New York is back, and we’re not going to waste a single second of this epic summer following a year and a half we’d rather, well, forget. While the world opens back up, there’s no place we’d rather be than this city, whether it’s at the beach, luxuriating in a museum’s air conditioning, broadening our horizons over a new cuisine, and making up for all the lost time we’ve been wanting to spend with friends. And surrounded by strangers!
Rediscovering the city lets us see everything through a new perspective, appreciating everything New York has to offer with a new lens – we’re locals, but also travelers, eager to engage with everything outside of the apartments we were stuck in for 15-plus months.
GetYourGuide is here to help capture that sense of wanderlust we all feel for our own city right now, and help us plan extraordinary days that take away the decision fatigue and FOMO we’re beginning to feel again. GetYourGuide handpicks the best things to do in cities across the world, and helps easily book experiences, so you can worry a lot less about logistics, and more about enjoying your time, whatever you’re doing.
Make the most out of this summer in New York City by booking these nine unforgettable experiences.
A new classic in the New York museum scene, this saccharine pink museum is a must for all lovers of frozen treats. Yes, you’ll want a selfie from the summer of ‘21 in the sprinkle pool, but you can also re-live a sweet part of your childhood in the rainbow tunnel and the three-story ice cream portal tube slide. Plenty of samples are offered, plus a cafe offers even more flavors. The museum is family-friendly during the day, and 16+ at night.
You’ve seen it all over TikTok, now it’s time to go enjoy this summer’s garden installation IRL. Enjoy installations by contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama while walking through the largest botanic garden stateside. It’s the perfect space to spend a summer day, and honestly, if it’s bad (“bad”) weather, even better, because you’ll have even more of the space to yourself. Ends October 31 2021.
Take in New York from a totally different perspective at the top of One World Trade. In less than a minute’s elevator ride, you’ll be 102 stories in the sky, where the cars below look like little toys and the observatory gives you a birds’ eye view of the Manhattan skyline and surrounding waterways. Stay for a coffee or a drink while you soak up the views, and if you plan to visit hungry, make a reservation at the top floor restaurant, One Dine, in advance.
The city that never sleeps is just as amazing before most New Yorkers wake up as it is in the depths of the night when your favorite bodega is still slinging grilled cheese. Take a special someone up to the Empire State Building’s 86th story for an epic sunrise over the East River. If you’re here for the content, bring a tripod and record the scene in hyperlapse, you won’t regret rewatching it maybe forever.
A true gem just steps from The High Line, The Rubin is one of the city’s smaller museums, but expansive in its collection -- plus, you can visit all five floors within a few hours and feel like you did it all! And there’s nothing like that sense of accomplishment. Art is from The Himalayan region and dates back 1500 years, with permanent and rotating exhibits. The shop also has an excellent jewelry and gift selection.
Forget about subway delays for a day and board GetYourGuide’s bus tour to enjoy four of the five boroughs and celebrate what makes them each distinct. This tour starts up in Manhattan, with a guided tour of Harlem, then heads up to the South Bronx for Yankee Stadium and across the East River to Queens. Head through Brooklyn and down to Coney Island for lunch - a hot dog and Nathan’s is a must and pass by the Brooklyn Bridge to round out your day. It takes some people a lifetime in New York to get to all these spots - and you can do it all in under 8 hours!
Located on the Hudson River, this one-of-a-kind museum is built on a retired military aircraft carrier, the Intrepid, which is a permanent home to antique and unusual aircraft to explore. Aviation fans will be gleefully overwhelmed with the gadgets on display, including a space shuttle, and a submarine. The museum is wheelchair accessible.
The highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere, you might think The Edge is not for the heights-frightened, but even if you’re worried you might be a bit wobbly, you can still enjoy the views without the thrill that makes this such a draw. But if you want to really feel alive? Walk out to 360-degree views of the city and Hudson River on a platform suspended in mid-air with glass floors and a glass wall. This one-of-a-kind design gives you the feeling of floating in the sky, with unparalleled views out across the city and directly down 100 stories below your feet. It’s quite the jaw-dropper. GetYourGuide’s pre-bookable pass helps you skip the ticket line and ascend over 1100 feet as quickly as possible.
Whether you’re a lifelong New Yorker or a transplant, the Guggenheim Museum should absolutely be on your summer bucket list. GetYourGuide’s digital ticket helps you skip the line and go straight into Frank Lloyd Wright’s UNESCO World Heritage site, which doubles as an art museum. BYO headphones and download the audio guide (there’s free wifi in the museum too), to learn a little more about what you’re looking at. Expect to spend an hour or two going through the concentric circles of the unique-shaped museum.