How To See NYC in 2 Days Solo & Under $300

With 8.4 million people packed into just 304 square miles, New York City is super crowded, extremely fast paced, and can certainly be intimidating. It’s also extremely expensive in comparison to other major US cities and can really clean out your wallet if you’re not careful. However, if you plan your trip right, a visit to NYC can be anything but expensive! There are a surprising number of free and inexpensive things to do in the city, as well as plenty of places to grab excellent food on the cheap. In this post I will show you how to see NYC in 2 days as a solo-traveler without running your bank account dry.

Now let me warn you, this two day itinerary is jam packed. You could spread this over a third day, but why not maximize your time and budget? And anyways, it’s NYC! Hustle and bustle is the name of the game and anything is possible!

Where To Stay in NYC For Cheap: I am super lucky and have a few great friends who let me stay at their place when I visit the city, but if I didn’t have that luxury, I would probably stay at HI NYC Hostel located on the Upper West Side, only a few blocks from Central Park. This hostel received 8.7 stars on Hostelworld.com for it’s amazing location, cleanliness, friendly staff, and free wifi. Prices range from $51 for a 4 bed mixed dorm to $42 for a 10 bed mixed dorm. I am a huge fan of Hostelworld.com and have trusted them for awesome budget accommodation for about 5 years now. There are some other really cool hostels I came across that are a bit outside of the city like The Local NYC in Queens, but if you only have a few days, I’d suggest staying in a more convenient location to maximize your limited time.

How To Around the City: The metro can be a little intimidating for an out-of-towner, as there seems to be hundreds of lettered, numbered and colored lines to take, but it is the absolute best and most inexpensive way to get around. Luckily you don’t need to be a local to master the metro system. Google Maps is incredibly accurate and so helpful when navigating this monstrous city. I bought a metro card and loaded it with 5 rides for a little over $13, or you can buy single ride tickets for $3. It’s a lot more cost effective and makes more sense to buy a metrocard if you know you’ll be using it a bunch over the course of a few days. Seriously, don’t fret- it’s so much easier than you think! Google Maps is your friend…

DAY 1: 

• Walk The High Line: Take an early morning leisurely stroll through this 1.5 mile stretch of elevated urban greenway, and enjoy views of the city from a different perspective. It’s a really cool feeling to be elevated above the city, with crazy NYC traffic zooming below you. Even though you’re in the middle of all the craziness, this linear park built on a historic freight railway acts as a reprieve from busy city life. It’s green, peaceful, and the people walking up here are in less of a hurry than down on the streets of the city. Along your stroll you will pass all sorts of street-style graffiti, street musicians, as well as a little market selling paintings, clothing and other gifts (a portion of sales go back to the upkeep of the High Line). ($0)

  

  

  

• Caffeinate Yourself at Cafe Grumpy: For an absolutely divine latte & a spread of mouth-watering baked goods, stop off at Cafe Grumpy in Chelsea. This trendy, local coffeehouse promotes a laptop-free environment to encourage more human connections. Ironic, as their logo is a little grumpy face! ($5)

  

  

• Peruse The Chelsea Market: Although this market is full of gift shops, veggie markets, flower stands, and cafes, it’s mainly known for its upscale food court style dining area offering fast, take-away Middle Eastern, Asian, Italian and many other cultural cuisines. ($0)

  

  

  

• Explore the Wonderland of Eataly: Think of every Italian wine, cheese, meat, bread, pasta, dessert, fruit or veggie you could possibly want all under one roof. Well, welcome to Eataly. This giant Italian marketplace is crawling with bakeries, gelaterias, salumerias, wine bars and restaurants all where you can indulge on the finest Italian foods and wines. They even have a cooking school! It’s easy to spend a fortune in here, but since we’re on a strict budget, you have to indulge with your eyes, not with your wallet! It really is a fun experience just to walk around and see all the tasty treats. If you have a little room in your budget, buy a little bit of prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano from one of the counters just to snack on! ($10)

  

• See a Broadway Show: To me, it is not a visit to NYC without seeing a show on Broadway. I absolutely love musical theater, but even if you don’t, these are some of the most talented performers in the world we’re talking about! It’s an experience that can not be missed. I used Headout to score last minute tickets to Matilda the Musical a few hours before the show started for just $49. Like any other musical I have seen on Broadway, I was blown away! ($49)

  

  

• Shuffle Through Times Square at Night: There’s a certain sensory overload you’ve got to experience when you’re in Manhattan and it’s easy to get your fix by walking through Times Square at night after all of the Broadway shows get out. It’s absolute madness! Warning: the streets are so packed you’re basically shuffling like a penguin, but it gives you the opportunity to look up and really take in all of the bright lights of the city. ($0)

  

• Awaken Your Taste Buds at Pars: NYC is such a melting pot of so many different cultures, and that reflects in their incredible selection of different cuisines. Before visiting the city many years back, I had never really tried middle eastern food before. A friend took me to Pars, a Persian restaurant serving up gourmet rice dishes and stews. (On the weekends they even have bellydancers perform!) The food is to die for and is very affordable, with dishes ranging from $14-$18. I would highly recommend the Zereshk Polo With Chicken (basmati rice topped with saffron and sweet and sour barberries served with braised chicken) Now that I’m drooling… ($14-$18 +tip)

  

• Get Up Close & Personal With The Empire State Building at Monarch Rooftop: If you want an uninterrupted view of the Empire State Building glowing in the night sky with a drink in hand, look no further than Monarch Rooftop. This rooftop bar has indoor and outdoor seating with wow-factor views of this iconic NYC landmark. ($10-$15 +tip)

  

DAY 2:

• Wander Through the Iconic Central Park: Of course no visit to NYC is really complete without a visit to the iconic Central Park – the largest park in the city that as acted as a reprieve from busy city life for decades. You’ll find corporate employees enjoying a break from work, dance troupes performing for crowds of tourists and locals taking their city dogs out to stretch their legs on this 843 acres of urban greenway. ($0)

  

  

  

• Be Inspired By The Met: With over two million works of art spanning over 5,000 years, it’s no wonder it is said that you need at least four hours to get a decent read of all that this giant art museum has to offer. And that’s probably just scratching the surface! However, if you’re short on time, it’s possible to pick a few top collections that interest you and spend only a few hours having a look. It will be limited, but at least you’ll get to see some of what one of America’s largest and finest art museums has in store for you! Tickets are $25 (seniors $17, students $12). ($25)

  

  

• Grab Some Pho At Nam Son: On your way to the Brooklyn Bridge, walk through Chinatown to feel like you’re actually in Asia. I passed by a Thai fruit stand selling durian and instantly felt like I was back in Thailand. Most importantly though, make sure to stop at Nam Son for some authentic Vietnamese. I got some Pho to warm up and left feeling very satisfied. ($8+tip)

  

  

  

• Walk Over the Brooklyn Bridge at Dusk: Another iconic landmark of NYC, the Brooklyn Bridge is an incredible place to watch the sun go down and to get your fix of some pretty incredible city views. It’s definitely a busy time to be there, but the lighting during this time of day will be worth it! Just make sure to stay out of the bike lane to avoid being yelled at by locals on their commute home! ($0)

  

  

  

  

• Throw Back a Pint (or two) at McSorleys Old Ale House: Drop into this historic watering hole for some house made beer coming in two styles – light or dark – where you can grab both 12-oz mugs for only $5! Sit down at one of the old, banged up wooden tables and don’t worry if you spill, the sawdust on the floors has you covered! ($5+tip)

  

  

• Experience Ethiopian Dining At Awash: Similar to what I said about Pars, you’d be crazy not to take advantage of as many of the amazing ethnic food options as you possibly can in the city, in this case at Awash Ethiopian. This no-frills, super affordable and super delicious dining experience in the East Village is the perfect place for a solo diner. They offer a combo dinner for one which includes 2 meat dishes and 3 veggie dishes of your choosing all for just $15 (ask your server for recommendations – they will know best). If you’re new to Ethiopian, there are no utensils, and you use a piece of injera (a unique spongy, tearable flatbread) to pick up your food and eat it. Each dish is spooned onto a tray lined with injera that you eat directly from. My introduction to Ethiopian was in NYC only a few years ago, and it has since become one of my favorite cuisines! If it’s in your budget, I’d also opt for a house honey wine. It’s really sweet, but it’s a house specialty and I’d never had anything like it before. ($15+tip)

  

• Treat Your Ears To Some Live Jazz At Back Room: This hidden lounge in the Lower East Side is one of two Speakeasy’s in the city from Prohibition era that is still in operation today. To keep with the theme, they serve cocktails in teacups and beer in paper bags just like back in the day! (Specialty cocktails were pretty pricey at $14, but there were plenty of options for wine, beer, and other cocktails that ranged from $6-$12.) There’s live jazz on Monday nights starting at 8 and you’ll probably get a little swing dance show like I did from just a couple of patrons enjoying the music! It’s a really cool spot with incredible decor that took me back in time. ($6-$14+tip)

  

=$260 ($40 wiggle room in your budget!)

Wander On,

Wanderluluu xx