New York travel guide

Central Park

It looks natural, but almost every lawn, lake and rocky wood from 59th Street to 110th was shaped by hand after Olmsted and Vaux won the design in 1858, with skyscrapers rising over the trees. Enter at the southeast corner and walk north up the elm-lined Mall to Bethesda Terrace, its angel fountain and the Lake; the Ramble, just beyond, is the wildest part.

Statue of Liberty

Up close on Liberty Island, the copper statue France gave in 1886 is far bigger than photographs suggest, and the same boat stops at Ellis Island, where millions of immigrants first set foot in America. Statue City Cruises is the only ferry allowed to land on both islands. Buy from its website or its one ticket office inside Castle Clinton at The Battery, and ignore the sellers working the park. Pedestal and crown access are limited, so book those well ahead.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Walk through an Egyptian temple, a Chinese scholar's garden courtyard and rooms of Vermeer and Van Gogh under one roof: the Met holds five thousand years of art on Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street. It is closed on Wednesdays and open until 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, when the Temple of Dendur gallery is at its calmest.

American Museum of Natural History

Stand under a life-size, 94-foot blue whale, then climb to the fourth-floor halls where a T. rex and other dinosaur skeletons tower over you. The Hayden Planetarium sits inside a giant sphere in the same complex, directly across Central Park from the Met. Buy tickets online before you go and give it at least half a day.

9/11 Memorial & Museum

Water falls into two vast square pools set in the footprints of the Twin Towers, and the names of nearly 3,000 people who died are cut into the bronze around them. It is free to visit every day from 8 am to 8 pm. The museum underneath, at bedrock, keeps the Survivors' Stairs and the last column cleared from the site; it needs an advance ticket and is closed on most Tuesdays.

Brooklyn Bridge

Opened in 1883, the bridge hangs from a web of steel cables between granite towers with pointed Gothic arches, and the walk across gives one of the best free views in the city. The raised wooden walkway is now for people on foot only: bikes moved to the roadway in 2021 and vendors were banned in 2024. Start in DUMBO and walk toward Manhattan so the skyline is in front of you.

The High Line

Wild grasses, birches and flowers grow along an old elevated freight line about 30 feet above the West Side streets, with views straight down the avenues and into the buildings alongside. It runs from Gansevoort Street up to Hudson Yards. It is free and opens at 7 am, closing at 10 pm from April to November and 8 pm in winter.

Grand Central Terminal

Look up in the main concourse: the green ceiling is painted with gold constellations, famously drawn back to front, above the brass clock on the information booth. It is still a working station. Downstairs, outside the Oyster Bar, two people facing opposite corners of the tiled arch can hear each other whisper.

Staten Island Ferry

Some of the best views in New York are free: the big orange commuter boat passes the Statue of Liberty and looks back on Lower Manhattan's towers on its 25-minute crossing from Whitehall Terminal. It runs day and night. Stand on the right-hand side heading out.

Chelsea Market

Brick halls and old factory fittings survive in the Nabisco plant where the Oreo was first baked in 1912, now filled with tacos, ramen, lobster rolls and bakeries under one roof. The High Line runs right over it, so pair the two.

A New York slice

Folded lengthwise so it holds together, a wide thin slice from a counter is how New Yorkers eat lunch on the move, for a few dollars. Every neighbourhood has its shops, and a plain cheese slice is the test of a good one.

Bagels and lox

Boiled and then baked, a proper bagel has a shiny crust and a dense chew; spread with cream cheese and topped with silky smoked salmon, it is the city's classic weekend breakfast. On the Lower East Side, the old appetising shops, which by tradition sell fish and dairy rather than meat, still slice the salmon by hand.

Katz's Delicatessen

Pastrami, slowly cured and smoked, then hand-cut thick and piled on rye, is the reason for the line at this deli on East Houston Street, open since the late 1800s; the cutter will often hand you a taste while you wait. It is also where Meg Ryan's famous scene in When Harry Met Sally was filmed. Keep the paper ticket you are handed at the door: you pay against it on the way out.

Flushing, Queens

Hand-pulled noodles, soup dumplings, Sichuan dishes and cumin lamb from basement stalls make the trip worth it: Flushing, at the end of the 7 train, is one of the city's biggest Chinatowns, cooking food from across China. Food courts and dumpling shops cluster around Main Street. It is a long ride from Times Square, so make it a meal, not a snack.

Best: April to June

Mild weather, blossom in Central Park and long evenings before the summer humidity.

Harder: Late November to December

Holiday lights, Christmas markets and the Rockefeller Center tree; hotels cost more.

Harder: July and August

Hot and humid, with a busy calendar of festivals, parades and outdoor events.

Best: September to November

Clear, cooler days, with autumn colour in the parks from late October.

How do you get around New York?

• OMNYTap a contactless card, phone or watch at subway turnstiles and bus readers; MetroCards are no longer sold. Use the same card each time: once you have paid for 12 rides in seven days, the rest of that week is free.
• TaxisYellow taxis with lit numbers on top are on duty and can be hailed on the street at any hour.
• From JFKAirTrain JFK runs from every terminal to Jamaica, for the E, J and Z subway lines and the Long Island Rail Road, and to Howard Beach for the A train. You pay the AirTrain fare by tapping as you leave the AirTrain station.
• Ride appsUber and Lyft pick up at designated areas at the airports, marked with signs.

Do you need cash in New York, and do you tip?

• ContactlessTap-to-pay cards and phones work almost everywhere, from corner delis to the subway.
• Cash backupCarry a little cash for small vendors, markets and tips.
• ATM feesNon-customers and foreign cards may pay a fee of a few dollars per withdrawal.
• Sales taxPrices are shown before tax; 8.875% is added at the till on most purchases, though clothing and shoes under $110 are exempt.

Local manners

• TippingA 20% tip on the pre-tax bill is standard for table service, and $1 to $2 a drink at a bar. Check the bill first: large groups often have a tip already added.
• QueuingWait your turn in line; cutting in is noticed quickly.
• SidewalksKeep up with the flow on busy sidewalks, and step to the side before you stop to look at a map.
• GreetingsA handshake or a wave is normal; hugs are common among friends, not new acquaintances.
• On the subwayLet riders off before you board, and take off your backpack in a crowded car.

Useful apps

• Uber - Rides, Eats, HotelsRide-hailing around New York City
• LyftAlternative ride-hailing across New York City
• MTA TrainTimeLive times for Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North trains, for day trips out of the city
• Citymapper: All Live TransitRoutes across subway, buses and walking in NYC
• DoorDash: Food, Grocery, MoreFood delivery to your New York hotel

Download links for these are in the New York guide in the Journey app.

Before you book

Check your government’s travel advice before you book.