Itinerary · United States · 3 days
New York in 3 days: US$201 in tickets
Three days in New York: the Statue of Liberty, the city's World Heritage site, and the 9/11 Memorial on day one, the Met and the Natural History Museum either side of Central Park on day two, then MoMA and Top of the Rock on day three. Every ticket is priced from the official sites.
- Day 1: Liberty and Lower ManhattanStatue of Liberty, 9/11 Memorial, 9/11 Memorial & Museum, Brooklyn BridgeUS$62
- Day 2: The Met and Central ParkMetropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, American Museum of Natural HistoryUS$67
- Day 3: MidtownMoMA, Times Square, Top of the RockUS$72
- Total per adultUS$201
about £150 · €180 (2026-10-23 rates)
Each price checked on the attraction's official site in October 2026
The route
Every stop, numbered in order and coloured by day. Tap a number for its price.
- Day 1: Liberty and Lower Manhattan
- Day 2: The Met and Central Park
- Day 3: Midtown
Map: OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles and OpenStreetMap contributors.
Day 1: Liberty and Lower Manhattan
US$62 in tickets, plus the optional One World Observatory
The first ferry to the Statue of Liberty, then the 9/11 Memorial, and the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset.
Statue of Liberty
US$26 Ferry ticket to Liberty and Ellis Islands, adult 13+ about £19 · €23
Statue City Cruises is the only ferry that docks at the islands: buy from its website or at Castle Clinton in The Battery, and ignore the street sellers nearby. The ticket includes Ellis Island and both museums; pedestal and crown access must be booked on top, well ahead.
Hours, free entry and booking
Free entry: Children under 4. Ranger tours are free. America the Beautiful passes and fee-free days don't cover the ferry.
Booking: Statue City Cruises is the only ferry allowed to dock at the islands; buy ahead online or at its only on-site ticket office, inside Castle Clinton in The Battery. The Park Service warns of aggressive unauthorised sellers near The Battery.
9/11 Memorial
Free
The two pools in the footprints of the Twin Towers. Free, daily 8am to 8pm.
9/11 Memorial & Museum
US$36 Museum admission, adult (18 to 64) about £27 · €32
Timed tickets must be bought ahead. Allow 45 to 90 minutes. On Mondays from 5.30pm entry is free, with tickets released online at 7am that day.
Hours, free entry and booking
Opening hours: Museum 9am to 7pm, Wednesday to Monday and many Tuesdays (last entry 5.30pm). Memorial daily 8am to 8pm.
Free entry: The outdoor Memorial, for everyone, daily 8am to 8pm. Museum: children 6 and under; US veterans, active and retired US military, and active FDNY, NYPD and PAPD (with ID); 9/11 family members; SNAP/EBT cardholders (up to four). Everyone on Mondays from 5.30pm (tickets released online at 7am that day). New York-area residents, workers and students on the first Sunday of the month, 4 to 7pm.
Booking: Timed museum tickets must be bought ahead, up to six months in advance; they can be refunded or exchanged (once, free) up to 24 hours before. Allow 45 to 90 minutes. Audio guides cost $11.
One World Observatory Optional
US$39 Standard (general admission) about £29 · €35
The view from the top of One World Trade Center, next door. Prices change with the date and time; visits after 8pm are half price.
Hours, free entry and booking
Booking: Buy online; a $3.50 processing fee plus tax is added. Families save 20% on four or more tickets, groups of 10 to 50 save 10%, visits after 8pm are half price, and New York City residents get a locals' offer.
Brooklyn Bridge
Free
Walk the bridge towards Brooklyn as the skyline lights up behind you. Free.
Day 2: The Met and Central Park
US$67 in tickets
Two of the world's great museums face each other across Central Park, about 20 minutes' walk apart.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
US$30 General admission about £22 · €27
You don't need to book, but an online ticket lets you go straight in. It's closed on Wednesdays, and open until 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Hours, free entry and booking
Opening hours: Sunday to Tuesday and Thursday 10am to 5pm, Friday and Saturday 10am to 9pm; closed Wednesdays. Closed Thanksgiving, 25 December, 1 January and the first Monday in May.
Free entry: Children 12 and under, members, and a disabled visitor's care partner. New York State residents, and students in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, pay what they wish (at least 1 cent): online needs a New York State billing address, and NJ and CT students buy in person with student ID.
Booking: You don't need to book ahead, but an online ticket lets you go straight to any gallery entrance. Groups of 10 or more must register in advance. Step-free entrances are at 81st Street and through the 80th Street garage.
Central Park
Free
Cross the park past the Great Lawn and the reservoir. Free.
American Museum of Natural History
US$37 General admission, visitors from outside New York State about £28 · €33
Dinosaurs, the blue whale and the planetarium. Booking ahead gives faster entry; special exhibitions cost extra.
Hours, free entry and booking
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 5.30pm. Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Free entry: Museum members.
Booking: Get tickets in advance for faster entry. Ticketed exhibitions (such as The Nature of Color, from 16 November 2026) are added at checkout.
Day 3: Midtown
US$72 in tickets, plus the optional Empire State Building
Modern art in the morning, then the view over Midtown and Central Park from the top of Rockefeller Center.
MoMA
US$30 General admission about £22 · €27
Van Gogh's Starry Night, Monet's water lilies and much more. Book online; the entrance is at 11 West 53rd Street, and backpacks go in the checkroom.
Hours, free entry and booking
Opening hours: Daily 10.30am to 5.30pm, Fridays to 8.30pm. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Free entry: Children 16 and under, members, and a disabled visitor's care partner. New York State residents go free on Friday evenings, 5.30 to 8.30pm (UNIQLO Friday Nights; reserve the free ticket ahead).
Booking: Book tickets online. The entrance is at 11 West 53rd Street. All bags are searched and backpacks must go in the checkroom. Children 12 and under must be with an adult.
Times Square
Free
Ten minutes' walk from MoMA, best seen after dark. Free.
Top of the Rock
US$42 Timed admission (floors 67, 69 and 70) about £31 · €38
Its view takes in the Empire State Building and the length of Central Park. Prices change with the date and time; open until midnight, so time it for sunset.
Hours, free entry and booking
Opening hours: Daily 8am to midnight; last entry 11.10pm.
Booking: Buy online to avoid the box office queue, for a set date and entry time. The entrance is on 50th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Everyone goes through security; no outside food or drink, and no tripods.
Empire State Building Optional
US$46 86th Floor Observation Deck about £34 · €41
If you'd rather stand on the most famous skyscraper of all, swap it for Top of the Rock. Every visit needs a timed reservation.
Hours, free entry and booking
Opening hours: Open 365 days a year; hours change with the season (on 23 October 2026: 9am to 11pm).
Booking: Every visit needs a timed reservation. Buy online ahead, or at the ticket office at 12 W 34th Street. Tickets can't be refunded but can be rescheduled. A visit takes at least an hour; busiest just after opening and after sunset. No large luggage, and there are no lockers. New York City residents get 25% off with the Locals ticket.
Before you go
Before you book
- The Met is closed on Wednesdays, so keep day two off a Wednesday. The 9/11 Museum opens Wednesday to Monday and many Tuesdays.
- Children go free at the Met (12 and under) and MoMA (16 and under), and pay less at the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 Museum and the Natural History Museum.
- The observation decks charge by date and time: the prices here are the lowest ones on the official sites, before any fees.
- New York State residents pay what they wish for general admission at the Met and the Natural History Museum.
Questions
How much do the tickets cost for New York in 3 days?
The entry tickets on this route come to US$201 for an adult, about £150 · €180 (day 1 US$62; day 2 US$67; day 3 US$72). Free places and optional stops aren't counted. Each price was checked on the attraction's official website in October 2026.
Is 3 days enough for New York?
Three days covers the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 Memorial, the big museums and one skyline view. A fourth day lets you add the High Line, Brooklyn or a Broadway show.
Which New York sights are free?
On this route, the 9/11 Memorial, the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park and Times Square cost nothing. The 9/11 Museum is free on Monday evenings.