5-Day Sample Itinerary for NYC with Tweens/Teens

Grab coffee and other global culinary delights at Market 57 on Pier 57, a casual yet crowd-pleasing place to spend any gap time. Explore and savor dishes from around the globe with your family, from mango masala to Japanese fried food and dim sum. The pops of color and lantern-strung ceilings are sure to please teens seeking Instagram-worthy moments. Not to mention the rooftop bar at Market 57 where you can feast your eyes on the NYC skyline. Did I mention Instagram-worthy?

Other things to do on day 1

I recommend doing some free things because you’ll be a bit tired and you can make the most of the other days with a city pass (wink wink).

• Grand Central Station: It’s free and it is, well, GRAND! The architecture is amazing, especially the constellation-decorated ceiling. It has a huge market, making it a great stop to grab some “grand” treats for the hotel later on.

• Central Park: First of all, the TV series "Friends." Other than that, you don’t truly understand Central Park until you go to Central Park. It’s a great place that is free and you can get some good pictures with the beautiful scenery.

• Times Square: Staying on the free theme here, just walking around Times Square is free. End the day by seeing the famous signs in the daylight and lit up at night by exploring around sunset. Be cautious of taking photos of anyone dressed up or performers if you want to keep this free.

Option 1

Did you know you can easily take a train to go to Washington DC from NYC? Washington DC also leans on the cheaper side with many attractions being free or low cost. Tip: you can request a tour of the White House by contacting your member of Congress three months in advance. (The Gordon Ramsay restaurant is on The Wharf in DC as well.)

Option 2 (especially if you have a city pass)

Stay in NYC: Watch a variety of street performers while touring on “The Ride” (on the City Pass at the time of writing this) — an interactive bus tour on which street performers put on a show while you also learn about the city. Ah, a bus tour that can keep the attention of all ages. The dream.

Observation towers! Teens love Summit One Vanderbilt for all the interactive rooms and photo opportunities. The Edge (on City Pass) is another popular observation tower to see the city under clear glass.

Circle Line Tours: Educate yourself on the architecture and what makes NYC unique. The time from 3-5:30 pm allows you to see the buildings sparkling in the sun AND lit up in the evening. Pass the Statue of Liberty at the perfect time to snap a picture of the sun setting near Lady Liberty. The best of both worlds! The cruise ends at a perfect time to get dinner on the pier at any of the restaurants recommended.

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Need I say more? Plan for this excursion to take most of the day! If you have never been to NYC before, you may not know the process and expectations of seeing the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It’s a process, but I can help you! Did you know that only ticketed guests can go up to the crown? They usually sell out three to four months in advance, too!

By the time you get back from the Statue of Liberty, you’ll probably be tired, so I recommend some calming things to do or to rest:

• Chelsea Market! You must stop at Chelsea Market at least once if you are a foodie. It is similar to Market 57 but a bit busier. It has a large Asian store and other unique shops. It is touristy and gets busy, so I recommend going at an odd time that you can still eat. You must go to try the best tacos I have ever eaten in my life at Los Tacos No.1.

• Shop at Rockefeller Center, Madison Avenue or any of the other shopping centers, or end the night with "Catacombs by Candlelight" to do something out of the ordinary.

This is where preferences will really start playing a role in the itinerary.

• For financially minded people, tour the real Wall Street and see the famous bull!

• For history lovers, reflect at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

• For architecture, visit the famous Empire State Building.

• For interactive art lovers, Artechouse is a hit.

• For art lovers, the Guggenheim Museum always has insightful pieces.

• For Harry Potter lovers, drink butterbeer at the interactive Harry Potter Exhibition.

• There are many museums in NYC — we could go on with the options for any type of person.

Broadway show: Book your tickets early to get the best seats. I like to go to the 2–5 pm shows, making it a perfect time to get lunch before and still get a reasonable dinner after seeing a live Broadway performance.

You may be surprised at just how much Chinatown has.

Governors Island is a good place to end your trip. For only $5 or free, you can take a round-trip ferry to Governors Island to wind down after a busy vacation. There are almost always special events going on depending on when you go, or you can pamper yourself at QC NY Spa, one of the most unique wellness centers I have ever seen.

NYC is full of amazing and unique things to do. So much so, that an itinerary could easily be rearranged or changed to match each type of family. For example:

• Adults can request tickets to see hit NBC shows.

• Max Brenner is a memorable place for chocolate lovers.

• The Go City pass is one pass to save on top attractions by choosing a set number of attractions or a set number of days of unlimited entry to top attractions.

Restaurants

• For experimental eaters: Mari or their sister restaurant, Kochi, are Michelin-starred and offer Korean street food meets fine dining dishes at an upscaled level for $145 at the time of this writing. I highly recommend it for sushi and seafood lovers!

• For the dog lovers: Check out the dog-friendly restaurant Barking Dog for casual American food.

• For unique eats: It’s Halloween everyday at Beetle House, where you can order Tim Burton-inspired dishes.

• For Broadway lovers: Ellen's Stardust Diner, home of the world-famous singing waitstaff (lines get long).

• For iconic bougie vibes: Blue Box Café — literally breakfast at Tiffany's!

• For fun: Get a famous smoky drink or epic dessert at the Sugar Factory

• For a nice dinner that you can still bring teens to: Tao or Cathedrale at Moxy East Village resort