Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 Manhattan — Icons
Morning Central Park
Start with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The ferry ride across the harbor with the Manhattan skyline behind you is unforgettable.
Afternoon Metropolitan Museum of Art
Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge (1.6 km) then explore DUMBO: cobblestone streets, Manhattan Bridge views, and Brooklyn Bridge Park along the waterfront.
Evening Times Square & Broadway
Times Square at night, then a Broadway show. The neon canyon is overwhelming but quintessentially New York. Choose from 40+ shows running nightly.
Day 2 Art & Central Park
Morning Statue de la Liberté & Ellis Island
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met): 5,000 years of art in one of the world's greatest museums. Egyptian Temple of Dendur, European paintings, rooftop garden.
Afternoon 9/11 Memorial & One World Observatory
Central Park: Bethesda Fountain, Bow Bridge, Strawberry Fields (John Lennon memorial), the Ramble. 843 acres of green in the heart of Manhattan.
Evening Dîner à Little Italy & SoHo
Dinner in the West Village: intimate restaurants on tree-lined streets. Then jazz at the Blue Note or Village Vanguard — hallowed ground for jazz lovers.
Day 3 Downtown & Brooklyn
Morning Brooklyn Bridge à pied
Visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum: the reflecting pools in the footprints of the Twin Towers are profoundly moving. The museum tells the human story.
Afternoon Williamsburg
Walk the High Line (2.3 km elevated park on a former railway) from Meatpacking District to Hudson Yards. Street art, gardens, and city views from an unexpected angle.
Evening Rooftop bar à Brooklyn
Brooklyn nightlife: Williamsburg bars and live music, or rooftop cocktails with Manhattan skyline views. Brooklyn is where New Yorkers actually go out.
Day 4 Uptown & Harlem
Morning High Line
MoMA (Museum of Modern Art): Starry Night, Campbell's Soup Cans, Water Lilies. The world's most important modern art collection under one roof.
Afternoon Chelsea Market & Galeries
Explore Harlem: Apollo Theater, soul food restaurants, gospel brunch on Sunday, the brownstone-lined streets. The cultural heart of Black America.
Evening Hudson Yards & The Vessel
Top of the Rock or Empire State Building at night. The Manhattan skyline lit up is one of the most iconic views on Earth.
Day 5 Last Day — Hidden Gems
Morning Gospel à Harlem
The Cloisters: a branch of The Met in northern Manhattan, built from medieval European monastery elements. Stunning gardens and unicorn tapestries overlooking the Hudson.
Afternoon American Museum of Natural History
Last walk through your favorite neighborhood: SoHo for shopping, Chinatown for dumplings, Lower East Side for delis. New York rewards wandering.
Evening Jazz à Harlem — Showman's Bar
End the day at a Harlem jazz club. Showman's Bar on 125th Street has been an institution since 1942 — live jazz, soul food, and an intimate vibe where local musicians improvise. Minton's Playhouse, birthplace of bebop, is another legendary option.
Day 6 Upper East Side — museums and elegance
Morning Metropolitan Museum of Art
Explore the Met, one of the world's greatest museums with 2 million+ works. The Temple of Dendur (Egyptian temple reconstruction), Impressionist collection, and medieval armor are must-sees. The rooftop offers spectacular Central Park views.
Afternoon Guggenheim et Museum Mile
Visit the Guggenheim, Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural masterpiece with its spiral ramp exhibiting modern art. Then stroll Museum Mile, the stretch of 5th Avenue (82nd-105th St) with 9 major museums. The Upper East Side's elegant facades line the route.
Evening Dîner Upper East Side et cocktails
The Upper East Side offers elegant dining in refined settings. JG Melon is a burger classic since 1972, while Café Boulud serves upscale French cuisine. For cocktails, Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel (where Madeline was illustrated) is a NYC classic.
Day 7 SoHo, Chinatown and Little Italy
Morning SoHo — shopping et architecture en fonte
Stroll through SoHo (South of Houston), a neighborhood of 19th-century cast-iron facades converted into luxury boutiques, art galleries, and concept stores. Cobblestoned Crosby, Greene, and Mercer Streets are most photogenic. Shopping paradise.
Afternoon Chinatown et Little Italy
Dive into Chinatown, the Western Hemisphere's largest. Canal Street buzzes with stalls, herbalists, and restaurants. Dim sum at Nom Wah Tea Parlor (NYC's oldest, 1920) or Joe's Shanghai (soup dumplings) are legendary. Walk up to Little Italy on Mulberry Street for a cannoli at Ferrara.
Evening Comedy club au Village
Catch a stand-up comedy show at a legendary Greenwich Village club. Comedy Cellar, where Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and Amy Schumer do surprise drop-ins, is the most famous. NYC humor is sharp and intimate rooms create direct audience connection.
Day 8 Day trip — Hudson Valley & Bear Mountain
Morning Train vers Cold Spring et randonnée
Take Metro-North from Grand Central to Cold Spring (1h20), a charming village on the Hudson River. Breakneck Ridge hike (moderate, 3-4h) offers spectacular views of the Hudson Valley and surrounding mountains. The Little Stony Point trail is an easier riverside option.
Afternoon Village de Cold Spring et bord de l'Hudson
Explore the picturesque village of Cold Spring with Victorian houses, antique shops, and galleries. The view of the Hudson River from the bandstand is magnificent, with Storm King mountains across. Lunch at Riverview Restaurant for unbeatable Hudson views.
Evening Retour à Manhattan et dîner à Hell's Kitchen
Back in Manhattan, dine in Hell's Kitchen (Clinton), west of Times Square. This formerly rough neighborhood has become a top food destination with Restaurant Row (46th St between 8th and 9th Ave). Varied world cuisine at fair prices.
Day 9 Lower East Side and East Village — creative neighborhoods
Morning Lower East Side — street art et histoire migratoire
Explore the Lower East Side, NYC's historic immigration hub. The Tenement Museum traces immigrant life in a preserved 19th-century building. Streets are packed with street art, historic Jewish delis (Katz's Delicatessen), and vintage shops.
Afternoon East Village — culture alternative et vinyl
The East Village is Manhattan's most alternative neighborhood — punk rock, Beat poetry, and underground culture. St. Marks Place is the main drag with eccentric shops. Tompkins Square Park is the heart. Record stores like A-1 Records and Strand Book Store (18 miles of books) are institutions.
Evening Izakaya et bars speakeasy de l'East Village
The East Village has some of NYC's best bars and izakayas. Decibel, a tiny underground izakaya, serves sake and Japanese snacks. For speakeasies, Please Don't Tell (PDT) is accessed through a phone booth in a hot dog shop — surreal and delicious.
Day 10 Coney Island and Brooklyn neighborhoods
Morning Coney Island — boardwalk et nostalgie
Take the subway to the end of the line at Coney Island for a morning of American nostalgia. The boardwalk runs past the beach, Luna Park with historic rides (1927 Cyclone), and Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs. The New York Aquarium is here too.
Afternoon Park Slope et Prospect Park
Head up to Park Slope, a residential neighborhood of brownstones considered one of Brooklyn's most beautiful. Prospect Park, designed by Central Park's same architects (Olmsted and Vaux), has a lake, wooded trails, and the adjacent Brooklyn Botanic Garden with its Japanese garden.
Evening Dîner et cocktails à Park Slope
Park Slope has a varied and accessible food scene. Al di Là Trattoria is a neighborhood Italian institution. Weather Up is an intimate cocktail bar. The neighborhood vibe is relaxed and family-friendly — far from Manhattan's frenzy.
Day 11 Day trip — Philadelphia in a day
Morning Train vers Philadelphia et Independence Hall
Take Amtrak or NJ Transit/SEPTA to Philadelphia (1.5-2h). Start at Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed. The Liberty Bell, with its iconic crack, is free to visit in the adjacent center.
Afternoon Philadelphia Museum of Art et cheesesteak
Climb the famous Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and strike the Balboa pose facing the skyline. The museum itself has an impressive collection. For lunch, try a Philly cheesesteak — the war between Pat's King of Steaks and Geno's has raged for decades.
Evening Retour à New York et dîner à Penn Station
Take the train back to New York. Arriving at Penn Station, dine in Koreatown (32nd Street between 5th and 6th Ave), nicknamed 'K-Town.' Korean restaurants are open late with excellent Korean BBQ and bibimbap at fair prices.
Day 12 Midtown — Broadway and skyscrapers
Morning Grand Central Terminal et Chrysler Building
Visit Grand Central Terminal, the world's most beautiful train station with its painted celestial ceiling and majestic hall. The adjacent Chrysler Building, an Art Deco masterpiece with its stainless steel spire, is New Yorkers' favorite skyscraper.
Afternoon Matinée Broadway — spectacle musical
Catch a Broadway show, one of NYC's most iconic experiences. The Theatre District (Times Square) has 40+ theaters. Matinees (Wed/Sat 2pm, Sun 3pm) are often cheaper. Hamilton, Wicked, The Lion King, and Chicago are classics.
Evening Times Square de nuit et dîner à Midtown
Times Square at night is a spectacle — giant screens illuminate the streets with millions of pixels. Touristy but the 'Crossroads of the World' energy is worth experiencing once. For dinner, skip tourist traps — try Ippudo (ramen) or Don Angie (creative Italian).
Day 13 Governors Island and Statue of Liberty — perspectives
Morning Ferry vers la Statue de la Liberté et Ellis Island
Take the ferry from Battery Park to the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island. The crown offers spectacular views (book months ahead). Ellis Island, historic gateway for 12 million immigrants, houses a moving museum where you can search ancestor records.
Afternoon Governors Island — vélo et art
Take the free ferry (summer weekends) to Governors Island, a former military base turned public park and cultural space. Rent a bike and explore artificial hills with panoramic views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Statue of Liberty. Art installations and peaceful grounds contrast with Manhattan's frenzy.
Evening Dîner d'adieu au Financial District — rooftop
For your penultimate evening, dine in the Financial District with Manhattan lights views. Crown Shy's rooftop or Pier A Harbor House offer spectacular settings. Nearby One World Observatory has vertiginous 102nd-floor night views.
Day 14 Departure — last New York morning
Morning Brunch new-yorkais et dernière balade
Treat yourself to a final NYC brunch — the city's eggs benedict, pancakes, and bagels are legendary. Then a last stroll through Central Park or along the High Line to engrave New York's images in your memory.
Afternoon Transfert vers l'aéroport JFK
Take a taxi, Uber, or AirTrain + subway to JFK Airport. The trip from Manhattan takes 45-90 minutes depending on traffic. AirTrain from Jamaica Station (E/J/Z subway) is the most economical option.
Evening Vol retour — souvenirs de New York
Your international flight marks the end of two unforgettable weeks in New York and beyond. From Manhattan to Brooklyn, Hudson Valley to Philadelphia, you've lived the unique energy of the city that never sleeps. New York changed you — as it changes everyone who truly visits.