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Walking the Brooklyn Bridge is free, takes about an hour with stops, and is one of the few New York experiences that actually lives up to the postcard. The one decision that changes the whole walk is which way you cross. It may be tempting to start from Manhattan, but the more dramatic skyline-facing walk is from Brooklyn to Manhattan.
We at Travelmyth, the hotel search engine that ranks stays by your interests and needs across 60 stay categories, put this short guide together to get the walk right: which direction to cross, where to start on each side, how long it really takes, and what to do once you reach the far end. It is a companion to our wider guide to things to do in New York City.
If you only cross once, walk from Brooklyn toward Manhattan. That way the Lower Manhattan skyline rises ahead of you and grows as you go, which is the view people remember and photograph. Crossing the other way, from Manhattan to Brooklyn, puts that skyline behind your shoulder for most of the walk, though it does deliver you into DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights with their own famous views at the end. Neither is wrong, but for a single crossing, Brooklyn to Manhattan is the one to pick.
Coming from Manhattan, the walkway begins at Park Row and Centre Street, across from City Hall Park; on the Brooklyn side, use the main ramp near Tillary Street and Boerum Place, or the staircase in the underpass around Washington Street, Cadman Plaza East and Prospect Street. These access points are well signed and a short walk from the subway, and the pedestrian promenade is a single continuous path once you are on it.
The bridge is 6,016 feet long including its approaches, about 1.1 miles, with a main span of 1,595.5 feet between its two 278-foot towers. At a steady pace, the crossing takes around 30 to 40 minutes, or closer to an hour with photo stops and heavier crowds. The key rule is to use the correct path. The elevated promenade, 18 feet above the roadways, is pedestrian-only, while cyclists use the protected bike path.
For the quietest conditions and the best chance of unobstructed photos, go at sunrise or in the first hour after sunrise, when the light is soft. For the skyline itself, sunset walking from Brooklyn toward Manhattan is spectacular but shoulder-to-shoulder busy. Midday in summer is the hottest and most crowded. Whichever you choose, the walk is exposed, so bring water on a hot day and a layer on a windy one.
Before you cross from Brooklyn toward Manhattan, give yourself time for DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights beside the waterfront. It is worth allowing a few hours here rather than heading straight onto the bridge. A short walk away you can wander Brooklyn Bridge Park, ride Jane's Carousel, eat at Time Out Market, take in the view from Pebble Beach, photograph the Manhattan Bridge from Washington Street, and stroll the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Our guide to things to do in New York sets the bridge in the context of the wider waterfront.
Staying in Lower Manhattan or in Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO puts you within walking distance of the bridge for that quiet early crossing. On Travelmyth you can filter New York stays by features that matter to you such as a rooftop pool, a stay in a skyscraper, luxury, or steps toward sustainability. You can also combine two filters at once to narrow the long list to the handful that suit how you travel.