chloedickensonLast Updated on 24th April 2024
This post about how to plan your New York itinerary contains affiliate links.
Are you planning a trip to New York City but you’re not sure how to organise your itinerary or plan your route around the city? This ultimate guide about planning a trip to NYC shows you how to use my New York trip planner via Google Maps!
Visiting New York City is something that many people want to experience at least once in their lives, but when it comes to the actual New York travel planning process, it can be a very overwhelming and sometimes even daunting experience.
Thankfully, I’ve visited NYC many times and helped (literally!) thousands of people plan their very own New York itinerary via my Facebook group, my Ultimate New York City Travel Guide ebook and through the dozens of NYC travel guides on my blog, so I’d like to think I know what I’m talking about when it comes to planning an epic first time New York itinerary!
In the guide below, I’m sharing my top tips about how to plan an itinerary in New York City using Google Maps! I’ve split it into different sections/neighbourhoods of NYC, so you can easily see which sights, attractions, restaurants and bars are near each other to help you plan a more efficient route and itinerary around the city!
It goes without saying, but I always also suggest allowing time to venture away from your New York itinerary and see where the day takes you! However, I know that so many people panic and worry about their itineraries, especially when visiting the city for the first time, so I really hope this guide can help you to plan your dream trip to New York City!
Still feeling overwhelmed when it comes to planning a trip to NYC? Get a copy of my Ultimate New York City Travel Guide ebook which includes over 230 pages of the best things to do in New York, tips for getting around NYC, hotel and restaurants recommendations, example New York itineraries and much more! You can also join my New York Facebook Group for more travel tips, advice and inspiration!
Read more: 111 Bucket List Things To Do In New York
How to plan a trip to NYC using Google Maps
Click on the picture of the map above or the links below to access the full map!
After many visits to NYC over the years and after spending hundreds of hours researching my favourite place in the world to plan for future visits, I’ve put together this enormous New York City route planner/itinerary on Google MyMaps.
The map above (which can also be accessed via this Google MyMaps link for free) features over 200 sights, attractions, parks, rooftop bars, restaurants and more, all separated into different New York neighbourhoods and broken down by category.
It took me hours to put this huge map together, but I know that it will be so useful for so many people planning their New York itineraries as it’s easy to see which sights/attractions/restaurants you should visit each day!
New York City trip planner by neighbourhood
There are so many ways to organise your New York itinerary, but one of the best and easiest ways to plan a trip to NYC is by planning your route and itinerary by neighbourhood.
The sections below include details of just some of the best things to do in some of New York City’s most famous and popular neighbourhoods. I’ve put together a brief New York City suggested itinerary for Midtown Manhattan, Downtown Manhattan, Greenwich Village, Central Park and more!
Remember, you can use my Google Maps itinerary planner to help plan your own ideal route and itinerary in New York City!
Detailed example itineraries for New York City
- One Day In NYC Itinerary For First Time Visitors
- 4 Days In New York Itinerary
- New York Itinerary 7 Days
Read more: 10 Best Observation Decks For The Best Views In NYC
Midtown Manhattan – suggested itinerary for New York
Midtown Manhattan is where you’ll find the vast majority of New York City’s most famous sights and attractions!
From the world-famous Empire State Building to the iconic Times Square to the Flatiron Building, Chrysler Building, Grand Central Terminal and many more, you’ll likely be spending a lot of time in Midtown Manhattan on your New York City itinerary, regardless of how long you’re staying in the city!
Best things to do in Midtown Manhattan – how to plan a New York itinerary
The list below includes just a few of the top things to do in Midtown Manhattan as part of your itinerary. Remember, you can use my ultimate New York City itinerary map to plan your own route and itinerary!
- Go up the iconic Empire State Building
- See the bright lights of Times Square at night
- Head to the Top of the Rock Observation Deck
- Check out the world-famous Grand Central Station
- Explore Hudson Yards and the Edge Observation Deck
- Eat your way around Chelsea Market
- Go up Summit One Vanderbilt
- Walk along the High Line
- Visit the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Wander around Little Island
- Spend a few hours at The Friends Experience
- Watch a basketball game at Madison Square Garden
- Enjoy the views from 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar
Head to the link below to see more of the best things to do in Midtown Manhattan, including more of the best sights, attractions, restaurants and rooftop bars!
Read more: Which New York Pass Is The Best?
Downtown/Lower Manhattan – New York City sample itinerary
Downtown Manhattan is another area of Manhattan that should be on your NYC trip itinerary. This is where you’ll need to go to access the Brooklyn Bridge if you plan on walking across, as well as Whitehall Terminal in The Battery if you plan to ride the free Staten Island Ferry or the paid-for Statue City Cruises ferry that will take you to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island from Battery Park.
You’ll also find iconic sights such as the World Trade Center, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the Charging Bull and much more in Lower Manhattan!
Read more: Top 30 Museums In New York City
Best things to do in Downtown Manhattan – planning a New York itinerary
- Visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum
- Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
- Go up One World Observatory
- Wander through The Battery
- Take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
- Explore Chinatown and Little Italy
- Pay a visit to the Museum of Ice Cream
- Check out Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange
- Take a helicopter ride over the city from Pier 6
- See the famous Ghostbusters Headquarters
Read more: 25 Best Free Things Do In New York City
Greenwich Village/West Village
Heading over to the west side of Manhattan (but not the Upper West Side just yet!), you’ll find the highly coveted Greenwich Village and the West Village.
This neighbourhood is arguably most famous for being the home of Carrie Bradshaw in the Sex and the City TV series/movie franchise. It’s also one of the best neighbourhoods in NYC for its epic food scene, with some of the city’s best and most iconic restaurants residing in Greenwich Village.
Best things to do in Greenwich Village/West Village
- Head to the rooftop bar at The Top of The Standard
- Spend an evening at the Comedy Cellar
- Eat a slice of Joe’s Pizza
- See Carrie Bradshaw’s Apartment on Perry Street
- Spend time in Washington Square Park
- Eat at Carbone
- Visit the Whitney Museum of Art
- See the Friends Apartment building on Bedford Street
- Visit the Strand Bookstore
Read more: 50+ Best Places To Eat In NYC
Central Park – how to plan your New York trip
Central Park is one of the most famous and iconic locations in the whole of New York City, so it should definitely be included when planning your NYC itinerary.
You could easily spend an entire day inside Central Park, but it’s also possible to just hit the top sights and attractions if you don’t want to spend too long there.
Best things to do in Central Park – how to plan your New York itinerary with Google Maps
- Take a pedicab ride to see the top sights in Central Park
- Hire boats from Loeb Boathouse and row on The Lake
- Visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Admire Bow Bridge, Bethesda Terrace and Belvedere Castle
- Check out the American Museum of Natural History
- Wander through The Ramble
- Go ice skating at Wollman Rink
- Visit the Central Park Zoo
Read more: The Best Photo Spots In Central Park
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is perhaps best known for featuring heavily in the hit TV series Gossip Girl, as this is where a large chunk of the show was based. The UES is also home to the world-famous Serendipity 3 restaurant which featured in the 2000s movie Serendipity!
You’ll also have to head to the Upper East Side to catch the Tramway that takes you over to Roosevelt Island and there are also a few museums that you can check out on the UES such as the Guggenheim and the Jewish Museum! As there isn’t too much to do on the Upper East Side, you can easily tie a visit to this part of the city with exploring Central Park and the Upper West Side.
Best things to do on the Upper East Side
- Ride the Roosevelt Island Tramway
- Visit the Guggenheim Museum
- Check out The Jewish Museum
- Embark on a tour of the Gossip Girl filming locations
- Get sweet treats from Ladurée
Read more: 40 Best Things To Do In NYC At Night
Upper West Side
Located on the other side of Central Park, the Upper West Side really doesn’t have too much going on as it’s much more of a residential area.
However, there are still a few museums, notable sights and excellent cafes/bakeries to check out on the Upper West Side that you can visit after or before exploring the Upper East Side and Central Park.
Best things to do on the Upper West Side
- Get the best cookies in NYC from Levain Bakery
- Check out the Grand Bazaar flea market
- Visit the American Museum of Natural History
- Explore the shops at Columbus Circle
- Enjoy a walk along Central Park West
Read more: 50 Best Things To Do With Kids In NYC
Brooklyn
As well as exploring all the incredible sights and attractions in Manhattan, I would also highly recommend allocating some time to exploring Brooklyn as part of your NYC itinerary as there are so many great places to discover in this New York borough on the other side of the East River.
I would suggest walking over the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan as it’s undoubtedly one of the best things to do on any New York itinerary and once you’re in Brooklyn, you can spend some time in Dumbo, head to the rooftop at Time Out Market New York and admire the epic views of the Manhattan skyline from Squibb Park Bridge!
Best things to do in Brooklyn – New York itinerary planning
- Eat and drink your way around Time Out Market NY
- Check out the view of the Manhattan Bridge in Dumbo
- Watch a Brooklyn Nets basketball game at the Barclays Center
- Visit Dyker Heights Christmas Lights (if you’re visiting NYC in winter)
- Admire the views from Brooklyn Bridge Park and Squibb Park Bridge
- Visit the Brooklyn Flea Market
- Enjoy an epic steak at Peter Luger Steak House
Read more: 1 Day Brooklyn NY Itinerary
How to plan your New York itinerary – conclusion
Planning a New York route and itinerary with Google Maps is one of the best ways to ensure that you see, do, eat and experience as many things as possible during your time in New York.
It can be very overwhelming to plan a New York City itinerary, especially if it’s your first time in the city, so I really hope this guide was useful in helping you organise your itinerary and plan your dream trip to NYC!
Related posts:
- 6 Best Ways To Get From Newark Airport To Manhattan
- 7 Best Ways To Get From JFK To Manhattan
- 7 Best Ways To Get From LaGuardia To Manhattan
- 40 Best Hotels Near Times Square
- Where To Stay In New York For The First Time
- What Is New York Known For – What Is NYC Famous For?
- New York Tips For First Timers – Best NYC Travel Tips
- 20 Best Food Tours In New York
- Best Things To Do On A Rainy Day In New York
- 20 Best New York Hotels For Families
- Read more: 40 Best Things To Do In New York In December
Pin for later – how to plan your New York itinerary
Do you have any other tips to add to this New York City journey planner? Let me know in the comments or on my New York Facebook Group!
I clicked your map and now cannot delete all your pins from my google maps despite deleting and reinstalling. Please advise as you don’t say in the post that we will be stuck with hundreds of pins we don’t want. Thank you,
Hi Andrew, I’m so sorry about that, I haven’t heard it happen to anyone else so I really don’t know why that has happened. You can try deleting the New York map – if you’re doing it on your phone, there should be a “saved” section where I’m assuming the maps has saved and you should be able to delete it this way. I’ve never heard of this happening to anyone else though, so I’m afraid I’m not sure what’s happened. So sorry about that again, I really hope you can find a way to remove them. I have just tried myself and as soon as I close the Google Maps down on my phone and then re-open the app, all the pins have disappeared so hopefully they will do for you too.