Niagara Falls

Day 1

NEW YORK

Arrive in New York City, America’s premier city and greatest attraction. After settling into your hotel, head out into the streets and join in on the action. An afternoon tour could begin with a visit to Times Square, followed by a stroll past Broadway’s theaters, some people-watching in Central Park, and a return along Fifth Avenue’s skyscrapers and storefronts. Still a little tired after your long journey? Check with your hotel concierge for last-minute tickets on a sunset harbor cruise, join a hop-on/hop-off bus tour, or simply settle into a drink and watch the city lights come up at one of New York’s rooftop bars & restaurants.

Day 2

NEW YORK

A full day to explore New York and everything it has to offer. New York’s story begins in downtown Manhattan, originally the colonial Dutch city of New Amsterdam. Follow the immigrant story at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, then take a moment at Ground Zero to reflect on our own changing times. Continue north past SoHo’s stylish shops to Greenwich Village’s genteel streets, or wander through Chinatown’s kaleidoscope of sights, sounds and smells on your way to Little Italy and the Lower East Side. For tonight, plan your evening with a copy of this week’s Time Out magazine, and see for yourself how New York is the city that never sleeps.

Day 3

NEW YORK

Continue your exploration of New York in Midtown Manhattan, perhaps with a trip to the top of the Empire State Building or Rockefeller Center. Today might be a good day to visit Fifth Avenue’s Museum Mile, then wander the residential streets of the Upper East and Upper West Sides, crossing through Central Park along the way. Or head for the Hudson River waterfront for a harbor cruise, then pick up a bicycle rental to explore the city on two wheels: the Hudson River Greenway and Central Park make for excellent cycling tours.

Day 4

NEW YORK » HUDSON HIGHLANDS (105 mi / 165 km)

Rich in history and scenic beauty, the Hudson River is truly one of America’s great waterways. Your day begins with a riverside drive en route to Sleepy Hollow, where 18th-Century life is recreated at the Dutch settlement of Philipsburg Manor. Tours to the Rockefeller Estate also depart from here, then you’ll drive winding roads to enjoy panoramic river views in the Hudson Highlands. Stop in Cold Spring for its charming Main Street shops and cafes, then continue on to the Hyde Park homes of the Roosevelts and the Vanderbilts. This evening, stop by the Beekman Arms (1766), America’s oldest continuously operating inn, for a drink or dinner where George Washington once dined. (note: Philipsburg Manor & the Rockefeller Estate are closed Tuesdays).

Day 5

HUDSON HIGHLANDS » NEW PALTZ » WOODSTOCK » CATSKILL MOUNTAINS (125 mi / 200 km)

Breakfast this morning at the Culinary Institute of America, America’s premier cooking school, where the prices are as reasonable as the food is delicious. Continue across the Hudson to New Paltz, a colorful college town, where you can visit the 300-year-old houses of the original Huguenot settlers. Gain altitude on the dramatic Shawangunk Ridge, a favorite for rock-climbers, on your way to Woodstock, an artist’s colony long before residents such as Dylan and Hendrix or the music festival made it famous. In Phoenicia you can join the locals and go ‘tubing’, or floating down a creek in a large tire’s inner tube, then take a short hike to Kaaterskill Falls, a favorite motif for the Hudson River school of painters.

Day 6	CATSKILL MOUNTAINS » WEST POINT (175 mi / 280 km)
Spend a day enjoying the outdoors in the Catskills, or take a detour to Howe Caverns, where you can explore the caves and go for a boat ride on an underground lake. You could also take a trip to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, for a taste of New England, then, return along the river to West Point, home of the US Military Academy, with the finest river views in all the Hudson Valley.

Day 7	WEST POINT » NEW YORK (60 mi / 100 km)
Return to New York this morning with enough time to enjoy a full day in the city. Along the way, stop for pictures of the Manhattan skyline before going back to your hotel.

Day 8	NEW YORK
A final day to enjoy the Big Apple. Take the opportunity to do some last-minute shopping for your friends and family back home, or revisit a favorite neighborhood to enjoy a relaxing morning before your flight departs.