4 Days in New York City: A Complete Itinerary

Four days is enough to cover Manhattan's essentials without racing between them, plus a full day in Brooklyn. This itinerary groups stops by neighborhood to keep travel time reasonable.

Day 1: Midtown and Central Park

Start at Rockefeller Center, then walk to Times Square to see it in daylight before the evening crowds build. Spend the afternoon in Central Park — rent a rowboat on the lake, walk to Bethesda Terrace, and explore Strawberry Fields if you have time. In the evening, catch a Broadway show; the TKTS booth in Times Square is worth checking for same-day discounted tickets.

Day 2: Museums and the Upper East Side

Spend the morning at the Metropolitan Museum of Art — pick two or three wings rather than trying to cover the whole building. In the afternoon, walk down Fifth Avenue past the shops, or continue to another museum like the Guggenheim if art is a priority for your trip. End the day with an early dinner in the neighborhood before an evening at leisure.

Day 3: Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty

Start early at Battery Park for the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island — book ahead, especially for pedestal or crown access. Back on land, walk through the Financial District past Wall Street and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. In the late afternoon, walk across the Brooklyn Bridge toward DUMBO for skyline views and dinner in Brooklyn.

Day 4: Brooklyn

Spend the day in Brooklyn proper — Williamsburg for its food and shopping scene, Brooklyn Botanic Garden if the season is right, or Prospect Park as a quieter alternative to Manhattan's Central Park. If your dates line up with Smorgasburg's season, it's a genuinely good way to spend a Brooklyn afternoon eating your way through a wide range of vendors.

Getting around

The subway connects all four days efficiently; a multi-day unlimited MetroCard or tap-to-pay option is worth it if you're making several trips a day. Budget more transit time than you'd expect between Manhattan and Brooklyn stops.

What to pack

Comfortable walking shoes are the single most important item regardless of season — this itinerary involves real distance on foot every day. See our New York City travel guide for the fuller seasonal packing breakdown and more on what to prioritize if you have extra time.