Skyscrapers and American history

Who it is for

For anyone who wants the US East Coast with museums, history and walkable neighbourhoods.

Not for anyone looking for nature and beaches.

The strategy

New York comes first, with four days as a starting point, followed by Boston and Washington. In this order, the train from Boston to Washington passes through New York again; check the route and full duration of that leg rather than treating it as another short connection. Allow for stations and hotel changes before booking visits on arrival.

What you will see

• Brooklyn Bridge, New York. Opened in 1883, the world's first steel-cable suspension bridge, with a 1.8 km wooden walkway suspended above the traffic.
• Freedom Trail, Boston. A 4 km route marked by a red line of brick and paint on the sidewalk, created in 1951, linking 16 sites between Boston Common and the Bunker Hill monument.
• National Mall, Washington, D.C.. A public park about 3.5 km long between the Capitol and Lincoln Memorial, given its current shape by the McMillan Plan of 1901–02.

Day by day

New York

1. 1
   Day 1: The bay, the south of the island, and the bridge

   1. 9Statue of Liberty and Ellis IslandHalf a day or moreIf there is time
   2. 4Brooklyn BridgeEssential
2. 2
   Day 2: The park, museums, and Harlem

   1. 1Central ParkEssential
   2. 3Metropolitan Museum of ArtEssential
3. 3
   Day 3: Brooklyn, Queens, and a show

   
4. 4
   Day 4: Prospect Park, Greenpoint and Bushwick

   1. 1Central ParkEssential
5. 5
   Day 5: Astoria and Jackson Heights · if you have more time

Boston

1. 6
   Day 6: The colonial city, on foot, along the red line

   1. 4Boston Common and Public GardenUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   2. 1Freedom TrailOne to two hoursEssential
   3. 9Faneuil Hall and Quincy MarketUp to half an hourIf there is time
   4. 6Old North Church and Paul Revere HouseUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   5. 2USS Constitution and Bunker Hill MonumentEssential
2. 7
   Day 7: The 19th century, the museums, and baseball

   1. 3Boston Public Library and Trinity ChurchUp to half an hourEssential
   2. 4Boston Common and Public GardenUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   3. Museum of Fine ArtsOne to two hoursIf there is time
   4. 7Fenway ParkWorth a visit
3. 8
   Day 8: The river, Cambridge, and the water · if you have more time

Washington, D.C.

1. 9
   Day 9: The Mall's axis, west to east

   1. 2Lincoln MemorialEssential
   2. 4Vietnam Veterans MemorialUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   3. 9Washington MonumentIf there is time
   4. 7National Gallery of ArtWorth a visit
2. 10
   Day 10: Museum or Congress in the morning, Arlington afterward

   1. 6Library of CongressUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   2. 8Arlington National CemeteryWorth a visit
3. 11
   Day 11: The city that isn't federal