3 Day New York Itinerary - How To Spend 3 Days In NYC

Last Updated on 31st May 2024

This 3 day New York itinerary contains affiliate links.

Are you looking to spend a long weekend in New York City for the first time? Perhaps you’re looking for some tips on how to spend 3 days in NYC on a budget? My comprehensive itinerary below includes what to see in New York in 3 days for first time visitors!

After the success of my 4 day itinerary, 7 day itinerary, 1 day itinerary and my guide about how to plan your New York itinerary with Google Maps, I received so many requests to put together a comprehensive 3 day itinerary for New York City, which is exactly what you’ll find in the guide below!

While I would argue that no amount of time in New York City is ever enough, I think that 3 days is the minimum amount of time to spend in the city to get a glimpse into the many incredible things to see, do and eat there.

If you’re planning a trip to NYC for the first time, I would highly suggest using my itinerary below for spending three days in New York City!

Planning a trip to NYC? Check out my Ultimate New York City Travel Guide ebook which includes 234 pages full of information to help you plan the perfect trip to New York! You can also join my FREE New York Facebook Group for more travel tips, advice and inspiration!

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Accommodation: Booking.com / Hostelworld / Agoda
Transport: Flixbus / Rentalcars.com / Big Bus Tours
Activities/tours: Get Your Guide / Viator / Klook / Go City
Travel insurance: SafetyWing
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Luggage storage: Radical Storage
New York Passes: Go City Pass / New York CityPASS
USA eSIM: Airalo

Who is this 3 day NYC itinerary for?

3 days simply isn’t enough time to see and do everything that New York City has to offer, however, if it’s your first time in NYC, then 3 days will give you the opportunity to get a good feel for the city as a first-timer and this itinerary is designed to help you plan your first 3 day trip to New York!

This itinerary is ideal for first-time visitors to New York City looking to see and experience as much of the Big Apple as possible in 3 days. It’s certainly not comprehensive and it only includes a few of my favourite things to do in NYC, but it’s a great place to start when planning your trip!

Check out my other New York itineraries here:

3 day itinerary of New York map

As with every New York itinerary that I create, you can head to this Google MyMaps link to see my full 3 day NYC itinerary in detail so that you can save a copy to your own phone and use it for inspiration while in the city!

It’s a good idea to bear in mind that my 3 day New York City itinerary involves a lot of walking as this is by far the best way to get around the city to ensure that you see as much as possible. However, it is also possible to use the subway to get to many of the places featured in this itinerary and I’ve tried to suggest the best times to get the subway from one place to another and when it’s better to walk!

In each of the day’s summaries, I have also added a recommended amount of time that I would suggest spending in each place/attraction, but of course, this will vary enormously depending on how much time you want to dedicate to each attraction/sight/eatery. The times I have suggested can be used as a rough/general guide for planning out your days.

Must-do attractions & sights in NYC

Day 1 – 3 days itinerary in New York City

Day one of your three days in New York City takes you to my favourite bagel spot in the city, through some of my favourite neighbourhoods and includes plenty of time in the city’s outdoor spaces. You’ll also visit some incredible food spots and even take in the views from various vantage points throughout Manhattan!

Breakfast at Tompkins Square Bagels

Start your three days in New York City with a bang… or just a really delicious (and enormous) bagel! When we spent one month in NYC over Christmas and New Year, our East Village apartment was just a few blocks from Tompkins Square Bagels and we ate there on many occasions because the bagels are just that good!

They’re absolutely huge and you could definitely share one bagel between two people (or save half for later in the day if you don’t want to eat it all in one go). My go-to order at Tompkins Square Bagels is the everything bagel with bacon, egg and cheese; order this and thank me later!

Washington Square Park

From Tompkins Square, it’s less than a 15-minute walk to one of my favourite outdoor spaces in the city; Washington Square Park. Located just minutes from Greenwich Village, Washington Square Park is a brilliant place to people-watch in the city, especially in the summer months when you’ll find plenty of street performers and buskers entertaining both locals and tourists!

You don’t need to spend too long at the park, but I would definitely recommend enjoying a leisurely wander through before heading to the next stop on your itinerary.

Greenwich Village/West Village

Just a few blocks from Washington Square Park, you’ll find yourself in the heart of Greenwich Village and the West Village, two incredibly hip and fashionable neighbourhoods in New York City that are well worth a wander through.

There are some incredible places to eat in these neighbourhoods and it’s also where you’ll find the famous exteriors of Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment building from Sex and the City (60 Perry Street) and the exterior shot of Monica’s apartment from Friends (90 Bedford Street).

If the filming locations of hit TV series doesn’t appeal to you, I still think it’s worth exploring Greenwich Village/West Village on foot as they’re such beautiful neighbourhoods with tonnes of great cafes, gorgeous buildings and a generally friendly and welcoming vibe.

Little Island – 3 day New York itinerary

Another 20-minute walk (or a 3-minute subway ride and then a 12-minute walk) will take you to another fantastic outdoor space in New York City; Little Island.

This stunning island park sits on impressive stilts in the Hudson River, just minutes from Chelsea Market, the Whitney Museum of American Art and one of the many entrances to the High Line.

You can enjoy spectacular views of many of Manhattan’s top sights from Little Island, including the One World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, as well as the Edge at Hudson Yards, the Empire State Building and even the Statue of Liberty in the far distance.

It’s completely free to visit Little Island, but there are numerous ticketed events throughout the summer months for various music performances and live shows, so you can check the Little Island website for more information about any events that may be happening during your three days in NYC.

Lunch at Chelsea Market

If you’ve still got an appetite after the humongous bagel from Tompkins Square Bagels, I would definitely encourage you to peruse the many incredible food stalls at Chelsea Market to enjoy even more delicious food in NYC!

Some of my favourite places to eat inside Chelsea Market include Doughnuttery for the best doughnuts I’ve ever had, Berlin Currywurst for excellent German street food, Los Tacos No.1 for some of the best tacos in New York City and Black Seed Bagels if you fancy even more doughy goodness!

Of course, you don’t have to eat at Chelsea Market if you’re not hungry, but I would still recommend adding it to your 3 day New York itinerary as I think it’s such a brilliant place to wander around and explore!

Walk the High Line

After tucking into some delicious treats, it’s time for a walk along the infamous High Line; the 1.45-mile-long elevated park and trail that sits upon on an old, abandoned railroad. It runs along the west side of Manhattan from Gansevoort Street to Hudson Yards, but there are over a dozen entry/exit points along the way so you don’t have to walk the entirety of it if you don’t want to.

I would personally recommend walking the entire length of the High Line once you’ve visited Chelsea Market, however, as the next stop of the day is situated at the very end of the High Line in Hudson Yards. Depending on your walking pace and how many times you stop along the way to check out the views and take pictures, it should take you around 25-30 minutes to walk from Chelsea Market to Hudson Yards along the High Line.

Edge Observation Deck

Once you get to Hudson Yards, there are plenty of things to keep you entertained, including a fantastic shopping mall, the Vessel (a tall, beehive-like structure that makes for an excellent photo backdrop) and one of New York City’s newest observation decks; Edge.

The Edge Observation Deck is the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere and it also boats a super cool and unique design, with its viewing platform jutting out of the side of the 100+ storey building!

While I personally prefer Summit One Vanderbilt or the Top of the Rock over any other observation deck in NYC, Edge is still definitely worth a visit while you’re in this part of Manhattan. The views are remarkable, but I personally just prefer to be in the middle of Manhattan at Summit or the TOTR, rather than on the west side at the Edge.

Book tickets for the Edge Observation Deck here!

Check out my full comparison guide of all five of New York’s observation decks here!

The Skylark Rooftop Bar

If the towering heights of Edge haven’t quite satisfied your desires to see the iconic New York skyline from astonishing heights, I’d recommend checking out one of the many incredible rooftop bars in Manhattan.

I’ve recommended The Skylark rooftop bar on this particular 3 day New York itinerary as it’s just a 20-minute walk (or a 20-minute subway ride) from Edge/Hudson Yards and it’s also just a few blocks from Times Square, which is where I’d recommend concluding your first evening in New York City.

This breathtaking rooftop bar boasts magical views of the Empire State Building and its stunning interior design is absolutely swoon-worthy. It doesn’t offer a “proper” restaurant menu as such, but there are plenty of lighter bites and sharing dishes to enjoy, such as a cheeseboard, mezze platter, tacos, fries, sliders and more. You can see the full menu on The Skylark website.

If The Skylark doesn’t take your fancy, here are some other nearby rooftop bars that I’d recommend:

St. Cloud Rooftop
Refinery Rooftop
Daintree
Castell Rooftop Lounge
Monarch Rooftop

Times Square

From The Skylark (and most of the other rooftop bars listed above), it’s just a 5-minute walk into the heart of one of New York City’s most iconic attractions; Times Square.

Times Square often gets a bit of a bad reputation, especially with locals as it’s incredibly crowded, touristy, loud and bright and while I can totally understand that it’s not a place that locals would frequent too often, I do think it’s worth a visit as a tourist, especially if it’s your first time in the city.

You don’t need to spend hours in Times Square to experience its bright lights, chaotic billboards and eccentric characters, just a wander through the heart of it will give you that iconic New York experience that you see in many Hollywood movies.

There are plenty of subway stations in/near Times Square, so it should be easy enough to get back to your hotel, no matter where you’re staying in the city.

Day 1 summary checklist

Breakfast at Tompkins Square Bagels – 15-30 minutes (I’d suggest getting a bagel to takeaway and then eating it while sat in Tompkins Square Park)
Washington Square Park – 20 minutes
Greenwich Village/West Village – 40 minutes
Little Island – 30-45 minutes
Lunch at Chelsea Market – 1 hour
Walk the High Line – 45 minutes
Edge Observation Deck – 90 minutes
The Skylark Rooftop Bar – 1 hour
Times Square – 30 minutes

Day 2 – itinerary for New York City in 3 days

On day 2 of your 3 days in NYC, you’ll head to another one of my favourite breakfast spots before paying your respects at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. You’ll then admire the world-famous Lady Liberty from the free Staten Island Ferry before walking the Brooklyn Bridge and hanging out in DUMBO at one of my favourite rooftop bars/eateries in New York City!

Breakfast/brunch at Bubby’s

The first stop on day two of your 3 day NYC itinerary should be breakfast/brunch at Bubby’s, AKA one of my favourite places in Manhattan for a decadent meal.

There are so many incredible dishes to choose from at Bubby’s, including their infamous pancakes and my personal favourite, their extravagant turkey pastrami reuben sandwich! You can check the full brunch menu on the Bubby’s website which is served from 8 AM to 4 PM every single day.

Bubby’s is located just north of Tribeca, just one block away from the famous Ghostbusters Headquarters, so if you’re a fan of the film franchise, I’d recommend walking over there after Bubby’s to check out the iconic filming location.

9/11 Memorial & Museum

Once you’ve indulged in a hearty breakfast, I’d suggest walking to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, which should only take 15 minutes.

The 9/11 Museum is somewhere that I recommend to everyone when visiting New York City, especially if it’s your first time in the city as it’s such a surreal and incredibly important place that commemorates the tragic events of the fateful attacks on September 11th 2001.

However, I can totally appreciate that a visit inside the museum won’t be on everyone’s New York itinerary as it’s such a heart-wrenching place and you definitely need to dedicate at least 2-3 hours to the museum in order to see and learn as much as possible.

If you decide to skip a visit to the museum, I would still definitely suggest heading to the Memorial Pools which stand in the place of the former Twin Towers and serves as a memorial site for all those that lost their lives in the tragedy. You don’t need tickets to see the 9/11 Memorial Pools, but you will need tickets if you want to go inside the museum.

Purchase tickets for the 9/11 Museum here!

Adjacent to the 9/11 Memorial, you’ll see the towering structure of the One World Trade Center, formally known as the Freedom Tower. This is another observation deck in New York City that boasts remarkable views, but I personally prefer the observation decks located in Midtown Manhattan (such as Summit, the Top of the Rock and Edge) as I think they offer a better view of the whole of Manhattan, even though the One World Observatory is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

Get tickets for the One World Observatory here!

Staten Island Ferry – 3 day New York itinerary

From the 9/11 Museum and the World Trade Center, I’d suggest making the 15-minute walk to the southern end of The Battery (a huge, historic park that sits at the bottom of Manhattan) where you’ll have several ferry options to choose from in order to see the Statue of Liberty up close.

One of my number one recommendations when visiting NYC is to pay for the ferry tour that takes you to both Liberty Island and Ellis Island. However, as you only have three days in New York City, you might find yourself a little pushed for time and as I would recommend allocating at least 3-4 hours for this experience, you might want to skip the visits to both islands and instead opt for a ferry that just takes you up close to the Statue of Liberty, rather than onto the island itself.

One of the best ways to do this is to take the free Staten Island Ferry that departs from Whitehall Terminal at the very southern tip of Manhattan. This option is a great way to see the Statue of Liberty as not only is the ferry completely free to ride, but it also runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with ferries operating every 15-20 minutes during weekday rush hours and then every 30 minutes in between.

However, one important thing to note is that you must disembark the ferry once it arrives at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. To take the ferry back to Manhattan, you must get off the ferry and then rejoin the queue on Staten Island to take the next departing ferry. More information can be found on the Staten Island Ferry website or in my huge guide linked below.

Walk the Brooklyn Bridge

Assuming that you decide to take the free Staten Island Ferry from Whitehall Terminal and back, once you arrive back in Manhattan, I would recommend heading to the Brooklyn Bridge to enjoy a leisurely stroll across this world-famous structure.

From Whitehall Terminal, it’s a 25-minute walk or a 10-15 minute subway ride to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall subway station and from there, you can head towards the pedestrian entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge.

The time it takes to walk the entirety of the bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn will depend on your walking pace and how many times you want to stop and admire the views, but I would suggest allowing for 45 minutes to one hour to give you plenty of time to take in your surroundings.

DUMBO

Once you get to Brooklyn, head straight to DUMBO, a lovely neighbourhood that’s famous for enjoying that iconic view of the Empire State Building peeking out under the Manhattan Bridge.

DUMBO literally stands for “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass” and it’s also the area where keen Gossip Girl fans will notice the exterior of the Humphrey’s apartment building.

Brooklyn Bridge Park/Squibb Park Bridge

From DUMBO, you can enjoy a leisurely stroll through the neighbourhood and then make your way towards another one of the city’s fantastic outdoor spaces; Brooklyn Bridge Park.

The 85-acre park is home to various piers, picnic spots, walkways and epic views across the East River of the captivating Manhattan skyline. It’s one of the best places to hang out in the summer months, but it’s also super enjoyable at any time of year to admire the views of Manhattan.

Another spot that’s worth visiting while you’re in the Brooklyn Heights neighbourhood is Squibb Park Bridge; an elevated footbridge that connects Brooklyn Bridge Park and Squibb Park. The views from here are also truly astonishing as it gives an incredible vantage point of all the skyscrapers in Lower Manhattan.

Dinner/drinks at Time Out Market New York

To conclude your second day in New York City, I would seriously recommend spending the evening at Time Out Market which is located back in DUMBO, just a few minutes walk from Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Time Out Market New York is one of my favourite eateries in the city as it’s an awesome food market/rooftop bar that serves epic street food and boasts ridiculously cool views of the Manhattan skyline and the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. The rooftop bar might only be located on the fifth floor of the building, but it still presents pretty impressive views of the skyline, especially at night!

I’m sure you’ll have worked up quite the appetite by the time you head to Time Out Market and thankfully, there are plenty of fantastic food places to choose from. Some of my personal favourite recommendations include Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors for hearty burgers, Felice Pasta Bar for delicious Italian cuisine and Fornino for the most scrumptious pizzas (particularly the spicy vodka sauce and sausage!).

The rooftop bar is worth visiting for the views alone, but they also serve a vast selection of delicious cocktails, wine, spirits, beer and more!

Find more food and drink stalls available on the Time Out Market website.

Day 2 summary checklist

Breakfast/brunch at Bubby’s – 1 hour to 90 minutes
9/11 Memorial & Museum – 2-3 hours for the museum/30 minutes for the memorial
Staten Island Ferry – 25 minutes each way
Walk the Brooklyn Bridge – 45 minutes
DUMBO – 30 minutes
Brooklyn Bridge Park/Squibb Park Bridge – 1 hour
Dinner/drinks at Time Out Market New York – 90 minutes+

Day 3 – New York City in 3 days itinerary

On day 3, you’ll experience one of the best-rated breakfast sandwiches in Manhattan before admiring some of the city’s most iconic landmarks such as the Empire State Building, the New York Public Library, Grand Central Terminal and the Chrysler Building. You’ll then head to my favourite place in the whole world (the Rockefeller Center), before indulging in Gallagher’s incredible lunchtime special and then walking the whole thing off with a wander through Central Park!

Good Morning Breakfast

Begin your final day in New York City with one of the most highly-rated breakfast sandwiches in the city at Good Morning Breakfast. This unassuming food cart on 1216 Broadway, West 30th Street has over 40 5* reviews on Google and is renowned for their super reasonably priced and utterly delicious breakfast bagels/sandwiches.

Many of the street food carts in New York City get a bit of a bad reputation, but if you want a hearty breakfast that’s affordable, close to many of the city’s iconic sights and, of course, incredibly yummy, be sure to add Good Morning Breakfast to your itinerary for 3 days in New York!

You can find the exact location for the Good Morning Breakfast food cart here!

Empire State Building

Just 3 blocks north of the Good Morning Breakfast cart (a 5-minute walk) resides the most famous building in New York City and one of the most iconic landmarks in the whole world; the Empire State Building.

While many people would suggest heading to the top of the Empire State Building observation deck to take in the views from this world-renowned structure, I personally think it’s better to head to another observation deck (such as Summit or the Top of the Rock) as I much prefer to see the Empire State from another building, rather than being stood at the top of it!

Therefore, my 3 day itinerary includes a visit to the Empire State Building to see it up close from the ground, but I haven’t allocated enough time in the itinerary to head to the observation deck at the top.

However, if you do want to enjoy the views from one of the world’s most notable buildings, I would suggest pre-booking tickets online in advance to avoid the queues on the day of your visit and to guarantee a certain time slot.

Book tickets for the Empire State Building here!

Bryant Park/New York Public Library

Continuing another 6 blocks north along Fifth Avenue (approximately a 10-minute walk), you’ll reach the 4-acre outdoor green space known as Bryant Park.

Bryant Park is one of my must-visits in New York City during the festive season when it hosts the brilliant Bank of America Winter Village and Ice Rink, but it’s also well worth a visit during the spring/summer months when it plays host to a variety of other outdoor events such as free movie nights and picnic gatherings.

Directly adjacent to Bryant Park, with its exclusive Fifth Avenue postcode, you’ll find the New York Public Library flagship which is another one of the city’s most prestigious landmarks. It is possible to head inside and take a look at some of the library’s famous reading rooms, but it’s also just a wonderful experience to admire its extravagant exterior, too.

Read more: 10 Best Ice Rinks In NYC

Grand Central Station

Just a couple of blocks to the east of Bryant Park and the New York Public Library, you’ll come across yet another one of the city’s most notable landmarks, Grand Central Station.

This world-famous train station comprises more than 48 acres and is home to 44 platforms and 67 tracks, making it the largest train station in the world! Of course, you don’t need to be actually riding a train anywhere to visit Grand Central Station, it’s just a beautiful piece of architecture that’s well worth a wander around regardless of whether you’re departing from there or not!

Summit One Vanderbilt

The entrance to the newest (and arguably best!) observation deck in New York City is located inside Grand Central Terminal, so if you’re planning to experience Summit One Vanderbilt, you’ll be in the right place!

If you’ve only got three days to spend in NYC, then one observation deck (Edge, which is featured on day one’s itinerary) will probably be enough. However, Summit One Vanderbilt is definitely worth a visit in my opinion, so I wanted to include it in day three’s itinerary to give you the option to visit another observation deck. If you do plan to visit more than one observatory during your 3 day itinerary, just be prepared for a very busy schedule!

I’d recommend spending around two hours at Summit One Vanderbilt, which is definitely possible on this itinerary, it will just likely be a very long and busy day! As with most attractions in NYC, it’s a good idea to pre-book tickets to Summit online in advance to guarantee the day/time that you want to visit.

Book tickets for Summit One Vanderbilt here!

Chrysler Building – 3 day New York itinerary

The iconic structure known as the Chrysler Building is also located just next door to Grand Central and while you can’t go to the top of this famous landmark, you can go inside the building’s lobby when it’s open and, of course, you can also admire the incredible building from outside.

Rockefeller Center

Another 15-minute walk will take you from the Chrysler Building to one of my favourite places in the world; the Rockefeller Center which is home to the Top of the Rock observation deck and the world-famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in the winter months.

This part of Manhattan is an absolute must-visit during the festive season in New York City, but it’s also worth exploring at other times of the year as well as it’s such a lovely part of the city (and it won’t be quite as chaotic and busy as it is during the holidays!).

The Top of the Rock observation deck is another one of my favourite observatories in New York, but I haven’t included it in this 3 day itinerary as I’ve opted to recommend the Edge and Summit One Vanderbilt instead. However, it is still 100% worth visiting and it holds so many incredibly special memories for me, so if you’d rather swap out Summit for the TOTR then that’s more than OK with me!

Get tickets for the Top of the Rock here!

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Just over the road from the Rockefeller Center on Fifth Avenue resides one of the most beautiful cathedrals in NYC; St. Patrick’s Cathedral. This impressive monument is absolutely breathtaking and is 100% worth checking out as you make your way down Fifth Avenue.

While you’re in the area, be sure to check out Saks Fifth Avenue and any of the other iconic designer stores along the world-famous shopping street such as Tiffany & Co (my personal favourite), Cartier and more!

Late lunch/early dinner at Gallagher’s Steakhouse

Gallagher’s Steakhouse is one of the best, most highly rated and expensive steakhouses in Manhattan. However, they have an incredible lunchtime offer that is significantly cheaper than their evening menu, making it a fantastic place to go for a late lunch in order to take advantage of their more reasonably priced midday menu!

The lunchtime menu is available from 11.45 AM to 4 PM, seven days a week and if you’re following this itinerary, then I would imagine that you would arrive at the restaurant before the lunchtime offer ends at 4 PM.

If this is the case, you can enjoy the restaurant’s classic dishes at a cheaper lunchtime price and you can also take advantage of the three course lunch special for $32 which includes the choice of one appetiser (such as soup of the day or caesar salad), a choice of an entree (such as filet mignon with roasted potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, onions and red wine sauce or grilled Scottish salmon with sautéed broccoli and lyonnaise potatoes) and a dessert (such as a slice of classic NY cheesecake or key lime pie).

Head to the Gallagher’s Steakhouse website for full menu details and to make a reservation.

Central Park

Once you’ve enjoyed a delicious steak dinner, it’s time to head to the most famous park in the world! I could quite happily spend an entire day inside Central Park and I still don’t think I would see absolutely everything, but, of course, as you only have three days in NYC, you will only be able to dedicate a few hours to exploring this magnificent outdoor space.

There are several ways to explore Central Park, with my personal favourite being on foot as you get to explore all the hidden gems located within the vast park. However, if you want to ensure that you see as many of the park’s highlights as possible with the help of an expert tour guide, I’d recommend pre-booking a pedicab tour with Central Park Attractions as they will take you to many of Central Park’s most notable places.

Top tip: if you’re using this 3 day itinerary in the winter months when the days are much shorter, I would recommend heading into Central Park before eating at Gallagher’s so that you can see the park during daylight hours. In this case, you may miss the lunch special at Gallagher’s, so you can either still dine there with the evening menu or find somewhere else nearby to eat after exploring Central Park, such as Carnegie Diner, Ellen’s Stardust Diner, La Grande Boucherie or Serafina.

Book a Central Park pedicab tour here!

Rooftop bar

To conclude your time in the Greatest City In The World (in my not-so humble opinion!), you can head to another one of Manhattan’s fantastic rooftop bars to cheers to your epic trip. Here’s a reminder of some of the nearby rooftop bars that I would recommend checking out:

St. Cloud Rooftop
The Skylark
Refinery Rooftop
Daintree
Castell Rooftop Lounge
230 Fifth
Monarch Rooftop

Day 3 summary checklist

Good Morning Breakfast – 20-30 minutes (depending on the queue)
Empire State Building – 15 minutes (unless you decide to go up the observation deck)
Bryant Park/New York Public Library – 30 minutes
Summit One Vanderbilt/Grand Central Station – 1-3 hours (depending on if you go up the observation deck)
Chrysler Building – 10 minutes
Rockefeller Center – 30 minutes (or 2 hours if you decide to go up the observation deck)
St. Patrick’s Cathedral – 20 minutes
Late lunch/early dinner at Gallagher’s Steakhouse – 90 minutes
Central Park – 2-3 hours
Rooftop bar – 90 minutes

Bonus things to do – 3 days in New York City itinerary

As I’ve mentioned numerous times throughout the guide, this NYC in 3 days itinerary isn’t comprehensive and I definitely think that you could squeeze a few more things into each day of your 3 day New York trip if you really wanted to! However, I didn’t want to overwhelm you with three jam-packed 12-hour days, so I decided to leave room for you to stumble across things while wandering around the city!

If you do want to squeeze as much into your trip as possible, I have added a few extra things below that I would recommend adding to your itinerary if you can find the time!

Watch a Broadway show.
Visit multiple observation decks, including TOTR, Summit, Edge, Empire State Building and One World Observatory.
Take the Tramway over to Roosevelt Island (it’s the same price as a single subway ride – $2.90) and have a drink at the Panorama Room Rooftop Bar.
Take the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tour to both islands.
Spend more time in Central Park.
Visit some of the city’s best museums, including MoMA, The Met and Intrepid Museum.

What to do in New York in 3 days – conclusion

I really hope you found this 3 day New York itinerary useful and I hope that it helps you to plan your own trip to NYC! Remember to check out all my other New York guides and itineraries featured throughout this post for more inspiration, tips and advice!

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3 Day New York Itinerary - How To Spend 3 Days In NYC

Is there anything else you’d add or change to this itinerary for 3 days in New York City? Let me know in the comments or in my New York Facebook Group!