When is the Cheapest Time to Go to New York City? (2024)

This post answers the question of when it is cheapest to visit NYC, including information about hotels, airfare, and other considerations.

As a native New Yorker and a budget traveler, I keep up with the cost of traveling to cities around the world, including my city.

Also, by living here, I have a good sense of the best time of year to visit. Beyond budget considerations, I go over the pros and cons of low-season travel.

This post has more than just my thoughts. It was written with a lot of input from my fellow local tour guides and tips from members of our popular NYC Travel Tips Facebook group.

You can find a link to the group in the Tips for Traveling Cheaply to NYC section below.

• The Quick Answer
• Cheapest Times for Hotels
• Cheapest Times for Flights
• Pros and Cons of Off-Season Travel
• 7 Tips for Traveling Cheaply to NYC
• Other Important Questions When Planning Your Visit
• How Much Does It Cost To Visit NYC

THE CHEAPEST TIME TO VISIT NYC

If you know anything about New York City weather, you may have guessed that the cheapest months to visit are January, February, and March, an off-peak time to travel.

With colder temps, fewer people want to come here. But there are benefits to coming to NYC during the off-season which we go over below.

During these three months, flight and hotel prices are, on average, the lowest of the year.

There are several caveats, however.

First, while hotels in NYC are on average cheaper during these months, some major hotel districts, particularly those serving business conventions don't necessarily have great bargains during weekdays.

Second, not every flight is cheap this time of year. The price can depend on the day of the week you want to fly, the day of the week you purchase your ticket, and how far in advance you purchase your ticket. Read more below.

Another factor affecting prices is the airport you fly in and out of. Learn more from our post, Newark vs. JFK vs. LaGuardia Airport | Which to Fly Into?

Two things I weigh against each other when planning a trip are my desire to stay within my budget and how important is it for me to have the best trip possible.

I've learned that the cheapest times of the year won't always offer me the most satisfying experience.

I suggest that you think about the things you want to do in New York City and if the cheapest season will allow for those things.

There are both great indoor and outdoor activities so I think you can have a fantastic visit here no matter what time of the year.

Our post about the best times to visit NYC talks about the pros and cons of traveling at various times of the year. You may find reading that post helpful.

TIP: While planning when you want to come, you may be asking yourself how long you should stay. Our post, How Many Days Is Enough For NYC, can help you make those choices.

CHEAPEST TIME FOR HOTELS IN NYC

If you are talking about the cheapest months or seasons to book a hotel in New York City, the answer,unsurprisingly, is during the winter, just about any time between January 4-ish and the first half of March.

The charts below show the average daily rate of a 3-star hotel booked on Kayak.com.

See Also

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However, during the winter months, the average price across the board dipped to just under $275. That means 50% of NYC hotels cost less than $275/night.

According to NYC and Company, the city's tourism marketing organization, the average daily rate of all classes of hotels in 2022 was just over $400 per night.

To find hotels in your budget, you can set price parameters and other filters on sites like Kayak.com that focus on inexpensive hotels.

Promo websites offering deals, such as Hotwire.com, have their best price cuts in the off-season.

If you avoid popular neighborhoods, you should expect to pay between $100-$130/per night.

You can pay even less if you follow our tips for cheap accommodations.

Hotel Week, which runs each year for 5 weeks from January until February, is likely the cheapest period throughout the year to find great deals.

Off-Peak Seasons

As I mentioned above, the winter months are an off-peak season. New York City can be pretty cold.

It may snow on occasion, causing flight delays and cancellations. Lots of people prefer not to take a chance, especially if coming for a very short trip or weekend getaway.

Outside of the winter months, hotels are generally much more expensive.

According to the chart above, in 2022, only January saw average daily rates for 3-star hotels under $300.

However, from the end of July through August, prices generally fall below the average, just not as low as the winter months.

Likewise, the start of Novemberto the first 2 weeks of December is a time when average hotel prices fall below the yearly average, even though the chart averages don't seem to show this.

TIP: Hotel prices may be higher around the New York City Marathon, the first Sunday in November, when tens of thousands of runners from around the world descend on Manhattan.

If you do come when the Marathon is taking place, I cannot recommend enough that you watch the runners, if only for a half-hour.

It is one of the most spirited days of the year in New York City!

Additional Resources and Tips

• Where to Stay in NYC
• 15 Ways to Find Cheap Accommodations in NYC
• 25 Inexpensive Hotels in NYC

Check outTripAdvisor's Top 30 Affordable Hotels,which has hundreds of reviews and is a go-to source for finding information before you book.

Also, make sure to check out deal websites such as Groupon, and LivingSocial.

CHEAPEST TIME TO FLY TO NEW YORK

As with hotels, the cheapest time to purchase a flight to NYC is generally from Jan 4ish until mid-March. This is when I tell my friends on budgets to visit.

The most expensive months are June and July as are the weeks leading up to and including Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Looking at flights from London to New York, Google Flights shows the average 5-day round-trip, non-stop flight can be as high as £1200 during the peak holiday season rush.

However, if you wait until the second week of January, the same round-trip flights can be as low as £260. That's a pretty massive difference!

Except for Easter Weekend and a few other U.S. national holidays, best-price round-trip tickets can be found for between £260-£330 until mid-June.

From roughly mid-June until the start of September, round-trip flights from London to NYC are at their most expensive on average, with the best-priced tickets averaging around £520.

However, if you wait until the first week of September, the best price average sinks to just over £300.

While hotels are a relative bargain in August, flights are still pricey.

This may be because many schools throughout the U.S. are back in session by early August or about to open whereas the summer holiday for U.K. schools generally ends in early September.

The best-priced, non-stop tickets remain around £300 until mid-December when the prices begin to climb rapidly.

While September to November is not technically the cheapest time to come, it is arguably the best time to visit, as the weather is great and the crowds are not overwhelming.

Flexibility is the key to getting the lowest-priced flight. This means flying during off-peak hours.

The least expensive flights tend to depart very early in the morning or late evening.

TIP: Skyscanner is a flight aggregator that collects price data and offers lots of price and departure flexibility.

Even if I don't ultimately book with Skyscanner, I always look at it to get a sense of daily prices for upcoming weeks or even months!

Purchase Your Ticket During the Prime Time Frame

Many people make their flight arrangements way in advance. Sometimes because they think they are saving money or they want to have all the details set.

But booking your flight too far in advance, or too close for that matter, can limit your ability to find cheap flight deals.

The prime timeframe to purchase your ticket is no earlier than 4 months before your departure date and no later than 3 weeks.

Other factors, such as the day of the week you fly and even the day of the week you buy your ticket can impact prices.

For example, the cheapest days to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday, while Friday and Sunday are the most expensive.

TIP: Airfares can vary depending on which airport you fly into, so be sure to check all three major airports for the best prices, John F. Kennedy (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), and Newark Liberty International (EWR) in New Jersey.

BENEFITS OF VISITING NYC IN THE LOW SEASON

OK. Before we start, let's get the major disadvantages out of the way. Temperatures can be darn cold. You will not want to leave your hotel if we hit a cold snap.

I know that during some past winters, I've holed up in my apartment for what seemed like days at a time!

On the other hand, we can have freakishly warm days - though don't base your trip on the possibility of this.

January and February are the two coldest months in NYC, with afternoon high temperatures in the upper 30s F to near 40 F (3-5 c).

It's also most likely to snow during these two months which may translate into travel delays.

July and August are the hottest months with temperatures into the 90s F (30-35 C) with a level of humidity that will make you think you are in the tropics.

However, if you think about it, the off-season is a great time for some. Let's take a look below.

You can also look at our things to do posts for January, February, July and August.

Great Time for Museums and Attractions

If you are a museum and/or attraction lover, this may be the best time for you.

Not only is crowding not an issue (at least on weekdays) but many attractions and museums offer price cuts at this time of year. Many are free every day or offer free days year-round.

Several attractions with paid entry offer price cuts, either through websites such as Groupon and LivingSocial or through tourist passes, which also slash their prices during these slow days.

We detail this in our budget tips section.

Good Time for Dining Out

In late July and much of August, many New Yorkers are out of town so it's much easier to reserve tables at restaurants, particularly those in the tourist districts.

Then in the winter low season, there's a lull in tourism.

So it's no coincidence that bi-annual Restaurant Week takes place in late July to mid-August and again in mid-January to early February.

What is Restaurant Week you ask? For foodies like me, it's one of the best events of the year!

More than 300 of New York City’s best restaurants offer a prix-fixe menu including 2 courses for lunch, and 3 courses for dinner at a very low price, relative to their regular prices. Read more here.

Broadway Tickets for Cheap

Fewer tourists in low seasons mean that tickets for Broadway (and off-Broadway) shows are easier to come by and many show tickets are cheaper.

Similar to Restaurant Week, Broadway Week is where you can get 2-for-1 tickets to popular shows.

It takes place in late summer and again in late January -- and it lasts for 2 weeks! There is an off-Broadway Week in late September.

I take advantage of this every year, as do many of my fellow local tour guides like Katie in the video below.

As with museums and attractions in the slow season, lower ticket prices for Broadway shows may be found through Groupon, LivingSocial, or tourist passes.

We detail this in our budget tips sectionbelow.

Some of the Best Department Store Sales

Many of the major department stores in NYC will offer sales in lull seasons, particularly the November-December (pre-Christmas) and post-Christmas periods.

These sales extend even to outlet centers like Woodbury Commons.

Read about the best shopping areas in New York City.

TIPS FOR BUDGET TRAVEL NYC

Besides the benefits of visiting NYC during the cheapest travel months explained above, here are tips to help you save money in NYC whenever you visit.

First, why not join us on one of our dozens of pay-what-you-wish walking tours throughout NYC, including food tours.

There is no cost to join and you only pay after the tour what you feel the tour was worth or what you could afford, even nothing.

Additionally, we offer GPS-enabled audio tours ($1.99/download) as well as free, self-guided tours.

Next, you can find hundreds of more tips, from the roughly 250k members of our NYC Travel Tips Facebook group.

Our group consists of locals, like our tour guides, expats, regular visitors, as well as newbies to NYC.

You don't need to be a member to search for and read the posts, comments, and recommendations.

How many days are enough to see NYC?

The answer will depend on what your expectations are. You can see quite a lot of the city in just four days.

But if you want to see what it is like to live like a local, you may want to spend at least a week.

Read more from our post How Many Days is Enough to Visit NYC? which has summaries of what you can do in NYC on trips of varying lengths from one day up to a week.

When is the best time to visit?

Again, like I said above, while money may be a consideration for you, what good is a trip if you don't get to enjoy the things you had hoped to - the kinds of things that happen seasonally?

Check out our post, Best Times to Visit NYC, which addresses this question from the perspective of what "best" means to travelers.

You may find it helps you clarify what you want out of your time in NYC.

Happy Travels!

Money-Saving NYC Travel Tips:

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• 25 Cheapest Hotels in NYC
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