New York City tours, sightseeing, things to do

Tours, sightseeing tours, activities & things to do | Viator.com

New York City

Trip Planning & Itineraries

11:01 AM Saturday, Nov 22
Scattered clouds. Chilly.
7 day forecast »

New Yorkers are lucky. But you, dear visitor, are far luckier. This is a city made for explorers; its boroughs are like continents and its neighborhoods are like provinces. The more you roam in New York, the more you discover, the more you'll want to see -- and the more you'll be thrilled by the breadth of prospects.

New York is a densely packed mass of humanity. Whomever you encounter, in giddy spring or in gilded fall or quiet summer or cozy winter, you can be sure of one thing: it'll be the real deal. Because New Yorkers, for all their routines and survival techniques, truly thrive on spontaneity. And 'real' is the only way they know how to be.

Best of New York: Top 3 Things to Do

New York City Cruises: Dinner, Brunch, Night Cruises and more

Broadway Shows: Lion King to Chicago, Mamma Mia! to Spamalot

Statue of Liberty: Up close & personal with Lady Liberty

Best of New York: Suggested Itineraries

New Yorkers believe Manhattan is the center of the universe. No city is as vibrant, culturally flush, fashion-forward, nor has a comparable restaurant scene. And the truth is they're kinda right. Gotham is undoubtedly among the top metropolises in the world. Simple advice for visitors: pack comfortable shoes and prepare to go, go, go!

Read a summary of our suggested NYC itineraries below, or click here for our complete New York City Itineraries. You can also read the latest posts on the Viator Travel Blog about things to do in New York City for $20 or less.

Day 1: Get Oriented in the Big Apple

One of the best ways to get situated in is on a hop-on hop-off bus tour, which make 50 stops while cruising several Manhattan routes. If it's a nice day and you need a shot of green, meander into the 843-acre oasis that is Central Park, for prime people watching, gorgeous scenery, a zoo, restaurants, boating and so much more.

For your first evening in Manhattan, take in a Broadway show. A few of our favorites include Chicago, Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia!, Avenue Q, Hairspray, and Beauty and the Beast. Bravo!

Day 2: Museums in the Morning, Shopping in the Afternoon

If you have time for only two museums in NYC, make a beeline to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York's premiere modern art museum. Then tackle a very different kind of museum, the NYC Tenement Museum, which gives you a taste of 19th-century New York.

The city's Garment Center in midtown is singularly New York. For cool boutique shopping, check out SoHo, the Meatpacking District, Greenwich Village's Bleeker Street, NoLita, and the Lower East Side. No doubt, all that shopping has made you hungry. How about a romantic dinner cruise or an evening jazz tour or soul food and jazz in Harlem?

Day 3: Only in New York

TV and movie fans will be in big- and little-screen heaven, with several guided tours that whisk you past -- and explore -- some of the key locations and haunts of your favorites television shows and movies. Those obsessed with Carrie Bradshaw and company, sign up for the Sex and the City Hotspots tour.

Likewise, Tony Soprano devotees can't miss the Sopranos Sites tour. For a mix of your favorite TV and movie locales, the New York TV and Movie Sites Tour is the golden ticket.

Best of New York: Top 3 Places to Eat

Nobu New York: The flagship of chef Nobu Matsuhisa.

Union Square Cafe: Danny Meyer's first restaurant, still his best.

Tenth Avenue Cookshop: Critics pick from New York Magazine

Best of New York: Top 3 Places to Sleep

New York hotels are not cheap, sorry to say. There are some bargains to be had if you book ahead of time, or are willing to sleep out of the box, so to speak, by renting an apartment or studio.

Money is no object? The Ritz-Carlton.

It's about as luxurious as Manhattan goes: a landmark building with views of Central Park so giant you almost can't see New York. All 261 rooms are faintly French colonial. There's also a great spa.

New York Boutique: Iroquois Hotel

James Dean's old haunt - he lived in Room 803 from 1951 to 1953 - the 114-room Iroquois boasts history, along with mod cons from a recent renovation. Ask for 'zero line' rooms for a nicely framed Chrysler Building views.

Private Apartment Rentals: CitySonnet

CitySonnet rents private apartments or (hosted) guest rooms in an occupied apartment, many in the hippest downtown locations plus locations in Williamsburg and Brooklyn.