New York

Gifted by France in 1886 to celebrate the centennial of American independence and the friendship between the two nations, the Statue of Liberty was designed by sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, with its internal structure engineered by Gustave Eiffel. Standing 93 meters tall including its pedestal, it rises on Liberty Island in New York Harbor and was, for decades, the first symbol of freedom seen by millions of immigrants arriving by ship. Access to the crown, via 377 steps with a stunning view over the bay, requires a separate, limited reservation, best booked weeks ahead in high season. The standard ticket covers the pedestal and the museum tracing the monument's history, as well as nearby Ellis Island, the former immigrant inspection station now a moving museum of American immigration. The Statue Cruises ferry, the only official way to reach the islands, departs from Battery Park and serves both stops on the same crossing.

Statue Cruises ferry from Battery Park (subway lines 4/5, Bowling Green station) - ticket required, booking recommended.

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The 9/11 Memorial occupies the exact site of the World Trade Center's twin towers, destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks. Two massive square pools, each about 4,000 square meters, sit in the precise footprints of the former towers, their waterfalls cascading into a central void with no visible bottom, a symbolic design by architect Michael Arad. The names of the 2,977 victims of the New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania attacks, along with those of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, are etched into the bronze parapets bordering the pools. The underground museum, visited separately, presents deeply moving objects and testimonies from that day, including remnants of the towers' structure and audio recordings of calls made from the floors. Right next door rises One World Trade Center, a 541-meter tower whose 100th-floor observatory offers one of the city's finest panoramic views.

Subway lines E, A/C, 2/3, R/W, or PATH, World Trade Center station - right in Lower Manhattan.

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Completed in 1883 after thirteen years of construction, the Brooklyn Bridge was, at its opening, the longest suspension bridge in the world and remains one of New York's most recognizable architectural symbols. Its neo-Gothic stone towers and spiderweb-like cable network, designed by engineer John A. Roebling - who died in an accident before construction began - required the involvement of his son Washington Roebling and then his wife Emily to see the project through to completion. An elevated pedestrian walkway crosses the bridge for 1.8 kilometers, separated from car traffic, offering spectacular views throughout of the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty, and the neighboring Manhattan Bridge. Walking across from Manhattan to the DUMBO neighborhood in Brooklyn, especially magical at sunrise or sunset, takes about 30-40 minutes and is best followed by exploring DUMBO's cobblestone streets and the iconic view of the bridge from Washington Street.

Subway lines 4/5/6, Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall station, Manhattan side - direct pedestrian access.

Guided tour Brooklyn Bridge

Williamsburg, a former industrial and working-class Brooklyn neighborhood, has transformed since the 2000s into one of New York's trendiest districts, driven by a particularly dynamic art, music, and food scene. Bedford Avenue, its main strip, is packed with vintage thrift shops, independent record stores, specialty coffee shops, and local designer boutiques, while the neighborhood's walls host a constantly refreshed profusion of street art. Smorgasburg, an open-air food market held on weekends in season, gathers dozens of creative street food stalls from across Brooklyn, best enjoyed facing the East River. From Domino Park, a former sugar refinery site converted into a riverside park, the view of the Manhattan skyline and the Williamsburg Bridge ranks among the most spectacular in the city, especially at sunset. The neighborhood is also home to a significant Hasidic community, whose traditional way of life contrasts sharply with the trendy buzz of the surrounding streets.

Subway line L, Bedford Avenue station - 3 stops from Manhattan (14th St-Union Square).

Guided tour Williamsburg

The High Line is a disused elevated railway, built in the 1930s to carry freight to warehouses on Manhattan's west side, reconverted starting in 2009 into a 2.3-kilometer suspended linear park. Threatened with demolition in the 2000s, it was saved by the Friends of the High Line association and transformed by landscape firm James Corner Field Operations into a green promenade blending wild grasses, contemporary art installations, and designer benches, offering an unusual perspective onto the rooftops and buildings of Chelsea and the Meatpacking District. The walkway crosses several rapidly changing neighborhoods, passing the Whitney Museum of American Art at its southern end and near the covered Chelsea Market, a must-stop for food along the way. Free and open year-round, it's especially suited to a late-afternoon walk, when low sunlight illuminates the hanging gardens.

Subway line A/C/E or L, 14th Street station - several access points along the route between Gansevoort St and 34th St.

High Line audio guide

Built in just 410 days and opened in 1931 in the depths of the Great Depression, the Empire State Building was the tallest skyscraper in the world for nearly 40 years, standing 443 meters tall including its antenna. This Art Deco masterpiece, made globally famous by King Kong's final climb to its summit, offers two observatories: the open-air 86th floor deck with 360-degree views, and the newer, quieter, fully glazed 102nd floor deck. The building's spire lights up in different colors for various events and holidays, a nod visible from across the city that has been part of its identity since the 1970s. Lines can be long during the day: booking a late-afternoon time slot lets you catch both the sunset and the city lights after dark without going back down in between.

Subway lines B/D/F/M/N/Q/R/W, 34th Street-Herald Square station - 2 min walk.

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Times Square, at the intersection of Broadway and 7th Avenue, is the most photographed and illuminated crossroads in the world, permanently flooded with giant digital billboards that give the square its signature electric atmosphere, visible even in broad daylight. It's the heart of the Broadway theater district, home to more than 40 venues staging some of the world's most famous musicals, from The Lion King to Hamilton, with same-day discounted tickets available at the TKTS booth tucked under the square's red steps. Every December 31st, nearly a million people gather here to watch the illuminated ball drop, marking the new year in an event broadcast worldwide. Extremely touristy and busy at all hours, the square is best experienced at night, when the neon signs are at their most striking, before heading to the quieter side streets of Hell's Kitchen for dinner.

Subway lines N/Q/R/W, 1/2/3, or 7, Times Square-42nd Street station - right in the heart of Manhattan.

Guided tour Times Square

Rockefeller Center, a complex of 19 Art Deco buildings built in the 1930s by the Rockefeller family in the depths of the Great Depression, is today a National Historic Landmark and remains one of New York's most admired architectural ensembles. Its central plaza hosts a legendary ice rink each winter, overlooked by a massive illuminated Christmas tree, a tradition started in 1933 by construction workers and now a must-see fixture of the New York holiday season. The Top of the Rock observatory, atop the main tower (70 floors, 259 meters), offers a panorama often considered superior to the Empire State Building's, since it includes that very building in its view alongside Central Park. The complex is also home to the NBC studios, where guided tours reveal the behind-the-scenes of American television, and Radio City Music Hall, the famous Art Deco venue where the Rockettes perform.

Subway lines B/D/F/M, 47-50th Sts-Rockefeller Center station - direct exit.

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Founded in 1870, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, affectionately nicknamed 'the Met,' is one of the largest and richest art museums in the world, with a permanent collection of over two million works spanning more than 5,000 years of human history. Its galleries cover ancient Egyptian art (including the reconstructed Temple of Dendur with its reflecting pool), European painting from the Middle Ages to Impressionism, Asian, African, and Oceanic art, and a vast costume department that hosts the famous annual Met Gala. The rooftop terrace, open only from May to October, offers a rare view over Central Park and the Manhattan skyline, alongside a popular cocktail bar at sunset. Given the sheer scale of the collections, it's best to pick a few departments in advance rather than trying to see everything: allow at least 3 hours for a focused visit, a full day for enthusiasts. The suggested admission price is adjustable for New York State residents.

Subway line 4/5/6, 86th Street station - 10 min walk, or bus M1/M2/M3/M4 stopping right in front.

Book Metropolitan Museum tickets

Opened in 1858 and designed by landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, Central Park spans 341 hectares right in the heart of Manhattan, a feat of landscaping entirely man-made despite its natural appearance, with lakes, rock outcrops, and meadows shaped from scratch. Its major landmarks include Bethesda Terrace with its monumental fountain, Strawberry Fields dedicated to John Lennon across from the Dakota building where he lived, the Central Park Zoo, and Bow Bridge, a cast-iron pedestrian bridge that has become one of the park's most photographed spots, especially for marriage proposals. The park suits a bike rental for a full loop just as well as a horse-drawn carriage ride or simply a quiet stroll along the Mall, an avenue lined with century-old elm trees. In fall, the blazing foliage draws photographers and walkers from around the world, while in winter, the Wollman Rink ice skating facing the skyscrapers makes for a spectacular setting.

Subway lines N/Q/R/W (5th Ave-59th St) or B/C (several entrances along Central Park West).

Guided tour Central Park