With this superb holiday, you can enjoy a 7-night adventure between New York & Washington.
- Return flights from the UK
- 7 Nights | Mixed Board Basis
What do Broadway shows, the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street and Central Park all have in common? You’ll find them all in New York City, of course. The Big Apple is home to so many iconic sights and experiences that just planning what to see and do might take a week! Fortunately, when you book an NYC trip with us, we can help you plan an experience you’ll never forget.
Where to start? Well, how about some pizza up in midtown followed by a cocktail in Manhattan and then a slow stroll through the lush greenness of Central Park? Or how about taking in a sensational Broadway show after visiting Lady Liberty and scaling the Empire State Building?
It all awaits you in New York.
We’ve got a fantastic range of affordable New York holidays, with a whole host of hotels and flights making this one of our most popular choices for a USA holiday destination. The sprawling urban jungle is home to a wide range of hotels. So whether you’re after 5-star decadence on the doorsteps of Times Square, or just looking for some accommodation in the trendy burgh of Brooklyn, we’ll get you there.
Discover why they call it the city that never sleeps when you book a New York City trip with us.
The problem with visiting New York is knowing where to begin. But even if you don't immediately rush off to view the world-famous sights and landmarks of this most dynamic of cities, sometimes just being there is enough. The wonder of New York is in the energy and diversity that emanates from its densely packed, multicultural population. It vibrates with colliding cultures and languages, as highlife and lowlife rub together to produce a unique atmosphere, 24-hours a day.
Whether lolling on a bench in leafy Central Park, watching the world go by from a French bistro in Soho, or gazing up at Lady Liberty from the deck of the Staten Island Ferry, most visitors will feel they've done it all before. This is because New York is so familiar to anyone who has ever seen a movie or watched television. There is something special, however, in actually seeing the familiar landmarks and experiencing the pulse of The City That Never Sleeps.
Five boroughs make up New York City: Staten Island, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. But many visitors never leave Manhattan, with loads of things to do and see packed into this small area relative to the other boroughs. This includes the 24-hour pasta restaurants of Little Italy, and the bustling sidewalks of Chinatown, the jazz clubs of Greenwich Village, and the theatres of Broadway. Of course, iconic sights include the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and Times Square.
New York has been described as the best three-day city in the world, and that's about right. After a frenzy of museums, galleries, bars, and clubs, many visitors are ready for a break. Fortunately, there's a lot of choice in excursions. Outdoor attractions include the National Parks of upstate New York, the beaches of Long Island, or simply the leafy oasis of Central Park. Whatever you're after, New York is ready and waiting to bewitch, enchant, and bewilder.
New York's public transport system is relatively good and cheap, including buses and the subway. There are also the iconic and ever-present yellow cabs, although they are more expensive. Visitors should avoid unlicensed cabs, sometimes called gypsy or pirate cabs.
One can use a combination of these or just get around on foot. Walking is often the best way to see the city. During rush hours, when buses and taxis are caught in gridlock and the subway is overcrowded, stretching the legs can be the quickest option.
Usually, the most efficient way to get around is the 24-hour underground system, especially as most of Manhattan's sights are near subway stations. Like other massive cities, however, this can be extremely confusing at first.
The bus system is simpler but slower, a good option for shorter distances or for travelling across town. Driving in New York is not recommended as traffic is heavy, drivers are rude and aggressive, and parking is both rare and exorbitant.
The nightlife in New York City encompasses jazz bars, nightclubs, lounges, comedy clubs, and live shows, with something happening around every corner. The Village, Broadway, Bowery, and Madison Square Garden are just a few destinations for evening entertainment in New York.
As a hub of the jazz world, New York is home to venues such as 55 Bar and Arthur's Tavern. Jazz tours from Greenwich Village to Harlem are a fun option for enthusiasts, with a stop at the legendary Apollo Theatre a great attraction to tick off the bucketlist.
As the launching pad of big-name comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld, New York also has many comedy shows, with some of the best happening at the New York Comedy Club or the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (UCB).
Of course, there are always famous Broadway shows in New York. Try the Palace or Eugene O'Neill theatres for the latest productions. Broadway shows are expensive, hence the popularity of the three TKTS discount ticket booths, the most popular of which is in Times Square.
They open every day at 11 am, but the queues form well before this. You can pick up last-minute tickets for half of the regular price, depending on what's available. There's seldom a queue at 5pm, with last-minute prices dropping even further.
Nightclubs come and go quickly in New York City, as the fickle population becomes enamoured with the newest venues and trends. But you can always rest assured that whatever you want, the City of Dreams will have plenty of it.
Live music venues covering hip hop, rock, indie, and almost any other genre imaginable abound, and well-established venues offer events like poetry readings. At any given time, internationally-acclaimed DJs are usually heating up dancefloors in the New York darkness.
World-class performing arts venues are a dime a dozen in a city that boasts Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Lincoln Centre, and Carnegie Hall, and you can take your pick of ballet, opera, symphony orchestras, and chamber music.
For up-to-date events information on New York City, pick up a copy of the Village Voice or Time Out New York, both of which are accessible online.
The amount and calibre of stores in the city will blow visitors away. Offering some of the best and most expensive shopping in the world, 5th Avenue is synonymous with classy high-end department stores such as Bergdorf's and Saks. Madison Avenue is known as the trendy road, boasting 15 blocks of celebrity designer shops such as Chanel, Jimmy Choo, and Prada. Soho is one of New York's poshest outdoor malls, with cobblestone streets and loft-like spaces creating a pretty and unique shopping experience.
As cosmopolitan as New York maybe, visitors on a tighter budget can still find plenty of bargains at the city's flea markets, which offer some top quality goods with stores touting designer knockoffs, antiques, jewellery, curios, thrift wear, home furnishings, and cosmetics.
Chinatown is a budget shopper's paradise with cheap knockoffs on offer, and haggling common practice. Century 21 is considered 'New York's best-kept secret' for bargain hunters with more than 15 departments of quality and designer merchandise at 25 to 75% off retail prices.
Whether shopping in upscale Madison Avenue or the bargain-friendly Lower East Side, New York has something to offer everyone. Souvenirs can often be tacky, including miniature Statues of Liberty, I (heart) NY gear, New York Yankees merchandise, and Broadway posters.
With New York's countless attractions, it would take months to see and do everything this vibrant city has on offer. The must-see New York attractions include iconic structures and buildings such as the Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, Times Square, and the Chrysler Building. Among all the skyscrapers, Central Park provides a green haven for relaxation and exercise. Many first-time visitors to New York don't leave Manhattan at all, but the four other boroughs of the city - Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island - all have their own appeal and are worth exploring for those wanting a broader experience of the metropolis. Taking a ride on the Staten Island Ferry is one of the best free activities NYC has to offer.
For cultural vultures, there are wonderful museums to explore, such as the American Museum of Natural History or the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There are also fewer high-brow museums: at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, for instance, visitors can play superheroes on film.
An easy way to see the sights is to take a ride on one of New York's topless tour buses. It may not be as exciting as exploring the city on foot, but it's a great way to learn and see a lot quickly. Central Park also provides a great thoroughfare for sightseers exploring Manhattan on foot, and the grid-pattern layout of the streets makes finding your way fairly simple. The New York subway is a good, cheap option for those needing to cover greater distances.
Those planning a lot of sightseeing should consider purchasing the New York Pass, which covers about 80 NYC attractions and allows the holder to skip the often lengthy queues at popular sites.
New York is a great place for vacations with children. Parents can take the family out to Ellis Island to see the Statue of Liberty or trek up the Empire State Building to stand on its observation deck, the panoramic views of the metropolis a joy at any age.
For active children, a stroll through Central Park will give them plenty of space to stretch their legs and in winter months don't miss ice skating at the Trump Wollman Rink or Rockefeller Plaza. The amazing shops around New York City are also perfect for those rainy days.
Options include Toys 'R Us in Times Square, NIKETOWN, or the decadent Dylan's Candy Bar, where kids will go wild at the number of sugary candies and chocolates available. The Brooklyn Children's Museum is also worth a visit, as are the New York Aquarium and Central Park Zoo.
For warm summer nights, nothing beats a baseball game at Yankee Stadium, complete with hot dogs and popcorn. With so much to see, children visiting New York City will be sure to have a memorable and unforgettable experience.
New York City is famous for roadside vendors selling all-American goodness, like hotdogs, corndogs, bagels, and donuts. But it's an international affair when dining out, with offerings of cuisine from all over the world meaning it would take a lifetime to sample them all.
With more than eight thousand restaurants to choose from, it is difficult to know where to begin. Chinatown has restaurants serving Cantonese, Sichuan, and Shanghai cuisine, while there are also a few Chinese restaurants where dim sum is available throughout the day.
The popular Times Square is plagued with mediocre chain restaurants. But there are a few wonderful eateries beyond the tourist traps. New York's steakhouses offer a variety of delicious steak options from porterhouse steak to New York strip steak.
Everything is big in the United States and the pizzas and pizza pies are no different. With plenty of fantastic pizza and Italian restaurants around the city, it's a pizza lover's paradise. Many small pizzerias sell the iconic New York-style pizza.
Ukrainian, Indian, and Japanese cuisine can be found in the East Village, while Harlem is synonymous with African and Soul food. Queens offers the most variety with Greek, Irish, Latin American, Russian, Indian, and Kosher fare to tantalise the taste buds.
New York City has a humid subtropical climate, with cold winters and hot, moist summers. The city's coastal location ensures that winters (December to February) are not as cold as inland cities on the same latitude, and daytime temperatures generally stay above freezing point but average lows drop to 27°F (-3°C). Snow is common in winter, but the amount varies, and winter rain is common. Spring in New York is pleasantly warm, and the weather heats up to high temperatures of around 77°F (25°C) by mid-May. Summers (June to August) are generally swelteringly hot and humid, with average highs hitting 84°F (29°C). The best time to travel to New York is in autumn when temperatures are mild, days are sunny and humidity is not too high.