Summer Day Trips to Ignite your Senses
Sometimes a day trip can be exactly what you need to reset and get back in step with the city that has it all. All you need is some free time, a metro pass and an adventurous spirit. Here, we round up the best day trips to set your senses alight and lull you into that holiday state of mind without venturing too far from NYC.
Get back to nature at the New York Botanical gardens located in the Bronx, less than an hour train ride from the city center. With over one million living plants and 250-acres of rolling landscape, the NYBG is the perfect spot to recalibrate the senses and see New York anew. Time your trip around an exhibition or one of the garden’s annual shows.
NYBG is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 6pm. Be sure to reserve your timed-entry tickets in advance.
A trip to The Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut, is a step into the mind of influential American architect Philip Johnson. Easily accessible by train or car from the city, The Glass House welcomes guests for guided walking tours that range from one to three hours long. We recommend going all-in for the three-hour In-Depth Tour, which includes a one-and-a-half-mile walk inside and out through the Glass House, Painting Gallery, Sculpture Gallery, and more.
The Glass House is open for grounds access on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Reserve grounds passes—here.
Champagne, oysters, and a view of the New York skyline across the Hudson River at sunset—could there be anything better? Accessible via a five-minute ferry ride from downtown Manhattan, this waterfront oyster bar on Governors Island is your slice of luxe island life thanks to the team behind Grand Banks. Open for the summer, Island Oyster is well worth the trip.
Island Oyster is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday on a first-come, first-served basis.
For those in need of both an art fix and a day outdoors, Storm King has you covered. Located in New York’s Hudson Valley, this outdoor sculpture museum is set upon 500 acres of expansive landscape. Pack a picnic, hire a bicycle once there, and get lost in a world where art meets nature. Take the Metro-North from Grand Central to Beacon Station and a Zipcar or taxi the rest of the way.
Storm King is open as an outdoor-only experience in a limited capacity. Reserve your timed-entry tickets well in advance.
