New York City Fifth Avenue

Shoppers will fall in love with the stretch of Fifth Avenue between 49th and 60th streets, with stores like Armani, Bergdorf Goodman, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Beyond shopping, the street is the site of numerous museums and iconic buildings such as the Empire State Building and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Television fans may want to visit NBC Studios, and nature enthusiasts can wander through Central Park.

Your best bet to cover the miles and miles of sites along Fifth is booking a tour. Hop-on hop-off bus tours travel along the street and offer flexibility, and thematic tours cater to foodies, film aficionados, and architecture enthusiasts. Small-group and private tours are also available.

• Purchase skip-the-line passes in advance to gain entry to the most popular spots.

• Guided bike tours are great for exercising while seeing the sites.

• Most citywide tours—and many neighborhood tours—will hit a stretch of Fifth Avenue.

The bus is a great way to get around Fifth Avenue; the M1, M2, and M3 all run on Fifth, so you can tour the avenue for the price of a Metrocard swipe. By subway, take the 4 or 5 train on Lexington Avenue and get off at your preferred cross street—86th Street is ideal for seeing museums, while 59th is best for shopping.

Fifth Avenue is great all year. In spring, summer, and fall, the weather is most inviting. Winter is cold, but window displays are festive and the Rockefeller Center tree is sparkling. On weekends, Fifth Avenue is busiest, particularly along shopping and museum corridors. Consider visiting during the day, midweek, to avoid crowds.

For museumgoers, Fifth Avenue is a dream. New York's Museum Mile runs from 82nd to 105th Street on Fifth. The area is home to 10 iconic arts institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Jewish Museum. To maximize your museum access, consider purchasing a combination pass to gain entry to several museums.