Fifth Avenue

The world's most prestigious (and expensive) shopping street.

TravelCurious Tip

Do a bit of window-shopping: Saks Fifth Avenue has window displays that change with the season. Each one is a work of art

If North America is the birthplace of modern consumerism, New York is its heart and Fifth Avenue the main artery. Running straight through Manhattan, Fifth Avenue is a major thoroughfare that stretches from West 143rd Street in Harlem to Washington Square Park. It is rightly considered one of the best - and most expensive - shopping streets in the world.


Fifth Avenue also serves as the dividing line for house number and West-East streets in Manhattan. From this zero point for street addresses, numbers increase in both directions as you move away to the East or West. Although simply part of a practical system, this underlines the central importance of Fifth Avenue to Manhattan life.


This importance has been felt for years: before it became the shopping street it is today, Fifth Avenue was where the city’s aristocrats lived. Accordingly, it is the central scene in Edith Wharton’s 1920 extraordinary, Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Age of Innocence. Go and tread in the footsteps of the hapless Newland Archer and his heartthrob, the exotically European Countess Ellen Olenska.


Life Beyond Shopping

Apart from designer labels, the Apple Store and the largest Build-A-Bear Workshop in the world, Fifth Avenue can also connect you to a range of New York’s most recognisable buildings, among them the Empire State Building, the New York Public Library, the Rockefeller Centre and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.


Moreover, in a section of Fifth Avenue running from 82nd to 105th streets on the Upper East Side, you will find some of the finest museums in New York. Highlights include the Museum for African Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum.

Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in New York
New York City Public Library
This magnificent building holds a collection of over 50 million volumes.
Bryant Park
A green oasis amongst skyscrapers and the hubbub of city life, popular with city workers taking a break.
Grand Central Station
One of the USA's most famous landmarks, this historic transport hub made New York what it is today.
Rockefeller Center
An iconic complex of Art Deco buildings and public art, commissioned by the Rockefeller family.
Rockefeller Center Observation Deck
This high vantage point gives an incredible vista of the Big Apple.
Summit One Vanderbilt
The Summit One Vanderbilt in the city of New York offers emblematic views of its main attractions, such as the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, and Times Square. The observation deck is 305 meters above the ground, and also provides an audiovisual experience for the visitors.

Related Tours

The Best of New York City: Private Tour including Top of the Rock
Beginning with views of the Statue of Liberty, you will learn about the history of perhaps the most iconic city in the world as you absorb the truly vibrant atmosphere of the city that never sleeps, from Wall Street to the bustling streets of Downtown Manhattan, the sparkling brilliance of Times Square and end with tickets to see the glorious views from the Top of the Rock - the sky-high observatory at the Rockefeller Centre. 

On your private full-day tour of New York City, you will: 

  • Start your tour at Battery Park and learn about the origins of New Amsterdam, how it became New York, and admire the views of the iconic Statue of Liberty;
  • Pass by Wall Street's famous bronze statues of the Charging Bull and the Fearless Girl;
  • See the areas main sites of Trinity Church, the New York Stock Exchange, and the Federal Reserve Bank as you learn about the financial system designed by Alexander Hamilton;
  • Visit the 9/11 Memorial and Ground Zero where the twin towers of the World Trade Center stood, an incredibly moving tribute to the horrendous events of that terrible day in 2001; 
  • Discover the bustling district of Midtown Manhattan - famous for its skyscrapers, shopping on 5th Avenue and Broadway;
  • Tour the interior of Grand Central Terminal - New York's train station famous for its Beaux-Arts architecture, celestial mural ceiling, and for its starring role in films like Men in Black and Armageddon, it is visited by over 20 million people a year;
  • Walk through the tranquil Bryant Park, and admire the lions in front of the New York Public Library;
  • Enjoy the vibrant and exciting atmosphere of Times Square with its flashy billboards and explore the theatre district of Broadway;
  • Take a stroll down the iconic 5th Avenue and admire the stunning window displays of the Saks department store, 
  • See the historic St. Patricks Cathedral from the outside - its neo-gothic splendour is a stark contrast to the surrounding modernity;
  • Admire some of New York's jaw-dropping Art Deco skyscrapers like the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building; 
  • Pass by Radio City Hall - a historic theatre venue, and home to the Rockettes;
  • Finish your tour with tickets to the 'Top of the Rock' the observatory at the top of the Rockefeller Centre with incredible views over New York City - a perfect way to end the day! 

Your tour begins in the heart of Wall Street, where you'll discover the most famous financial district in the world. Begin with an introduction to the history of New Amsterdam - that became New York in Battery Park - with glorious views out towards the Statue of Liberty, before exploring the highlights of Wall Street, including the statues of the Fearless Girl and Charging Bull, the New York Stock Exchange and the Federal Bank - where you'll hear all about the history and formation of the modern financial institutions and systems invented by Alexander Hamilton. 

Your tour continues to the National 9/11 Memorial and Ground Zero— the original site of the World Trade Center. Here, your guide will share the history of the World Trade Center and discuss the tragic events of 9/11 when the two terrorist planes crashed into the twin towers, forever changing the modern world.

Next, it's time to take a New York metro ride - the most popular - and fastest - way of travelling around the city to Midtown Manhattan! First, you'll explore Grand Central Terminal, the most iconic transportation hub in the United States, with beautiful celestial ceiling murals and stunning Beaux-Arts architecture. 

It is the setting of many movies and novels and is also famous for its shopping, bars, and restaurants - it is the second most visited landmark in New York after Times Square. Enjoy a delicious lunch in the area - your guide will be happy to make recommendations. 

After lunch, explore the iconic area of Midtown Manhattan - famous for its skyscrapers, high-end shopping and of course Broadway theatre scene! 

Enjoy a tranquil stroll through Bryant Park, a lovely green oasis in the heart of busy Midtown. See the New York Public Library - flanked by two giant lions, and admire the art deco skyscrapers the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building, that made up New York's world-famous skyline. 

Walk along the iconic 5th Avenue famous for its department stores - admire the stunning window displays at Saks, and the historical contrast of St Patrick's Cathedral, an impressive neo-gothic construction that was opened in 1879. Famous for its spires, stained glass windows, and titanic bronze doors - the cathedral has hosted many famous funerals including Babe Ruth and Bobby Kennedy. 

Head to the amazing Times Square, known as the 'crossroads of the world to see the news ticker on the One Times Square Building, the NASDAQ board, and the myriad of flashing neon signs that lead you onto the bright lights of Broadway! 

Finally, passing by the iconic Radio City Hall, your guide will give you your tickets to 'The Top of the Rock', the Rockefeller Observation deck at the top of the Rockefeller Centre. 

Your guide will show you the entrance and leave you to enjoy a perfect end to a perfect day - with a breathtaking bird’s eye view of Manhattan and the rest of the Big Apple. 
Midtown Manhattan & Empire State Observatory: Private Walking Tour
South of Central Park lies one of the world's most important cultural and business centres. With many of the city’s most famous sights, Midtown Manhattan is one of the best places to experience the spirit of New York. Soak up its unique ambience, breathe in its frenetic pace, and seek out its unforgettable highlights. 

On your private tour, you will: 

  • Meet your private guide beside the greenest heart of New York City, Central Park;
  • Stroll glamorous, affluent Fifth Avenue to gaze at the world-famous window displays such as Saks Fifth Avenue;
  • Marvel at Neo-Gothic St Patrick’s Cathedral - the city’s beacon of Catholicism since 1878;
  • Admire some of Manhattan’s most beautiful Art Deco structures, like the Rockefeller building, and Lawrie’s statue of Atlas;
  • Step into the bright neon lights of Times Square, NYC’s most famous intersection, a monumentally busy mecca for tourists, shoppers and protesters;
  • Learn about the city’s rich architectural history, seeing the classics including the Chrysler Building and Grand Central Terminal; 
  • Finish your experience with jaw-dropping views from the Empire State Building observation deck, arguably one of the most iconic landmarks in the world. 
Conjure up images of New York City, and it will be Manhattan: the ritzy, glitzy heart of the Big Apple jam-packed with big-name attractions. If there is a per-place limit on iconic landmarks, Manhattan flouts the rules - squeezing Central Park, the Empire State Building, the Met and MoMA, Times Square’s 3,685-square-foot flashing LED screens and Broadway’s bright lights into 22.7 small square miles. 

Well known by actors and stage junkies, New York’s dazzling Theatre District has been part of Manhattan since the late 19th century and its rich history provides a glorious mix of greasepaint, star-spotting and backstage gossip. While in the bustle of Times Square, learn how it earned its name when the New York Times opened an office there and erected an electronic news ticker - “The Zipper'' - in 1928. 

Though the newspaper office has relocated, the area remains a media hotspot, serving as host and home to the likes of MTV and Condé Nast. Times Square is an icon, a Hollywood backdrop, and the heart of the Big Apple, and where there is proof - should you need it - that New York is the city that never sleeps. 

After a long stroll past New York’s Public Library, depart from your guide in front of the Empire State Building, where you will enjoy tickets to the top of the Observation Deck on the 86th floor to retrace your steps and gaze out upon the city that never sleeps. 

Please note: your tour guide will finish the tour at the base of the Empire State Building, and will guide you to the correct line with your tickets for the observation deck, where you are free to explore the views at your leisure. 
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