10 Days on the US East Coast
Ten days works well for New York City (4 days), Washington DC (3 days, reached by an easy 3-3.5 hour train), and Niagara Falls (2-3 days, reached by a 1-1.5 hour flight to Buffalo, not a quick add-on). This combines a walkable mega-city, a free-museum capital, and a natural wonder, without the common mistake of underestimating how spread out even the 'compact' East Coast really is.
The East Coast tempts first-timers into thinking it's all close together because it fits neatly on one side of a map — it isn't, and this itinerary is built around the two transport legs that actually work well (an easy train, and a short flight) rather than an ambitious drive that eats your vacation.
The 10-day plan
| Days | Where | What you're doing |
|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | New York City | Midtown icons, downtown and the Statue of Liberty, a museum, and a spare day in Brooklyn |
| 5 | Travel day | Amtrak Acela or Northeast Regional from New York to Washington DC (3-3.5 hours) |
| 6-7 | Washington DC | The National Mall's monuments, 2-3 free Smithsonian museums, and the Capitol |
| 8 | Travel day | Fly from DC or NYC to Buffalo Niagara Intl (BUF), then a 20-25 min transfer to the Falls |
| 9-10 | Niagara Falls | The American side's viewpoints, Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds, and an evening at the Illuminations |
Getting between the three legs
| Route | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| New York City → Washington DC | Amtrak Acela (faster, pricier) or Northeast Regional (cheaper, slightly slower) | 2.5-3.5 hours |
| Washington DC or New York City → Niagara Falls | Fly into Buffalo Niagara Intl (BUF), then rideshare or rental car | 1-1.5 hours flying, plus a short transfer |
Book the Acela if you want speed and a slightly nicer seat between New York and DC; the Northeast Regional covers the same route for noticeably less money and only adds about 30-45 minutes — a genuinely good budget swap on this leg specifically.
What to cut if you only have 7 days
Drop Niagara Falls and keep New York (4 days) plus Washington DC (3 days) — that pairing works brilliantly on its own and needs only the one easy train leg, no flight. Niagara Falls is the piece worth adding back in if you have the extra days and want a genuine natural-wonder contrast to two big cities.
What it costs
| Item | Approx. cost |
|---|---|
| Amtrak NYC-DC (Northeast Regional, one-way) | $50-110 |
| Amtrak NYC-DC (Acela, one-way) | $100-180 |
| One-way flight to Buffalo from NYC or DC | $90-220 |
| Mid-range hotel, per night (any of the three) | $150-320 |
| 10-day total per person, mid-range (excluding int'l flights) | $2,200-3,200 |
Mistakes worth avoiding
- Trying to drive the whole loop yourself — a rental car adds parking costs and stress in New York and DC, where you don't need one, and the Niagara Falls leg is genuinely faster by air anyway.
- Underestimating the Niagara Falls leg as a quick add-on — it needs its own travel day each way, not an afternoon detour.
- Skipping Amtrak's Northeast Corridor in favor of a flight between New York and DC — the train is genuinely faster once you factor in airport time for such a short hop.
- Booking hotels before checking the cherry blossom calendar (late March-early April) if your dates land near it — DC hotel prices spike hard that week.