It’s your first trip to New York City, and you’re only staying for 48 hours. What to do? That was our challenge, and we managed to pack a week’s worth of sightseeing into two exhilarating days.

The first morning, we flew into LaGuardia and checked into the Casablanca, a wonderful little boutique hotel on 43rd Street, steps away from Times Square and the Theater District. From here, we could walk to Bryant Park, the New York Public Library and Grand Central Terminal, our first stop for lunch.

Inside the massive station, we waded through harried commuters to take a picture under the concourse clock. Then we went downstairs to the cavernous Oyster Bar & Restaurant. The fancier section was busy with power lunchers; we sat at the bar and feasted on raw Bluepoints from Long Island and Malpeques from Prince Edward Island. The service was brusque, but the oysters were fresh and delicious. (The poor man at the Pan Roast station looked bored—nobody was ordering his signature dish of oysters, cream and butter.) After lunch, we walked up Fifth Avenue to Rockefeller Center.

We’d heard that the Top of the Rock observation deck was as fine a vantage point as the Empire State Building, with shorter lines, and this turned out to be true—within minutes, we were standing on the 70th floor, looking down on Central Park and the tips of other skyscrapers. Back on the ground, we watched the ice skaters and peeked into the Today Show studio. Across Fifth Avenue, we spent some quiet moments in St. Patrick’s Cathedral and continued up the street past Trump Tower and the pearly gates of one-name shopping: Gucci, Prada, Tiffany, Versace.

We were nervous approaching Central Park (two kids from the suburbs), but what a thrill to see the skating rink, the zoo, the lake—familiar settings from so many movies and sitcoms. It was a quiet afternoon, and we passed a few dog-walkers and a fashion shoot. Crossing over to the west side, we came out at the American Museum of Natural History. Brochure in hand, we started on the top floor and worked our way down through the highlights: dinosaurs on the fourth floor, wildlife dioramas on the next three levels, the hall of gems on the ground floor. Some of the exhibits looked a bit threadworn, but the massive collection was still impressive and worth a visit.

We’d walked a few miles to the museum, so we hailed a cab back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. Since this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, we’d made reservations at Le Bernardin, a Four Diamond restaurant known for its über-fresh seafood. Each plate was a work of art, and each bite was exquisite—a good thing, because each forkful cost more than most meals back home. We walked home along Broadway, and it’s true what they say: the neon lights are bright (and breathtaking).

The next morning, we took advantage of the hotel’s generous continental breakfast. (The Casablanca also offers a nightly wine and cheese reception.) We’d booked a sightseeing trip called “New York City in One Day” with OnBoard Tours (through AAA partner Viator). I was skeptical, but without a car, we had no other way to cover so much ground. We met the shuttle in Times Square, and our guide, Tom, explained the itinerary: we’d see most sights from the bus, and he would take us on short walks to the most interesting ones. He proceeded to entertain us for the next 6 hours.

First we headed to Central Park West, stopping at The Dakota, where Yoko Ono stilll owns an apartment. Her windows overlook Strawberry Fields, a park created in memory of her husband, John Lennon. Next, the tour went to Rockefeller Center, and we got a history lesson on Saks Fifth Avenue.

On the way to Chinatown and Little Italy, we stopped for pictures of the Empire State Building and the Flatiron. Then we were off to the South Street Seaport for lunch at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. After a quick break for shopping, the group reassembled to board the Staten Island Ferry. This 50-minute ride (round trip) is free to all and offers striking views of the city skyline and the Statue of Liberty.

Back on land, we passed Battery Park on the way to Trinity Church and its 18th-century cemetery, nestled in the shadows of Wall Street. We walked along the narrow streets to the New York Stock Exchange and Federal Hall and even saw the Charging Bull statue in Bowling Green. Finally we entered One World Financial Center for a view of Ground Zero, now an active constructive site.

Returning north through Soho, Tribeca and Greenwich Village, the bus delivered us back to our starting point. Throughout the day, Tom had provided just the right mix of information and humor, and he patiently answered questions he’d probably been asked a thousand times. The best part about the tour was its small size, about 16 people. (We felt sorry for other tourists herded onto double-decker buses.) My guess is that everyone in the group checked “highly satisfied” on the survey.

After a day on the bus, we opted for more walking. (You definitely need comfortable shoes in NYC.) We headed off to the Chrysler Building on Lexington Avenue and stood in awe inside its gilded Art Deco lobby. We hiked as far as the United Nations Headquarters; the lights were just coming on atop the Empire State Building. That night, we attended the Metropolitan Opera (a long-time dream of mine) to see Angela Gheorghiu perform in “La Rondine.”

After the performance, we put away our dress clothes and headed back out into the “City that Never Sleeps.” It turns out that most restaurants on Times Square close around eleven. We finally found the Majestic Deli open at the corner of 7th Avenue and 50th Street. The sandwiches were nothing special, but anything tastes good when you’re starving.

The next morning, we had a few hours to kill before our flight, so we set off on foot once again. Feeling like old hands now, we strolled through Central Park as far as the Guggenheim and then sprinted into the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This isn’t the smartest way to see one of the world’s greatest museums—we kept getting lost in the maze of galleries—but we found the Egyptian wing and the stunning Temple of Dendur on the first floor. Upstairs, we lingered over the European masters. In search of the Whistlers and Cassatts, we wandered around in circles, only to learn that the American Wing was temporarily closed. (It pays to do your research in advance.)

Jumping into another taxi, we headed back to the hotel to retrieve our bags, but a construction accident had closed our street. Total gridlock—horns honking, cops whistling, the cab meter ticking. We checked the last New York experience off our list by tapping on the glass and yelling, “We’ll walk from here!”