CANADA in the WILD
Itinerary for September 17, 2016
New York City
Your February 15, 2020 Itinerary
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You have made a great purchase! Ready to have loads of fun?
PREPARING FOR THE TRIP.
What to do before you come to NYC:
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Exchange Money. You are going to need US dollars.
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Health insurance. Check if your current health insurance covers trips to the US, if not we recommend you purchase some. Visit Guard.me for more details.
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NOT CANADIAN? You will need an I-94 entry permit in order to be admitted into the US. You could get your I-94 entry permit online. By doing this you will speed up the border crossing process and it will be less stressful for you. Use the following link: US Border and Customs I-94 Website
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Valid Passport
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American Visa if your passport is not from a Visa Waiver Country
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Student or Work permit if you are residing temporarily in Canada.
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Are you a student staying in Canada less than 6 months? You might be asked by Canadian border authorities (on the way back) to prove your status in Canada. Bring copies of the following documents: Letter of acceptance of the University, Student Card, details of the return flight to your home country.
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Bring a photocopy of your passport, as this will speed the check in process at the hotel
1- Keep connected and informed
We have created a What's app group for all members attending the trip. Please download the app if you don't have it and join this group:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/CkljMRdcXPu6Xhl7837BqN
It is important to stay in touch while traveling; especially if there are any last minute changes to be announced by your guides (like bus pickup addresses), you become separated from the group or are going to be late for a rendezvous.
This what's app group will also be good for anyone in the trip to share photos, let others know of cool spots you've come across while exploring, restaurants recommendations and pretty much anything we want.
2- Hotel Details
Holiday Inn Manhattan Lower East Side . 150 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002
Phone: +1 (212) 475-2500
3- Tips
In North America is customary to give a little something to the driver and Guides for their good service as a token of appreciation. This is totally optional. We propose to give $5 at the end of the trip. If you think you got good service please make your contribution to any of your Guides at the end of the trip.
4-What to bring
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Passport
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Other documents to prove status in Canada if not Canadian (See previous section)
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Your camera
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Water bottle
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Good walking shoes
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Warm clothes (check the weather forecast and pack accordingly)
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Snacks for the bus ride
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Rain jacket just in case it rains
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Your adventurous spirit and extra money for food and souvenirs!
5- Trip Contest
During your trip to NYC, Round Tours will challenge you to capture unforgettable moments. But wait, these aren’t your typical scenic shots of the sunset overlooking the NYC skyline, we’re asking you take funny, unpredictable, one-of-a-kind pictures that will make this trip all the more memorable…and we’re turning it into a contest!
Join us on Facebook to learn more about it!
Your Itinerary
DAY 1
6.45 am Meet us at 90 University Private, Ottawa, K1N 6N5. This is a residence building on the University of Ottawa campus [See our map below]. The Ottawa Residences Building is right in front of a big parking lot where our bus will pick us up. Here you will have a chance to gather and get to know your fellow travellers before we set out.
7.00 am The bus departs at 7.00 am. Make sure you are at the departure location on time, we will not be able to wait for you and we do not want you to miss this awesome trip.
We will cross the American Border. For a smooth transition you must have with you the appropriate travel document(s): Valid passport, Visas (if required) and $6 US dollars cash -if needed. For those travelling under the Visa Waiver Program you will get the I-94 W non migrant form to be filled out. This form will be given to the US immigration officers together with your passport.
You should expect to get off the bus and go through the border crossing process where the authorities will review your travel documents. After being admitted to the US, we'll get back on the bus and continue the journey.
We will make one more stop after customs to get food, stretch our legs and use the restrooms.
4 pm Arrive to our hotel, check in and get ready to start the adventure in Manhattan!
All activities proposed throughout the trip are OPTIONAL and it is up to you to join them or do something different.
Freshen up and meet at the lobby of the hotel if you want to join the group and explore iconic Times Square!
Did you know that this is the place to buy reduced Broadway tickets?
Wondering where to eat? Hell's kitchen is very close to Times Square and laden with good restaurants.
Come back to the hotel the Newyorker way by taking the subway or a yellow cab!
Foodies Tips- Authentic NYC pizza slices experiences
99c Fresh Pizza
561 7th Ave, New York
Authentic NYC experience. You can't expect to eat cheap in a place like NYC, but a place like this proves you wrong. Always great pizza. Hot and ready to go.
2Bros Pizza
557 8th Ave, New York
Pizza for a dollar. You will have a hard time finding a better deal at this quality anywhere else, whether in NYC or outside of it. Buttery crust, savory meat toppings, good cheese & sauce.
Joe's Pizza
1435 Broadway, New York
Modern outpost of a longtime counter-serve pizza joint prepping New York–style slices & pies. Good place to get the famous New York Pizza slices.
DAY 2
Today we will visit Manhattan's mid-town.
9.30 am Meet your Tour leader by the lobby and get ready to board the bus.
We will be dropped off at Madison Square park and make our way towards Central Park. There is lots to see in this section of NYC: Empire State building, flat iron building, iconic Chrysler building, Rockefeller Center, 5th avenue, Grand Central Station, New York Public Library, Bryant Park and so much more.
We will be leading a group walk that will take you through the major landmarks previously mentioned. Feel free to join us for the whole length of the walk (approx 4 km and 2h long) or just part of it. Our discovery walk ends by Central Park.
Do you like museums? MET, Guggenheim and the Natural History Museums are all within walking distances in Upper town Manhattan.
Your guides will have recommendations of what to do and where to go from here.
They will also unveil their plans for tonight!
Attractions in mid-town
1- Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in Rockefeller Center in New York City. 1260 6th Ave, New York, NY 10020, USA
2- Top of the Rock
Observatory on top of Rockefeller Center, with an ocean-liner style design, offering city views.Rockefeller Center, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020, USA
3- Rockerfeller Plaza and Center
Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 highrise commercial buildings covering 22 acres between 48th and 51st Streets in New York City. 45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10111, USA
4- 5th Avenue
Fifth Avenue is a major thoroughfare going through the borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States. It stretches from West 143rd Street in Harlem to Washington Square North at Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village
5- New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States, and fourth largest in the world.
5th Ave at 42nd St, New York, NY
6- Grand Central Station
Grand Central Terminal is a commuter, rapid transit railroad terminal at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States. 89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017, USA
7- Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco-style skyscraper located on the East Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in the Turtle Bay neighborhood. 405 Lexington Ave, New York
8- Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story skyscraper located on Fifth Avenue between West 33rd and 34th Streets in Midtown, Manhattan, New York City. 350 5th Ave, New York.
9- Madison Square gardens
Madison Square Garden is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan.4 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York
10- Flat iron building
The Flatiron Building, originally the Fuller Building, is a triangular 22-story steel-framed landmarked building located at 175 Fifth Avenue in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, and is considered to be a groundbreaking skyscraper.175 5th Ave, New York.
11- NYC Highline
The High Line is a 1.45-mile-long New York City linear park built in Manhattan on an elevated section of a disused New York Central Railroad spur called the West Side Line.
12- Madam Tussauds
Madame Tussauds New York is a wax museum located at 42nd Street close to Times Square in New York City. 234 W 42nd St, New York
13- Broadway theaters
Broadway theatre, commonly known as Broadway, refers to the theatrical performances presented in the 41 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theater District of New York.
14- Intrepid Sea, Air and Space museum
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is a military and maritime history museum with a collection of museum ships in New York City. It is located at Pier 86 at 46th Street in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood on the West Side of Manhattan. Pier 86, W 46th St & 12th Ave, New York
Attractions in upper-town
1- Columbus Circle
Columbus Circle, named for Christopher Columbus, is a traffic circle and heavily trafficked intersection in the New York City borough of Manhattan, located at the intersection of Eighth Avenue and Broadway
2- Strawberry Fields
Strawberry Fields is a 2.5-acre landscaped section in New York City's Central Park, designed by the landscape architect Bruce Kelly, that is dedicated to the memory of former Beatle John Lennon
3- Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in Manhattan, New York City. Central Park is the most visited urban park in the United States, with 40 million visitors a year, and one of the most filmed locations in the world
4- Central Park Zoo
The Central Park Zoo is a small 6.5-acre zoo located in Central Park in New York City. It is part of an integrated system of four zoos and the New York Aquarium
5- MET
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially "the Met," is located in New York City, and is the largest art museum in the United States. It is also 'Pay what you wish' so it might be a good opportunity to visit it.
6- Metropolitan Opera House
The Metropolitan Opera House is an opera house located on Broadway at Lincoln Square on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City.
7- American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History, located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City, is one of the largest museums in the world. This museum is also enrolled in the program of 'Pay what you wish'
8- Bethesda Terrace and Fountain
Bethesda Terrace and Fountain overlook The Lake in New York City's Central Park. Angel of the Waters was designed by Emma Stebbins in 1868 and dedicated in 1873, at which point Stebbins became the first woman to receive commission for a major work of art in the city of New York
Night out Tips- Night Clubs, Broadway Productions or Comedy shows?
230 5th Ave
230 5th Ave, New York
230 FIFTH is New York's largest outdoor Rooftop Garden and Fully enclosed Penthouse Lounge. One floor is fully enclosed. And our rooftop garden is open to the sky. The rooftop is partially heated on colder nights.
TKTS Booths
Times Square
TKTS Discount Booths are the perfect way for everyone to experience the arts in New York City at affordable prices. Broadway and Off Broadway productions on sale every day at 20% to 50% off regular prices
Gotham Comedy
208 W 23rd St, New York
Hailed by USA Today as "One of the Top 10 Places in the Country to See Stand-up". The club has been featured on NBC's 'Last Comic Standing,' and 'The Celebrity Apprentice'.
DAY 3
Today is an exciting day. We will visit Brooklyn and Manhattan's lower-town (or downtown).
9.30 am Meet us by the lobby and board the bus. We start the day by going to Pier 1 playground in Brooklyn where you can enjoy some of the most beautiful views of Manhattan. After some great, Instagram worthy pictures we will board the bus and head to the entrance of the Brooklyn bridge.
This is where the pedestrian entry to the Brooklyn Bridge begins. We will start our discovery walk by crossing this world famous bridge and head towards downtown Manhattan (also called lower town or financial district).
In this section of NYC we will discover: Wall Street, NY Exchange Center, the Charging Bull, Trinity Church, Battery Park, 9/11 memorial and World Trade Center among others.
After our group walk ends you will have free time to explore on your own.
Ask our guides for suggestions if you have no plans!
We suggest you take the free Ferry to Staten Island at sunset and get wonderful views of Manhattan's skyline.
No trip to NYC is complete without eating in Little Italy or Chinatown! We highly recommend exploring these amazing neighborhoods.
Attractions in lower-town
1- Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge in New York City and is one of the oldest bridges of either type in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River
2-Wall St
Wall Street is a 0.7-mile-long street running eight blocks, roughly northwest to southeast, from Broadway to South Street on the East River in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan
3-Stock Exchange Market
The New York Stock Exchange is an American stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at US$19.3 trillion as of June 2016.
4- Trinity Church
Trinity Church is a historic, active, well-endowed parish church in the Episcopal Diocese of New York. Trinity Church is located near the intersection of Wall Street and Broadway.75 Broadway, New York
5- The Charging Bull
Charging Bull, which is sometimes referred to as the Wall Street Bull or the Bowling Green Bull, is a bronze sculpture that stands in Bowling Green Park in the Financial District in Manhattan
6- Battery Park
Battery Park is a 25-acre public park located at the Battery, the southern tip of Manhattan Island in New York City, facing New York Harbor.
7- Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry is a FREE passenger ferry service. It runs 5.2 miles in New York Harbor between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island. The ferry operates 24/7
8- Chinatown
Manhattan's Chinatown is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, bordering the Lower East Side to its east, Little Italy to its north, Civic Center to its south, and Tribeca to its west
9- Little Italy
Little Italy is a neighborhood in lower Manhattan, New York City, once known for its large population of Italian Americans. Today the neighborhood consists of only a few Italian stores and restaurants.
10- 9-11 memorial
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum are the principal memorial and museum, respectively. They commemorate the September 11, 2001 attacks, which killed 2,977 victims.
11- One World Trade Center
One World Trade Center is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, and the sixth-tallest in the world.
12- Century 21
Iconic Department Store
Foodies Tips- Brunch, British or German fare?
A Salt & Battery
112 Greenwich Ave, New York
You’ve possibly never said, “Let’s have British food tonight,” but a trip to this chippy—one of the few in Manhattan—might change that. freshly fried, vinegar-doused whiting, haddock and sole with sides of better-than-french-fries “chips.”
Black Seed Bagels
170 Elizabeth St, new York
Black Seed was conceived by two friends from two cities. United by a love of traditional bagel baking and artisan ingredients. Wood fired oven baked bagels, perfect thickness, perfectly baked and toasted.
Standard Biergarten
848 Washington St, New York
They have foosball and ping pong tables, a very wide open space and people from all over. Great ambiance, quiet enough to have a conversation with close friends, but atmospheric enough to feel like a get-together setting.
DAY 4
Today is our last day in NYC and you have free time to choose your destination.
Checkout time is 11 AM. The hotel will provide a room where we can keep our luggage safe until departure time.
1.45 pm Meet at the hotel, collect your bags and let's go back to Ottawa after a fantastic holiday! Bus departs at 2 PM