Individual Trip: New York “Travel like New Yorkers”, 7 days

Day 1: Flight Athens-New York & Panoramic view of Manhattan!

Departure for New York. Arrival the same day. Arrival and transfer to your hotel in the center of Manhattan.
Get a first acquaintance with the area and enjoy the view of the city from above at sunset from the “Top of the Rock” at Rockefeller Center. The view is unique from the 70th floor of the skyscraper… having the privilege of taking photos with the nearby Empire State Building, which slowly begins to light up at the end of the day. All of Manhattan unfolds before you, allowing you to see for yourself where you are in relation to the city’s sights.
For an affordable food option, we recommend the Chinese-Korean restaurant Food Gallery 32 opposite your hotel.

Day 2: City Tour

The English-speaking bus tour with a glass roof will start at 09.00 from Times Square, with the first stop at Central Park & 72nd Street. There, we will learn about the Dakota, the historic 1800s building that hosted great personalities from time to time, such as John Lennon. A short tour of Central Park will follow to see the Imagine mosaic up close, dedicated to John Lennon. We will continue towards the famous Plaza Hotel & the Central Park Zoo, to reach Rockefeller Center, overlooking St. Patrick’s Cathedral and famous for the Christmas tree and ice rink set up during the Christmas season, as well as NBC’s “Today Show”. The next stop will be Madison Square, a familiar spot from movies filmed there, as it has a good view of the Empire State Building, the Flatiron Building, the Metropolitan Life Tower, and more. The tour continues with a route through some of New York’s iconic neighborhoods, such as Greenwich Village, Soho, Chinatown, and the business district of Wall Street, featuring the New York Stock Exchange, Federal Hall (the location of the first U.S. Capitol), Trinity Church, and the famous Charging Bull sculpture (the symbol of Wall Street’s economic prosperity). Our fourth stop will be at the World Trade Center to visit the 9 November Memorial (admission not included in the price). Those who do not wish to visit can walk around the Memorial grounds, by the “Reflecting Absence” pools (on the site where the original Twin Towers stood), and see the Survivor Tree that stood tall against the 9 November destruction. A stop follows (around 13.00) for a quick meal at the 55 Fulton Market (meal not included). Finally, we will board a boat heading to Staten Island to enjoy the wonderful view of the route towards Manhattan & Brooklyn. Return to the same point and terminal at the starting point. Estimated return time 15:00.
After the end of the tour, you can optionally visit Liberty & Ellis Islands… to see the Statue of Liberty and the place where all the immigrants who were looking for a better life years ago gathered! The cost is approximately 20 euros including the visit to the crown of the Statue of Liberty and the English-speaking audio tour. For the evening, we suggest you optionally try a whole chicken for 2 people on a platter with natural puree at your nearby restaurant Petit Poulet, next to the Radisson Martinique hotel.

Day 3: Central Park stroll-bike ride

Walk in Central Park
We have secured a bike for you to ride inside the park (larger in size than the Principality of Monaco). Relax like a New Yorker and take your bike ride. It is worth visiting the miniature of the Belvedere Castle… walking on the beautiful little bridges that connect the lakes, and resting while having a drink in one of the park’s cafes. If it is Sunday, it is worth seeing the small remote-controlled model boat competition by the kids in one of the area’s lakes or skating on the ice rink during the winter months. It is also worth visiting the famous Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) from Central Park.
Try to issue cheap tickets for a Broadway musical in the morning from the Ticket house in Times Square. Apart from the well-known shows “Phantom of the Opera”, “The Lion King”, “Les Miserables”, and “Cats”, do not forget to see the most popular shows of this season, Tony Award winners “Kinky Boots” & “Once”. In the evening, you can try a juicy traditional hamburger with fresh fries at The Counter, on Broadway & 41st Street.

Day 4: Free day for walking “New Yorker’s style”

If one of your days of stay is a Sunday, it is worth attending a unique Gospel service at 09.00 in the morning in Brooklyn at the large church amphitheater The Brooklyn Tabernacle (17 Smith Street). You can take the red line 2 and get off at the Hoyt St metro station. The experience is unique.
From there, you can walk on the famous Brooklyn Bridge, having a view of Manhattan, and thus take unique photos. Finally, at the end of the bridge and to the left below, it is worth visiting Pier 17 and trying seafood dishes at its restaurants with a beautiful view of the Brooklyn & Manhattan bridges. For the evening, we suggest entertainment in one of the East Village bars.

Day 5: Time for shopping or an excursion to Washington, Philadelphia, or Niagara Falls

Today is a shopping day. You can visit the famous Jersey Gardens outlets—known for its special prices on clothing (1 February hour from Manhattan, with easy access by bus) or Woodbury Common Premium Outlets—known for its best prices on branded products (about 1 hour from Manhattan—travel by special excursion buses). Also, all along 5th Avenue, you can find many shops and department stores for whatever you want, or you can visit the very nearby Macy’s, which is considered the largest department store of its kind in the world… in the city center. It is worth trying some of the dishes you will find inside the department stores.
For those not interested in spending time and money on shopping, they can choose between a full-day excursion to Washington & Philadelphia, or Boston, or Niagara Falls (on the U.S. side).

Day 6: New York (free day)

Free day until our transfer to the airport and return flight.

Day 7: Athens

Arrival in Athens.

Travel Notes