1. NYC: Downtown Tour & Optional One World Observatory Ticket
Welcome to New York, the city that never sleeps! Get a real feel for the city as you take to its streets and subways with a local guide and experience what Manhattan has to offer. Your full-day tour begins when you meet your guide in Times Square, at the statue of renowned lyricist and composer George M. Cohan. Hear about the history of Times Square and learn how a horse trading market became the most famous intersection in the world. Head out along New York’s Theater District, which for a hundred years has been the center of the world for actors, playwrights, and artists from around the globe. Visit 30 Rockefeller Center and continue east to Fifth Avenue, the world's most expensive street, lined with elegant storefronts such as Saks and Bergdorf Goodman. Stop to admire Patrick’s Cathedral, the New York Public Library, and the Chrysler Building before stepping beneath the arching dome of Grand Central, where there’s a stop to buy lunch with choices for most dietary restrictions. After lunch you’ll hop on the subway like a true New Yorker and head downtown to Wall Street, where you can rub the nose of the Wall Street Bull for good luck! Walk through the financial capital of the world and head to Battery Park, where the ferry awaits to show you the Statue of Liberty. The Staten Island ferry will not stop on Liberty Island, but will sail past it for a view of Lady Liberty and the Manhattan Skyline. Upon returning, your guide will take you to visit the 9/11 Memorial. At the conclusion of your tour you will be admitted to The Observatory at the One World Trade Center Tower (also know as "Freedom Tower"). This panoramic observation deck is a marvel of engineering and architecture. The program begins in the lobby of the Freedom Tower with "Voices" - a film dedicated to the men and women of the World Trade Towers and the new One World Trade Center. You will then take the "Sky Pod" elevator, which rises 1,250 feet in the air in 60 seconds. The Observation Deck begins on the 102nd floor with the See Forever Theater and moves down to the 100th floor, where the main observation deck is situated. Immersive LED displays, interactive touch screen video, and dining options mean there's plenty to do, but the true draw is the view - hundreds of feet above even the impressive New York Skyline stretching across all of Manhattan. The Itinerary Times Square Broadway Theater District Rockefeller Center St. Patrick’s Cathedral Fifth Ave Shops New York Public Library Chrysler Building Grand Central Terminal New York City Subway Charging Bull Alexander Hamilton Customs House Canyon of Heroes/Ticker Tape Parade Route Brooklyn Bridge Statue of Liberty and NYC Skyline via Staten Island Ferry Trinity Church National 9/11 Memorial Wall Street New York Stock Exchange Federal Hall One World Observatory (ticket included)