A Perfect Weekend in New York: A Route You Can Follow

A good weekend in New York runs north to south: Midtown and Times Square on Friday night, Central Park, Chelsea and the Empire State Building on Saturday, and Lower Manhattan, including the Statue of Liberty National Monument, on Sunday. Every stop below was checked against its own official site, and the route is built so you spend your time looking at New York rather than crossing it.

The whole plan assumes you travel by subway. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) says the New York City subway runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with 472 stations on 25 routes, so you can get between every stop here without a car. You can see the MTA's guide at mta.info.

How we chose

We built this route around three rules. Each place had to be open and confirmed on its own official site. Each had to sit in Manhattan, close enough to the next stop to walk or take one short subway ride. And the weekend had to end on Sunday afternoon with time to get to your train or flight. We left out places we could not confirm and places that only work on weekdays.

Friday night: Midtown and Times Square

Start in Midtown, where the walk from a park to a rooftop to the lights takes under an hour. Check into your hotel first; our travel and lodging listings help with that. Then follow this order.

6:00 pm: Bryant Park

Bryant Park sits between 40th and 42nd Streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues in Midtown, and it is a calm place to land after travelling. It typically opens at 7 am, and its official site lists closing times that change with the season, running to midnight from mid-November into early January. Check bryantpark.org for that day's hours before you go.

7:30 pm: Times Square

Times Square, where Broadway meets Seventh Avenue in the Theater District, is a public space in Midtown with no ticket and no closing time. Walk through it once, look up, and leave; twenty minutes is enough. The Times Square Alliance, the district's official organization, lists events at timessquarenyc.org. For more on the area, see our Times Square guide and the Midtown guide.

9:00 pm: Summit One Vanderbilt

Summit One Vanderbilt, at 45 E 42nd Street in Midtown, is typically open daily from 8 am to midnight, with last entry at 10:30 pm, according to its official site. That makes it the right Friday finish. You reach the entrance through Grand Central Terminal, heading west from the Main Concourse, so you also get a look at the station on the way in. Book a time slot at summitov.com.

Saturday: Central Park, the High Line and the Empire State Building

Saturday covers the park, the old railway and the tower, working south along the West Side so you never backtrack. Start early and eat lunch in a market.

8:30 am: Central Park

Central Park runs from 59th Street to 110th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Central Park West, and it is open from 6 am to 1 am every day of the year, according to the Central Park Conservancy. The Conservancy lists 42 million visits a year to its 843 acres. Give yourself two hours, enter from the south side near Midtown and walk north through the middle of the park; the Conservancy site at centralparknyc.org has a park map and a restroom map, and says every restroom is free except the one at the Central Park Zoo. If you want museums nearby, the Upper West Side and Upper East Side pages cover them.

11:30 am: The High Line

The High Line, a park built on a former elevated railroad on Manhattan's West Side in Chelsea, runs from Gansevoort Street to 34th Street. Its official site lists hours of 7 am to 10 pm from April through November and 7 am to 8 pm from December through March. Wheelchair loans must be requested by form at least one business day ahead, so plan that before the weekend. Take the subway down from the park, join at 34th Street and walk south, leaving at 16th Street for Chelsea Market. See thehighline.org and our Chelsea guide.

1:00 pm: Chelsea Market

Chelsea Market, at 75 Ninth Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets in Chelsea, is open daily from 7 am to 10 pm, and its vendors set their own holiday hours. It sits right below the High Line, so lunch costs you no detour. Check chelseamarket.com if you are travelling on a holiday.

3:30 pm: Empire State Building

The Empire State Building, at 20 West 34th Street near Fifth Avenue in Midtown, keeps its observatory open 365 days a year, typically from 10 am to 10 pm with last entry at 9 pm, and its official site says the hours change with the season. Reservations are required, so book a time slot in advance at esbnyc.com. Every ticket includes the museum galleries on the 2nd and 80th floors, so don't rush past them on the way up. Ticket prices depend on which floors you choose; check the official site for current prices.

7:30 pm: Katz's Delicatessen

Katz's Delicatessen, at 205 East Houston Street at Ludlow Street on the Lower East Side, is the Saturday dinner. Its website describes its pastrami as house-cured and hand-carved, and a pastrami sandwich is the order. Katz's official site typically lists 8 am to 11 pm Monday to Thursday and round-the-clock service from 8 am Friday to 11 pm Sunday, so a late Saturday dinner works; call (212) 254-2246 to check holiday hours. It is a quick subway ride from the Empire State Building. Read more in our Lower East Side guide.

Sunday: the Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan

Sunday is the downtown morning. After the ferry, every stop is in Lower Manhattan or Chinatown and close enough to walk, and you finish in time to collect your bags.

8:00 am: Russ & Daughters (optional)

Russ & Daughters, at 179 East Houston Street on the Lower East Side, is typically open daily from 8 am to 4 pm and closes on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, according to its official site. Order a bagel and lox, then take the subway to the Battery. Skip this stop if your ferry is early. See russanddaughters.com.

9:30 am: Statue of Liberty National Monument

The Statue of Liberty National Monument can only be reached by ferry, which leaves from behind Castle Clinton in Battery Park, Lower Manhattan; the ticket office is inside Castle Clinton. Tickets from Statue City Cruises include General Admission, Pedestal Reserve, Crown Reserve (minimum height 42 inches) and the Hard Hat Tour, and refunds are available if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. Book an early ferry from statuecitycruises.com and see the National Park Service page at nps.gov/stli. The official pages we checked do not list first-ferry times, so check the booking calendar.

Short on time or ticket-free? The Staten Island Ferry leaves from Whitehall Terminal, 4 South Street, in Lower Manhattan. It is free, runs 24 hours a day and crosses New York Harbor, so you see the harbor without a ticket, though it does not stop at Liberty Island. Weekend boats run about every 30 minutes. See siferry.com.

1:00 pm: 9/11 Memorial & Museum

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum, at 180 Greenwich Street in Lower Manhattan, keeps its memorial free and open daily from 8 am to 8 pm. The museum is open Wednesday to Monday plus select Tuesdays from 9 am to 7 pm, with last entry at 5:30 pm, and it needs advance tickets. See 911memorial.org. Our Lower Manhattan guide covers the rest of the district.

2:30 pm: Trinity Church

Trinity Church, at 89 Broadway at Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, is a parish established in 1697, according to its own site. Its visit page lists a 9 am Holy Eucharist and no general opening hours, so check trinitychurchnyc.org before you go in.

3:00 pm: Nom Wah Tea Parlor

Nom Wah Tea Parlor, at 13 Doyers Street in Chinatown, is open daily from 11 am to 9 pm, including major holidays, and it is the late lunch. Its website says it became best known for its almond cookie, lotus paste and red bean filling. Order dim sum and take almond cookies for the trip home. See nomwah.com and our Chinatown guide.

4:30 pm: Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian promenade begins at the bridge's Manhattan end in Lower Manhattan, and New York City's Department of Transportation (DOT) says it is open at all times, though parts may be narrowed during work. Walk to the middle for the skyline, then turn back. DOT says cyclists have their own protected bike lane, so stay on the walkway. See the NYC DOT page.

Save this: the route

1. Friday 6:00 pm: Bryant Park, Midtown.
2. Friday 7:30 pm: Times Square.
3. Friday 9:00 pm: Summit One Vanderbilt, entrance in Grand Central Terminal.
4. Saturday 8:30 am: Central Park.
5. Saturday 11:30 am: The High Line, Chelsea.
6. Saturday 1:00 pm: Chelsea Market.
7. Saturday 3:30 pm: Empire State Building (timed ticket).
8. Saturday 7:30 pm: Katz's Delicatessen, Lower East Side.
9. Sunday 8:00 am: Russ & Daughters, Lower East Side (optional).
10. Sunday 9:30 am: Statue of Liberty National Monument, ferry from Battery Park.
11. Sunday 1:00 pm: 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
12. Sunday 2:30 pm: Trinity Church.
13. Sunday 3:00 pm: Nom Wah Tea Parlor, Chinatown.
14. Sunday 4:30 pm: Brooklyn Bridge.
15. Anytime: Staten Island Ferry, free and 24 hours.

Transit and parking notes

Use the subway between stops. The MTA says it runs 24 hours a day, so your late Friday and Saturday nights are covered. If you must drive, park at your hotel and leave the car there; we have not verified public garage rates for any stop on this route, so ask your hotel. The weather page is worth a look before you pack, and our events page lists what is on while you are here.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many days do you need for a weekend in New York?

A weekend in New York works as Friday night to Sunday afternoon, which is about two full days plus two evenings. That is enough for Midtown, Times Square, Central Park, the Empire State Building and Lower Manhattan if you move in geographic order.

Do you need a car for a weekend in New York?

No, you do not need a car. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says the New York City subway runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and every stop on this route is reachable by subway or on foot.

How do you get to the Statue of Liberty?

You reach the Statue of Liberty National Monument by ferry, which leaves from behind Castle Clinton in Battery Park, Lower Manhattan. Tickets are sold by Statue City Cruises, and the National Park Service confirms the monument is reachable only by ferry.

Is the Staten Island Ferry free?

Yes, the Staten Island Ferry is free. It leaves from Whitehall Terminal at 4 South Street in Lower Manhattan, and siferry.com says it runs 24 hours a day, every day.

Do you need to book the Empire State Building in advance?

Yes, book ahead. The Empire State Building's official site says every visit needs a timed reservation, and observatory hours vary by season.