I travel to a lot of places, and while I love New York, it has a special talent. A special talent for making money disappear!

One minute you’re buying a coffee and browsing the menu, the next you’ve added a bagel, paid tax, tipped 20+%, and somehow breakfast has cost the same as a small appliance.

But you absolutely can visit New York on a budget.

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In fact, some of the best things to do in NYC are free: walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, riding the Staten Island Ferry past the Statue of Liberty, exploring Central Park, watching the Manhattan skyline light up from the Brooklyn waterfront and a whole lot more that I shall reveal below.

Of course not every part of your trip is going to be cheap. I’d choose the experiences you really want to splurge on, then save on the bits that don’t matter quite so much.

Eat a slice of pizza for lunch so you can afford a rooftop cocktail at sunset. Walk the High Line instead of paying for another observation deck. Buy breakfast at a supermarket and save your restaurant budget for somewhere memorable.

I already have a guide to the nicest affordable hotels in New York, so this post covers everything else: where to eat, shop and sightsee for less, plus plenty of free places for fabulous photos.

And a very clever hack that hotels don’t want you to know about for how to get the best prices by checking back within a couple of weeks while having a placeholder. I explain how I saved $500 here, and my friend saved $2000!

My quick tips for visiting New York on a budget

If you’re in a hurry, these are the money-saving tips I’d start with:

• Stay near a subway station, but not necessarily in Times Square (read my post on the most affordable, yet nice, hotels in NYC)
• Tap the same credit card or phone for every subway ride so your OMNY fare cap works properly
• Buy breakfast, snacks and drinks from a supermarket rather than a hotel café
• Make lunch your main restaurant meal and keep dinner casual
• Eat where New Yorkers eat: pizza shops, diners, delis, food carts and neighbourhood restaurants
• Check museum websites for free evenings, free age groups and pay-what-you-wish hours (more details below)
• Walk one direction and take the subway back
• Use the free Staten Island Ferry for harbor and Statue of Liberty views
• Pick one paid observation deck; get your other skyline views for free. I show you where below
• Never pay someone in costume in Times Square for a photo until you have agreed on the price!

Getting around New York cheaply

New York is one of the best walking cities in the world, and walking is how you stumble across the brownstone apartments, pocket parks, fire escapes, street art and neighborhood cafés that you would miss underground.

Oh and I recommend these shoes when you’ll be walking so much your health app thinks you’re about to die!

Plan your day by neighborhood so you’re not zigzagging across Manhattan. You could combine the High Line, Chelsea Market, Little Island and the West Village in one day, for example, or spend another day walking from Chinatown through Little Italy, SoHo and Greenwich Village.

When your feet have had enough, use the subway or local bus. The standard fare is currently $3, and OMNY has a rolling seven-day cap of $35. Use the same contactless bank card, phone, watch or OMNY card every time and, once you reach the cap, your remaining subway and local bus rides during that seven-day period are free. See the latest fares on the official MTA website.

Pro tip: Walking down Fifth Avenue is free. Walking into every shop on Fifth Avenue may prove otherwise.

Free and cheap things to do in New York

Ride the Staten Island Ferry

This has to be one of New York’s best free attractions. The orange Staten Island Ferry runs between Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan and St George on Staten Island, takes about 25 minutes each way and costs precisely nothing.

You’ll get terrific views of Lower Manhattan, New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty. Stand on the right-hand side when leaving Manhattan for the best statue views, then on the left coming back. Everyone has to disembark at Staten Island before boarding a return ferry.

Pro tip: Go around sunset time and you may get daylight, golden hour and the Manhattan lights for the same very reasonable price of $0.

Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge

Walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn so the skyline gradually opens behind you, then continue into DUMBO. The classic photo spot is on Washington Street, where the Manhattan Bridge is perfectly framed between red-brick buildings—with the Empire State Building peeking through its legs.

From there, wander through Brooklyn Bridge Park, ride Jane’s Carousel if you fancy a cheap little splurge, and photograph Manhattan from Pebble Beach. The views are particularly lovely at sunset and there’s places to eat and drink here.

Photo tip: Go early in the morning if you want a bridge photo featuring more suspension cables than strangers. Or, do what I did instead and go for sunset and get photos from Pebble Beach.

Explore Central Park

You could spend half a day in Central Park without buying a ticket to anything. Some of my favorite pretty stops are:

• Bethesda Terrace and Fountain
• The Mall and Literary Walk
• Bow Bridge
• The Lake
• Belvedere Castle
• Strawberry Fields and the Imagine mosaic, where someone is bound to be playing Beatles tunes
• Gapstow Bridge, with the Plaza Hotel behind it
• Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir

Buy bagels or picnic supplies before you enter and find a spot on Sheep Meadow or beside the lake. Just remember that Central Park is much larger than it looks on a map.

Walk the High Line

The High Line is a free elevated park built on an old railway line. It runs along Manhattan’s West Side through gardens, public art and fragments of old track, with interesting views into the streets and buildings below – and at eye level.

You could start around Hudson Yards (where you could splash out and spend money to go to The Edge for incredible views on a clear day from 1100 feet above the city) and walk south towards Chelsea Market.

The High Line becomes busy, so early morning is best if you want photos without a queue of people accidentally starring in them.

Visit Little Island

Nearby Little Island is a quirky free park built above the Hudson River, with curving pathways, lawns and river views.

Pair the High Line walk and this together for an excellent low-cost morning. Look out for events on Little Island too, as they have an amphitheatre (The Amph) looking out onto the river and across to New Jersey. There are often pop-up food outlets here too.

Find free New York skyline viewpoints

You don’t need to pay for every famous observation deck. Save your money for the one you most want to visit, then collect free views from:

• Brooklyn Heights Promenade
• Brooklyn Bridge Park and Pebble Beach
• Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City
• Roosevelt Island, especially the southern end near Four Freedoms Park
• Domino Park in Williamsburg
• Governors Island
• The Staten Island Ferry
• The rooftop at Pier 57

Gantry Plaza is especially good at sunset, with the East River in front of you and the United Nations and Midtown skyline directly opposite.

Wander through Grand Central Terminal

Grand Central is a working station, but it also happens to be one of New York’s most beautiful buildings. Look up at the celestial ceiling in the Main Concourse, find the opal clock above the information booth and try the Whispering Gallery near the Oyster Bar.

We stopped for an expensive cocktail just to treat ourselves, but you don’t need to!

Walk a few blocks west to see the Chrysler Building, Bryant Park and the marble lions outside the New York Public Library. The library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building also offers free guided tours, although you’ll need to reserve a time.

Visit the 9/11 Memorial

The outdoor part of the 9/11 Memorial is free to visit. It is made up of two enormous square reflecting pools that sit in the footprints of the Twin Towers, with the victims’ names cut into the bronze parapets. It’s very moving and beautiful.

The 9/11 Memorial Museum next door charges admission, so you can decide whether this is one of your paid priorities.

Nearby, it costs nothing to step inside the Oculus for amazing photos of Santiago Calatrava’s dramatic white transit hub, which looks rather like a dove, a whale skeleton or a very expensive pair of ribs depending on your point of view.

Depending on the time of year, you might find several food trucks parked down here too for a cheap bite.

See free television being made

My brother turned up on the day and got into The View, although you never know which guests are going to be on. Several New York television shows distribute free audience tickets, although you usually need to apply well ahead and there is no guarantee you’ll get in.

Live audience shows include The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The View, The Daily Show and Live with Kelly and Mark are released through 1iota.com.

You can also attend screenings, premieres and tapings of sitcoms.

For Saturday Night Live, enter the official NBC lottery, which usually opens during August for the upcoming season. Never pay a third-party seller for television audience tickets—they are meant to be free.

Look for free events

New York’s parks and public spaces host free films, concerts, dance classes and performances, especially in summer.

Check the calendars for Bryant Park, Central Park, Hudson River Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park and Lincoln Center. Lincoln Center’s summer programme, for example, includes hundreds of free and choose-what-you-pay events. Or check on Eventbrite for free events coming up all over the city.

In winter, the Christmas markets and department-store windows are free to browse and take a gazillion fun photos, as is the Rockefeller Center tree (go early if you want a pic without masses of people) and the festive lights around the city.

The skating rinks, alas, are where your wallet may perform a triple axel, but I prefer to spend my limited budget on a mulled winter wine while watching at Bryant Park’s ice skating rink and shopping the Christmas markets.

I have lots of ideas in my guide to Christmas in New York.

Free museums in New York

Museum admission policies change frequently, and the words “free” and “pay what you wish” often come with conditions. Some offers are for everyone; others are only for New York residents, students or particular age groups. Always check the museum’s own website before going.

These are some of the best options for non-resident visitors:

National Museum of the American Indian

Housed in the splendid Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House near Battery Park, the National Museum of the American Indian is free and does not require a ticket. Its collections explore Indigenous cultures across the Americas, and the building itself is worth seeing.

The Bronx Museum

The Bronx Museum focuses on contemporary art and admission is always free for everyone. Combine it with a walk along the Grand Concourse, a meal on Arthur Avenue or a Yankees game if the team is at home.

Museum at FIT

Fashion lovers should check what is showing at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Free admission, exhibitions change regularly and the museum is small enough to fit between other Chelsea activities. Check its calendar carefully, as galleries close between exhibitions.

Queens Museum

The Queens Museum has pay-what-you-wish admission and is home to the Panorama of the City of New York, an enormous scale model of all five boroughs. It’s in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, where you can also photograph the Unisphere left from the 1964 World’s Fair.

Brooklyn Museum First Saturdays

The Brooklyn Museum’s First Saturdays are free and include general admission plus evening programmes, but advance registration is required. Tickets can disappear quickly, so set a reminder.

New York Public Library

It isn’t technically a museum, but the free Polonsky Exhibition at the main Fifth Avenue library displays treasures from its collections. The items rotate, but past displays have included original manuscripts, historic maps, photographs and a certain very famous stuffed bear that inspired Winnie-the-Pooh.

New York residents free admissions

Important info for visitors: The Met’s pay-what-you-wish admission is for New York State residents and students from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut—not every visitor. MoMA’s free Friday evenings are also for New York State residents. If you are visiting from elsewhere, budget for regular admission or check whether your age, student status, membership or bank card qualifies for another offer.

Where to eat cheaply in New York

Eating cheaply in New York does not have to mean eating badly. This city excels at grab-and-go food, counter food and delicious things served on paper plates.

Get a proper New York slice

Pizza by the slice was on my bucket list last time I visisted and I was not disappointed at Joe’s Pizza. It’s the perfect budget lunch and the line (onto the street) moved fast.

You’ll find slice shops everywhere, but look for a steady stream of locals and pies being replaced frequently rather than slices sitting sadly under heat lamps.

As well as Joe’s Pizza, make a note of Scarr’s, Mama’s TOO!, NY Pizza Suprema and L’Industrie, but the best budget slice may simply be the busy shop you pass when you’re hungry. Order at the counter, add chilli flakes or parmesan if available, fold it like a New Yorker and try not to wear it down your shirt.

Eat in Chinatown

Chinatown remains one of Manhattan’s best areas for inexpensive food. Look for dumplings, hand-pulled noodles, roast meats over rice, congee, bánh mì and bakeries selling buns and egg tarts.

Rather than fixating on one “must-eat” restaurant—which may have a queue wrapped around the block—walk along Mott, Bayard, Pell and Doyers Streets and see what looks lively. Share a few dishes if you’re travelling with someone, and bring cash because some smaller shops are cash-only or have card minimums.

Try a bodega breakfast

For a cheap and very New York breakfast, order a bacon, egg and cheese roll at a bodega or deli. A bagel with lox, breakfast sandwich, fruit and coffee will usually cost far less than a sit-down brunch—and you won’t lose two hours of sightseeing waiting for someone to refill your water.

Visit food carts

New York food carts can be excellent value, although to date I have been too nervous to try them! The classic halal-cart order is chicken or gyro meat over rice with salad and white sauce. You’ll also find tacos, hot dogs, breakfast carts and seasonal vendors selling roasted nuts.

Check that prices are displayed before ordering lest they rip you off. Midtown carts in the most touristy spots may charge considerably more than vendors a few streets away.

Use food halls strategically

Chelsea Market, Essex Market, Urban Hawker, Tin Building and other food halls are fun to explore, but not every stall is cheap. They work best when everyone wants something different or when you split a couple of dishes rather than accidentally assembling a $45 “budget” lunch one snack at a time.

Essex Market is a useful Lower East Side stop for groceries as well as prepared food, while the basement food court at New World Mall in Flushing is brilliant for exploring regional Chinese dishes at generally lower prices than you’ll find around Midtown.

Go beyond Manhattan to dine

Some of New York’s best-value eating is in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. Consider:

• Jackson Heights for Indian, Nepalese, Tibetan, Colombian and Mexican food
• Flushing for Chinese, Korean and Taiwanese dishes
• Sunset Park for Mexican and Chinese food
• Astoria for Greek, Egyptian and Middle Eastern restaurants
• Arthur Avenue for Italian delis, bakeries and restaurants

You don’t need to turn it into a complicated expedition. Choose one neighborhood, arrive hungry and make it your afternoon’s entertainment.

Make lunch the main event

This is a great travel trip if you are alone and don’t want to be seated in the singleton party of one (*how ironic), or if you have kids with you and they would be easier to feed midday rather than 6pm.

If there is a restaurant you’re determined to try, see whether it offers a lunch special, prix-fixe menu or happy hour. The same dining room and chef may cost considerably less at noon than at 8pm.

My husband and I split our lunches on our last visit and saved our budget for a nice dinner.

NYC Restaurant Week usually runs in winter and summer, with set menus at participating restaurants. It is not necessarily cheap, but it can be an affordable way to try a more expensive restaurant. Check the current dates and offers on the official NYC Restaurant Week page.

Remember that menu prices do not include sales tax or tip. At a full-service restaurant, allow roughly another 30% on top so the bill doesn’t deliver a final-act plot twist. It’s brutal if you’re not used to the plus-plus tax habit in the US.

Save money by eating in

If you have a kitchenette, great. Buy breakfast supplies, fruit, drinks and snacks from Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Target, Aldi, Lidl or a local supermarket.

Some Whole Foods stores have large prepared-food sections, although the pay-by-weight buffet can become surprisingly expensive when enthusiasm meets a heavy spoon.

A good budget routine is:

• Breakfast in your room
• A pizza slice, sandwich, dumplings or food-cart lunch
• One proper sit-down meal
• Refill a water bottle during the day

If the weather is good, buy picnic food and eat in Bryant Park, Central Park, Madison Square Park, Domino Park or Brooklyn Bridge Park. You get million-dollar scenery without the million-dollar drinks list.

Pro tip: Check whether your hotel room has a mini fridge before buying yoghurt, milk and enough cheese to cater a wedding. Also make sure the “mini fridge” is not an automated minibar that charges you merely for moving its tiny, overpriced residents.

Where to shop cheaply in New York

New York can be superb for bargain shopping—provided you step away from the full-price department stores. I confess, I’m not a great rummager, but I can show you where to find the bargains!

Century 21

Century 21 reopened opposite the World Trade Center and is once again a useful hunting ground for discounted designer clothes, shoes, bags and accessories. Stock varies, so think treasure hunt rather than guaranteed shopping list.

It is easy to combine with the 9/11 Memorial, Oculus, Wall Street and Battery Park – which is also close to where you take the free Staten Island ferry from. Go earlier in the day before both the rails and your patience become tangled.

Nordstrom Rack, Marshalls and TJ Maxx

I’m not a great rummager, but these off-price stores sell past-season and excess stock from a wide range of brands. The better labels are often mixed among perfectly ordinary ones, so leave time to rummage and always check the final-sale policy.

Nordstrom Rack has multiple New York locations, including Union Square, and you’ll find Marshalls and TJ Maxx around the city. Prices and stock vary by branch.

Sample sales

New York sample sales can offer big discounts on fashion, beauty and homewares. Some are calm and civilised; others involve queues, strict bag rules and the competitive energy of an Olympic final. I’m out!

Check reputable current listings such as 260 Sample Sale before your trip. Read the rules, know whether changing rooms are available and don’t buy something merely because the label says it used to cost $900.

Thrift and vintage stores

Housing Works is a popular place to browse because its charity shops carry donated fashion, books and homewares, and proceeds support its community work. Beacon’s Closet, Buffalo Exchange, L Train Vintage and 2nd Street are other useful names for second-hand and vintage finds.

For a fun browsing afternoon, try the East Village and Lower East Side, Williamsburg or Bushwick. Vintage does not always mean cheap in New York, so check the price tag before falling emotionally in love with a 1980s jacket.

Flea markets

Chelsea Flea and the various Artists & Fleas locations are good for vintage clothing, jewellery, art, records and quirky souvenirs. Brooklyn Flea is another popular option when operating.

Flea markets are ideal if you want something more interesting than an “I ❤️ NY” T-shirt, although one of those is practically compulsory. I’ve written a separate guide to my favourite flea markets in New York, including Chelsea, Brooklyn and indoor markets.

Outlets

Day trip to Woodbury Common Premium Outlets

If you’re a serious bargain hunter, you’ll enjoy a day to Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, about an hour north of New York City.

It has more than 250 stores, including over 80 luxury outlets such as Gucci, Prada, Burberry, Saint Laurent, Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch, Saks OFF 5th and Michael Kors. You don’t need a car: you can take a transfer with Viator which includes a VIP discount booklet. It departs from 1651 Broadway, W 51st and Broadway in front of McDonalds) and is a 6-hour round-trip.

You can also bring (or buy) a suitcase onboard, which makes this a great day trip before a late flight when you’ve had to check out of your hotel.

Depending on the season, factor the fare and most of a day into your calculations. Woodbury is good value if you have several things to buy, rather than spending $48 on transport to save $20 on a handbag. Check the outlet’s online deals before you go, make a list of your priority stores and take an empty suitcase. You have been warned.

Find cheap souvenirs

Chinatown and the streets around Canal Street have inexpensive souvenirs, luggage and accessories. Be aware that counterfeit designer goods are illegal, quality can be dubious and the super-secret handbag room should be avoided at all cost.

For better-value and genuinely New York gifts, look in museum shops without necessarily visiting the museum, browse the New York Public Library shop, pick up food items from a neighbourhood market or buy prints directly from local artists.

Cheap Broadway tickets and entertainment

You don’t always need to pay full price for a Broadway show.

• TKTS booths sell same-day and next-day discount tickets to selected productions
• Many shows offer digital lotteries or in-person rush tickets
• Standing-room tickets may be released when a performance sells out
• Broadway Week generally offers two-for-one tickets during selected winter and autumn dates
• Off-Broadway shows and comedy clubs can cost considerably less than a major musical

Check each production’s official website for its lottery and rush rules. If there is one show you would be devastated to miss, buy that ticket in advance and use discounts for your second choice.

Be cautious with ticket sellers around Times Square and always check whether the price includes fees.

Here’s a sample cheap day in New York

Here’s how I would put these ideas together:

• Eat a bagel or breakfast sandwich from a local deli near your hotel
• Walk the High Line from Hudson Yards, down to Chelsea and explore Little Island
• Share a couple of dishes at Chelsea Market or buy a pizza slice
• Walk through the West Village to Washington Square Park
• Take the subway downtown and explore the Oculus, 911 Memorial waterfalls, Wall Street bull and Battery Park
• Ride the Staten Island Ferry around sunset
• Finish with dumplings or noodles in Chinatown

Your only essential costs are food and transport, but the day includes parks, neighbourhoods, architecture, harbor views, the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline.