When is the best time to visit New York?
In New York, the dates you pick change the cost of a trip more than the neighborhood you stay in. For every month we put together what a week for two costs, a typical hotel price, the weather and the events that push prices up.
- Cheapest: February. A week for two at the standard level costs about $3,890.
- Most expensive: December. The same week costs about $5,150, or 32% more.
- Best weather for sightseeing, with daytime highs of 59–80 °F: April, May, June, September and October.
| Month | Week for 2 | Hotel per night | High / low | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | $3,960 | $260 | 40 / 28 °F | 6.3 |
| February | $3,890 | $250 | 42 / 30 °F | 6.0 |
| March | $4,240 | $300 | 50 / 36 °F | 7.5 |
| April | $4,520 | $340 | 62 / 46 °F | 6.5 |
| May | $4,660 | $360 | 71 / 55 °F | 7.3 |
| June | $4,660 | $360 | 80 / 64 °F | 7.0 |
| July | $4,450 | $330 | 85 / 70 °F | 6.9 |
| August | $4,450 | $330 | 83 / 69 °F | 6.5 |
| September | $4,940 | $400 | 76 / 62 °F | 6.2 |
| October | $4,940 | $400 | 64 / 51 °F | 5.6 |
| November | $4,730 | $370 | 54 / 42 °F | 5.7 |
| December | $5,150 | $430 | 44 / 34 °F | 7.3 |
Amounts converted at the European Central Bank rate of .
Events that push hotel prices up
- UN General Assembly week (usually in the second half of September). Delegations from almost every country arrive, and parts of Manhattan are closed to traffic.
- New York City Marathon (on the first Sunday of November). The world's largest marathon: about 60,000 runners on a course through all five boroughs.
- New Year's Eve in Times Square (every year on December 31). The world's most famous New Year's Eve; the holiday season is the most expensive time of the year.
Work out the exact cost of a trip in the month you pick
New York's seasons
Spring (April to June) is a good compromise: daytime highs run from the low 60s to about 80 °F, the parks turn green, and hotels cost less than in the fall and in December.
Summer is hot and humid: Central Park averages a high of 85 °F in July. Hotels cost a little less than in spring and fall.
Fall has the nicest weather, but also high prices. In September delegations arrive for the UN General Assembly, and the marathon is run in November; hotel prices peak in those weeks.
December is the most expensive month: holiday decorations, the Rockefeller Center tree and New Year's Eve in Times Square. January and February are the cheapest, but cold: daytime highs around 40 °F, with freezing nights.
New York has no rainy season: it rains on 6 or 7 days a month, all year round.
What costs the same all year
Subway fares and museum tickets do not change with the season. A subway ride costs $3, and after 12 rides in a week the rest are free, as long as you always tap the same card or phone.
Hotel prices are our estimates based on data from New York's tourist office and KAYAK, and the weather is NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for Central Park. The sources are listed on the New York page.