USA · 5 days · 5 days · 20 stops
5 days in New York with Liberty and Beacon
Only with five days is there time for what short trips miss: the big museums, the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, a night on Broadway. Each day stays in one part of the city, so you spend little time on the subway. On the last day you take the train up the Hudson to Beacon, home to one of the largest museums of modern art in the country.
In short
- Length
- 5 days, 20 stops
- Highlights
- Empire State Building, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Statue of Liberty, Little Island, Dia Beacon
- Day trips
- Day trip to Beacon in the Hudson Valley
- Where to stay
- Midtown, Lower East Side and the Village
- Getting around
- Manhattan is a grid of avenues and streets, and you can cover a lot on foot.
- Best time to go
- May to June and September to October are the most pleasant.
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Plan created with AI support – please check opening hours, prices and routes before you go. YesTrip editorial team · Updated: .
Day 1
Midtown from above and inside
Empire State Building
Queues are shorter in the morning. The 86th floor gives you a panorama over all of Manhattan; book a time slot ahead.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Empire State Buildingabout 5 min on foot
Morgan Library & Museum
The private library of the banker J. P. Morgan: dark wood, three tiers of bookshelves, old manuscripts. Check opening hours before you go.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Morgan Library & Museumabout 10 min on foot
Grand Central Terminal
Lunch downstairs. Outside the Oyster Bar is the whispering gallery: whisper into one corner and you are heard in the opposite one.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Grand Central Terminalabout 15 min on foot
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Van Gogh, Monet, Warhol and lots of design. For one afternoon, pick one floor of classics and one of newer work.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Day 2
Central Park and museums
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Start with the Temple of Dendur and the arms and armour hall. Lunch in the museum café, then out into the park.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Metropolitan Museum of Artabout 10 min on foot
Belvedere Castle
The little castle sits on a rock in the middle of the park. From its terrace you look over Turtle Pond to the Great Lawn.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Belvedere Castleabout 5 min on foot
American Museum of Natural History
Dinosaur skeletons on the fourth floor and a life-size blue whale hanging from the ceiling. Allow at least two hours.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): American Museum of Natural Historyabout 10 min on foot
Strawberry Fields
Back into the park in the late afternoon: the Imagine mosaic for John Lennon, with the Dakota across the street.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Strawberry Fields
Day 3
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
Only the official operator, Statue City Cruises, runs the ferries from Battery Park. Book timed tickets on its website; there is airport-style security before boarding.
Battery Park
Get to the pier early, as security takes time. The first boats of the day are the emptiest.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Battery ParkFerry to Liberty Island, about 15 min.
Statue of Liberty
Walk all the way round the statue; the museum tells her story. The pedestal or crown need a separate ticket booked well ahead.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Statue of LibertyFerry on to Ellis Island, about 10 min.
Ellis Island
In the immigration museum you stand in the great hall that millions of arrivals passed through. Lunch at the café on the island.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Ellis IslandFerry back to Battery Park, about 15 min, then about 25 min on foot to the bridge.
Brooklyn Bridge
End the day by walking across the bridge. From the middle you look back at Lower Manhattan and, far off, this morning's statue.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Brooklyn Bridge
Day 4
The Whitney and the High Line
Little Island
The park on concrete stilts in the Hudson is nearly empty in the morning. A loop path with views over the river to New Jersey.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Little Islandabout 5 min on foot
Whitney Museum of American Art
American art of the 20th and 21st centuries, plus terraces with views over the city. Check opening hours before you go.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Whitney Museum of American Artabout 5 min on foot
Chelsea Market
Lunch in the market hall right below the High Line. Lots of small stalls, good for several dishes to share.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Chelsea Marketabout 10 min on foot
High Line
This time from south to north as far as Hudson Yards: gardens, seating steps and views down the streets of Chelsea.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): High Line
Day 5
Day trip to Beacon in the Hudson Valley
Metro-North (Hudson Line) from Grand Central to Beacon, about 1 hr 20 min. Sit on the left going north – that's the river side. Dia Beacon has closing days, so check opening hours before you go.
Grand Central Terminal
Trains to the Hudson Valley leave from the grand hall. Buy tickets at the machines or in the MTA app.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Grand Central TerminalMetro-North (Hudson Line) to Beacon, about 1 hr 20 min, then about 10 min on foot to Dia Beacon.
Dia Beacon
In a former printing plant for biscuit boxes: large works, such as Richard Serra's steel sculptures, in bright halls. Allow two to three hours.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Dia Beaconabout 25 min on foot
Main Street, Beacon
The small town's main street with cafés, galleries and shops. Have lunch here before the train back.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Main Street, BeaconMetro-North back to Grand Central, about 1 hr 20 min, then about 10 min to the Theater District.
A Broadway show in the Theater District
The last evening belongs to a musical or a play. Same-day tickets are sold at the TKTS booth in Times Square.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): A Broadway show in the Theater District
Good to know
One area per day
New York is bigger than it looks on the map. Staying in one part of the city each day saves a lot of time on the subway.
Ferry: official only
Around Battery Park, sellers offer boat trips that do not land on the islands. Book Liberty Island and Ellis Island only with Statue City Cruises.
Museum closing days
Many museums have a fixed closing day and some late evenings. Plan your days around them and check opening hours before you go.
Train to the Hudson Valley
Buy Metro-North tickets at the machine or in the MTA app, not on board – it costs more there.
For the best time to go, public transport and where to stay, see the 3-day plan for New York.
Your plan
Start with this plan.
Copy it into YesTrip, pick your dates and make it yours: move stops, drop them or let the AI add more. On the road the app shows you the next stop and how to get there.
5 days in New York: frequently asked questions
Are 5 days enough for New York?
For Manhattan with the big museums, the Statue of Liberty and one day trip, yes. If you also want Queens, the Bronx or more of Brooklyn, add a few days.
Which day trip from New York is worth it?
The Hudson Valley is easy by train: Beacon has Dia Beacon and a pleasant main street, and Cold Spring a few stops earlier is good for hiking.
More plans for New York
- One dayOne day in New York: Midtown and Central ParkAbove the rooftops in the morning, Grand Central at lunch, Central Park in the afternoon, neon in the evening.
- WeekendA weekend in New York: Friday to SundayFriday views by night, Saturday Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, Sunday the High Line and the Village before your flight.
- 3 days3 days in New York – a ready-made itineraryBrooklyn Bridge, Central Park and Times Square, plus the High Line and the old neighbourhoods of lower Manhattan.
- With kidsNew York with kids: 2 easy daysDinosaurs, a playground and the zoo in Central Park, then ferries, carousels and pizza in Brooklyn.
- On a budgetNew York on a budget: 2 days, mostly freeA free ferry, a bridge, a park on old rail tracks and Central Park, plus dumplings in Chinatown – New York needn't cost much.
Plan created with AI support – please check opening hours, prices and routes before you go. Coordinates checked with Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap (Photon). Photo: Daniele Pieroni, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. More in Sources & licences. YesTrip is a trip planner, not a travel agency – nothing is booked.
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