NYC has always been top of my list, but I have always shied away from it as it’s just SO far and can seem so overwhelming, especially if you only have a few days. It’s far for us Aussie’s to travel too, so I always told myself “one day”

That was until my daughter and I decided we wanted to go see the Stranger Things play on Broadway, and things just fell into place!!

So after visiting NYC for the first time from Australia, here is exactly how we did it, what it cost, where we stayed, how we got around, and how I would structure a 4 day New York itinerary so you don’t waste valuable time.

If you are an Australian planning your first trip to New York City, this guide will help you do it without the stress hopefully!!

Getting There

Flights

Flying from Australia to New York typically takes between 24 – 30 hours total travel time, depending on connections and routes.

We secured Qantas Classic Reward flights using points.

Our route was: Melbourne to Dallas > Dallas to New York (La Guardia). Return New York (JFK) to Auckland > Auckland to Australia

We paid approximately $950 AUD per person in taxes and fees, plus Qantas Points. These were pretty last minute finds, about two weeks prior and I did have to play around a bit to get them to work, including different routes. But an absolute score considering cash price was around $5k AUD for both of us!!

Airport Transfers

We landed at LaGuardia and caught an Uber into Manhattan, mostly because it was SUPER late and we didn’t want to haul our bags in the cold late at night on an unfamiliar subway.

Cost: around $120 AUD

Traffic in New York is unpredictable, so factor that into your timing. Public transport is available from Laguardia but you have to change trains, after 20+ hours of flying, Uber was worth it for us.

Where to Stay

We stayed at Hotel Edison in Times Square for 5 nights, which cost us $1,600 AUD total. This came recommended and had pretty good reviews. For New York, that is very reasonable pricing in a prime location.

This was a great hotel as it was right in Times Square, steps away from all the Broadway theatres (and we were mostly doing shows). It was also super easy subway access and perfect for a first trip as it’s not hard to find your way back to Times Square.

However, I will note it is an older building and the walls are thin, there is a lot of street noise and it’s always busy around there.

Next time, I would likely stay slightly further south of Times Square for a quieter experience. But if I was planning a Broadway heavy trip again, I would absolutely stay here.

Klook.com

Getting Around

The New York subway system was super easy, affordable, reliable and they have both a card you can buy and top up easy or just contactless payment with your card. I didn’t do this though to avoid fees everytime I tapped.

We spent approximately $30 per person total on subway transport for the trip.

Otherwise, you will walk. A lot. So take comfy shoes!! New York is a walking city. Grouping your days by area helps, but you will still hit high step counts daily.

Comfort over fashion every time.

4 Day New York Itinerary for First Time Visitors

One thing to note, it might look close on the map, but between subways, crowds and general NYC pace, you can waste valuable time bouncing all over the island. I found it much better to group days by neighbourhood or area. It reduced backtracking and made everything flow smoothly.

I always create a Google Map with all the places saved I want to visit and work it out from there!!

Here is how I would structure 4 days in NYC:

Day 1: Midtown

• Times Square
• Rockefeller Center or Empire State Building
• Fifth Avenue shopping
• Harry Potter store/experience
• Broadway show in the evening

Day 2: Central Park & Uptown

• Central Park morning walk
• The Met or MoMA
• Upper East or Upper West exploring
• Theatre again if you are a Broadway lover

This is where we visited the Stoop in the City at East 78th Street on the Upper East Side

Day 3: Lower Manhattan & Brooklyn

• Statue of Liberty
• Ellis Island
• 9/11 Memorial
• Walk the Brooklyn Bridge
• Old Mates Pub
• Dinner in DUMBO

Day 4: SoHo, West Side & The High Line

• SoHo
• Greenwich Village
• The High Line
• Chelsea Market
• Hudson Yards

This is where we saw Taylor’s apartment, Cornelia St, Carrie’s apartment, Ghostbusters HQ and Electric Lady Studios

Booking Broadway Shows & Tours

I booked many of our Broadway tickets through Tixtoday & Klook, which had excellent availability and pricing. For tours and attractions, I used Klook, which I use heavily when we travel.

It is especially useful for:

• Broadway Shows
• Statue of Liberty tickets
• 9/11 War Memorial
• Attraction passes
• Skip the line options

If you are booking through Klook, you can use my discount code: OLIVIAWHITEKLOOK

Klook.com

Budget Breakdown for 5 Nights in New York

I think it is one of those cities where you could absolutely spend a lot. Obviously we were conscious of costs and it was just the two of us. Here is our actual approximate spend:

Category	Cost
Flights (Classic Reward)	$900 AUD per person in taxes + Qantas Points
Accommodation (5 nights)	$1,600 AUD
Uber from LaGuardia	$120 AUD
Subway Transport	$30 AUD per person
Broadway Shows	For 3 shows $1100 AUD
Tours (via Klook)	$120 AUD
Food (5 nights)	around $1,000 USD

For our 5 night trip to New York for two people, our total spend came to roughly $4,000–$4,200 AUD plus around $1,000 USD for food.

A big reason we were able to keep the cost down was by using Qantas Points for our flights, meaning we only paid about $900 AUD per person in taxes and fees instead of the roughly $5,000 AUD cash price the flights would have cost.

Ways We Saved Money

There were a few key ways we kept the overall cost of the trip lower:

• Using Qantas Points for flights made the biggest difference. Instead of paying thousands for flights from Australia to New York, we only covered the taxes and fees.
• Booking tours through Klook helped us secure good pricing on attractions like the Statue of Liberty, and you can also use my discount code OLIVIAWHITEKLOOK for additional savings.
• Cashback through ShopBack is another easy way to reduce costs when booking hotels, tours, or activities online.
• Using points for hotels can also significantly reduce accommodation costs if you have loyalty points saved up with Qantas or any other hotel loyalty like Accor.

New York can definitely be an expensive city, but with a little planning and using points, discounts and cashback where possible, it’s absolutely possible to experience it without spending a fortune.

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Final Thoughts

For me, New York completely lived up to the hype. It was everything I expected and more, and I cannot wait to go back!!

Absolutely, using Qantas Points helped reduce the cost of the trip significantly for us, which made travelling all the way from Australia feel far more achievable. Once you’re there, the city is surprisingly easy to navigate, and with a little planning you can see a lot in a short amount of time.

One thing I would strongly recommend is travel insurance. We actually ended up needing to claim several unexpected costs due to weather disruptions affecting our travel plans. Having insurance meant those expenses were covered, which made a stressful situation much easier to deal with. I personally use Cover-More or Passport Card.

That all said, I absolutely cannot wait to go back and explore even more neighbourhoods and experiences in the future.

But if you’re planning your first trip to New York, I hope this guide helps you navigate the city and get the most out of even a short visit.