The United States East Coast packs centuries of history into endlessly walkable cities, where colonial cobblestones meet gleaming skylines. This 16-day itinerary connects New York City, Washington, DC, and Boston—three cultural capitals stitched together by the Amtrak Northeast Corridor and a shared love of museums, parks, and good food.

Expect marquee sights—Central Park, the National Mall, and the Freedom Trail—balanced with neighborhood detours and under-the-radar eats. You’ll sample a Queens food crawl, sip espresso in Georgetown, and slurp oysters in Boston’s Seaport, all while tracing the American story from revolution to present day.

Practical notes: tipping is customary (18–20% at restaurants), sales tax is added at checkout, and timed-entry is common for popular museums. Spring brings DC’s cherry blossoms, fall paints Boston in color, and NYC dazzles year-round. Pack for changing weather and lots of walking.

New York City

Start where America’s skyline was written in steel and ambition. New York City is a patchwork of villages—Midtown’s architectural icons, SoHo’s cast-iron facades, Brooklyn’s converted warehouses, and Queens’ global kitchens. Every subway ride rewrites your map.

Base yourself near a subway line for quick hops: Midtown for convenience, the West Village for cozy streets, or Williamsburg for creative energy. Compare stays on VRBO New York City or Hotels.com New York City.

Getting in: Fly into JFK, LaGuardia, or Newark. Check fares on Trip.com flights or Kiwi.com. Transit to Manhattan typically takes 35–75 minutes depending on airport and time of day.

Days 1–2: Midtown Icons, Central Park, and a Broadway Night

Walk Fifth Avenue’s architectural runway: Grand Central’s celestial ceiling, the New York Public Library’s stone lions, and Rockefeller Center’s art deco reliefs. Choose one observatory—Top of the Rock, Edge at Hudson Yards, One World, or SUMMIT One Vanderbilt ($40–$70)—for a golden-hour skyline.

Stroll Central Park’s Mall, Bethesda Terrace, and the Ramble. Cap a night with Broadway; book in advance or try same-day rush/lottery on show apps. Expect $70–$200+ per ticket depending on demand.

• Coffee & breakfast: Devoción (Williamsburg and Flatiron) for Colombian-direct beans; Ess-a-Bagel for hand-rolled bagels piled high; Russ & Daughters Cafe for smoked fish with 110 years of lore.
• Lunch: Los Tacos No. 1 (Chelsea Market) for griddled adobada; The Modern Bar Room (at MoMA) for polished small plates; Sarge’s for classic New York deli sandwiches.
• Dinner: Via Carota (West Village) for rustic Italian and a famed insalata verde; Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi (Lincoln Center) for Afro-Caribbean flavors with New York swagger; Keens Steakhouse for mutton chop and pipe-laden walls.
• Drinks: Dante (aperitivo culture perfected) or The Campbell (cocktails in a restored 1920s salon inside Grand Central).

Days 3–4: Lower Manhattan, 9/11 Memory, and the Harbor

Take the free Staten Island Ferry for Statue of Liberty views without the crowds; return for Battery Park gardens and the Charging Bull. Visit the 9/11 Memorial’s twin voids, then the museum ($33 adults) for a sobering, thoughtful narrative.

Wander SoHo’s cast-iron blocks, Nolita’s boutiques, and Chinatown’s bakeries. Cross the Brooklyn Bridge toward DUMBO’s cobbles and the postcard-perfect Manhattan Bridge view on Washington Street.

• Coffee & breakfast: Maman (SoHo) for pistachio chocolate croissants; Golden Steamer (Chinatown) for fresh buns under $2.
• Lunch: Katz’s Delicatessen for hand-carved pastrami; Balthazar for a bustling brasserie fix; Joe’s Shanghai for soup dumplings.
• Dinner: Lilia (Williamsburg) for wood-fired pastas; Laser Wolf Brooklyn for Israeli skewers and epic salatim; Bâtard’s successor spaces change—book reliable standbys like Gramercy Tavern for seasonal American.
• Nightcaps: The Dead Rabbit (Financial District) for Irish hospitality-meets-cocktail history; Clover Club (Carroll Gardens) for pre-Prohibition classics.

Days 5–7: Brooklyn and Queens—Neighborhoods and Global Eats

Explore Williamsburg’s waterfront promenade at Domino Park, then browse indie shops on Bedford Avenue. Duck into Bushwick to see street art along Troutman Street’s open-air gallery.

Ride the East River Ferry to Long Island City for MoMA PS1, then pivot to Queens: Jackson Heights for Indian, Tibetan, and Nepali snacks; Flushing for food courts brimming with hand-pulled noodles and dumplings.

• Coffee & breakfast: Partners Coffee (Williamsburg) for single-origin pours; Sey Coffee (Bushwick) for meticulous roasting; Bakeri for Scandinavian pastries.
• Lunch: Arepa Lady (Jackson Heights) for golden corn cakes; Xi’an Famous Foods (multiple) for cumin lamb noodles; White Bear (Flushing) for wontons with chili oil (#6).
• Dinner: Frankies 457 Spuntino (Carroll Gardens) for cavatelli and garden seating; Roberta’s (Bushwick) for blistered pies; Lucali (Carroll Gardens; cash-only) if you’re up for the line.
• Sweet stops: Milk Bar for crack pie bars; Ample Hills Creamery for inventive scoops.

Subway tips: Pay with contactless (OMNY). Weekly fare capping kicks in after enough taps—great for visitors who ride often.

Day 8 Morning: Travel to Washington, DC

Depart early by Amtrak from NYC Penn Station to Washington Union Station. The Northeast Regional takes ~3h20–3h45 ($39–$120); Acela shaves it to ~2h50–3h10 ($120–$200). Buses are ~4.5–5.5 hours and cheaper; flying is ~1 hour in the air but similar door-to-door time.

If you prefer to fly, compare prices on Trip.com flights or Kiwi.com. Plan for a midday check-in and a sunset stroll on the Mall.

Washington, DC

Monuments and museums line the National Mall like chapters in an open-air book. Beyond the marble, DC cooks with character—bakeries in Georgetown, Ethiopian feasts along U Street, and chef-driven dining in Shaw and The Wharf.

Stay walkable to the Mall or on a Metro line—Penn Quarter, Dupont Circle, or The Wharf are handy. Compare options on VRBO Washington, DC or Hotels.com Washington, DC.

Days 8–9: The National Mall—Museums by Day, Monuments by Night

Hit Smithsonian favorites: National Museum of American History (the Star-Spangled Banner), Air and Space (rockets and Wright brothers), and the National Gallery of Art (don’t miss the light tunnel). Smithsonians are free; the African American Museum uses timed-entry—reserve early.

Walk the Reflecting Pool from Lincoln to the WWII Memorial; swing by MLK Jr. and FDR memorials at twilight when inscriptions glow. The views across the Tidal Basin are sublime, especially during cherry blossoms.

• Coffee & breakfast: Peregrine Espresso (Eastern Market) for expertly pulled shots; Call Your Mother (multiple) for “Jew-ish” bagels piled with za’atar labneh and lox.
• Lunch: Mitsitam Café (National Museum of the American Indian) for Indigenous-inspired dishes; Sweet Home Café (African American Museum) for regional American classics.
• Dinner: Le Diplomate (14th Street) for steak frites and onion soup; Old Ebbitt Grill (near the White House) for a historic saloon vibe and raw bar happy hour; The Dabney (Shaw, tasting menu or tavern) for Mid-Atlantic hearth cooking.
• Drinks: Service Bar (U Street) for inventive cocktails; Jack Rose Dining Saloon for one of the largest whiskey lists in the country.

Days 10–11: Georgetown, U Street, and a Potomac Day Trip

Meander Georgetown’s Federal-era lanes, stop at the C&O Canal, and window-shop along M Street. Grab cupcakes if you must; the better bet is Baked & Wired’s massive “cakecups.”

Day-trip options: ride water taxis to Old Town Alexandria for cobblestones and indie shops, or tour George Washington’s Mount Vernon for river views and 18th-century domestic life. Back in DC, close the loop at The Wharf’s waterfront boardwalk.

• Coffee & breakfast: Baked & Wired (Georgetown) for strong brews and pastries; Blue Bottle at The Wharf for a waterside latte.
• Lunch: Ben’s Chili Bowl (U Street) for half-smokes with a civil rights-era backstory; Union Market’s food hall for variety under one roof.
• Dinner: Maydan (near U Street) for fire-kissed Middle Eastern spreads; Anju (Dupont) for creative Korean; Rose’s Luxury (Capitol Hill, no-lunch lines at opening) for a celebratory evening.

Metro tips: SmarTrip works on rail and bus; day passes are handy if you’re pinballing between neighborhoods.

Day 12 Morning: Travel to Boston

Two good choices: fly National/Reagan (DCA) to Boston (BOS) in ~1.5 hours, or ride Amtrak from Union Station to Boston (Back Bay or South Station) in ~6.5–7 hours (Acela is similar time, with more space). Compare airfares on Trip.com flights and Kiwi.com.

Boston

Boston wears its revolutionary roots on its sleeve, but it thinks like a university town—curious, compact, and always a short walk from the water. Brick sidewalks thread past brownstones, while the Seaport gleams with new restaurants and harbor views.

Stay in Back Bay for central access, the North End for Old World atmosphere, or the Seaport for modern hotels. Browse VRBO Boston or Hotels.com Boston.

Days 12–13: Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and the North End

Start at Copley Square (Trinity Church, Boston Public Library’s mural-lined reading rooms), then cross the Public Garden’s swan-dotted lagoon. Beacon Hill’s gas lamps and Acorn Street are preposterously photogenic.

Follow the Freedom Trail’s red bricks through 16 historic sites—Old State House, Paul Revere House, and the Old North Church—end in the North End for Italian feasts and cannoli.

• Coffee & breakfast: Tatte Bakery & Café (multiple) for pistachio croissants; Flour Bakery (Back Bay and Fort Point) for sticky buns; The Friendly Toast (Back Bay) for playful, hearty breakfasts.
• Lunch: Quincy Market’s historic setting is fun, but better eats await at High Street Place Food Hall; Santarpio’s or Regina Pizzeria (original North End) for charred-edge pies.
• Dinner: Neptune Oyster (North End; go early) for hot buttered lobster rolls; Mamma Maria for white-tablecloth Italian in a townhouse; Contessa (Newbury) for rooftop views and Northern Italian plates.
• Sweet stops: Modern Pastry or Bova’s (24-hour bakery) for cannoli; Mike’s Pastry remains the crowd magnet.

Days 14–15: Cambridge, Museums, and Fenway

Cross the Charles to Harvard Yard’s brick quads and the Harvard Art Museums (a luminous Renzo Piano atrium). The MIT Museum in Kendall Square pairs robots and interactive science with local innovation stories.

Sports fan or not, tour Fenway Park (America’s oldest ballpark, ~$25–$30) to see the Green Monster up close. Art lovers should pair the Museum of Fine Arts with the intimate, idiosyncratic Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

• Coffee & breakfast: George Howell Coffee (Downtown Crossing or in The Godfrey) for terroir-driven beans; Pavement Coffeehouse for bagel sandwiches.
• Lunch: Clover Food Lab for plant-forward fast casual; Bon Me for Vietnamese-inspired bowls and banh mi.
• Dinner: Oleana (Cambridge) for Eastern Mediterranean gardenside dining; Pammy’s (between Harvard and Central) for Italian-ish comfort; Myers + Chang (South End) for playful Southeast Asian plates.
• Drinks: Drink (Fort Point) for bespoke cocktails; Lookout Rooftop (Seaport) for skyline and harbor views; Lamplighter Brewing (Cambridge) for local pours.

Day 16: Seaport, Harborwalk, or a Salem Day Trip

Walk the Harborwalk from the Institute of Contemporary Art past public art and ship views. The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum offers a theatrical retelling you can toss tea into.

Seafood finale: Row 34 (Seaport) for crudo, oysters, and a deep beer list; Legal Harborside’s top floor for sunset cocktails. Prefer a day trip? Commuter rail to Salem is ~30 minutes ($8–$10 each way) for witch lore, waterfront strolls, and the Peabody Essex Museum.

MBTA tips: a 7-Day LinkPass covers subway and bus if you’re riding often; Boston is compact, so mix walking with the T and water ferries.

Departure

Fly home from Boston Logan (BOS); check fares on Trip.com flights or Kiwi.com. If you’re looping back by train, Amtrak from Boston to NYC is ~3h45–4h20 on the Northeast Regional.

At-a-Glance Multi-Day Blocks

• Days 1–7: New York City — Midtown icons, Central Park, Broadway, Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens food tour.
• Day 8: Travel NYC → DC (morning), sunset monuments.
• Days 8–11: Washington, DC — Smithsonian museums, National Mall, Georgetown, U Street, Mount Vernon or Alexandria.
• Day 12: Travel DC → Boston (morning), Back Bay stroll.
• Days 12–16: Boston — Freedom Trail, North End, Cambridge, museums, Fenway, Seaport or Salem day trip.

This East Coast itinerary layers skyscrapers over ship masts and townhouses over tavern tales, connecting three cities that shaped the country. You’ll leave with museum highlights, neighborhood stories, and a notebook full of places you’ll want to revisit.