Trip highlights
- 1American Museum of Natural History
- 2Central Park carousel and the Zoo
- 3Broadway show matinee
- 4Staten Island Ferry — free Statue of Liberty views
- 5Brooklyn Bridge walk
Daily spend
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Day-by-day plan
Arrival & Times Square
Saturday, May 15
Est. spend
$155
per person
🌅 Morning
Arrive JFK, LGA, or EWR Airport
JFK International Airport, Queens, NY
JFK: AirTrain + E/J subway (80 min, $10) or Uber ($45–65). LaGuardia: subway bus Q70 to Jackson Heights then subway ($5) or Uber ($35–50). Newark EWR: NJ Transit train to Penn Station ($15 + $5 subway) or Uber ($50–70). The subway is cheapest; Uber most convenient with children and luggage.
OMNY contactless works on all NYC subway and buses — tap your credit card. Or buy a MetroCard at the station (unlimited 7-day pass: $34 adult, children under 44 inches ride free).
☀️ Afternoon
Times Square walk
Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, NYC
Start here once for the spectacle — 40 screens, 300,000 people per day, and every major fast food and retail brand. Children are genuinely amazed. Buy a Broadway show ticket at the TKTS booth (half-price day-of tickets) while you're here.
The TKTS booth on the Times Square red steps (open from 3pm for evening shows) has discounts of 25–50% on same-day tickets. Arrive early for the best selection.
🍽️ Meals
Joe's Pizza, 7 Carmine St
New York pizza · $20 · The New York slice — one $3 slice of thin-crust eaten standing up or walking. Joe's Carmine Street is the benchmark. This is the non-negotiable first NYC meal.
American Museum of Natural History & Central Park
Sunday, May 16
Est. spend
$165
per person
🌅 Morning
American Museum of Natural History
200 Central Park West, Upper West Side, NYC
The AMNH is one of the world's great natural history museums — the Barosaurus skeleton in the entrance hall (30m tall), the blue whale in the Ocean Hall (25m long), the meteorite that killed the dinosaurs, the Hall of Human Origins, and the Hayden Planetarium. Entry pay-what-you-wish (suggested $28 adult, $17 child) — literally any amount is accepted.
The Night at the Museum films were set here — children who've seen the film will recognize every gallery. The Hayden Planetarium Space Show is extra (£$15) but worth it.
☀️ Afternoon
Central Park — carousel, zoo, and Bethesda Fountain
Central Park, Manhattan, NYC
The 843-acre park has the Central Park Zoo (small, excellent, free for children under 3), the Central Park Carousel (est. 1871, $4 per ride), Bethesda Fountain and Terrace, the Great Lawn, and Belvedere Castle (free, with telescopes and naturalist exhibits).
Rent bikes from Citi Bike ($6 per 30 minutes) or the Central Park Boathouse for pedal boats on the Lake ($15/30 min). The Loeb Boathouse lunch on the Lake (expensive) is worth it once for the setting.
🍽️ Meals
Shake Shack, Madison Square Park
American · $35 · The original Shake Shack location (the others are franchises). The ShackBurger and concrete milkshake are the originals.
Statue of Liberty & Lower Manhattan
Monday, May 17
Est. spend
$320
per person
🌅 Morning
Staten Island Ferry — free Statue of Liberty view
Staten Island Ferry, Whitehall Terminal, Battery Park, NYC
The Staten Island Ferry is free, runs 24 hours, and passes directly past the Statue of Liberty at close range. The 25-minute crossing gives the full Manhattan skyline, the Statue, and Ellis Island — no ticket required.
Stand on the right side of the ferry (starboard) going to Staten Island for the best Lady Liberty angle. Return immediately on the same ferry — you don't need to disembark in Staten Island.
Brooklyn Bridge walk
Brooklyn Bridge, City Hall, Manhattan
The 1883 suspension bridge walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn takes 30 minutes on the wooden pedestrian walkway above the traffic. The view of the Manhattan skyline from the Brooklyn side is the definitive New York photograph.
Walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn (downhill). End in DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) for the iconic photo — Washington Street between the two bridge towers frames the Empire State Building perfectly.
🌙 Evening
Broadway matinee or evening show
Broadway, Midtown, NYC
A Broadway show is the best evening in New York. For families: The Lion King, Aladdin, Hadestown, Hamilton (age 10+). Family matinees on Saturdays at 2pm.
Use TodayTix app for last-minute Broadway deals. Lottery apps (official Hamilton lottery: $10 tickets) are available for most major shows. Book the Lion King for under-8s — the staging is extraordinary.
🍽️ Meals
Grimaldi's Pizzeria, DUMBO
New York pizza · $35 · Coal-fired pizza under the Brooklyn Bridge. The margherita and white pizza are excellent. Cash only.
Empire State & High Line
Tuesday, May 18
Est. spend
$175
per person
🌅 Morning
Empire State Building observation deck
350 Fifth Avenue, Midtown Manhattan, NYC
The 102nd floor (443m) is the highest observation deck on the original Art Deco skyscraper (1931). The 86th floor outdoor deck gives the same view at $44 vs $79 for the 102nd. Buy tickets online to avoid the 2-hour lobby queue.
The Top of the Rock (30 Rockefeller Plaza) has a better view OF the Empire State Building and is less crowded. Compare prices and book the one that fits best.
☀️ Afternoon
The High Line
The High Line, Chelsea, NYC
An elevated linear park built on a disused elevated railway track — 2.3km of gardens, public art, and food vendors above the Meatpacking District and Chelsea. The views over the Hudson River, the city, and the Whitney Museum access below are excellent.
The High Line opens at Gansevoort Street (south end) and runs to 34th Street. Access at multiple street staircases along the way. The Chelsea Market at the south end has excellent food.
🍽️ Meals
Chelsea Market food hall
Various · $40 · The former Nabisco factory (where Oreos were invented) is now a food hall — Los Tacos No. 1, Lobster Place, Dickson's Farmstand Meats. Kids love the choice.
Metropolitan Museum & Museum Mile
Wednesday, May 19
Est. spend
$160
per person
🌅 Morning
Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Ave, Upper East Side, NYC
The Met is the largest art museum in the Americas — the Egyptian Temple of Dendur (an entire 2,000-year-old temple, transported block by block from Egypt), the Medieval armour gallery, the Greek and Roman sculpture court, and Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Monet. Entry: pay-what-you-wish (suggested $30 adult, $17 child).
The Medieval Armour Gallery (room 379) is the best room in the Met for children — full knights on horseback, Japanese samurai armour, and the Tournament Armour of Henry VIII. The Egyptian wing (Sackler Wing, Temple of Dendur) is the second best.
☀️ Afternoon
Museum Mile walk and Central Park
Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side, NYC
The stretch of Fifth Avenue from 82nd to 105th Street has 9 museums — the Neue Galerie (Klimt's Portrait of Adele), the Jewish Museum, and El Museo del Barrio. Or simply walk Central Park's eastern paths from the Met back toward the hotel.
🍽️ Meals
E.A.T., Madison Avenue
American deli · $40 · Eli Zabar's deli on Madison Avenue. Excellent sandwiches and the best rugelach in New York.
Coney Island & Brooklyn
Thursday, May 20
Est. spend
$165
per person
🌅 Morning
Coney Island — beach and boardwalk
Coney Island, Brooklyn, NYC
Brooklyn's beach and amusement park — Luna Park (rides including the Cyclone wooden roller coaster, operating since 1927), the famous Nathan's hot dog stand (original 1916 location of the July 4th hot dog eating contest), the boardwalk, and the actual beach.
Take the D or F subway from Manhattan (50–60 minutes). Luna Park wristband ($45) covers all rides. The Cyclone roller coaster ($12 separate) is a genuine historic landmark.
☀️ Afternoon
Williamsburg, Brooklyn — waterfront and food
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYC
Brooklyn's hippest neighbourhood — the waterfront WNYC Transmitter Park has the best Manhattan skyline view in the borough. Smorgasburg (open-air food market, Saturdays in summer) has 100 vendors and the best creative food in NYC.
Smorgasburg runs Saturdays 11am–6pm at Marsha P. Johnson State Park from April to November. The Ramen Burger and the OG Donut are the perennial bestsellers.
🍽️ Meals
Nathan's Famous, Coney Island
American hot dog · $15 · The original Nathan's since 1916. The hot dog is a $4.50 institution.
Helicopter tour or final morning & Departure
Friday, May 21
Est. spend
$230
per person
🌅 Morning
One World Observatory or LEGO Store
285 Fulton St, Financial District, NYC
The 102nd floor of One World Trade Center — entry $46 adult, $38 child. The floor-to-ceiling views over all 5 boroughs and the harbor are extraordinary. Or: the LEGO Store in Rockefeller Center for a child-focused final morning.
One World Trade Center is also the 9/11 Memorial Museum (separate entry, $33 adult, $23 child ages 7–17) — emotionally appropriate for ages 10+.
☀️ Afternoon
Airport transfer
JFK International Airport
JFK: AirTrain + E/J subway or Uber. Allow 3.5 hours before international departure.
🍽️ Meals
Katz's Deli, Lower East Side
New York deli · $50 · The most famous deli in NYC (1888). The pastrami on rye is carved to order at the counter. The When Harry Met Sally scene was filmed here. Go for the spectacle.
Before you go
📅 Best time to visit
May–June and September–October. July–August is hot and humid but peak summer activities. Christmas–New Year in NYC (skating at Rockefeller Center, window displays, Times Square) is magical but very expensive.
🛂 Visas
ESTA required for ESTA-eligible nationalities (UK, EU, Australia, Japan) — apply at esta.cbp.dhs.gov ($21). US B-2 visitor visa for other nationalities.
💱 Currency
US Dollar. NYC is very expensive — budget $300–400/day for a family of 4 including accommodation. NYC subway is $2.90 per trip, children under 44 inches free.
🆘 Emergency numbers
police: 911
ambulance: 911
💬 Things you won't find in a guidebook
- The NYC subway is 24/7 — extremely convenient but can be confusing. Download Google Maps with NYC transit overlay; it gives real-time train directions. Children love the subway.
- A New York 'slice' ($3–4) is the universal lunch — fold it down the middle lengthwise, eat from the pointed end. This is non-negotiable local culture.
One thing worth not skipping
A 7-day trip to New York City, USA without insurance is a gamble. Medical emergencies, cancelled flights, lost luggage — cover yourself before you leave.
Comprehensive cover for 150+ adventure activities, medical evacuation, trip cancellation, and baggage. Recommended for most travellers.
Subscription-based travel medical insurance. Best for longer trips, digital nomads, or frequent travellers. Renews weekly or monthly.
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