New York City

A gift from France in 1886, the statue welcomed millions of immigrants arriving by sea. Ferries from Battery Park stop at Liberty Island and at Ellis Island, where the immigration museum tells the story of those who passed through.

TipBuy tickets only from Statue City Cruises, the official ferry operator, and book well ahead if you want to climb to the pedestal or crown. For a free view, ride the Staten Island Ferry.

Opened in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the world's first steel-wire suspension bridge. Walking across from Manhattan, on the elevated walkway above the traffic, offers superb views of the skyline. On the Brooklyn side, the old warehouse district of DUMBO has cobbled streets, waterfront parks and a famous view of the Manhattan Bridge.

TipWalk from Brooklyn towards Manhattan for the skyline ahead of you, ideally early in the morning or at sunset.

New York's seaside playground at the end of the subway line, with a wide sandy beach, a wooden boardwalk, the historic Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone roller coaster, opened in 1927. In summer it's loud, crowded and great fun; the New York Aquarium is next door.

Two reflecting pools set in the footprints of the Twin Towers, with the names of the nearly three thousand victims of the attacks of 2001 and 1993 inscribed around their edges. The museum beneath tells the story of the day. The memorial plaza is free; the museum has an entrance fee.

A neighbourhood of tree-lined streets, brownstones, jazz clubs and cafés, with Washington Square Park at its heart. Further south, SoHo's cast-iron buildings house fashion boutiques, while the Lower East Side, Chinatown and Little Italy are a short walk away.

A park built on a disused elevated railway, running for about two kilometres above the streets of the West Side, with gardens, art and views over the Hudson River. It links the Meatpacking District, with the Whitney Museum, to Hudson Yards, passing Chelsea's art galleries and Chelsea Market along the way.

Grand Central Terminal, opened in 1913, is a beautiful Beaux-Arts station with a vast concourse under a ceiling painted with constellations. Nearby are the Chrysler Building, the New York Public Library and, a few blocks away, the Empire State Building and the neon of Times Square. For views, the city's observation decks include the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock and One World Observatory.

MoMA holds one of the world's finest collections of modern art, from Van Gogh's The Starry Night and Monet's Water Lilies to Picasso, Warhol and contemporary design.

An 843-acre park in the middle of Manhattan, designed in the 1850s by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, with lakes, meadows, woods and some of the city's best people-watching. Don't miss the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, the Mall's avenue of elms, and the views of the skyline from the reservoir.

TipRent a bike or a rowing boat, or walk the park from south to north, from 59th to 110th Street, over a long morning.

One of the world's greatest museums, with art from five thousand years of human history, from an Egyptian temple to American period rooms, European old masters and arms and armour. In summer, its roof garden has views over Central Park.

TipAdmission for visitors from outside New York State is by fixed ticket, but residents pay what they wish. Pick a few galleries rather than trying to see it all.

Frank Lloyd Wright's spiralling white building on Fifth Avenue, opened in 1959, is as much a work of art as the collection inside, which ranges from Kandinsky and Picasso to contemporary art. Visitors walk up, or down, a continuous ramp beneath a glass dome.

The centre of African American culture in New York, and the home of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. Walk past the Apollo Theater on 125th Street, the elegant row houses of Strivers' Row, and churches where gospel music fills Sunday services, then stay for soul food or live jazz.

TipSome churches welcome visitors to Sunday services; dress respectfully, stay for the whole service, and never take photos during worship.

A branch of the Metropolitan Museum devoted to medieval Europe, built from parts of monasteries shipped from France and Spain, in a park high above the Hudson River at the northern tip of Manhattan. Its treasures include the Unicorn Tapestries, and its cloister gardens are some of the most peaceful places in the city.