nyc tour google maps

New York Maps – Tourist Map of NYC, USA

Do you need an NYC map ? Whenever I visit a new city, I like to have a tourist map on hand to find everything I’m going to see and not forget anything. I live only an hour and a half from New York City, so I visit it every time I have the chance. I’ve compiled a lot of New York tourist maps that I think will be very useful to you as you’re planning your trip to the “City that Never Sleeps.”

Below is a list of the 12 maps of New York you’ll find in this article. You can print them out or save them on your smartphone so you can check them at any time.

New York tourist map

New York interactive map

Manhattan map

Map of the main attractions in New York

Central Park map

New York street map

New York neighborhood map

New York subway map

New York road map

High-resolution map of New York

Map of the United States

Map of New York for downloading

The New York tourist map below will help you to get an initial idea of the main tourist attractions in the city.

Interactive map of New York

I‘ve created the following interactive map of New York so you can find all the essential places to visit in NYC . You can find museums, the most emblematic skyscrapers in the city, parks – everything!

But if you think I’ve forgotten an interesting tourist spot, leave me a comment and I’ll add it.

At the end of this article, I explain how you can check this map when you’re offline, so you can always take it with you and use it during your trip .

Manhattan is the most popular area of New York among tourists, so it’s essential to have a map to locate the main attractions of New York. The following Manhattan map is also very useful because you can locate the different neighborhoods within the island of Manhattan.

Here is a map of the main attractions in New York . This map is very useful for finding the NY essentials and ideal if you’re going to visit the city for a short time.

The next one is the Central Park map , one of my favorite places in New York and a place I really recommend you visit, since it’s the green heart of the city. Of course, you’ll need to spend a few hours in it, since it’s not just the largest urban park in New York – it’s also one of the largest in the world. Here you can check all the things to do in Central Park.

Here is a New York street map so you don’t get lost and can locate yourself quickly. As soon as you understand the numbering system of streets and avenues in New York, there is no way you’ll get lost.

NYC neighborhood map

Some neighborhoods in the city are very well known and probably sound familiar to you. In any case, the following New York neighborhood map will help you to find them quickly.

Here is a New York subway map , one of the maps I consider essential for moving around a big city like this one. Taking the subway in New York can be a bit difficult in the beginning, but one day in the city is enough to figure out how it works. Besides, here is a guide on the other ways to get around NYC .

Below is a New York road map. You may not need it since most tourists come to New York City by plane, and if they take an excursion, such as to Philadelphia or Niagara Falls , they book a tour.

In my case, I always go to New York from Philadelphia by car, so this road map of NYC is very useful to me. You can also use it if you decide to rent a car and visit New York State.

If you’re still afraid of getting lost, here is a high-resolution map of NYC so you can zoom in and find any point. In addition, it’s also a great way to make sure you don’t miss a single detail of this great city.

The map of the United States below can help you to locate New York within the country.

Finally, here is a map of NYC for downloading . You can check this map even when you’re offline if you follow the subsequent steps. First, install the Maps.me and Dropbox applications on your smartphone. Both are available for all operating systems and are completely free.

You will have to search “New York” in Maps.me, download the KML file, and save it to Dropbox. Then, open the KML file from your phone using Maps.me so that all the tourist attraction spots are saved. By doing this, you’ll have the interactive map of NYC available on your smartphone.

That’s it! With these maps of New York, you have everything you need to start planning your trip and make the most of the “City that Never Sleeps.”

Ascen Aynat

NYC Self-Guided Walking Tour by a Local (Lower Manhattan & Midtown Routes)

By: Author Charles

Posted on October 6, 2023

NYC Self-Guided Walking Tour by a Local (Lower Manhattan & Midtown Routes)

As a local New Yorker, I have spent the last 10+ years walking the ins and outs of the city. During this time, I have continued to explore different attractions, activities, viewpoints, and neighborhoods all over NYC.

Taking into consideration everything I have learned over the years, I put together this holistic NYC self-guided walking tour. It takes you along a Lower Manhattan walk, a Midtown Manhattan walk, and then ends up by Central Park. You can decide to stick to one long route combining the two, or just opt for one or the other.

Throughout the Lower Manhattan and Midtown Manhattan routes, this self-guided itinerary will have you seeing many of the top highlights that NYC has to offer.

Read on to learn more about the walk and how to see the city for yourself!

* Affiliate Disclosure : This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you make a purchase through the links provided, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting the work I put into TripTins!

1) NYC Self-Guided Walking Tour Details

Experiencing the city on foot is by far the best way to go about exploring NYC. As you head from one highlight to the next you will be able to really get to know different neighborhoods along the way.

When it comes to the full route, we are going to start all the way at the southern tip of the city at Battery Park, and then head up to Central Park from there. Breaking up the route into two is Union Square, located at 14 th Street. The Lower Manhattan route heads from Battery Park to Union Square, while the Midtown Manhattan route goes from Union Square to Central Park.

During the walk up there will be many attractions to embrace as you get to see a little bit of everything that the city has to offer.

Here are some helpful metrics about the walks, followed by a list of helpful things to know.

Lower Manhattan Route

Starting Point : Battery Park
Ending Point : Union Square
Distance : 4.5 miles / 7.2 km
Duration : 2 hours (walking only)

Midtown Manhattan Route

Starting Point : Union Square
Ending Point : Central Park
Distance : 4 miles / 6.4 km

Lower + Midtown Route

Distance : 8.5 miles / 13.6 km
Duration : 4 hours (walking only)

Who is the Long Route For : the full downtown and midtown route is meant for those people who have a more limited amount of time to spare and are in the city for the first time. By taking part in this entire self-guided tour, you will be able to see so much in a single day & fully take advantage of your time.

Shorter Routes : if you want to take a shorter tour, I have broken out the route between a Lower Manhattan walk and a Midtown Manhattan walk. The two routes are nearly identical to one another in terms of mileage. You can do them over the course of two days, or just pick which one you are most interested in.

Stops : be aware there are spots along the way, which you can stop and visit for a longer period of time. Whether that be an observatory deck or a museum, there are several opportunities that will extend the day. Take this into consideration as you plan your route.

Central Park : the final stop of the day is going to be Central Park. While you can just take a quick walk around the southern end of the park, you may want to consider a separate Central Park self-guided walking tour . This will of course add additional mileage to the day, so be sure to factor that in as well.

Bus Tours : if you happen to want to opt for a guided tour at a faster pace, feel free to check out some of the best NYC bus tours .

2) Route Map & Directions

Below is a Google Maps view of the route from beginning to end. You can see that this is not just a straight-line up Manhattan. Instead, you will be going in and out as you stop by some top highlights along the way.

From a direction standpoint, it should be simple enough to just type in your next destination on Google Maps (or another navigation app), and follow the walking route provided. There are a couple of caveats here, which I will point out throughout this overview.

3) Lower Manhattan Walking Tour

Whether you are opting for the full walking tour or just want to focus on downtown, we start the route at the tip of Manhattan in Battery Park.

Battery Park

First up is Battery Park, also known as just The Battery. The park/neighborhood makes up the southern tip of Manhattan island and is a great place to take in some panoramas.

Since it is located at the tip, this is where you will be able to take in views over New York Harbor, where the Hudson River and East River meet up.

While the park is beautiful on its own, it is really the waterside walkway that makes it special. All around the edge of the park, you will find views of the Statue of Liberty , Ellis Island, Governors Island , New Jersey, and more.

This is also right near the Staten Island Ferry and the departure point for ferries to the Statue of Liberty .

Spend some time walking along the area, before continuing northbound out of the park and into the Financial District.

Charging Bull

Perhaps the most famous sculpture in New York City is the Charging Bull in the Financial District. This bronze piece of art weighs over 7,000 pounds and comes in at 11 feet tall!

The bull was built by an Italian immigrant artist named Arturo Di Modica. He built it as an ode to Wall Street and the optimism of financial growth.

Today, the bull sits on Broadway just north of Bowling Green. Plenty of tourists flock to the bull to take photos and enjoy this massive piece of Wall Street history.

It should take just about 5 minutes from the Battery Park waterfront to reach the bull and the surrounding Financial District.

Learn More : Check out this 4 Day NYC Itinerary to help you plan a longer trip

New York Stock Exchange

As you continue northbound through the district, it is just another five minutes or so until you reach the New York Stock Exchange at 11 Wall Street.

Within the building, there is the famous NYSE trading floor. It used to be one of the (if not the most) chaotic trading floors in the world before electronic trading really took over.

While visitors cannot go inside the exchange itself, they are able to take in the views of the iconic landmark & its columns from the outside.

From the NYSE, you can continue northwest towards the next stop at the Oculus. Here you will find one of the more unique pieces of architecture in NYC. This giant white structure is home to a transportation hub and mall.

Before going inside, you can enjoy the views from the outside and admire the design. From there, head into the Oculus and walk through it all. There are many shops, food options, and more sprawled throughout the complex.

You can exit the Oculus from the top floor on the western side, which then opens up into the 9/11 Memorial Pools.

9/11 Memorial Pools

As you make your way around this memorial, you will see the two large pools that symbolize where the original Twin Towers of the World Trade Center once stood.

It is a humbling experience walking around the memorial and seeing the names etched into the pools’ exterior. Nearby is also the 9/11 Museum . If you have the time and are interested in learning more, the museum is an extraordinary place to visit.

For an elevated view over the memorial, head to Liberty Park on the southern side of the pools.

One World Observatory

Rising up 1,776 feet above the ground is the new One World Trade Center. The building was completed in 2014 and is one of many new buildings built around the area since 9/11.

While you can just take in the view from the outside near the Memorial Pools, you can also head on up to the very top floors. Here you will find the One World Observatory , Manhattan’s only downtown observation deck.

From the top, there are 360-degree views of the NYC skyline and outer boroughs. Depending on your overall route for the day, you may be able to take an hour to enjoy the top before continuing onwards.

Brookfield Place

Just opposite One World Trade is Brookfield Place and the Hudson River. After spending some time within the city streets, you can head into Brookfield Place, where you will find shops, food options, and restrooms.

This can just be a quick pitstop, as you then head outside of the building and begin to walk all along the Hudson River waterfront.

Hudson River Park

Next up is a relaxing walk up Hudson River Park . In its entirety, the park runs from Brookfield Place all the way up to 59 th Street. For the purposes of this walking tour, you will get just about a mile of waterfront to enjoy before heading back into the city streets.

Be sure to exit Brookfield Place on the waterfront, and then simply follow the path that hugs the river. You will first pass by Rockefeller Park before the promenade takes a turn and then continues past Pier 25 and Pier 26.

Pier 26 is one of my favorite piers in the city as it has its famous tide deck, lawn chairs, kayaking, and swinging benches to enjoy.

From there it is northbound until you reach the Pier 35 walkway. You can check that out for some of the most underrated views of the downtown skyline and Statue of Liberty.

Next up is SoHo, the shopping center of NYC and one of the city’s liveliest neighborhoods. Be sure to pay close attention to your navigation here as it is easy to take a much longer and less scenic route.

Cross over the West Side Highway near Pier 35 / Canal Street. Once across the street head north for a block to Spring Street. Once at Spring Street, just continue eastbound until you reach the heart of SoHo.

There is really a never-ending assortment of shops around the SoHo neighborhood. Everything from large designer brands to small boutiques, there will be something for you to find.

SoHo can get crowded with people so just be aware of the busier sidewalks and the hustle & bustle of NYC.

In addition to the stores, SoHo also has its fair share of art galleries, coffee shops, restaurants, and bars. So, if you are in the mood to take a break at some point, you will have plenty of options.

Washington Square Park

After enough time strolling through SoHo, make your way up into the Greenwich Village neighborhood. There is always something going on in the streets of Greenwich Village as you make your way into NYU (New York University) territory.

The focus area of the Village is Washington Square Park. Here is where the famous fountain and arch can be found. All throughout the park will be an endless array of entertainment, hangout spots, music, and more.

I find the area to be one of the most diverse spots in NYC as you can really find a little bit of everything happening at once. There is no dull moment in Washington Square!

Union Square Park

From Washington Square Park, you can continue northbound for 10 minutes as you soon reach Union Square Park. The park sits right on 14 th Street, which unofficially marks the ending point of Lower Manhattan.

While the park itself is not too vast, the outer walkways of the park are what people come here for. Throughout the week there are farmer’s markets and artist’s markets that line the area. In addition, you will always find a game of chess or backgammon to play with a local.

Depending on your overall itinerary, you can end your NYC self-guided walking tour here or you can continue northbound as you take part of the Midtown Manhattan route.

Brooklyn Bridge Note : if you would like to include the iconic Brooklyn Bridge on your walking route, feel free to start your day in Dumbo. From there, make the walk across the bridge and into downtown Manhattan. This would add around 2 miles to the overall route.

4) Midtown Manhattan Walking Tour

For those who want to continue onwards (or who simply want to take part in the Midtown Manhattan self-guided walking tour), we begin the journey at Union Square.

From Union Square, head up Broadway for a half mile until you reach Madison Square Park.

Madison Square Park

Located between 23 rd Street and 26 th Street is Madison Square Park. The park marks the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway, where the famous Flatiron Building can be found.

While not that large, the park offers some scenic walking paths to make your way around as you take in views of the Empire State Building out back.

The famous Eataly supermarket is also located on the outskirts of the park and can make for the perfect spot to have a food or drink break.

Empire State Building

Just 10 minutes north along Fifth Avenue is the Empire State Building. You will begin to get a glimpse of it as you make your way up before the full building comes into view.

This is without a doubt it is one of New York’s most iconic skyscrapers and is a highlight of the skyline. While you can just take in the view from down below, you can also head on up to the top.

The Empire State Building has two observation deck floors – the 86th-floor outdoor deck and the 102nd-floor indoor deck. During a visit, you can opt to just go up to the 86 th floor, or you can buy a ticket for both .

It is also the only observation deck that offers select sunrise hours , for those that want to see the city come to life to start your day.

Bryant Park / New York Public Library

Another 10-minute walk northbound along Fifth Avenue is the New York Public Library building. When it comes to libraries, this is one of the most beautiful out there.

You can walk around the various floors taking in the architecture, and checking out different rooms. Once all done inside, make your way outside, where Bryant Park is located.

The Bryant Park lawn area is one of the best in the city. During the winter months, it is transformed into a market, ice skating rink, and holiday-themed restaurant . During the summer, you can find various events such as yoga and movie nights taking place here.

Learn More : Check out the list of 100 things to do in NYC !

Grand Central Terminal

Now, once you leave Bryant Park, it is time to make a detour to the east as you walk a couple of avenues toward Grand Central Station.

Grand Central is one of the transportation hubs in NYC . In addition, it is also one of the most photo-worthy spots both inside and out.

The reason behind this is because of how beautiful the architecture is, most prominently its main concourse. The concourse comes in at 35,000 square feet with 125-foot ceilings (the windows themselves are over 60 feet tall!).

Attached to Grand Central is also another observation deck – SUMMIT One Vanderbilt . This is going to be a much more interactive and artistic experience compared to the other decks around the city.

The famous Chrysler Building also stands tall right next to Grand Central, so you are sure to see it up close and personal during a visit.

Times Square

Once all wrapped up near Grand Central, retrace your steps 10 minutes westbound to the next stop at Times Square.

While I am not the biggest fan of Times Square , I certainly see the reasonings for people to visit the area during an NYC trip. There is no place in the city like it, with its giant billboards, bright lights, and constant entertainment all around.

The Times Square area is quite large spanning from 42 nd Street up to 50 th Street give or take. The intersection of 7 th Avenue and Broadway is where you will find most of the action, but there really is something happening on every corner.

Rockefeller Center

From Times Square, head a couple of avenues eastbound, where you will soon come across Rockefeller Center.

At Rockefeller Center, there is a complex full of buildings, plazas, dining options, NBC Studios, and the famous Christmas tree (during the holiday season of course).

It is a scenic area to walk through as you have fountains lining the promenade up to the main plaza itself. During the winter the plaza is transformed into its iconic ice rink for all to enjoy.

Another highlight is the Top of the Rock observation deck , which is one of my favorites in the city. From the tri-level deck, you will get some of the best-unobstructed views of the Manhattan skyline.

Fifth Avenue

It is now time to slowly end your self-guided walking tour as you make your way northbound to Central Park along Fifth Avenue.

While it is just 10 blocks away, you can stop at a few additional highlights near Rock Center.

The St Patricks Cathedral is located just across the street from the center. It is one of the most well-known cathedrals in the city and can be visited as part of a guided or unguided tour.

Another nearby highlight is the Atlas Statue , a figure from Greek mythology. The statue stands at 45 feet in height and weighs 15,000 lbs.

From there, you can continue up 5 th Avenue, take some breaks at some shops, and arrive at Central Park South right near the Plaza Hotel.

Central Park

Without a doubt, Central Park is one of my favorite destinations to visit in NYC. The park is one of the most famous in the United States (and the world) and has plenty of New York photo spots to enjoy. I am there nearly every week or so, strolling the paths and taking photos.

As you may imagine, there is just so much to see all throughout the 843 acres of Central Park. Some of the fan favorites of Central Park include:

Wollman Rink
The Mall & Literary Walk
Bethesda Fountain & Terrace
Conservatory Water
Loeb Boathouse
Belvedere Castle
The Reservoir
Among plenty of others!

Now, if you want to get more than just a glimpse of Central Park, you will need to add extra mileage to the overall day. In my opinion, the park deserves at least a half day to fully appreciate what it has to offer.

You can check out this self-guided walking tour of Central Park for a step-by-step overview. Similar to this article, I will walk you through how to see the park through long (or shorter) loops.

Other highlights near Central Park include The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim, and Frick Collection museums on the Upper East Side. You can also find the Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side and a great shopping/dining center near Columbus Circle.

5) Walking Tips

Before you head out for your self-guided NYC walking tour, note a few helpful tips & tricks to get you started.

Comfortable Shoes : since you will be on your feet a bunch, wearing comfortable walking shoes is essential. Try to avoid flip-flops or dressy shoes as those are not ideal for city walking.

Food/Water : you should have no issue finding food & drinks along the route. Restaurants, food carts, take-out spots, and more are frequent throughout the city.

Bathrooms : there will be some public restrooms along the route too. If you are having trouble finding any, many coffee shops or bars have restrooms that you can quickly run into.

Dress Accordingly : be aware of the weather for the day you are taking the tour. You will be outside for the most part so the weather elements will be at play. That could mean shorts and a T-shirt in the summer or a warm coat in the winter.

Directions : as mentioned earlier, Google Maps (or simply leveraging the map above) will best direct you from one attraction to the next. If you want to take a walking break / skip an attraction, then simply hop on the subway as you see fit.

No matter if you opt for the Lower Manhattan walk, Midtown Manhattan walk, or a combination of the two, this self-guided tour is sure to bring you to the top attractions in the city.

If you have any questions about the tour, feel free to add them below. Also, don’t forget to check out the other New York itineraries and guides up on the site.

Have fun out there and safe travels!

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Tuesday 2nd of January 2024

Excellent blog here Also your website loads up very fast What web host are you using Can I get your affiliate link to your host I wish my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol

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How To Plan Your New York Itinerary With Google Maps

This post about how to plan your New York itinerary contains affiliate links.

How To Plan Your New York Itinerary With Google Maps

Are you planning a trip to New York City but you’re not sure how to organise your itinerary or plan your route around the city? This ultimate guide about planning a trip to NYC shows you how to use my New York trip planner via Google Maps!

Visiting New York City is something that many people want to experience at least once in their lives, but when it comes to the actual New York travel planning process, it can be a very overwhelming and sometimes even daunting experience.

Thankfully, I’ve visited NYC many times and helped (literally!) thousands of people plan their very own New York itinerary via my Facebook group , my Ultimate New York City Travel Guide ebook and through the dozens of NYC travel guides on my blog, so I’d like to think I know what I’m talking about when it comes to planning an epic first time New York itinerary!

In the guide below, I’m sharing my top tips about how to plan an itinerary in New York City using Google Maps ! I’ve split it into different sections/neighbourhoods of NYC, so you can easily see which sights, attractions, restaurants and bars are near each other to help you plan a more efficient route and itinerary around the city!

It goes without saying, but I always also suggest allowing time to venture away from your New York itinerary and see where the day takes you! However, I know that so many people panic and worry about their itineraries, especially when visiting the city for the first time, so I really hope this guide can help you to plan your dream trip to New York City!

Still feeling overwhelmed when it comes to planning a trip to NYC? Get a copy of my Ultimate New York City Travel Guide ebook which includes over 230 pages of the best things to do in New York, tips for getting around NYC, hotel and restaurants recommendations, example New York itineraries and much more! You can also join my New York Facebook Group for more travel tips, advice and inspiration!

NEW YORK TRAVEL ESSENTIALS Flights: Skyscanner / Kiwi.com / Expedia / Trip.com Accommodation: Booking.com / Hostelworld / Agoda Transport: Flixbus / Rentalcars.com / Big Bus Tours Activities/tours: Get Your Guide / Viator / Klook / Go City Travel insurance: SafetyWing Hotel reviews: TripAdvisor My backpacking essentials: Amazon Luggage storage: Radical Storage New York Passes: Go City Pass / New York CityPASS USA eSIM: Airalo

How to plan a trip to NYC using Google Maps

Click on the picture of the map above or the links below to access the full map!

After many visits to NYC over the years and after spending hundreds of hours researching my favourite place in the world to plan for future visits, I’ve put together this enormous New York City route planner/itinerary on Google MyMaps .

The map above (which can also be accessed via this Google MyMaps link for free) features over 200 sights, attractions, parks, rooftop bars, restaurants and more, all separated into different New York neighbourhoods and broken down by category.

It took me hours to put this huge map together, but I know that it will be so useful for so many people planning their New York itineraries as it’s easy to see which sights/attractions/restaurants you should visit each day!

Read more: 111 Bucket List Things To Do In New York

New York City trip planner by neighbourhood

There are so many ways to organise your New York itinerary, but one of the best and easiest ways to plan a trip to NYC is by planning your route and itinerary by neighbourhood.

The sections below include details of just some of the best things to do in some of New York City’s most famous and popular neighbourhoods. I’ve put together a brief New York City suggested itinerary for Midtown Manhattan, Downtown Manhattan, Greenwich Village, Central Park and more!

Remember, you can use my Google Maps itinerary planner to help plan your own ideal route and itinerary in New York City!

Detailed example itineraries for New York City

One Day In NYC Itinerary For First Time Visitors
How To Spend One Day In Brooklyn
3 Day New York Itinerary
4 Days In New York Itinerary
New York Itinerary 7 Days

Read more: 10 Best Observation Decks For The Best Views In NYC

Midtown Manhattan – suggested itinerary for New York

Midtown Manhattan is where you’ll find the vast majority of New York City’s most famous sights and attractions!

From the world-famous Empire State Building to the iconic Times Square to the Flatiron Building, Chrysler Building, Grand Central Terminal and many more, you’ll likely be spending a lot of time in Midtown Manhattan on your New York City itinerary, regardless of how long you’re staying in the city!

Best things to do in Midtown Manhattan – how to plan a New York itinerary

The list below includes just a few of the top things to do in Midtown Manhattan as part of your itinerary. Remember, you can use my ultimate New York City itinerary map to plan your own route and itinerary!

Go up the iconic Empire State Building
See the bright lights of Times Square at night
Head to the Top of the Rock Observation Deck
Check out the world-famous Grand Central Station
Explore Hudson Yards and the Edge Observation Deck
Eat your way around Chelsea Market
Go up Summit One Vanderbilt
Walk along the High Line
Visit the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Wander around Little Island
Spend a few hours at The Friends Experience
Watch a basketball game at Madison Square Garden
Enjoy the views from 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar

Head to the link below to see more of the best things to do in Midtown Manhattan, including more of the best sights, attractions, restaurants and rooftop bars!

Read more: Which New York Pass Is The Best?

Downtown/Lower Manhattan – New York City sample itinerary

Downtown Manhattan is another area of Manhattan that should be on your NYC trip itinerary. This is where you’ll need to go to access the Brooklyn Bridge if you plan on walking across, as well as Whitehall Terminal in The Battery if you plan to ride the free Staten Island Ferry or the paid-for Statue City Cruises ferry that will take you to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island from Battery Park.

You’ll also find iconic sights such as the World Trade Center, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the Charging Bull and much more in Lower Manhattan!

Read more: Top 30 Museums In New York City

Best things to do in Downtown Manhattan – planning a New York itinerary

Visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum
Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
Go up One World Observatory
Wander through The Battery
Take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
Explore Chinatown and Little Italy
Pay a visit to the Museum of Ice Cream
Check out Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange
Take a helicopter ride over the city from Pier 6
See the famous Ghostbusters Headquarters

Read more: 25 Best Free Things Do In New York City

Greenwich Village/West Village

Heading over to the west side of Manhattan (but not the Upper West Side just yet!), you’ll find the highly coveted Greenwich Village and the West Village .

This neighbourhood is arguably most famous for being the home of Carrie Bradshaw in the Sex and the City TV series/movie franchise. It’s also one of the best neighbourhoods in NYC for its epic food scene, with some of the city’s best and most iconic restaurants residing in Greenwich Village.

Best things to do in Greenwich Village/West Village

Head to the rooftop bar at The Top of The Standard
Spend an evening at the Comedy Cellar
Eat a slice of Joe’s Pizza
See Carrie Bradshaw’s Apartment on Perry Street
Spend time in Washington Square Park
Eat at Carbone
Visit the Whitney Museum of Art
See the Friends Apartment building on Bedford Street
Visit the Strand Bookstore

Read more: 50+ Best Places To Eat In NYC

Central Park – how to plan your New York trip

Central Park - how to plan your New York itinerary

Central Park is one of the most famous and iconic locations in the whole of New York City, so it should definitely be included when planning your NYC itinerary.

You could easily spend an entire day inside Central Park, but it’s also possible to just hit the top sights and attractions if you don’t want to spend too long there.

Best things to do in Central Park – how to plan your New York itinerary with Google Maps

Take a pedicab ride to see the top sights in Central Park
Hire boats from Loeb Boathouse and row on The Lake
Visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Admire Bow Bridge, Bethesda Terrace and Belvedere Castle
Check out the American Museum of Natural History
Wander through The Ramble
Go ice skating at Wollman Rink
Visit the Central Park Zoo

Read more: The Best Photo Spots In Central Park

Upper East Side

The Upper East Side is perhaps best known for featuring heavily in the hit TV series Gossip Girl , as this is where a large chunk of the show was based. The UES is also home to the world-famous Serendipity 3 restaurant which featured in the 2000s movie Serendipity !

You’ll also have to head to the Upper East Side to catch the Tramway that takes you over to Roosevelt Island and there are also a few museums that you can check out on the UES such as the Guggenheim and the Jewish Museum! As there isn’t too much to do on the Upper East Side, you can easily tie a visit to this part of the city with exploring Central Park and the Upper West Side.

Best things to do on the Upper East Side

Ride the Roosevelt Island Tramway
Visit the Guggenheim Museum
Check out The Jewish Museum
Embark on a tour of the Gossip Girl filming locations
Get sweet treats from Ladurée

Read more: 40 Best Things To Do In NYC At Night

Upper West Side

Located on the other side of Central Park, the Upper West Side really doesn’t have too much going on as it’s much more of a residential area.

However, there are still a few museums, notable sights and excellent cafes/bakeries to check out on the Upper West Side that you can visit after or before exploring the Upper East Side and Central Park.

Best things to do on the Upper West Side

Get the best cookies in NYC from Levain Bakery
Check out the Grand Bazaar flea market
Visit the American Museum of Natural History
Explore the shops at Columbus Circle
Enjoy a walk along Central Park West

Read more: 50 Best Things To Do With Kids In NYC

As well as exploring all the incredible sights and attractions in Manhattan, I would also highly recommend allocating some time to exploring Brooklyn as part of your NYC itinerary as there are so many great places to discover in this New York borough on the other side of the East River.

I would suggest walking over the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan as it’s undoubtedly one of the best things to do on any New York itinerary and once you’re in Brooklyn, you can spend some time in Dumbo, head to the rooftop at Time Out Market New York and admire the epic views of the Manhattan skyline from Squibb Park Bridge!

Best things to do in Brooklyn – New York itinerary planning

Eat and drink your way around Time Out Market NY
Check out the view of the Manhattan Bridge in Dumbo
Watch a Brooklyn Nets basketball game at the Barclays Center
Visit Dyker Heights Christmas Lights (if you’re visiting NYC in winter)
Admire the views from Brooklyn Bridge Park and Squibb Park Bridge
Visit the Brooklyn Flea Market
Enjoy an epic steak at Peter Luger Steak House

How to plan your New York itinerary – conclusion

Planning a New York route and itinerary with Google Maps is one of the best ways to ensure that you see, do, eat and experience as many things as possible during your time in New York.

It can be very overwhelming to plan a New York City itinerary, especially if it’s your first time in the city, so I really hope this guide was useful in helping you organise your itinerary and plan your dream trip to NYC!

6 Best Ways To Get From Newark Airport To Manhattan

7 Best Ways To Get From JFK To Manhattan

7 Best Ways To Get From LaGuardia To Manhattan
40 Best Hotels Near Times Square
Where To Stay In New York For The First Time
What Is New York Known For – What Is NYC Famous For?
New York Tips For First Timers – Best NYC Travel Tips
20 Best Food Tours In New York
Best Things To Do On A Rainy Day In New York
20 Best New York Hotels For Families
Read more: 40 Best Things To Do In New York In December

Pin for later – how to plan your New York itinerary

Do you have any other tips to add to this New York City journey planner? Let me know in the comments or on my New York Facebook Group !

New York In May – Things To Do, Weather & Events

Bonus activities for rainy days in New York

3 Day New York Itinerary – How To Spend 3 Days In NYC

Things I Want To Do Next Time I’m In New York

I clicked your map and now cannot delete all your pins from my google maps despite deleting and reinstalling. Please advise as you don’t say in the post that we will be stuck with hundreds of pins we don’t want. Thank you,

Hi Andrew, I’m so sorry about that, I haven’t heard it happen to anyone else so I really don’t know why that has happened. You can try deleting the New York map – if you’re doing it on your phone, there should be a “saved” section where I’m assuming the maps has saved and you should be able to delete it this way. I’ve never heard of this happening to anyone else though, so I’m afraid I’m not sure what’s happened. So sorry about that again, I really hope you can find a way to remove them. I have just tried myself and as soon as I close the Google Maps down on my phone and then re-open the app, all the pins have disappeared so hopefully they will do for you too.

Download Free New York City Travel Maps & Guides

Plan your route around New York City and take advantage of the options the city has to offer. Download these free NYC PDF maps and guides before you arrive. Whether travelling around NYC by subway, bus, ferry, NYC Ferry, Citi Bike, or on foot, consult a map or guide to help you get around New York City quickly.

Aerial view of New York downtown

NYC Subway Maps

New York City Subway, Penn Station

The NYC Subway map simplifies navigating New York City’s underground rail network. This easy-to-use NYC Subway map shows all the subway lines, including transfers, key stations, and connections to other transit options. It’s your must-have map when travelling in NYC!

MTA NYC Subway Map | MTA NYC Night Subway Map

Nyc bus maps and service guides.

MTA Bus on Manhattan 5th Avenue

Travelling by bus gets you around New York City easily and affordably. These handy maps show key bus routes in Manhattan and the other boroughs, as well as express bus services and late-night bus routes for your convenience.

Manhattan Bus Map | Manhattan Bus Service Guide

Brooklyn bus map | brooklyn bus service guide, queens bus map | queens bus service guide, bronx bus map | bronx bus service guide, staten island bus map | staten island bus service guide, staten island express bus map | staten island express bus service guide, nyc ferry routes map.

NY Waterway ticket

Discover the best places along New York City’s waterfront with these free guides to the NYC Ferry routes. NYC Ferry serves key locations such as Wall Street/Pier 11, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Governors Island, and Rockaway Beach.

NYC Ferry System Map

Accessibility map and guide.

Closeup detail of the New York City map

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) produces maps of the NYC Subway network in various formats, including large print and audio. Find information on accessible subway stations and accessibility details for buses, ferries, and other MTA services.

MTA Accessible Stations Subway Map | MTA Accessible Transit Guide

Nyc bike lanes and greenways map.

Bike Signs in New York

Use these free maps and guides to explore New York City’s extensive network of bike lanes and greenways. Rent a bike and pedal your way through neighborhoods , parks, and scenic routes across the city.

NYC Bike Map

Nyc public restroom map.

Women sign in underground platform transit in NYC Subway Station

Find out which subway stations, ferry terminals, and parks in New York City have public restrooms and accessible facilities. Look at the map key that indicates whether the restrooms are available inside or outside of transit stations.

MTA Open Subway Restrooms | NYC Parks Public Restroom Map Service

The Ultimate 3-Day NYC Itinerary with a Downloadable PDF

August 28, 2020 | stefanie dimartino.

There is so much to do in NYC that it can be overwhelming planning a trip. As a New Yorker, NYC tour company owner and travel expert, I’ve put together the ultimate 3-day NYC itinerary on what you can’t miss if you’re visiting the city for a short period of time. Watch the video and download the itinerary below to make your trip to NYC your best trip yet!

Get the ultimate 3-day NYC itinerary sent to your inbox now!

This guide will break down each of the 3 days by morning, midday, afternoon, and evening (want a 7-day itinerary? You can get that here ). I recommend spending at least a week in New York because there is so much to do here. However, if you are short on time this guide will help you make the most of your trip.

How much will visiting NYC cost me?

NYC is an expensive city, so I recommend you budget $300 to $500 per person per day for dining, lodging, attractions, transportation, and experiences. This also includes lodging costs for $120 per night factored in, which is what the average cost per night of a good Airbnb. However, if you are splitting that cost with a fellow traveler than that brings your cost per day down a lot. Airbnb my recommended lodging of choice and is NOT illegal like many people incorrectly believe. If you have never used Airbnb, you can use my link to save $65 on your first stay .

What’s the Ideal Transportation to Travel Throughout NYC?

Since three days is not a lot of time in the city, I recommend using Lyft to make the most of your time here if you are traveling between boroughs. If you’re traveling throughout Manhattan then the subway is generally the fastest option. To learn how all your transportation options, watch my video below. I recommend downloading Google Maps or CityMapper to help guide you around the city. They are generally the most accurate.

Lyft is the largest growing rideshare company in the US. They make it easy to call a car to wherever you are located and make your trip to the city much more comfortable – because let’s be real, our subway system isn’t the most glamorous experience! Use my code FUNK66734 to save $5 on your first Lyft ride.

Map for the Ultimate 3-day NYC Itinerary

Below is a map of the spots by day. Day 1 is blue, day 2 is yellow, and day 3 is red. Use this alongside the itinerary to make it easier to explore the city. If you cannot see the map below, you can access it via this link on your phone.

How can I enhance my trip to New York?

The best way to have the ultimate 3-day trip to New York City is to hire a tour guide to show you around. Luckily I know someone that is pretty great; it’s me! lol You can book a private tour with me that includes high-res photography during your trip. Click here for more details on that.

There is so much more to do in NYC than I could possibly include in the ultimate 3-day NYC itinerary. If you are staying for longer (which I encourage) I recommend you check out my 7-day itinerary to NYC and watch my YouTube series on visiting the big apple. It will help you have the perfect trip!

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Big bus hop on hop off bus map, city sights ny tour map, circle line sightseeing tour map.

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New York City Tourist Map

You can find on this page the map of New York City monuments, the map of New York City tourist buses and the map of NYC river cruises. New York City is the most visited city in United States with 11.5 million tourists per year. Thanks to its numerous monuments, museums, sightseeings, landmarks and attractions, New York City was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

New York's five boroughs each have their own particularities and charm. The main tourist sites are located in the borough of Manhattan. You will find Central Parc, Times Square, the business district of the Financial District, the Empire State building and a magnificent view of the Statue of Liberty. Discover NYC's most emblematic museums such as the MOMA, the MET and the Guggenheim Museum. Then board a yellow taxi to discover Brooklyn, Queens or the Bronx which offer very different landscapes and interesting visits. All our maps of the monuments are free of charge to help you plan your trip.

Nyc sightseeing map

In New York City you can visit:

museums: Guggenheim Museum, Ellis Island Immigration Museum, American Museum of Natural History, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
monuments: Statue of Liberty
neighborhoods: Soho, Chinatown, Little Italy
squares: Times Square
different attractions: Central Park, National September 11 Memorial, Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center

The city is divided into 5 famous neighborhoods: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. Each area of New York City offers must-see sights and secret corners.

Manhattan concentrates the main tourist curiosities: Uper East Side, Wall Street, Chinatown, Central Park, Soho as many emblematic districts which make Manhattan an exciting district which attracts millions of tourists.
The Bronx is separated from Manhattan by the Harlem River. This borough, now more secure, attracts more and more people. You will discover the South Bronx (the real Little Italy) and the Yankee Stadium.
Brooklyn is the most populated district and qualified as an artists' district. Multi-cultural, Brooklyn offers a contemporary and trendy atmosphere.
Queens attracts the trendy young generation. Queens is rich in atypical places, parks and architecture.
Staten Island is the nature district, with multiple sports activities. It is the ideal district to recharge your batteries and take a break.

Nyc hop on hop off

The Big Bus of New York City is an original way of visiting NYC and discover its monuments, museums, attractions while getting on and off at your disposal. This concept of hop on hop off bus or open-top double-decker buses offers a network of 2 tourist tours and routes and 30 stops with commentary in 10 languages.

The Big Bus tour takes you to the heart of Manhattan to discover all the points of interest and monuments of the borough: the Empire State Building,Times Square,Central Park and the Statue of Liberty. Big Bus New York is the only sightseeing bus offering live commentary in English (pre-recorded in 10 languages), Wi-Fi and access to over 25 bus stops throughout the city so you can get on and off whenever you want. The buses are double-decker and open-top. You can see the different routes and all the stops on the map.

Among all the stops, 10 are a must: Times Square, Chinatown, Wall Street, Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, Metropolitan Museum, Madison Square Garden, Little Italy and the Statue of Liberty.

Four different tours are offered:

Uptown Loop: the Upper East Side which is home to some of New York's most popular museums such as the Guggenheim and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The loop also takes you through Midtown, passing the Grand Central Terminal and the famous Chrysler Building.
Downtown Loop: The lower part of Manhattan passes through the Flatiron District, Union Square, Greenwich Village and Times Square.

Cruzeiro nova york

City Sights NY is a second hop on hop off bus company with open roofs to discover the city of NYC via a tour. City Sights NY offers 6 lines, 4 tourist bus lines and 2 river cruise lines. Tours are commented in 9 languages.

The CitySightseeing New York City buses pass by all the must-see sights in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

CitySightseeing NYC buses offer 4 routes:

The Downtown tour (2h30): discover the must-see sights of Midtown and Lower Manhattan. The starting point of this tour is Times Square. You will pass by the Empire State Building and Battery Park and explore New York neighborhoods such as SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown.
Uptown Tour (2 hours): The Uptown Loop covers the northern part of Manhattan. This tour also starts at Times Square and goes around Central Park. During this tour, you will discover the American Museum of Natural History, The Apollo Theater in Harlem, the Guggenheim and the Central Park Zoo.
The Brooklyn Tour (1h30): The Brooklyn Tour is an in-depth discovery of Brooklyn that includes 8 stops in Brooklyn. This tour will allow you to discover several must-see sites in Brooklyn (Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Brooklyn Public Library...).
The Nocturnal tour (2 hours): discover the most beautiful illuminated places of the city. You will have the opportunity to enjoy a magnificent view of the Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn.

Nyc river cruises

The Circle Line Sightseeing of New York City is a regular river hop on hop off shuttle service transporting passengers on the Hudson River and East River to visit New York City.

With Circle Line cruises you will discover the sights of New York while enjoying a cruise. All Circle Line cruises depart from Pier 83, near the Intrepid Museum. Each cruise will allow you to enjoy views of Manhattan's skyline, the One World Observatory, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

There are several Circle Line sightseeing cruises in NYC :

The Circle Line Best of NYC Cruise is a 2.5 hour cruise during which you will discover all of Manhattan. This cruise goes around the island of Manhattan. You will see the skyline, Yankee Stadium, Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx and other sites. You will pass under iconic bridges such as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge that connect Manhattan to other boroughs in New York.
The Circle Line Landmarks Cruise allows you to see only the major sights of NYC. The cruise lasts 1h30: you will pass under the Brooklyn Bridge and you will see emblematic sites such as the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty. You will also have the opportunity to enjoy beautiful views of Manhattan's skyline.
The Circle Line Harbour Lights Cruise is a 2 hour cruise that allows you to enjoy a view of the skyline at night!
The Circle Line Liberty Cruise lasts 1 hour. You will pass in front of the Statue of Liberty and enjoy views of the Manhattan skyline

Travel Blog | Travel Inspiration

Walk New York: a FREE Self-Guided Walking Tour of Manhattan

lower manhattan skyline with the empire state building in the centre

I think one of the best ways to experience New York is to walk around the city, so I decided to share my free self-guided walking tour route for Manhattan.

If you’ve followed me for a while, you may know I love big, vibrant cities. And that New York City is one of my favourite cities in the world . And you also may know that I love to walk the streets of the cities I visit. I get out on foot as much as I can – it helps me get a real feel for the atmosphere and character of a city. It also helps me get to know it, to understand its layout and how the different areas and landmarks are connected.

Why Manhattan? Well, it is the borough I know best. I’ve been to New York City many times and always spent most of my time in Manhattan. I’ve been to a few places in Brooklyn and Queens, but I don’t know those boroughs as well – and I know the other boroughs even less. Plus, Manhattan has so many iconic landmarks packed into that one island! Thanks to the grid system, it’s pretty easy to navigate, with a lot to see and experience.

If you follow my free self-guided walking tour of Manhattan, rather than joining an organised tour, you won’t have to pay anything AND you get to do it on your own, at your pace. This is a bonus for those on a budget and for introverts like me who avoid group tours!

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. These are links to products or experiences I recommend and if you were to buy something after clicking on them, I might earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Any earnings go towards the upkeep of this blog, which I appreciate.

Table of Contents

About My Free Self-Guided Walking Tour of Manhattan

The walking tour route I am sharing here takes you from downtown Manhattan, through mid-town to Central Park and the Upper East Side, taking in many NYC icons along the way, including:

Greenwich Village & Washington Square Park

Flatiron Building & Madison Square Park

Empire State Buiding

New York Public Library

Fifth Avenue Shopping
Rockefeller Centre & Top Of The Rock
Plaza Hotel & Pulitzer Fountain

Central Park

There are other routes that I like in Manhattan and other neighbourhoods which are great to explore – but I wanted to start with something that was doable in one day, and which covers several of the major landmarks in New York. I walked this route on a visit to New York with a friend who had never been to the city before – so I have literally road-tested it, haha.

The whole route I am recommending here is just short of 5 miles (8km) and would take approximately an hour and 45 minutes to walk non-stop according to GoogleMaps. However, it will take longer because you’ll be stopping to cross the street, take photos, grab refreshments and go into some of the attractions along the way. Using the photos I took when I walked this route as a reference, it took me around 7 hours to do this route. This included going to the Top of the Rock (but not the Empire State Building) – and I was pretty tired afterwards! That’s why I think you should allow most of the day for this.

When I walk around a new city, I don’t always take a fixed route. If possible, I like to know the general direction I’m headed but to have some freedom to walk down the streets that look most interesting to me. Therefore, I’d encourage you to take some liberties with the route I recommend and to take detours if you feel like it.

This route does require you to be able to walk for extended distances – and I’ll share some walking tips at the end (as well as a map).

Self-Guided Walking Tour of Manhattan – Step By Step

Start in greenwich village.

Greenwich Village was the bohemian capital of New York in the 1950s and 60s, the epicentre of art, counter-culture and the LGBT community. These days, the quiet, leafy streets of Greenwich Village are amongst the most expensive places to live in the United States.

smart townhouse with a white blossom tree in bloom above the doorway

Start in your walk in St Luke in the Fields Garden , which is a small church garden on the corner of Hudson and Barrow streets, in the heart of the West Village. It’s a very pretty spot that remains somewhat off the beaten path in New York .

small garden with plants, cherry trees and pink flowering bushes

From here, head up Hudson Street then right onto Grove Street, where you might recognise the Friends building – the building that was used for the exterior shots of Monica & Rachel and Joey & Chandler’s apartment in the 1990s TV show. Carry on along Grove Street until you get to Christopher Park, which is home to the Stonewall Inn , the location of landmark riots against police persecution of gay or queer people. There is a monument in the park and some plaques outside the inn if you want to read about the uprising.

From here, head along Waverley Place to the next stop, Washington Square Park .

corner apartment block with fire escape ladders on the outside

If you want to detour from the walking route, here are some other Greenwich Village highlights you could check out:

Joe’s Pizza – a famous and reliably good spot for pizza by the slice
Jefferson Market Library – this historic red brick building with a clocktower was once a courthouse and is now a branch of the New York Public Library
Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment . The exterior of Carrie’s brownstone building was shot at 66 Perry Street (even though she is written as living in the Upper East Side). It’s also just a lovely leafy street to wander along!
Angelika Theatre – a legendary arthouse cinema in the village

Alternative: Start in the East Village

The East Village is another historic neighbourhood in Manhattan – and you could also start your walking tour here, rather than in the West Village, if you prefer.

It was an upscale area of New York, built when the city expanded in the early 1800s. Then in the late 1800s, the East Village’s population swelled with immigrants, at one point being known as ‘Little Germany’. In the 1950s and 60s, the area absorbed some of the beatnik creativity of neighbouring Greenwich Village. Allen Ginsberg, W. H. Auden, and Norman Mailer all moved to the area in 1951–1953. Like a lot of New York, the area became run down in the 1970s and 80s. Since the early 2000s it has been gentrified – but it does remain somewhat rougher around the edges than Greenwich Village (the West Village in particular).

graffitied store front for B Cup cafe in the East Village of new york

At the heart of the East Village is Tomkins Square Park , which you can wander around. But I definitely recommend starting your walking journey with a drink – of water or coffee. Try The Maiden Lane, which is on the corner of Tompkins Square Park at 10 th Street and Avenue B, or at B Cup, a couple of blocks north on 13 th Street.

From Tompkins Square Park, head west toward Washington Square Park . The distance is approximately 0.8 miles, so it should take around 17-18 minutes. Along the way, you could check out Veselka , a favourite for Ukrainian cuisine; the attractive houses on Renwick Triangle , and (if you don’t mind a slightly indirect route) the pretty church garden of Grace Church .

restaurant fron with signs saying Veselka and 'Ukrainian soul food since 1954'

Washington Square Park

Whether you start in the West Village, as I suggest, or the East Village, the next stop is Washington Square Park . This is one of the best-known of New York City’s parks and spending time in it is one of the many free things to do in NYC . It features two key landmarks: the ornate marble Washington Square Arch and a large fountain.

Take some time to rest and absorb the energy of the park. Its atmosphere is often vibrant, with street performers and people milling about. In the south-west corner, there are chess boards set up, if you fancy your chances in a match.

Just north of the park is the start of Fifth Avenue and the location of one of the most well-known addresses in Manhattan, the Art Deco skyscraper at One Fifth Avenue .

Union Square Park

From Washington Square Park, walk up University Place towards Union Square Park. This route takes through the heart of the NYU campus. The distance is 0.4 miles and should take approximately 8-9 minutes. On the way, you’ll pass by a restaurant I like: the Gotham Bar & Grill. Just mentioning it in case you’re hungry for lunch at this point.

Union Square Park also has a chess scene, so you could watch some games here – or play if you fancy your chances! There’s also a statue of George Washington here, and a farmer’s market on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

city park with a cherry blossom in full bloom

From Union Square Park, walk up Broadway to Madison Square Park . The distance is 0.4 miles and should take approximately 8-9 minutes. On the way, if you’re peckish, there’s a great bakery called Levain Bakery a block or so off-course on 18th street. They do the most amazing thick and gooey cookies!

Madison Square Park is surrounded by gorgeous-looking skyscrapers from the early 20 th century, including the gold-topped New York Life Building and a clock tower, which was once the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company’s headquarters and is now a hotel.

tall narrow building seen from behind cherry blossoms in bloom

However, at the southwest corner of Madison Square Park is one of the first truly iconic buildings you will see on this walking tour of Manhattan: the Flatiron Building . The Flatiron Building is a 20-story steel-framed building that was built in 1902. Officially a New York City Landmark, it is well known and loved for its triangular shape with a narrow-angled corner facing north at the junction of Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street – it really is a marvel!

tall thin building with a narrow-angled front

You’ve been walking a lot by this point, so you may want some refreshments and there’s a great option for that near the Flatiron building at Eataly , which has a great selection of different food counters and eateries in its complex. My choice was an Italian gelato, which I took outside to eat in Madison Square Park.

Empire State Building

From Madison Square Park, you’ll see your next stop way before you reach it (although I’ve heard locals are rather annoyed by the emergence of a new skyscraper that obscures the view of the ESB from the south)! Walk up Fifth Avenue towards the impressive and inimitable Empire State Building , which occupies an entire block between 33 rd and 34 th streets. The distance is 0.5 miles and should take approximately 9-10 minutes. Along the way, there’s a popular rooftop bar nearby: 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar – in case you’re interested in getting an elevated view at this point.

Along the way, you can snap pictures of this Art Deco architectural masterpiece from various distances – the Empire State Building really does dominate Midtown! It was the tallest building in the world when it was built in 1931 and it held this record until the World Trade Centre towers went up in 1970.

There are observation decks on the 86th and 102nd floors of the Empire State Building, which give amazing panoramic views of New York City and six states. Taking the view from the top of the Empire State Building is on many people’s New York bucket list.

However, if you only have an appetite (or time, or budget) for one observation deck, I personally think the Top of the Rock is better. And don’t worry – that is also on this walking tour of Manhattan!

From the Empire State Building, carry on up Fifth Avenue for 7 blocks until you come to the New York Public Library on the left. The distance is another 0.5 miles and should take approximately 9-10 minutes. Along the way, be aware that the Morgan Library & Museum is a block over on 37th Street.

By this point, Fifth Avenue is like a man-made canyon: the road is a deep chasm between towering skyscrapers. But the next stop is not a high rise.

The New York Public Library is an NYC institution and has been providing access to books and information for more than 125 years. Even if you’re not in the market for some literature, the building itself is worth a detour from your walk. The Beaux-Arts style building, guarded by two marble lions called Patience and Fortitude, was built in 1911 and is a National Historic Landmark. The whole building is wonderful but the Rose Reading room, with its grand arched windows, chandeliers and rows of lamp-lit tables, is really stunning.

And if you’re a movie fan, like me, you may remember scenes from the New York Public Library in NYC-set movies like Ghostbusters, The Day After Tomorrow and Sex & The City: The Movie.

Once you’ve had your fill of the library itself, do check out the park behind it: Bryant Park is a handsome park with lots of seats and views of the surrounding skyscrapers, including the Art Deco American Radiator Building – and the very top of the Empire State Building.

daffodils in a city park with a black and gold tower building behind

Rockefeller Centre & Top of the Rock

From the New York Public Library, carry on up Fifth Avenue for another 8 blocks until you come to the Rockefeller Centre. The distance is another 0.5 miles and should take approximately 9-10 minutes.

At 42nd Street, look right for a glimpse of the Chrysler Building , which is a couple of blocks east of Fifth Avenue. This is my favourite skyscraper in Manhattan – I just love the elegant Art Deco style and silver finish. If you want to take a detour to see it, there’s a good viewpoint on Lexington Avenue, and you could stop by Grand Central Station at the same time. You’ll also start to see lots more shopping opportunities as you go further north on Fifth Avenue.

At Rockefeller Centre , I highly recommend you go to the observation deck in the Rockefeller Tower. It is called Top of the Rock and is 70 stories high with stunning views of the city – it is one of the best observation decks in New York City . Looking northwards, you can see Central Park and uptown – It is amazing to see the park from so high up and to see just how huge it is, and to see those ornate towered buildings that line it on both sides.

However, in my opinion, the best view is south, towards midtown and lower Manhattan. Standing proud in the middle of this view is the Empire State Building. It really is the cherry on the top of the views of Manhattan. You can’t admire the view of the Empire State Building from the top of the Empire State Building, so that’s why I said earlier the view from the Top of the Rock is the best one.

The Rockefeller Centre is also a good place to grab a bite to eat. At street level, there’s a restaurant with an outdoor terrace right by the fountains. It’s not cheap – but it is scenic and the salads are great. And Radio City Hall is just down the street, in case you want to check that out while you’re there.

shiny sky scrapers seen from above at the rockefeller centre

By the way, if you like views of NYC, you might consider staying in one of the hotels with the best views of New York City .

The Plaza Hotel & The Pulitzer Fountain

From the Rockefeller Centre, carry on up Fifth Avenue for another 9 blocks until the buildings give way to Central Park. On the corner of Fifth Avenue and 59th Street are the Pulitzer Fountain and the Plaza Hotel. The distance is another 0.5 miles and should take approximately 9-10 minutes.

On the way, just across from the Rockefeller Centre, on the right side of Fifth Avenue is the St Patrick’s Cathedral , its Neo-Gothic style contrasting with and dwarfed by the modern skyscrapers around it.

New York City street with tall buildings and yellow taxis and the spires of a gothic style cathedral

The shops become more high-end as you get closer to the park, including Saks Fifth Avenue opposite the Rockefeller Centre and the Tiffany & Co flagship store (made famous by the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s, of course) at 57 th Street. And, just so you know, the Museum of Modern Art is on 53rd Street (but I don’t think you’ll have time to go in on this walking tour of New York).

The Plaza Hotel is another New York icon. If I can continue my movie location theme, it features in The Way We Were and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. I can highly recommend the cocktails in the Champagne Bar , which is pretty good for people-spotting: I saw Princess Diana’s brother, the Earl of Spencer, there a few years ago.

statue of a woman on top of a fountain surrounded with blossoming trees

The Pulitzer Fountain is opposite the hotel and was bequeathed by Joseph Pulitzer, who also established the journalism prizes. There are benches and trees around it, making it a nice spot to sit and rest, if you need it.

Once you get to Central Park, I say just have a good wander around – that’s what it is there for! Exploring Central Park is one of the best free things to do in New York . If you want to go as far as the Boathouse, the distance is approximately a mile, so will take 18-20 minutes if you walk non-stop – but of course, there is plenty to distract you in the park!

Rowers on the lake in Central Park, overlooked by the San Remo building

For example, you might come across talented skaters practising on the paths, or a free performance in the Naumberg Bandshell . The Bethesda Fountain is a lovely spot, and it is lovely to watch the rowboats on the lake.

Loeb Boathouse has wonderful views over the lake. After completing this self-guided walking tour of Manhattan, you will have earned a rest and some refreshments!

two full glasses of aperol spritz in front of the lake in central park new york

If you still have some energy left, you could continue north and visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum , which is on the edge of Central Park. However, I should warn you that my friend and I did this and our feet felt pretty sore by that point!

When you’re ready for dinner, consider one of the unique restaurants in New York City . Or you could end the day with a cocktail in my favourite cocktail bar of all time, the Bemelmans Bar, in the Carlyle Hotel.

Map: Self-Guided Walking Tour Of Manhattan

Here’s a map of my free self-guided walking tour of Manhattan, with various attractions I have mentioned marked:

How To Use This Map : Click the tab in the top left-hand corner of the map to view the layers. If you click the icons on the map, you can get more information about each one. If you click the star next to the map’s title, it will be added to your Google Maps account. To view it on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the menu, go to ‘Your Places’ or ‘Saved’, then click Maps and you will see this map in your list.

Tips For This Walking Tour Of Manhattan

This walking tour of Manhattan is fairly long, so it will pay to be prepared:

Wear comfortable shoes!
Bring water and something waterproof in case the weather changes (& check the forecast in advance)
Respect traffic & use crossings
Be aware the streets of New York can be dirty, cracked and uneven (it’s a gritty city, but I still love it!)

And if this is your first time in New York City, check out these NYC tips for first-time visitors .

author with an umbrella in the street in greenwich village, new york city

When To Go To New York City?

I think the best time to do this walking tour of Manhattan is in the shoulder seasons: March to May and September to October. I originally did this on the last day of April, and it was glorious!

Don’t be put off visiting New York when it is colder, though: there are lots of things to do in New York in winter and so many things to do in NYC at Christmas .

Where To Stay In New York City

Here are a few places I have stayed in New York recently (in 2024):

The best hotel I’ve stayed in in NYC is, perhaps unsurprisingly, a luxury 5-star hotel: The Wall Street Hotel . It was spacious, plush, very comfortable, and came with all the amenities you could hope for. It was a wonderful oasis of calm to retreat to at the end of a day spent exploring the city. Service was great and the food and cocktails from the lobby bar were also top-tier.

elegant bedroom with white and blue colour scheme and a blue suitcase

A good 4-star option is the Nolitan , which has a contemporary urban style blending steel, concrete and velvet textures. I had fairly big room, with a balcony and a nice bathroom. They have a restaurant on site, but I opted to eat out in the neighbourhood – there are several good choices nearby on the north end of Mulberry Street.

For a budget hotel, I was really pleased with my stay at the 3-star Pod 39 , in Midtown. It’s hard to find good low-priced accommodation with private bathrooms in Manhattan, but I was impressed with the package here. My single room was clean and space-efficient (small, but not too small). There was free coffee in the bar downstairs in the mornings, and they gave me a discount card for the rooftop bar.

The Last Word

I hope you like this self-guided walking tour of Manhattan! If you follow this route, do let me know how you get on. If you need more inspiration for NYC, check out this list of movies set in New York City , romantic things to do in NYC and unique things to do in NYC .

I’ve also written a 4-Day New York itinerary , showing how to make the best of a few days in the city, and a list of things to do in New York at night .

And if you are interested in more NYC walking tours, I did another one for Lower Manhattan !

Enjoy your walk in New York!

If you like this article, I'd be delighted if you shared it!

About The Author

Martha Knight

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4 thoughts on “walk new york: a free self-guided walking tour of manhattan”.

Martha, I love this free walking tour of NYC. I have visited NY many years ago, I have always wanted to return. It is a city that one can visit many times and never get bored. Great post.

Thanks so much, Gilda! I completely agree – I’ve been to NYC several times now and I would happily return again 🙂

This is great! Any suggestions of a hotel for 2 people on a budget along that path? Just a place to sleep, actually. We will be walking the entire day!

Thanks! On the trip I did this walking route, I stayed in an AirBnB in the East Village. I’ts tricky to find any low-cost accommodation in Manhattan, tbh – even hostels charge a lot! But, depending on your dates, you might find a bargain on Booking.com (affiliate link): https://www.booking.com/searchresults.en.html?city=20088325&aid=2164994&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2&room1=A%2CA

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How to Use Google My Maps to Plan a Trip (Ultimate Guide)

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I love a good map. I’ve got maps hanging on my walls. I go to the bookstore to read maps. Whenever I navigate my way home using only a map, I feel like I must have some innate bushcraft skills. And if you’ve read my posts about traveling in Maine , you’re probably sick of me talking about the DeLorme Atlas by now.

But while reading paper maps will always inspire a sense of get-up-and-go adventure for me, I’m not totally opposed to using tech for planning my trips and navigating on the ground.

And one of my favorite techy solutions? A secret little trip planner called Google My Maps, buried inside of everyone’s favorite map tool.

Google My Maps lets you create shareable custom maps with multiple layers, plus location pins with icons and notes. It’s a great way to brainstorm travel plans or create a trip itinerary from a desktop. And since the map can be viewed in the Google Maps app, you can use it to navigate on the go.

To give you an example of what this post will show you how to do, here’s one of the custom Google Maps I’ve created for a trip.

Keep reading for an overview of how to use Google My Maps to plan a trip, plus a video tutorial of how to set it up—all updated in 2023. I’ll also share answers to commonly asked questions and some lesser known tips to help you get the most out of this tool.

A quick note: Creating a custom map in Google My Maps is distinct from Google Lists of saved places. Check out our Google My Maps vs Lists comparison to see all the differences and our full guide to using Google Maps Lists .

8 Top Google My Maps Features

(AKA Why It’s Awesome)

Google My Maps allows you to see your trip itinerary.

This is so helpful, especially if you’re a visual person or enjoy using maps. But even if you’re not, it’s still really useful to see where everything is in relation to each other as you plan your trip, vacation, or holiday because it helps you be realistic about your plans.

It connects with other Google apps.

Setting aside my (ahem, very rational) fear that they may take over the world soon, I love all things Google. My Maps stores a copy of the map in whatever Google Drive account you’re using. (Am I the only one who has six of these?) So if you like to create Google Docs or folders to store trip planning information, documents, photos, or itineraries, it’s nice to have your map easily accessible in the same folder.

You get additional location information since it’s part of Google Maps.

If a location is on Google, you can see their website, phone number, address, reviews, and website when you add it to your custom map. (Note that you can’t see this information when clicking on your saved pin from the Google Maps app, but you can from desktop.)

You can add your own extra notes and photos.

Customize your map even more by adding notes, photos, or videos. Use the notes during planning to add website, hours, or tips. If I hear about the location from a particular website, I usually add that link and what was noted in the article about the location (e.g., it’s a great sunset spot, which dish on the menu is recommended) so I can reference it later.

You can view your route by creating a layer with directions.

When I traveled to Burlington, Vermont, I wanted to see the length of the bike trail on the map, so I used the directions feature to show the whole route. (Check out the Burlington travel guide for an example of the travel map I created that includes the bike path route.) And while I haven’t done this yet, you could also use Google My Maps to plan a road trip itinerary for a longer adventure.

Caveat: As I’ll discuss later, you can’t use directions layers to get turn-by-turn directions (but I mention an alternative below). For this reason, I only use these layers to visualize my route.

It’s highly customizable.

Don’t mind me while I swoon over the color coding and organization options over here. Use custom icons, layers, and colors so it’s easy to see what things are at a glance. For example, you can give different locations individual styles: a coffee cup icon for cafes, a bed icon for hotels, and a swimming icon for beaches. You can also use layers in many different ways, such as one layer for each day of your trip or one layer for each category (like dining, lodging, and things to do).

In-depth planning on your computer. Easy, on-the-go access from your phone.

While you can’t edit the maps from the Google Maps app on iPhone or Android, you (and anyone you’ve shared them with) can view them. You can click on icons and see your notes, as well as navigate to those locations.

Note that there used to be a dedicated My Maps app on Android, but this has been deprecated.

It’s easy to share it with a friend or with the world.

If you’re planning a trip with other people, it’s easy to share the map with others . And if it’s something you want to make available to everyone (like I do on my travel guide posts), just change the privacy setting and share the link or embed it on a website.

3 Ways to Use Google My Maps

Brainstorm and store ideas for future “maybe” trips.

I often come across a really interesting hotel, restaurant, or fun thing to do in destinations I want to travel to in the future, and I want to make sure I don’t forget about them. I have so many bookmarks in so many places (Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram), but Google My Maps is the place I’ve started storing ideas for future trips.

Plan your trip itinerary.

Want to use Google Maps for route planning? When you’re ready to plan an upcoming trip, plot it out visually by using Google My Maps to create your itinerary. If you like structured itineraries, you can easily create a detailed day-to-day plan.

Or, you can use a looser itinerary structure like we usually do by adding all the places you might like to go.

For example, on a day trip to NYC, we added tons of places to eat on the map (thank you, Tiktok). As we were walking around doing other activities and started to get hungry, we were able to easily see which saved restaurants were closest to us.

Navigate on the go.

Whether you’re using your map loosely for ideas or for a structured itinerary, you can pull it up on your phone anytime and get directions to your next location.

Not sure what you want to do today, or want to see what the closest restaurant from your list is for dinner? Pop into your custom map to jog your memory from the notes you made or to get directions to your next location.

Recommended: Need an organized backpack to take on the road? Check out my favorite luggage for camping, road trips, and flying: the Cotopaxi Nazca 24L and Allpa 35L !

How to Use Google My Maps to Plan a Trip

How to create a new custom map.

Go to Google My Maps from your desktop browser . Check the Google icon in the top right corner to make sure you’re using the Google account you want to. Click “Create A New Map” and a window will open with a blank map. To give your map a name and description , click the map name (“Untitled Map”).

You can also change the color and style of the base map if desired. At the bottom of the layer panel on the left, click the arrow next to “Base Map.” You’ll get a window with nine options, including terrain, light political (a very light version of the standard Google Maps), satellite, and some different colored versions. Note that changing the base map style on desktop won’t change anything when viewing on mobile in Google Maps.

How to Add and Edit Layers

When you create a new map, the first layer will already be created, so you’ll probably want to rename it. To give your first layer a title , click directly on the title name like you did with the map name, or click the 3 dots next to “Untitled Layer” and then click “Rename Layer.” Clicking these 3 dots next to a layer title is also how you can delete a layer if you add one accidentally or change your mind. In this example, I’m changing my first layer to “dining” and will add all restaurants to this layer.

You can use layers any way you want to, or simply stick to one layer if you don’t need multiple. To add new layers , simply click “Add Layer” in the gray section below the map title and description.

To move a pin between layers , click the pin on the layer and hold down the mouse, and then drag it to the desired layer.

How to Add Location Pins

There are various ways to add location pins to a layer. First, make sure the correct layer is chosen by clicking anywhere in the white area on the layer. You’ll see which layer is selected by looking for the blue bar on the left of the layer.

In the map search bar, type either a place name or an address. Click “Add to Map” to add a pin for this location . This is how I add most pins.
If you don’t need an exact location or don’t have an address , you can click the pin marker button below the map search bar (“Add Marker”). It will turn your mouse into a T and you can click anywhere on the map to add a blank pin. You’ll immediately be prompted to add the pin title and description.
If you’re dealing with very remote locations (or you just like geeky map stuff), you can also use latitude and longitude coordinates in the search bar.

To delete a pin , simply click on it and click the trash icon.

A few tips and best practices for adding pins:

If the place you’re searching for does not have a listing on Google, you’ll have to use an address. One thing to note is that sometimes Google Maps listings aren’t correct or don’t take you to the right place, so you may want to double check the location if you’re not using a street address to add the pin (especially if it’s a small business without a website).
I have also found that hiking trail heads are frequently on Google Maps, but they’re not always correct in terms of navigating there by car. I usually add them to my map to get a basic idea of where they are while planning, but I use a paper map or atlas to find them while traveling.

How to Customize Location Pins

To change the title and add notes to your listing, click on the pin on the map, and then click the pencil icon (“Edit”).

To change the color and icon of the pin , click the paint bucket icon (from the pin itself or directly in the layer). Click “More Icons” to view all the icon options. You can color code by type of activity, by layer, or any way that makes sense to you.

To add photos or videos to a pin , click on the pin on the map, and then click the camera icon (“Add Image or Video”). This is another way to make your map interactive, especially after you’ve visited a location and want to share it with others.

How to Add A Directions Layer

I find that directions layers are helpful for showing the route of a walking tour, bike path, or road trip you want to take, but I don’t find them useful for directions while traveling since I can simply use the maps app to navigate.

I use directions layers whenever I want to show an entire route on a map , rather than a specific location. Think of this as the 2024 version of mapping out a trip with AAA paper maps and a highlighter (if you’re old enough to remember).

Click the arrow icon underneath the search bar, which will create a new directions layer. On the legend, click “Driving” if you want to change this to walking or biking directions. Add a location name or address to Points A and B in the legend. If you find that the pins are not exactly where they should be, you can drag the points on the map.

Continue adding points by clicking “Add Destination” on the map. You can either type the information into the legend or hover your mouse to a spot on the map and double click it. (This is especially useful if you’re tracing a route on something like a bike path or hiking trail that won’t have an address.)

Rearrange the order by dragging the items around in the legend. Just like altering directions on Google Maps navigation, you can click on part of the route and drag it to a different road if you want to change part of the route after it is complete.

If you need to access the directions so you can see the distance of your route or the time it will take, click the three dots on the layer and click “Step-by-Step Directions.” Note that you can’t actually use this to get turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.

How to Share A Google My Map

There are several options for sharing your Google Maps trip plan.

Open up your map, then click the share button in the gray bar above your layers. To allow others to view your map (which includes embedding on your website), click “change” under the section “Who has access.” For embedding, you will need to make this setting public.

Otherwise, if you want to allow others to edit your map, add their email address in the “invite people” section.

Google My Maps Trip Planner - Sharing a Map

How to View Your Custom Map in Google Maps (iPhone or Android)

Open Google Maps and go to the Saved icon at the bottom. Scroll to the bottom of this screen and click “Maps.” Choose the My Map you want to view. The layers with your custom icons will now be visible on your Google Map. You can click on any pin to view your details (such as description or photos), as well as to navigate there.

To close a map, click on a pin and then click “View Map Legend.” There, you can click the Close icon.

From the Map Legend, you can also toggle layers on and off, and then backing out to the main map (don’t click Close—just the back arrow or back button).

How to Navigate with a Custom My Map (iPhone or Android)

To navigate to one of your pins, open your map, find the pin for where you want to go, click it, and then click “directions.” When you do this, you won’t see your custom map anymore but will be looking at the regular navigation of Google Maps.

You can’t use a My Maps “directions layer” for navigation. If you’re looking for that functionality, I recommend just creating a route in Google Maps and sending it to your phone (or sharing with others). See here for more details.

How to Import Locations from Google Sheets, CSV, or Excel

Importing locations to a My Maps layer can be helpful in a few scenarios:

You have a significant amount of locations to add to your layer
Your data is already in the form of a spreadsheet
You want additional fields included besides the default Name and Description
You want to create groupings of pins (for example, a list of 50 restaurants could have a column for “Cuisine,” which will give you the option to group and style the pins by cuisine)

The process is simple, and you can import a variety of file types, including CSV, Excel (XLSX), or directly from Google Sheets. There are also special file formats that import map data from other programs, but this section is focused on spreadsheet-type files that you create and format.

Create a spreadsheet with the desired column headers. At a minimum, you need place names and either addresses or latitude-longitude information .

If you want to group your pins by some type of categorization, you should include that as a column. Other columns you could include: website, phone number, description, or notes. While Google Sheets allows you to include photos in a cell, Google My Maps will not import photos in this way (it will include the column as a field, but will be blank).

Once your spreadsheet file is ready, click “Import” on a blank layer (if your map already has layers, you will need to add a new layer to see this option). If uploading a CSV or XLSX, do this from the Upload tab. If using a Google Sheet, click the Google Drive tab and choose your file.

Choose which column has location data (address or latitude-longitude) and click “Continue.” Choose the location name column next and click “Finish.”

To change the icons individually, click “Uniform Style” next to the paintbrush on your layer. Under “Group Places By,” choose “Individual Styles.”

To change styles by a category column (such as Cuisine), click the link next to the paintbrush and choose to group places by the desired column. You can then give each category its own color or icon.

You can manually add new pins to this layer, and they will include all the fields you imported from the spreadsheet columns.

You can also add more items to your spreadsheet, and import this new data. Click the three dots on your layer. Under “Reimport and Merge,” click “Add More Items” and choose your file. It will add the new rows to your layer.

How to Import a Route from Google Maps Timeline History (KML) or GPS Data From a Fitness App (GPX)

Google My Maps can import routes and locations you’ve already traveled to via special file types that are very easy to download from certain apps. This could be useful if you want to share a walking, biking, or driving route that you’ve taken without having to recreate it on a directions layer.

Note that this only works as well as the GPS satellites were able to track your location while you were traveling.

If there are a lot of clouds, dense forest, buildings, or anything else blocking the GPS signal, your tracked route will be much less precise. I’ve noticed that Google Maps sometimes has my route showing somewhere I couldn’t have walked or driven.

If you have your location history turned on in Google Maps, you can download a KML file from a trip, which will include the route traveled and location pins for any stops. Sometimes it misses a location name or adds a pin in the wrong place, but overall it’s pretty good.

Go to your Google Maps Timeline and locate the day you want to export. Click on it, and you should now see your route highlighted along with any stops you made. Now click the gear icon on the bottom of your map, and click “Export this day to KML.” Go to your My Map and on a new layer, click “Import.” Choose the KML file you just downloaded. You can now edit each portion as needed—changing the color and thickness of the route line, changing the location icons, as well as adjusting the route where desired.

If you have other apps that track your location, such as fitness apps, you may be able to download a GPX file that shows the route you took. The instructions for doing this will vary from app to app, but I was able to easily find it in Samsung Health by looking at the detail of a particular workout/walk and clicking the three dots to download a GPX. The import process to Google My Maps is the same as above.

With both methods, you can make adjustments to points/stops along the way or even add more pins. With the Google Maps KML file, you can also adjust your route by moving the small white dots.

Google My Maps Tutorial

Here’s a walk through video to show you how to use Google Maps to plan a trip, along with several of my own Google My Maps itinerary examples. Coming soon: a 2024 update!

Google My Maps Examples

Here are a few more examples of My Maps I’ve created for sharing recommendations, trip ideas, and actual vacation planning.

Screen shot of desktop view of a custom My Map for Hawai'i

Google My Maps FAQs and Tips

As great as Google My Maps is for planning a trip, there are some limitations to using it. Lots of questions have also come up about more specific uses and ways to use its features. Thanks to all the readers who have asked or shared tips in the comments as I’m always looking to make this a more robust guide. I’ve organized the questions and tips here since it makes it easier than scrolling through the comments.

How many layers can you add to a map?

Google My Maps limits you to 10 layers. If you are planning a longer road trip and want to create a layer for each day, this limitation may prove frustrating.

Here are a couple of workaround ideas: You can create 2 maps, and have the entire master route as 1 layer on each (showing the very basic route for all 12 days—say from city to city) as a reference. Then build individual layers for each day. As a second option, you could add multiple days to 1 layer and change the titles to start with the day they correspond to (so it would be “1 – Name of Place” instead of just “Name of Place.”) However, this option may not be ideal since you can’t see the titles until you click when you’re on the phone.

How many location pins can you add to each layer?

You can add up to 2,000 pins per layer, and the entire map cannot exceed 10,000 lines, shapes, or places total. I haven’t tested the limits, and it’s possible adding this amount of items could slow things down. My guess is that most travelers wouldn’t need anything so large, but it is possible according to Google .

Are custom Google My Maps available offline?

No, but keep reading for a workaround and alternative.

One of the biggest complaints about Google My Maps is that you can’t download your custom map and pins to use offline, unlike the rest of Google Maps.

However, I have been able to use it in areas with spotty reception. I pulled the map up when I did have reception, and I left it running in the background. It would stay loaded in the app and I was able to pull it up to look at it later when I was out of reception. I’m not sure I would rely on this as a surefire workaround, but it can work in a pinch.

Another alternative, especially if you’ll be traveling in another country where you’ll be completely offline, is to use Google Maps Lists, which can be edited from desktop or your phone but don’t offer the option for separate layers, unique icons, or adding photos.

Is there an app for Google My Maps?

There is no separate Google My Maps app, but you can view your maps within Google Maps. Just make sure you’re signed into the same account, and all your maps will sync.

(There used to be a dedicated My Maps app on Android, but this was deprecated in 2021.)

Can you create or edit maps from your phone?

No, the maps cannot be edited from the Google Maps app. Google My Maps can only be created or edited from the desktop version of the site. This is another huge advantage Google Lists has over Google My Maps because Lists allow you to add new places or entire lists from any device—iPhone, Android, tablet, laptop, or desktop.

Is there a bridge height filter?

No. For RVers and others who need to plan ahead for height limitations, there is no bridge height filter available in Google Maps. Since I haven’t had to use this feature myself, I am not confident in an alternative to recommend. However, from a bit of digging around, there are some apps and GPS units for truckers that may be a good place to start looking if you have an oversize vehicle.

What is the difference between Google Maps Lists and Google My Maps?

They both allow you to create custom maps with pins, but there are some key differences, such as offline access, layer capabilities, customizable pins, and creating/editing within the app. Check out the details on how Google My Maps compares to Lists (including a features comparison table).

How many stops can you add on a directions layer?

You can only add 10 stops per directions layer. This is also the maximum number of stops you can add for navigation in Google Maps. As some readers have pointed out, this can be limiting when you want to use this feature for a long road trip.

Can you use the directions layers on your phone for navigation purposes?

No, you cannot create a directions layer and then access those turn-by-turn directions for navigation in the Google Maps app.

So…are directions layers totally useless? What’s the point of having a Driving Directions layer in My Maps?

Personally, I still like to use these layers, but only to show a route for my very visual brain, rather than to actually create custom directions.

Can you send a custom created route (layer) to someone else so that the other person will take that specific driving route on google maps?

No, you can’t do this from My Maps, but there’s a workaround I can suggest.

Forget My Maps, and use Google Maps from desktop or mobile to plot a route. You can add up to 10 stops, and then you will be able to share your custom directions.

From desktop, there’s an extra step in first sending the directions to your phone. If you’ve created the directions in the mobile app or once you have them pulled up there, you can share them with anyone by clicking the 3 dots next to your list of locations (sharing must be done before clicking “Start”—if you’re already in the navigation, you need to back out of it to share). When you share, it will list all the steps as well as send a link for the other person to open the directions in Google Maps directly.

An important caveat to sharing custom routes: Google Maps will reroute the directions as it normally does according to current traffic at the time of driving, so this method cannot be relied upon if you’ve mapped a specific route for bridge clearances. As a workaround, you can add “stops” on the desired interstate (zoom in and add this literally on the road itself so navigation doesn’t try to take you off an exit), which will force Google Maps to take the driver that way. This is what I do when driving south from Connecticut to PA because Google Maps always wants me to take its beloved George Washington Bridge and I always don’t want to. I add a stop to force my route across the Tappan Zee Bridge. However, I’m not sure I would rely on this workaround as a sole method for RVs or truckers.

Can you see how much time the directions will take?

Yes, on desktop you can view the details if you want to know the distance or how long a route will take. To view distance and time for a directions layer, click the 3 dots on the laye, then click Step-by-Step Directions.

Of course, this doesn’t really help when you want to get this information on your phone or use the directions for navigation. As mentioned elsewhere, the “directions” layer functions best as a way to visualize a route. If you need turn-by-turn directions, see the steps mentioned above to save and send directions in Google Maps.

This post was originally published on July 27, 2017 and has been updated in May 2023.

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The City’s New Bathroom Map Is Actually Pretty Handy

Eric Adams, our rat mayor, now wants to be the bathroom mayor. On Monday, Adams announced an initiative for the city to install 46 new restrooms and renovate 36 existing restrooms over the next five years. There will also be a new Google Maps layer to help people find public bathrooms in the city. Adams is calling the initiative Ur in Luck, a name that he laughed very hard at when he announced it. “What we’re saying is that you should not have to be in luck,” he said. “You should be able to move around the city and deal with some of the basic essentials of being a human being, a parent, and finding the right restroom facilities.”

Will this be an improvement over begging a Starbucks employee for the bathroom code? Forty-six new bathrooms over five years is not much yet typical of the glacial pace at which the city usually builds anything. But the administration promised prefab design and an improved process to bring the new bathrooms online sooner. The Google Maps layer is a little more promising; an upgrade of the Got2Go bathroom map created by Teddy Siegel , it shows the park and library bathrooms, which most people might already have on their mental maps. And it also includes MTA bathrooms and those in privately owned public spaces, or POPS, those lobbies and pocket parks that are not often known for having bathroom options. For delivery workers especially, who are often desperate for a place to go, the map might be both a blessing and a curse, with many neighborhoods showing up as bathroom deserts, like Soho, the Upper East Side, and Chelsea. The stats are still dire; there are currently only 1,000 bathrooms for more than 8 million people. A City Council bill would create or open 3,100 more bathrooms, but when Hell Gate asked the mayor if he supported it, Adams said, “I’m not familiar with the bill, we’ll look at it.”

Still, any new bathroom is welcome. Adams is promising to also fast-track the installation of 14 automatic toilets that have been held up, no exaggeration, since the Bloomberg era . As for the extremely critical information on which public bathrooms are actually clean and functioning, that might still require a bit of crowdsourcing.

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How to use Google Street View on Google Maps: Tour unfamiliar areas and use Live View for real time directions

Google Street View lets you see a 360-degree view of your destination before you get there.
Google Street View is accessible through Google Maps on both desktop and mobile.
You can also use Live View in Google Maps for a live view of your route and directions in real time.

Knowing the names of streets and general directions when you're going somewhere new is extremely helpful. But being able to see your destination in advance, and know what the area around it looks like, is even better.

Using the iconic Google Street View cars, which feature cameras mounted on the roofs, Google regularly collects millions of images of streets worldwide to provide users with 360-degree views of locations.

Google officially discontinued its standalone Street View app in 2023, but the Street View feature itself is still accessible via Google Maps.

You can use Street View for a variety of purposes: You can look up exactly what a location looks like before you get there, scout out the layout of entire blocks at a time, or even see your own house.

Here's everything you need to know about how to use Street View:

What is the difference between Google Earth, Google Maps, and Google Street View?

Street View is just one of several navigation tools and mapping softwares by Google — all of which can assist you in finding or viewing locations in different ways.

Google Maps is your standard navigation software, created to provide detailed directions and various routes between locations. Google Street View is a component of Google Maps.

Google Earth, however, uses satellite images and topographical data to help you explore locations from above. Google Earth operates on a larger scale than Google Maps and takes you on an immersive virtual tour.

You can use all three tools to get three vastly different perspectives on a location. For instance, if you're planning a trip to see Ireland's Cliffs of Moher, you might want to use Google Earth to get a preview of the iconic, rugged sea cliffs and check out the surrounding landscape. You might then use Google Maps to plot a route from your bed and breakfast to the Cliffs of Moher car park, and you could then use Street View to do a virtual walk-through of the cliffside paths.

But maybe all these maps still aren't quite visual enough for you. In that case, search up the cliffs on Google Images to see stunning photographs of the area.

Google's mapping tools also don't end with Google Maps and Google Earth. Google also owns Waze , a navigation and traffic app geared specifically to drivers, which offers realtime updates on traffic conditions and route hazards.

How to use Google Street View on desktop

Google Maps works on both your desktop, and mobile device. Here's how to get to Street View on your computer:

Go to maps.google.com .
Tap the search bar in the top-left corner of the screen and enter the name or address of the place that you want to view.

Click and hold the person icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen and drag it to the spot you want to view (as you move the cursor over the map, the streets will be highlighted in blue — make sure that you place the icon onto one of those, otherwise you won't be able to see the street view).

Release the cursor.
To navigate in street view, click and drag to change the camera angle or tap a location down the street to move closer to it.
You can also use the curved arrows around the compass icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen to change the direction of the camera.

The images on Google Street View are updated once every one to three years, but well-known places are updated more frequently. You can check the date of a Street View image by looking for the date in the black box at the top left-hand side of the screen, or on the bar on the bottom right-hand side of the screen.

How to get street view on Google Maps on your phone

If you're on the go and need to use your mobile device to check out your destination, here's what you'll need to do:

Open the Google Maps app on your iPhone or Android.
Tap the search bar and enter the name or address of the place you want to view.
Tap the small photo box on the left side of the screen.

To navigate on the mobile version of Google Street View, drag one finger across the screen, starting on the side you want to go toward and ending on the opposite side of the screen.

Can I blur my house on Google Maps?

Google Street View may potentially reveal more than you'd like — maybe your house has distinctive features, or there's a large window with a view directly into your home.

If you have concerns about privacy or safety, there is a solution. You can request Google to blur your house permanently, leaving behind only a vague outline of the building.

Here's how to do it:

Go to Google Maps and enter your home address.
Enter into Street View mode by dragging the small yellow human-shaped icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen onto the map in front of your house.
With your house in view, click "Report a problem" in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
Center the red box on your home, and select "My home" in the "Request blurring" field.

Once someone has requested to blur your house, it is important to note it is blurred permanently. Google does not offer to reverse this request.

How can I see a live Street View in real time?

Live View in Google Maps is a unique tool that uses augmented reality to provide directions. Live View uses your phone's camera to display your current surroundings in the viewfinder, then projects directions, arrows, and other navigation cues onto the screen to show you where to go.

Live View is still a fairly limited feature — it isn't available in every country or on every type of mobile device, and it only works in areas that are already well-mapped by Street View.

Here's how to use it on Android or Apple devices:

On your phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app.
In the search bar, enter a destination and select Walking .
Once your destination is located on the map, tap the Live View icon .
Once the Live View is on, point your phone's camera around to determine your exact location.
Follow the arrows, and once Google Maps has recognized your location you can start your journey.

Google also offers a similar augmented-reality feature called Lens in Maps, which uses Google Lens technology to suggest helpful locations nearby, like coffee shops, ATM machines, parks, transit hubs, and more.

Here's how to use Lens in Maps:

Open the Google Maps app
Tap the Lens icon in the search bar, and lift your phone

On February 28, Axel Springer, Business Insider's parent company, joined 31 other media groups and filed a $2.3 billion suit against Google in Dutch court, alleging losses suffered due to the company's advertising practices.

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Google Maps Layer Adds List of Public Restrooms

New York City is expanding access to public restrooms, including through location sharing. Hopefully, more cities follow suit.

Google Maps can help you find a bathroom.

Traveling to New York City can be fun, but if you need to use the restroom, it can get rather tough. Public restrooms aren't easy to find, and they aren't always clean, often leaving you at the hopeful mercy of a restaurant, hotel or store.

NYC officials are hoping to change this as part of a new initiative called "Ur In Luck," through which they've created an interactive layer on Google Maps where the city's more than 1,000 public restrooms are located. They'll also be building 46 new public restrooms across the city's five boroughs while renovating 36 existing ones as part of the initiative.

"Our new Google Maps layer will make it easier to find relief when you've got to go," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement , as reported earlier by The Verge , adding that the new and renovated bathrooms would "make it easier for New Yorkers to embrace the best parts of this city: our shared outdoors spaces."

You can access the Google Maps feature by clicking on a specialized link from the city's LinkNYC website and kiosks . The link will either open the Google Maps app on your phone or launch a website on your computer, displaying public restrooms dotted around the city.

Each restroom location on the map includes information about the operator, the times it's available, accessibility features and stall types (all we need is a cleanliness rating).

Read more : How smart cities are quietly changing the world

Using data to access city services

New York City's efforts to expand access to bathrooms is the latest in a long history of cities attempting to use technology to help improve access to services. Though not all cities provide interactive bathroom maps online, some do try to mark them on information kiosks.

App developers, meanwhile, have attempted to fill in the gaps. More than a decade ago, toilet paper maker Charmin partnered with the website and app SitOrSquat, which encouraged people to upload information about public restrooms to a publicly available map. Though the app is no longer listed on app stores, other app developers have attempted to replicate a similar experience.

Unlike most apps, New York City's official program won't rely on the public to add or update information about toilets to the system. Instead, the city said its data will be available through its OpenData initiative , and will be updated biannually.

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Looking for a public bathroom near you in NYC? This new map shows you where to find one.

By Dave Carlin , Jesse Zanger

Updated on: June 3, 2024 / 5:57 PM EDT / CBS New York

NEW YORK - New York City is making a new effort to make it easier to find a public bathroom for those times when you have to go while on the go.

Mayor Eric Adams announced the "Ur In Luck" program Monday, which he says will expand access to public restrooms across all five boroughs.

The plan includes building 46 new restrooms and renovating 36 more over the next five years:

10 will be placed in the Bronx
23 in Brooklyn
28 in Manhattan
14 in Queens
7 on Staten Island

Officials say New York City has nearly 1,000 existing public restrooms. The renovations include additional stalls to improving accessibility.

Donna Torres says it doesn't matter that New York City has about 1,000 public restrooms when she repeatedly fails to find a working or accessible one.

"I just hold it, or I run into the laundromat. It's ridiculous. I don't know what's happening with New York in this day and age," Torres said.

"When nature calls, the Parks Department answers," Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue said.

New map shows NYC public bathrooms

As part of the "Ur In Luck" program, there's a new Google Maps integration that shows New Yorkers where they can find a public restroom near them right now. The map will be updated biannually, officials said. It includes restrooms operated by the Parks Department, Department of Transportation, MTA, privately owned public spaces, and the library systems.

The map is similar to one that's been around for three years and was founded by Teddy Siegel.

"I'm so excited that the city is taking action to tackle this crisis," Siegel said.

Siegel's bathroom saga began with an incident in Times Square.

"I was out shopping with my sister when I realized I had to go. I have no idea what to do, or where to go. So after several businesses turned me away, I burst into the McDonald's in tears... . Thank God I made it in time, even though their were points where I didn't think I was going to."

"Part of making New York City a more livable city is tackling the little things — the things we don't think about until we need them," Adams said. "Access to public restrooms is high on that list, maybe even number one or two."

"Everyone — seniors, parents with kids, anyone enjoying the day outdoors, needs access to a public bathroom without having to buy anything or beg for a code," Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi said. "Public bathrooms are critical infrastructure for New York City, where people are always out and about. We're making New York City a little easier and more livable, one public restroom at a time."

Officials are also hoping to add 14 new self-cleaning automatic public restrooms citywide.

Siegel and some other members of the public said building new bathrooms, while great, won't be enough. They must remain safe, clean and in working order.

In the past five months, the Parks Department has opened new restrooms at:

Bronx Point/Mill Pond Park, Bronx
Starlight Park, Bronx
Wyckoff House Park, Brooklyn
Frederick Johnson Playground, Manhattan
Highbridge Park Adventure Playground, Manhattan
Maspeth Park, Queens
Lopez Playground, Staten Island

Just last month, the Parks Department completed adding baby changing tables to all public restrooms in city parks citywide, where feasible. It happened three years ahead of schedule.

Dave Carlin serves as a reporter for CBS2 News and covers breaking news stories and major events in the Tri-State Area.

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Google Maps

New york city is using google maps to help you find a public bathroom.

Announced this week, New York City officials are putting a focus on improving the use and finding of public bathrooms in the city, and that includes using Google Maps to do it.

In a press release this week, NYC Mayor Eric Adams announced plans for the city to refurbish existing and open new public restrooms across New York City. This is because, as The Verge puts it, “going to the bathroom in New York is a nightmare.”

Alongside efforts to improve public restrooms, the city is also trying to make it easier for people to find these restrooms, and it’s doing that through Google Maps.

A new layer in Google Maps makes it pretty easy for users to quickly locate nearby public bathrooms in New York City from any device. The map covers all parts of NYC including Staten Island. The city explains:

New York City created an official public restroom map – showcasing the operational restrooms located within our public parks, libraries, transit system, and public spaces. The map includes data from NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, NYC Department of Transportation, NYC Department of City Planning, New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, Queens Public Library, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

This isn’t an effort backed by Google, to be clear, but rather just a clever use of custom maps . NYC officials say the map will be updated biannually.

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A new Google Maps layer shows public restrooms in NYC

The map of 1,000 bathrooms is helpful for new yorkers and visitors. but it also highlights a severe lack of infrastructure..

By Mia Sato , platforms and communities reporter with five years of experience covering the companies that shape technology and the people who use their tools.

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A Google Map layer view shows hundreds of public bathrooms in New York City

There’s no elegant way to say this: going to the bathroom in New York is a nightmare. Public restrooms in the city are hard to find and are often either out of order or require you to buy something at a store or café to be able to use. The problem is so bad that individuals have created their own resources for finding public restrooms.

A new Google Maps layer introduced by the city attempts to tackle this issue. As part of a new program called “Ur in Luck,” the city has introduced a Maps view dotted with 1,000 public restrooms across the five boroughs. Users can view the map on their phones and locate the closest restroom that’s accessible to the public.

“Everyone — seniors, parents with kids, anyone enjoying the day outdoors, needs access to a public bathroom without having to buy anything or beg for a code,” Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi said in a press release . The city will also build 46 new restrooms and renovate 36 existing locations over the next five years.

Plentiful public restrooms are a quality of life issue

The map will no doubt be helpful, but I can’t help but feel angry looking at it. One thousand bathrooms for 8 million New Yorkers is woefully insufficient, and it’s unclear if every restroom on the map is in operation. There are huge swarths of the city that show no public restrooms, including popular areas around Chinatown and Soho. Many of the bathrooms close at 4PM.

Plentiful public restrooms are a quality-of-life issue — it’s hard to enjoy a day out if you have to worry about when you’ll be able to use the restroom next. Many people, including pregnant people, kids, older adults, and people with disabilities, need restrooms that are easily accessible. Thousands of unhoused people often have nowhere private to go to the bathroom, a problem exacerbated by the pandemic . Rideshare drivers must resort to urinating in bottles and parking lots due to a lack of restrooms.

There is at least one important institution that does provide public restrooms: the library system. Public library branches across New York offer comfortable bathrooms, no purchase necessary. Public libraries play an important role in communities besides having bathrooms, offering charging stations, educational resources, or simply a cool, quiet place to sit in the summer. But it’s becoming harder for libraries in New York to do this essential work because Mayor Eric Adams cut more than $58 million from the library systems’ budget this year , causing many to have to close on Sundays .

In Japan, where I grew up, there are public bathrooms in every train station, cleaned constantly throughout the day. There are easily accessible restrooms at department stores, convenience stores, and at parks. New York is a world-class city, filled with so much to do and see that spending an entire day out of the house isn’t just common but fun. Our bathroom situation woefully falls short of what New Yorkers deserve: sanitary restrooms all over the city that ensure everyone can “go” when they need to with dignity.

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Gogle Maps: How to use the Immersive View feature

When you want to go somewhere, use Google Maps to find your way. Google Maps has become synonymous with navigation, whether you use an Android smartphone or a Wear OS smartwatch . Google continues to add innovative new navigation experiences, one of which is Immersive View.

Immersive View creates 3D renders of buildings, landmarks, and other items of interest to better represent the world around you. This feature started as a way to see sites and places you're going but is now available while navigating. This guide details how to use Google Maps Immersive View to navigate.

What you need to know about Google Maps Immersive View

Immersive View uses computer vision and AI to stitch together billions of Street View and aerial images into a 3D model of the world. This gives you a multidimensional experience, letting you preview bike lanes, sidewalks, intersections, and more.

While Immersive View may sound similar to Google's AR maps feature called Live View, it works differently. Live View uses your phone's camera to keep you on track. Immersive View lets you virtually fly over a location to get a sense of the traffic and how busy it is.

Another difference between Immersive View and Live View is the former's ability to see into the future. Immersive View has a time slider that lets you see how a location looks at different times of day or in various weather conditions.

Immersive View is available while driving, walking, and cycling, but only in 15 cities. The included cities are Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dublin, Florence, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paris, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Tokyo, and Venice.

How to use Immersive View in Google Maps

You can explore new places using Immersive View in Google Maps, but only if they are located in one of the 15 supported cities. You can use the feature on Android and iOS devices. We use an Android phone in this tutorial.

Open Google Maps .
Tap the search bar at the top and search for a landmark in one of the supported cities. For example, the Eiffel Tower.
Tap the Immersive View card from the pop-up menu at the bottom of the screen. Close
Explore the location like you usually do on Google Maps and Street View.
Tap the Time & Weather icon at the bottom to see how the location looks at different times of day. It also shows the weather forecast for the next few days. Scroll left and right on the slider at the bottom to see the scenery change as the weather changes throughout the day. Close

Immersive View lets you tour an establishment from the inside, although this function is limited to a handful of locations. When you're inside a building, you'll use a joystick to navigate. Pull it up or down to move forward or backward.

Immersive View isn't available on the desktop version of Google Maps. Use the mobile app to take advantage of this feature.

How to use Google Maps Immersive View while driving

Immersive View on Google Maps shows what your route looks like before you start your trip, including bike lanes, sidewalks, intersections, and parking. This feature is available for driving, walking, and biking directions. It also shows you what traffic will be like at different times of day.

Search for your destination from the search bar at the top.
Select your destination from the results and tap Directions in the lower-left corner. Close
Choose the mode of transportation (driving, cycling, or walking).
If the Immersive View feature is available, you'll see a button to launch it. Tap the button to preview every step of your journey. The preview may take a moment to load because it's streamed from the cloud. If you don't see a button, check later.

Get immersed in Immersive View

Immersive View is a neat feature that can make navigation and planning easier. It lets you preview or explore a new place and makes planning a visit easier. While Immersive View is a great feature, Google Maps has numerous other features that improve your navigation experience .

Gogle Maps: How to use the Immersive View feature

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Full description. Travel by a comfortable motor coach and learn about the development of the diverse neighborhoods like Harlem, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Coney Island from a licensed NYC tour guide. See historic sites, such as the world-renowned Apollo Theater, the debut venue for many performers such as Ella Fitzgerald, The Jackson 5 ...
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Go to Google My Maps from your desktop browser. Check the Google icon in the top right corner to make sure you're using the Google account you want to. Click "Create A New Map" and a window will open with a blank map. To give your map a name and description, click the map name ("Untitled Map").
New York Hop On, Hop Off Bus Routes Map
Our New York Sightseeing Routes. Discover the sights of NYC with Big Bus Tours. Our bus tour routes will introduce you to the city's most famous landmarks and attractions, with pre-recorded commentary given by our expert virtual guides. Explore must-see sights such as the Empire State Building, Times Square, One World Trade Center and more.
The Best NYC Tours to Explore New York
The Best NYC Tours to Explore New York. The Best NYC Tours to Explore New York. Open full screen to view more. This map was created by a user. Learn how to create your own. ...
Walking Tours in NYC That Show The Hidden Gems of the City
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Trying Out New York City's New Bathroom Google Map
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Public Bathrooms in NYC Are Easier to Find With This New Google Map
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How to Use Google Street View in Google Maps
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A new Google Maps layer shows public restrooms in NYC
A new Google Maps layer shows public restrooms in NYC / The map of 1,000 bathrooms is helpful for New Yorkers and visitors. But it also highlights a severe lack of infrastructure.
Gogle Maps: How to use the Immersive View feature
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New York Maps – Tourist Map of NYC, USA

Map of New York for downloading

Interactive map of New York

NYC neighborhood map

NYC Self-Guided Walking Tour by a Local (Lower Manhattan & Midtown Routes)

1) NYC Self-Guided Walking Tour Details

2) Route Map & Directions

3) Lower Manhattan Walking Tour

Battery Park

Charging Bull

New York Stock Exchange

9/11 Memorial Pools

One World Observatory

Brookfield Place

Hudson River Park

Washington Square Park

Union Square Park

4) Midtown Manhattan Walking Tour

Madison Square Park

Empire State Building

Bryant Park / New York Public Library

Grand Central Terminal

Times Square

Rockefeller Center

Fifth Avenue

Central Park

5) Walking Tips

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Greenwich Village/West Village

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Upper East Side

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Upper West Side

Best things to do on the Upper West Side

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NYC Subway Maps

MTA NYC Subway Map | MTA NYC Night Subway Map

Manhattan Bus Map | Manhattan Bus Service Guide

NYC Ferry System Map

MTA Accessible Stations Subway Map | MTA Accessible Transit Guide

NYC Bike Map

MTA Open Subway Restrooms | NYC Parks Public Restroom Map Service

The Ultimate 3-Day NYC Itinerary with a Downloadable PDF

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Map for the Ultimate 3-day NYC Itinerary

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Walk New York: a FREE Self-Guided Walking Tour of Manhattan

About My Free Self-Guided Walking Tour of Manhattan

Flatiron Building & Madison Square Park

New York Public Library

Central Park

Self-Guided Walking Tour of Manhattan – Step By Step

Alternative: Start in the East Village

Washington Square Park