New York City hit it big as a 2026 destination this year and thanks to feedback from travelers, the best three things to do that folks enjoy the most are now officially recognized.
Tours used to be so 1990s but they come back into favor in The Big Apple this year. Rather than wandering around solo, most travelers selected guided versions of famous landmarks instead of buying a basic entry ticket. Read on for more details.
Pedicabs In Central Park
The “Central Park Pedicab Guided Tours” scored a big win this year. If you don’t know, you hardly need to lift a finger to enjoy yourself. A local and knowledgeable guide does all the work for you. Mostly, folks enjoy the fun of cruising around the lovely gardens.
It’s not just us saying that either, because the activity made it to Tripadvisor’s 2026 Travelers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Things To Do this week.
The NYC tour earned plenty of thumbs up in the ratings on the website. One of the biggest things that folks liked about the New York City tour was the availability of Insta-ready pics just waiting to be snapped. Also, it’s safe, and the guides add a lot of history to the experience.
Liberty And Ellis Island
Next up was the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Tour with Reserved Ferry Entry. You can’t do New York City without seeing the famous historic site.
The ferry’s not only fun, but it also saves time. The tour that 97 percent of folks loved so much includes walking around Liberty Island and checking out the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration.
Tour guides know their stuff, and while it might sound boring, it isn’t like that at all. Per reviews, the storytelling brings many immigrants to life. And of course, the view of the Manhattan skyline from the pedestal remains a highlight for anyone visiting the city.
Remembering At Ground Zero
The third best thing to do came from folks who went to the downtown “9/11 Memorial, Ground Zero Tour with Optional 9/11 Museum Ticket.” While it was a massive tragedy and changed much of the world as folks knew it, many people don’t remember the day. So, the experience left a big impression on many younger visitors.
Those who visited the major New York City site felt that a guide helped them grasp the whole thing a lot better than just wandering around alone. That’s because they could fully grasp the meaning behind the memorial and the reflecting pools. Most folks also went on and visited the museum with its artifacts.
While listening to recorded messages from that day might seem a bit of a downer, the fact remians that people rank it as a good experience because of the incredible way the city bounced back after such a shocking moment in history.
Did you ever go on any of the tours mentioned above? What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below, and remember to come back here often for all your travel news and updates.