17 days in New York City & Los Angeles Itinerary

Writer Pearl Buck once called New York City “a place apart,” and this giant urban center remains unlike any other in the world.

For shopping fun, head to Fifth Avenue or Chelsea Market. Visiting Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge and Hamilton Grange National Memorial will get you outdoors. There's much more to do: admire the masterpieces at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, see the interesting displays at 9/11 Memorial, learn more about the world around you at American Museum of Natural History, and steep yourself in history at Ellis Island.

For maps, ratings, more things to do, and other tourist information, refer to the New York City vacation builder website.

London, UK to New York City is an approximately 11.5-hour flight. The time zone difference moving from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to Eastern Standard Time (EST) is minus 5 hours. Prepare for a bit warmer weather when traveling from London in May: high temperatures in New York City hover around 24°C and lows are around 15°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 15th (Fri) so you can travel to Los Angeles.

Surrounded by mountain ranges, forests, valleys, beaches, and deserts, the metropolitan area of Los Angeles is home to over 17 million people.

You'll explore and learn at Hammer Museum and The Getty Center. Get a sense of the local culture at Abbot Kinney Boulevard and Montana Avenue. Explore Los Angeles' surroundings by going to Pacific Marine Mammal Center (in Laguna Beach), Santa Monica (Santa Monica Mountains & Annenberg Community Beach House) and Dolphin & Whale Watching (in Newport Beach). There's lots more to do: kick back and relax at Santa Monica Bay, stroll through Venice Beach and Boardwalk, hike along Hollyridge Trail, and immerse yourself in nature at Royal Palms State Beach.

For where to stay, maps, ratings, and tourist information, you can read our Los Angeles route builder site.

Getting from New York City to Los Angeles by flight takes about 9 hours. Other options: drive; or do a combination of taxi and bus. Due to the time zone difference, you'll gain 3 hours traveling from New York City to Los Angeles. Traveling from New York City in May, expect nights in Los Angeles to be about the same, around 17°C, while days are somewhat warmer, around 28°C. Cap off your sightseeing on the 24th (Sun) early enough to travel back home.