A Perfect New York Day: The Met, Central Park, and The Plaza, New York, New York

Some days in New York just feel iconic, and our second day, on a recent trip to the Big Apple, was exactly that. We traded the energy of downtown for a slower, classic Manhattan kind of day—starting at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, spending the afternoon wandering through Central Park, and ending with a glass of champagne at The Plaza Hotel. If you are looking for a day that feels both timeless and easy to navigate, this is one of the best ways to experience New York in the spring. It was the kind of day we wanted to hold onto a little longer.

We arrived at The Metropolitan Museum of Art right at opening, which I would absolutely recommend. The museum is massive, and going early gave us space to move at our own pace before the crowds really picked up. Pro TIP: Purchase your tickets online ahead of time to save time at the door. They are not time specific.

We started in the Egyptian Wing, one of the most iconic parts of the museum and an easy place to get pulled in for much longer than planned. Our first stop was the Mastaba Tomb of Perneb, an ancient limestone tomb that was originally built more than 4,000 years ago in Egypt and later reconstructed inside the Met. Walking through it feels less like looking at an exhibit and more like stepping directly into history. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).