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New York City in one day is easiest to plan as a walk from south to north, with the water first and the park last. The city lies on the Hudson River and the East River, in the state of New York. Start at the harbour, cross the bridge, head north to Midtown and finish among the trees. Most of what follows is self-guided, so you set the pace.
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal statue on Liberty Island, in New York City, named after liberty. See it first and keep the rest of the morning for Lower Manhattan.
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is a memorial and museum in the Financial District. It is part of the World Trade Center, and Michael Arad was one of its architects. Give it unhurried time, then follow the neighbourhood’s older history on foot.
Puzzles and stories on the streets where Alexander Hamilton’s story unfolded, self-guided on your phone and lasting roughly an hour and ten minutes.
The Brooklyn Bridge is a suspension bridge located in Manhattan and in Brooklyn. It officially opened on 24 May 1883. Walk it for the view back at the skyline, then decide whether to carry on in Brooklyn or return.
The Empire State Building is a skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, and Shreve, Lamb & Harmon were its architects. Times Square is a square and neighbourhood in Manhattan, named after The New York Times. Midtown rewards a story to follow more than a checklist.
Prohibition-era clues on the real streets of Midtown. This self-guided game takes just under two hours.
Under an hour of puzzles that turn Midtown Manhattan into a comic book, self-guided on your phone.
Central Park is an urban park in Manhattan covering 843 acres. It includes Bethesda Terrace and Fountain and Strawberry Fields. Keep it for later in the day, when sitting down sounds as good as walking.
Follow a story across the park’s most romantic corners. This self-guided game runs for about an hour and three quarters.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an art museum in Manhattan that includes The Met Fifth Avenue and The Cloisters. If your day has room for one indoor stop, make it this one, then pick a single walk for the evening. The options below are alternatives, not a route. See more things to do in New York City.
Haunted streets of Manhattan, explored on your own with your phone in about an hour.
Crack clues and wander through SoHo at your own pace, with one hour and twenty minutes to play with.
Two of Manhattan’s most flavourful neighbourhoods, linked by a self-guided walk of an hour and a half.
A professional photographer follows your day in New York City and gives you pictures you will want to keep.
They sit at opposite ends of this route, so plan the day from south to north and keep to one or two walks along the way. The self-guided games let you start whenever you like.
No. Most of the experiences here are self-guided games on your phone. The private photographer is the only one with someone beside you.
Pick one: a ghost walk after dark, a puzzle walk through SoHo or Chinatown, or a photographer to keep the day in pictures.
Sources: Wikidata (CC0).
