Urban Safari to New York
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Trip at-a-glance
| Price: | From $1* per person |
| When: | Year-round |
| Number of days: | 6 |
| Group size: | 24 |
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Trip details
Day 1 New York City
Meet at 4:00 p.m. for a briefing at the Hotel Beacon, in the heart of the Upper West Side. This evening meet in the lobby to walk to nearby Carmine's Restaurant for your welcome dinner. Share large portions of Italian cuisine as you get acquainted with your fellow travelers. For chocolate lovers, the bread pudding is a must. New Yorker's Tip: Live jazz nightly at Cleopatra's Needle on Broadway and 91st. HOTEL BEACON. (D)
Day 2 New York City
Rise early. After breakfast meet your local birding guide and walk a couple of blocks east to Central Park. The Park is not only a masterpiece of design and beauty, but also one of the best birding spots in the United States attracting birdwatchers from all over the world. 275 species have been recorded; 192 are regular visitors or year-round residents, and 83 are rare visitors. After breakfast, enjoy a guided day tour of New York City. Highlights may include Lincoln Center, the United Nations, Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building, Greenwich Village, Little Italy and Chinatown. Stop at the historic South Street Seaport for lunch and shopping. Return to your hotel in the late afternoon. Early this evening, head to the neon lights of Times Square to see a Broadway show. New Yorker's Tip: After the show, stop for a drink or desert at Sardi's, Joe Allen, Barrymore's, Thalia or Theatre Row. A listing of current shows and suggested restaurants in the theatre district will be provided before departure. HOTEL BEACON. (B)
Day 3 New York City: Queens
Stroll to the nearby American Museum of Natural History for a guided tour of the museum highlights before visiting current exhibits as well as the Rose Center for Earth & Space. Afterwards, walk along Columbus back to your hotel with your choice of Indian, Middle Eastern, Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian and French restaurants to choose for lunch. New Yorker's Tip: Stand at the counter of Gray's Papaya on 72nd & Broadway and partake in the Recession Special - two hot dogs and a papaya juice for $2.45. This afternoon, drive to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, internationally recognized as one of the prime birding spots in North America. With 9,000 acres of open bay, saltmarsh, upland islands, mudflats, brackish and freshwater ponds and gardens, it is a rich area for migrating shorebirds, wading birds, raptors and warblers. Afterwards board your boat for a sunset cocktail cruise on Jamaica Bay. Dinner is in Astoria, Queens ("Little Athens") with Stacy Fiorentinos, President of Classic Escapes, and her team at a delightful Greek restaurant. After dinner, transfer back to your hotel. HOTEL BEACON. (B,D)
Day 4 New York City: The Bronx
Drive to the north Bronx and the New York Botanical Garden, one of the foremost public gardens in America and a National Historic Landmark. It has some of the most beautiful natural terrain of any botanical garden in the world, with dramatic rock outcroppings, a river and cascading waterfall, undulating hills, wetlands, ponds, and 50 acres of historic, uncut forest. Enjoy lunch in the Garden Café before going across the way to the Bronx Zoo for a visit and "Behind the Scenes" tour. The Bronx Zoo (Wildlife Conservation Society) first opened its gates to the public on November 8, 1899. The Zoo is one of the country's largest urban zoos withmore than 6,000 animals of over 600 species. A highlight of your visit will be an in-depth tour of the innovative Congo Gorilla Forest. The 6.5 acre African rain forest habitat provides a home to 400 animals of 55 species, including 23 lowland gorillas, one of the largest and most important gorilla breeding groups in North America. Return to your hotel. New Yorker's Tip: Stroll across the street to Lincoln Center and purchase tickets at the box office for that evening's performance of the ballet, theatre or philharmonic. HOTEL BEACON. (B,L).
Day 5 New York City
This morning you will visit one of the great international museums, the Metropolitan Museum. Its collection contains more than two million works of art from all points of the compass, ancient through modern times. Take a guided highlights tour and afterwards have time to explore on your own. New Yorker's Tip: Ask for the elevator to the rooftop sculpture garden for a stunning view. The balance of your day is at leisure. Shop along Fifth Avenue, Beeker Street, the East Village or Soho. Bike or roller blade down the Hudson River bicycle path to Battery Park or kayak along the Hudson. Tonight see another Broadway show or go downtown for an infinite selection of music from the Blue Note, Village Vanguard, Joe's Pub or Bottom Line, just to name a few. HOTEL BEACON. (B)
Day 6 New York City/Depart
Depart for home today. (B)