How to Enjoy Sightseeing in NYC on a Budget
New York is one of the greatest cities in the world to go sightseeing. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the more expensive places to spend a vacation. But if you are budget traveling and spent all your money, there are tons of options left. We spent an entire day in NYC exploring the best sights to enjoy on the cheap. Here’s what $20 in New York City can get you!
Budget Traveling to New York city
It may be an expensive city, but there are a lot of opportunities to save money. If you’re on the East coast, it’s possible to book a coach bus for as low as a few dollars! Check out Wanderu, and you can get to the city without worrying about tolls, parking, or gas.
Going uptown
Budget Accommodations
Lodging can really be expensive in New York, especially in Manhattan. If you can’t stay at a friends house you can always try Couch Surfing. You get a free place to stay and can potentially meet some cool people! There are relatively cheap hotels and hostels around the city, but don’t expect too much out of them.
$20 in New York City Budget Adventure
We began our journey in Staten Island, buying a famous New York City Bagel at the Ferry terminal for $3. We got on the next ferry (which is free to ride) for some great views of the city and the Statue of Liberty. After landing in Manhattan, we went to the nearest subway station and bought a Metro Card for $6.50. A single ride is $2.75 and $1 for a new card so we got enough for a round trip.
We got on the train and headed to the trendy Lower East Side for souvenirs at a local gem shop ($2.50). After that we walked towards the High Line, an elevated garden park on the West side. It’s free to walk around but much more enjoyable in the summer months. Chelsea Market is close by, so we headed there for some window shopping and to see all the cool local shops.
Chelsea 
Market 
The High 
Line
After working up an appetite, we headed to Artichoke Basille’s Pizza for some of that amazing NY style pizza. We splurged about $6.50 on the pizza but it was totally worth it! Next we walked uptown to the Vessel, one of the coolest new monuments by the Hudson Yards. Tickets are free as long as you reserve them online, and it offers some great views.
The Hive aka the Vessel 
Artichoke Pizza
We definitely saved some money by walking around, but had to spend our last $1.50 on a bottle of water from a food truck. It was a pretty awesome day but way too cold to keep it going. We caught the next subway home thanks to our round trip ticket and returned with a new appreciation for $20.
Sightseeing Alternatives
As you can see, there are many ways to adventure around the city on a budget. With an even more constrained itinerary, you could of skipped the subway and walked everywhere, stopped at one of the $1 pizza shops, or looked for even cheaper souvenirs at the plethora of shops by Times square. Some of my other favorite iconic landmarks to see for free include: the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, Grand Central Station, and the One World Trade Center (not to the top obviously). Many of the food trucks scattered around offer lots of unique meal options for reasonable prices too! Stay tuned for more adventures to New York City and beyond. Thanks for reading and keep leveling up!
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