the Top of the Rock.
Jordan
Hi Leeanne,
That is what I heard too, that it’s something with the water. I don’t know if I can eat other bagels after that one. haha. Top of the Rock was so great!
alison netzer
What a busy packed day in NYC. I do love the city, but you are right, Time Square is not really worth it as it is so ridiculously busy. I have to get up there soon.
Jordan
Hi Alison,
Yes! I had a friend tell me not to go at all, and now I get why he said that. haha. At least it’s checked off the bucket list. I hope you get back soon!
Stacey Billingsley
So cool! I’ve been to New York a couple of times, and there is just so much to see and do. My daughter hasn’t been, and we are planning a road trip through New England. She desperately wants to go, so we were considering maybe stopping for one night, maybe in New Jersey or something. This inspires me!
Missy
You got to see a lot in one day. Awesome job! Yes, I have visited and I took 2 days and there is still more to see.
Jordan
Hi Missy,
I feel like it’s a place where you will never be able to see everything. There’s just so much! Two days sounds way better though.
Shirley
I love day trips!! Living in the mountains of North Carolina means I have plenty of day trip opportunities, but your trip to NYC looks amazing!!! Bookmarking for future travel!
Jordan
Hi Shirley,
North Carolina is a good spot for day trips close by, for sure. I hope you get to visit New York City soon!