The Top 5 Paid Things to Do in New York City
There isn’t a single word to describe New York City. It’s one of the most famous cities in the world and each year it attracts millions of people from all over the globe. It’s full of so many things – culture, history, adrenaline, mouthwatering foods, and nature. It’s one of the most diverse and multicultural cities on the planet. For many, visiting New York City is a once-in-a-lifetime dream. In this post, I have shared my top five paid things to do in New York that I believe are worth your money.
New York City is famous for good reason. There is nowhere else like it. However, I’d be lying if I said there are elements to it that are tourist traps. It almost feels like every week there is a new ‘must-see’ attraction that everyone is talking about.
These attractions aren’t cheap and New York as a whole is anything but a budget destination. Having visited New York City many times and even spending a few months living there, I’ve been lucky enough to do most of these activities. For the most part, I’ve loved everything but there have been times where I’ve wondered where my money has gone.
If you’re visiting New York on a budget, narrowing down which activities to do can be a nightmare. Every activity claims to be amazing and seemingly offers something unique. Below, I’ve picked out the five activities I truly believe are worth your time and money. They each have something different to offer and show you different sides of New York City.
If you find yourself in New York in bad weather, here are some things to do on a rainy day in NYC.
Top of the Rock
This is my favourite ‘observation deck’ in New York City. It might not be the tallest or as iconic as the Empire State Building, but I believe it gives you some of the best all-around panoramic views.
This building has so much history and is synonymous with New York City. As you’re heading up to the top, you can learn all about the city’s past and the building itself. Once you’ve reached the 70th floor, step outside and admire the views of the city including Central Park and the Empire State Building.
Don’t get me wrong, going up to the top of the Empire State Building is great fun but seeing the Empire State Building from afar is better. Top of the Rock gives you amazing views of the Empire State Building as well as the park.
There are also newer observation decks including ‘Edge’ and Summit One Vanderbilt which has a glass bottom. Both are great, but they lack the history of the other options and are more of a tourist trap than the others in my opinion.
Island Boat Cruise
A boat cruise is a great way to see Manhattan and its iconic skyline. It’s going to set you back a fair bit, but it gives you a chance to circle the island, see many of the landmarks and learn about their history. If you don’t have long in the city, this is a great way to see and learn as much as possible in a couple of hours.
Circle Line offers many boat cruises around Manhattan. One of my favourites is their ‘Best of NYC’ cruise. This 2 ½ hour cruise takes you around the entire island, giving you the chance to see over 130 of the city’s landmarks.
The price starts at $45 depending on the season, but this includes a guide who will teach you all about the history of New York City. You’ll also visit the Statue of Liberty (without leaving the boat) – so it’s a fantastic way to see what New York City has to offer.
Another tour of theirs I love is the ‘Harbor Lights Cruise’. The two-hour trip starts just before sunset and you’ll watch the sun setting behind the Manhattan Skyline. Afterwards, the boat takes you around the bottom part of the island, admiring the skyline at its best – in the dark. As the skyscrapers light up the sky, sit back and relax as you pass under the Brooklyn Bridge before heading back to the pier. Prices start at $42 depending on season, availability and when you book.
Circle Line offers a variety of shorter tours, be sure to check their website.
Find out more about visiting the Statue of Liberty.
See a Broadway Show
New York is famous for many things, and it’s fair to say its theatre scene is one of them. Broadway is home to some of the world’s top musicals and theatrical shows and it’s where many theatre and movie stars have been born. People from all around the world come to New York purely to enjoy these renowned performances.
The list of shows to choose from is never-ending. Some appear for a few months while others go on for years. It can be expensive but sitting in a Broadway theatre watching a world-renowned performance is a bucketlist worthy experience.
If you’re not too fussed about what you see or where you sit, you can try getting last-minute tickets each day. Time Out have a great guide you can find here.
For more inspiration on how to spend your evenings in New York City, check out the best things to do in NYC at night.
Visit a Museum
New York is FULL of museums. A quick search online tells you there are around 145 to choose from and narrowing down which to visit can be tough. I personally love the Museum of Natural History – however, this is *technically* free. They suggest a donation but that can be as little or as much as you like.
When it comes to paid museums, I have one favourite – The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met).
The Met is one of the most iconic museums in the world and is the largest museum in America (and one of the largest in the entire world). It’s also home to the Hollywood calendar event of the year – The Met Gala. Here you’ll find millions of art pieces and artefacts spanning over 5000 years old. From ancient Egyptian artefacts to 2000-year-old African art, the museum has something for everyone to enjoy.
In all honesty, I’m not always the biggest fan of museums but it’s hard not to be impressed by this colossal building and what’s inside.
Tickets start at $30 and for what you get this really is a bargain. You could fill hours exploring inside and getting lost in the building’s never-ending maze of exhibits.
If you’re heading to the Met, be sure to try one of the famous bagels on the Upper East Side.
Bonus shoutout: I also enjoyed visiting the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. It’s home to a submarine (which you can walk through), a space shuttle and a Concorde Plane as well as hundreds of other iconic aircraft.
Helicopter Tour
You can spend days exploring New York City from the ground, but nothing will be quite like exploring it with a Bird’s Eye view. Flying over this concrete jungle is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and one of the best things to do in New York City.
It goes without saying that this is an expensive activity, but the tour will give you an entirely different perspective of the city and be something to remember. Tours start at $350. You can find the latest deals on Get Your Guide.
Bonus: One World Trade Center Observatory
Okay, yes this is another skyscraper and I’ve already included one, but this is too good to miss and deserves a spot on this list. The One World Trade Observatory is located at the tip of Manhattan, so gives you an entirely different view of the city.
The attraction makes sure to honour and remember what happened in 9/11, whilst still looking to the future and celebrating this marvellous structure. You’ll get stunning panoramic views of downtown Manhattan, New Jersey and out into the bay. It’s the only observation deck in this part of the city so gives you different views from those uptown. When visiting the observatory, I’d recommend a visit to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.
