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Go At Your Own Pace · A self-guided tour

Upper West Side · Upper East Side

A When Harry Met Sally Autumn

Harry and Sally's New York, at your own pace: breakfast at Café Luxembourg, an autumn walk across Central Park past Bethesda Terrace to the Loeb Boathouse, and the Temple of Dendur at the Met. Then, by subway, Washington Square Arch, the Puck Building and the table at Katz's.

Distance
~2.4 km (1.5 mi)
Time
about 3.5 hrs
Stops
4
Effort
easy

Distance and timing are editorial estimates along the suggested streets, not a live routing calculation — treat them as a generous guide.

Peak autumn color around the Lake in Central Park, with the twin towers of the San Remo reflected in the water
Superbass · CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Why pay for a tour? Rob Reiner's 1989 film is a love letter to New York in the fall, and nearly everywhere Harry and Sally talked their way through the city is still there. This walk is the autumn half: breakfast on the Upper West Side, a walk across Central Park when the leaves turn, lunch by the lake and the Temple of Dendur at the Met. The downtown places, the arch, the Puck Building and Katz's, are one ride away on the 6 train, listed below for the same afternoon or another night.

A few things to know before you go. Some of the film's New York is gone: the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore on Broadway closed in 1996, and the Sharper Image store where they sing karaoke closed in 2008. Harry's apartment and Jess and Marie's brownstone are private homes, so they're not on the route. Bethesda Fountain is drained and fenced for a restoration that runs to about summer 2027, though the terrace stays open. And if you can, save the downtown half for New Year's Eve.

  1. 1
    Café Luxembourg~60 min

    Start with breakfast at the bistro on West 70th Street where the double date goes sideways: Harry and Sally each bring a best friend to set up with the other, and Jess and Marie leave together. The checkered floor, white tile and red banquettes look much as they did. Weekday breakfast starts at 8:30; on weekends it's brunch.

    The Lincoln Center bistro — zinc bar, steak frites, and forty years of pre-theater glow.

  2. 2
    Bethesda Terrace~20 min

    Walk east on 72nd Street, past the Dakota and Strawberry Fields, into the park. Film sleuths have matched Harry and Jess's walk-and-talk, the one where Harry admits he slept with Sally, to the terrace here. The fountain is off and fenced for restoration, but the terrace and its tiled arcade stay open.

    The Angel, the Lake, and a tiled arcade built for echoes — the park's grand heart.

    Bethesda Terrace in November, its steps leading down to the fountain under autumn trees
    Jay Dobkin · CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  3. 3
    The Loeb Boathouse~45 min

    Follow the path along the Lake to the Loeb Boathouse, where Sally tells Marie and Alice over lunch that she and Joe have broken up. Have lunch by the water yourself, or rent a rowboat until an hour before dusk, weather permitting.

    Row each other around the Central Park Lake — about $15 each for an hour.

    Rowboats on the Central Park Lake
    Epicgenius · CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  4. 4
    The Temple of Dendur at the Met~45 min

    Cross the park at 79th Street to the Met. In the glass-walled gallery of the Temple of Dendur, Harry tries out his 'pepper… pecan pie' voice on Sally, a bit Billy Crystal improvised. The temple is in Gallery 131. The Met is closed on Wednesdays; out-of-state adults pay $30, and New York State residents pay what they wish.

    Five thousand years of making, walled up along Fifth Avenue.

    The Temple of Dendur in its glass-walled gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, flanked by two seated statues
    The Metropolitan Museum of Art · CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Beyond the walk

For another evening

  • Washington Square Arch

    Where the 1977 drive from Chicago ends: Sally drops Harry off under the arch, both sure they'll never be friends. Years later, on New Year's Eve, it's where Harry starts running to find her.

    6 to Astor Place, then a 10-minute walk west on 8th Street

  • The Puck Building

    The ballrooms of this 1880s landmark at Lafayette and Houston, its corners watched by gilded statues of Puck, are where Jess and Marie's wedding and the New Year's Eve party were filmed. It's a look-from-the-street stop: the ballrooms aren't open to visitors, and the only public way in is a booking at Torrisi, the restaurant inside.

    B/D/F/M to Broadway–Lafayette St, or a 10-minute walk from the arch

  • Katz's Delicatessen

    Where Sally fakes it over a turkey sandwich and the director's mother, Estelle Reiner, delivers "I'll have what she's having." A sign hangs over the table, and you can sit there.

    F to 2 Av, or a 15-minute walk east on Houston from the Puck Building

Practical tips

  • To do it all in one day, walk from the Met to the 6 train at 77th Street and Lexington and ride it to Astor Place: the arch, the Puck Building and Katz's are about 2.5 km end to end.
  • At Katz's, take a ticket at the door, have each counter mark it and pay on the way out. Don't lose it.
  • Check the Central Park Conservancy's fall foliage tracker before you pick a day.
  • Book Café Luxembourg and the Loeb Boathouse restaurant ahead on OpenTable on weekends.

Editorial draft — core details last reviewed October 28, 2026. Confirm practical details with the official site before you go.