Lower Manhattan vs National September 11 Memorial & Museum: which should you do first?

If you only have time for one, do National September 11 Memorial & Museum first. Its top ten experiences average an Outty Ranking of 87 against 83 for Lower Manhattan, and it has 162 ranked ways to see it versus 159. Lower Manhattan is the cheaper entry at $20, so it is the better pick on a tight budget. With a full day in New York, pair them: plan Lower Manhattan in the morning, as it is the shorter visit on average.

Lower Manhattan in New York, United States

Lower Manhattan

National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York, United States

National September 11 Memorial & Museum

Side by side

Lower Manhattan compared with National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York
Lower ManhattanNational September 11 Memorial & Museum
Ranked experiences159162
Top Outty Ranking9294
Average ranking (top 10)8387
Cheapest experience$20$24
Average time needed1.7h2.8h
Free cancellation100% of options100% of options
Free to visitNoNo

Best ways to see Lower Manhattan

  1. 1. Private Central Park Pedicab Tour

    Outty Ranking 92 · from $42 · 1h

  2. 2. Wall Street 9 to 11 Memorial and Lower Manhattan Walking Tour NYC

    Outty Ranking 87 · from $39 · 2.3h

  3. 3. Central Park Private Pedicab Tour

    Outty Ranking 84 · from $50 · 2h

  4. 4. New York Central Park Guided Pedicab Tour

    Outty Ranking 84 · from $44 · 1.5h

  5. 5. Official NYC Horse Carriage Rides in Central Park since 1979 ™

    Outty Ranking 83 · from $99 · 0.9h

All 159 Lower Manhattan experiences

Best ways to see National September 11 Memorial & Museum

  1. 1. 9/11 Memorial Tour with Optional Museum and One World Access

    Outty Ranking 94 · from $29 · 2h

  2. 2. New York in One Day Guided Sightseeing Tour

    Outty Ranking 92 · from $99 · 6h

  3. 3. 9/11 Ground Zero & Memorial Tour with Optional 9/11 Museum

    Outty Ranking 91 · from $29 · 2h

  4. 4. Wall Street 9 to 11 Memorial and Lower Manhattan Walking Tour NYC

    Outty Ranking 87 · from $39 · 2.3h

  5. 5. All-Access 9/11: Ground Zero Tour, Memorial and Museum, One World Observatory

    Outty Ranking 87 · from $109 · 2h

All 162 National September 11 Memorial & Museum experiences

Frequently asked questions

Lower Manhattan or National September 11 Memorial & Museum: which is better?

If you only have time for one, do National September 11 Memorial & Museum first. Its top ten experiences average an Outty Ranking of 87 against 83 for Lower Manhattan, and it has 162 ranked ways to see it versus 159. Lower Manhattan is the cheaper entry at $20, so it is the better pick on a tight budget. With a full day in New York, pair them: plan Lower Manhattan in the morning, as it is the shorter visit on average.

Which is cheaper, Lower Manhattan or National September 11 Memorial & Museum?

Ranked experiences at Lower Manhattan start from $20 and at National September 11 Memorial & Museum from $24 per person.

How long do you need at Lower Manhattan and National September 11 Memorial & Museum?

Experiences at Lower Manhattan run 1.7 hours on average and at National September 11 Memorial & Museum 2.8 hours, so both fit in one day in New York with a break in between.

Can you do Lower Manhattan and National September 11 Memorial & Museum on the same day?

Yes. Book the longer visit for the morning when crowds are lighter, and keep the afternoon for the other. 100% of Lower Manhattan options and 100% of National September 11 Memorial & Museum options offer free cancellation, which makes it easy to adjust.

What is the best tour of each?

For Lower Manhattan: Private Central Park Pedicab Tour (Outty Ranking 92, from $42). For National September 11 Memorial & Museum: 9/11 Memorial Tour with Optional Museum and One World Access (Outty Ranking 94, from $29).

More New York matchups

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