What to do in New York City in 3 hours

4 self-guided 3-hour routes through New York City — every stop timed, mapped and in the order that works on the ground.

The Plaza corner, the Pond, the Literary Walk, Bethesda Terrace, Bow Bridge, Strawberry Fields, Belvedere Castle and the Reservoir.

Grand Army Plaza · The Pond and Gapstow Bridge · The Mall and Literary Walk · Bethesda Terrace · Bow Bridge · Strawberry Fields · Belvedere Castle · The Reservoir

2.9 km on foot 8 stops 2h 44m total

3h Budget

Harlem in three hours

The Apollo's stage, the library where Langston Hughes is buried, the church Adam Clayton Powell preached in, the rowhouses of Strivers' Row and soul food on Lenox Avenue.

Apollo Theater · Schomburg Center · Abyssinian Baptist Church · Strivers' Row · Sylvia's

2.5 km on foot 5 stops 2h 43m total

3h Budget

Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge in three hours

Battery Park up through Wall Street to the memorial, then across the bridge into DUMBO.

Battery Park · Wall Street & Federal Hall · 9/11 Memorial & One World Observatory · City Hall Park · Brooklyn Bridge · DUMBO & Brooklyn Bridge Park

3.5 km on foot 6 stops 2h 56m total

3h Budget

Midtown in three hours: Grand Central to Rockefeller Center

The constellations over Grand Central, the library's reading room, Times Square, St Patrick's and the art deco plaza at Rockefeller Center.

Grand Central Terminal · New York Public Library · Bryant Park · Times Square · St Patrick's Cathedral · Rockefeller Center

2.1 km on foot 6 stops 2h 53m total

Planning the rest of the trip

These routes cover the walking. The New York City guide has where to stay, what a day costs at each tier, and what to book before you go.