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Last Updated: 4/8/2026
An Honest Guide to NYC at Christmastime
If you’re in the midst of planning your dream vacation to New York at Christmas, this guide helps you figure out the best holidays attractions and activities to your hotel and dinner reservations.
New York City has long been the world epicenter of Christmas activities. After all, this city basically invented the modern Christmas experience of massive trees, picture-perfect window displays, and visiting Santa. Christmas movies like Home Alone 2, Miracle on 34th Street, and Elf keep the Big Apple top of mind wherever you spend the holiday season.
I long dreamed of being a shopper “dressed in holiday style” rushing by on the busy NYC sidewalks. In December 2019, I finally made it to Manhattan to make all my Christmas in New York dreams come true. I quickly discovered a very busy holiday scene that requires careful planning to keep spirits bright!
We devoted a long weekend to the best Christmas activities in town, from Midtown to down to the Financial District into Central Park and beyond. Our itinerary included the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes, a walking tour, visiting sites from favorite Christmas movies, and of course, a little shopping.
I’m sharing all the best things to do in New York City at Christmastime. You’ll find a list of the city’s best trees, lights, decorations, shopping, markets, shows, and lots of other fun stuff.
With introductions to long standing holiday traditions, restaurant and hotel suggestions, and my best New York Christmas tips, this post guarantees your Christmas cheer level is maxed out during your NYC Christmas trip.
14 Best Christmas Things To Do in New York City
1) Find the Best Christmas Tree in NYC
New York City is home to some of the most iconic Christmas trees in the world. While the Rockefeller Center Plaza tree might be the whole inspiration for your NYC holiday travels, I urge you to seek out the city’s other beautiful trees.
Favorite New York City Christmas trees
Rockefeller Center Plaza – Let’s start with the most famous New York Christmas tree of them all: the 50′ tall Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center Plaza. If you want to avoid Christmas crowds in the plaza, you can get a beautiful view of the tree from 5th Avenue at 49th Street.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art – This Baroque blue spruce Christmas tree is my favorite NYC Christmas tree. Centrally located in the museum’s Medieval Sculpture Hall, the 20 ft-tall tree stands in front of a Spanish choir screen while soft choral Christmas music plays. An intricate 140-figure Baroque creche surrounds the tree’s base while angels in delicately hued robes fly in the tree branches.
Other places to find massive, beautifully decorated trees include Bryant Park, Madison Square Park, Grand Central Terminal, and Washington Square Park.
2) Ice Skate at Rockefeller Center (or another Manhattan rink)
There are several outdoor skating rinks around Manhattan. Just like with the city’s Christmas trees, don’t limit yourself to Rockefeller Center. When you see the price tag for skating at Rockefeller Center, you might some words that could land you on the naughty list! Happily, there are significantly less crowded rinks to choose from.
Bryant Park is the only Manhattan skating rink with free admission, so hit up this rink if you packed your own skates. To avoid long lines, reserve your skate time online before you go.
Rockefeller Center Plaza – When you imagine ice skating in New York, you probably see yourself twirling on the (quite small!) rink in front of the iconic Rockefeller Center Plaza tree. I know living your dreams is priceless, but I have to warn you that if you book a primetime skating slot at The Rock, you could be paying $100+ per person!
Wollman Rink in Central Park – For a less crowded and more affordable option, head to the beautiful Wollman Rink in the southeast corner of Central Park. This is a favorite skating options for locals and visitors alike.
3) Visit Santa at a department store
No doubt Macy’s is the first store you think of when you think of Christmas shopping in New York City. The flagship Macy’s store basically covers an entire city block at 34th Street and 6th Avenue. If you want to visit the store’s famed Santaland, be sure to make (free) reservations.
If you’re more interested in actually seeing Santa than living out some Buddy the Elf fantasy at Macy’s, head up to the flagship Bloomingdale’s store at 59th Street and 3rd Avenue. Not only is this popular department store known for their holiday window displays, they also offer their own Santaland where you can get a free (!) photo with Santa. The big perk with choosing Bloomingdale’s Santaland is that no reservations are required.
4) Check off your Christmas list at a favorite Manhattan store
You shouldn’t have any problem finding shopping opportunities, but if you’re looking for some inspiration, here are some of my favorite New York stores which I think are especially fun at Christmastime.
The Shops at Columbus Circle – If you want more of a mall style shopping experience, consider hitting up The Shops at Columbus Circle. I wished we’d spent a little more time poking into this mall’s various shops. We especially enjoyed sampling cocoa and checking out the holiday merchandise at Williams-Sonoma.
FAO Schwarz – You can’t visit New York at Christmas and not hit up a toy store! The famed toy store, FAO Schwarz, moved out of its 5th Avenue location in 2015, but don’t worry, you can still find the store (and its famous floor keyboard) near Rockefeller Center.
Eataly – If you’re a foodie, you definitely want to check out one of the three Eataly markets. Whether you visit the downtown, Soho, or Flat Iron location, you can stock up on Italian Christmas essentials like panettone and wine. Of course, don’t leave without grabbing a treat for yourself (think gelato or pizza) from one of the food vendors.
5) See the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Hall
The Christmas Spectacular has been an absolute NYC Christmas institution since it debuted in 1933. Performances start in early November and run through early January with up to five daily performances.
For me, the 90-minute Christmas Spectacular was the highlight of our entire trip. This show’s bright, loud, and unapologetically “extra.” I mean, at one point, an actual ice rink with two figure skaters appeared on stage.
While the Spectacular embraces modern technology, it also celebrates its 90-year history. Two of the routines – the infamous Parade of the Wooden Soldiers and the live nativity – date back to that first performance. I especially enjoyed the symmetry of the dancers, careful detail of the costumes, and flawless execution of every scene.
6) Go to the Nutcracker at Lincoln Center
If you’re looking for something a little more highbrow than the Christmas Spectacular, you can’t go wrong with the New York City Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Performances start after Thanksgiving and run through the end of December.
7) Enjoy the various Christmas markets throughout the city
New York City sets up several Christmas markets every holiday season. You’ll find these markets at Columbus Circle, Bryant Park, and Union Square.
Each of these three markets feature more than 100 stalls selling everything from housewares to toys and jewelry and basically any other small gift you might desire, just like in European Christmas markets. Even if you’re not looking to shop, you can (and should) hit up the food stalls for festive treats like waffles and apple cider.
One company manages all NYC Christmas markets, so you’ll see the same vendors at each market. Each market does have its own vibe, so I recommend visiting at least two. (We did Columbus Circle and Bryant Park.)
Pro tip: Since your shopping opportunities are the same at each market, just wait until your final market to actually make your purchases to avoid carrying your bags all day.
8) Check out the Grand Central Holiday Fair
While this event often gets lumped in with the other holiday markets, it’s actually quite different. Located completely inside Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall, this inside holiday market prides itself on its “one of a kind” items from local artisans.
Just note that this fair doesn’t offer any food. However, you can find plenty of nibbles (maybe a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery, eh?) around the terminal.
9) Find the best holiday decorations on Manhattan
New York definitely puts its best face forward for the holiday season, so you can find beautiful twinkly lights in basically every public space on the island. However, here are some of the city’s most beloved Christmas decorations:
5th Avenue – For the best of the best decorations, you’re going to want to head down 5th Avenue starting at the southeast corner of Central Park to take in decorations, lights, and window displays. (Don’t worry, I have a full guide to 5th Avenue Christmas sites a little later in this post).
Radio City Hall at 6th Avenue – The giant red Christmas ball ornaments and gigantic strand of Christmas lights across from Radio City Hall definitely qualify as a “must see” display.
Rolf’s – This German restaurant near Gramercy Park is known for its over the top holiday decor. In fact, it keeps the decorations up year-round, so you can dine under hundreds of thousands of Christmas lights and ornaments regardless of what time of year you visit.
10) Take a holiday-inspired tour in Midtown
We included a couple holiday themed tours as part of our activities and they’re were true highlights that really heightened our NYC Christmas experience.
New York Holiday Markets and Christmas Lights Tour – We saw so many Christmas highlights as part of this tour. You’ll learn a ton about the history of Christmas in New York and see all the very best holiday sites.
Radio City Stage Door Tour – While you can do the behind-the-scenes Radio City Music Hall tour year-round, it’s especially fun at Christmastime.
Mom and I opted to do the Radio City Stage Door tour right before attending the Christmas Spectacular. We learned tons of Radio City lore, met a Radio City Rockette, and got to peek in on the in-progress Christmas Spectacular performance twice.
From the special viewing window, we watched the amazing mechanics of the hydraulic stage while our tour guide shared insight about the 6200-seat theatre and Rockettes. Without her insight, I wouldn’t have known that we had the distinct privilege of watching the first-ever disabled Rockette perform!
11) Stroll down 5th Avenue
If you only do one thing during a New York Christmas trip it should be to stroll down 5th Avenue. Yes it’s a tourist trap, but it’s where you’ll find the most concentrated Christmas displays in New York. I recommend heading down 5th Avenue starting at 59th Street around sunset and walking all the way to Bryant Park.
5th Avenue Christmas Highlights
Pulitzer Fountain: Right outside of the Plaza Hotel, you’ll find cheery lighted decorations surrounding the historic Pulitzer Fountain.
Window displays: 5th Avenue is known for its excellent holiday window displays. You can count on impressive displays at Bergdorf Goodman.
However, the retail landscape has changed dramatically in recent years. With the rise of online retails, many brands have given up their leases on expensive retail space.
Rather than leave the street-level windows empty and cheerless, the Fifth Avenue merchant association joined forces to fill these vacant shops’ windows with simple but joyful displays. Although decidedly more sedated than the all-out efforts of occupied stores, I think these window displays warmed my heart just little bit more.
UNICEF snowflake: This massive 3300-pound snowflake hangs over the intersection of 57th Street and 5th Avenue.
Peninsula Hotel: This 5-star 5th Avenue hotel looks particularly festive with green and red light projections on its exteriors. Bright red bows and white lights decorate every window.
Rockefeller Center tree: If you want to avoid the crowds in the actual Rockefeller Center Plaza, you can enjoy a great view of it at the intersection of 5th Avenue and 49th Street.
Saks Fifth Avenue light show: Saks Fifth Avenue does a full-out light show for the Christmas season. This five-minute show runs every 10 minutes from 4:35 – 11:35 p.m. every day from just before Thanksgiving right up to New Year. Be sure to watch how the lights and music enchant everyone on the busy sidewalk.
12) Go to a service or just enjoy the quiet of St. Patrick’s Cathedral
While you won’t find any Christmas decorations inside until Christmas Eve, St. Patrick’s Cathedral provides a quiet place to slip into if you need a minute or two away from the 5th Avenue crowds.
This Neo-Gothic cathedral is largest Roman Catholic church in the United States. It does get busy during the holiday season, so if you want to tour it, book in advance. They also offer an annual Christmas choral concert the Thursday before Christmas.
If you’re hoping to attend Christmas midnight mass here, you will need to plan well in advance. Due to extremely high demand, the church offers tickets to their Christmas midnight mass through a lottery system that opens in June!
13) Relive some of the most iconic NYC Christmas movie scenes
I maybe had a little too much fun brainstorming fun activities you can do that center around the many holiday movies set in New York.
The Plaza Hotel – The Plaza Hotel overlooking Central Park has been a New York City icon for more than a century. It’s so well known, it often makes its way into popular culture including the Eloise picture book, Sex and the City and countless other books and films.
Around the holidays, the Plaza’s best known for its connection to Home Alone 2. In fact, the hotel offers an entire package centered around Home Alone 2 year-round which includes a 4-hour limousine tour of NYC sites featured in the movie, a large cheese pizza, and a 16-scoop ice cream sundae.
If it’s not in your budget to actually stay at the Plaza, consider popping inside for afternoon tea in the stately Palm Court instead. This would be especially fun on a mother/daughter trip like the one I was on!
Bethesda Fountain – This beautiful fountain and terrace in Central Park is featured countless NYC movie scenes. When you visit, you can imagine Santa clipping the wing of the fountain’s angel as he and Buddy are pursued by the Central Park Rangers in Elf.
Gapstow Bridge – Another picturesque Central Park landmark to seek out is the Gapstow Bridge which crosses a small section of the Pond in Central Park. This is where Kevin meets the Pigeon Lady in Home Alone 2. From here you can enjoy the same view of the Plaza Hotel that Kevin saw.
Drink the world’s best cup of coffee – While the actual diner that Buddy bursts into in Elf to congratulate them on their outstanding coffee doesn’t actually exist in Manhattan, there are no shortage of diners where you can get a “crappy cup” (or world’s best, depending on your perspective) of coffee. Pop into one and put your feet up for a minute.
Try “fruit spray” and visit Santa at Macy’s– The department store in Elf might be called Gimbels (a once famous New York department store which liquidated in the late 1980s after a long rivalry with Macy’s) but it’s no secret that filmmakers modeled it after Macy’s. Be sure to take a stroll through the perfume section to sample some “fruit spray.” Of course, make a reservation to visit Santa at Santaland, but maybe don’t sing . . . .
Push all the buttons in the Empire State Building elevator – Good news, if you’re headed up to the Observation Deck on the Empire State Building, you can’t actually punch the buttons for each individual floor of the 102-story skyscraper. It’s still a great photo op.
Play the floor keyboard at FAO Schwarz – While Big definitely isn’t a Christmas movie, visiting a toy store during the holiday season is about as Christmas-y as it gets. Don’t miss the floor keyboard. If you don’t feel like playing yourself, wait to watch one of the impressive staff demonstrations.
14) Have a special holiday treat like frozen hot chocolate
Don’t forget to including trying some of New York’s best festive food and drink in your activity itinerary.
Here are some favorite treats to seek out:
Eggnog: You’ll find this creamy, spiced beverage at various places in spots around New York City. One popular spot to sip the holiday staple drink is Pete’s Tavern near Gramercy Park.
Roast Chestnuts: The warm, nutty aroma of roasting chestnuts hovers over all New York Christmas markets and at many street corners. In personal experience, they smell much better than they taste. Their mushy texture was really a no-go for me! Still, if you can’t shake the strains of Nat King Cole drifting through your head every time you spy a chestnut vendor, you might as well give them a try.
Christmas Cookies: New York City has the most dynamic bakery scene in America. You can find bakeries specializing in every ethnic tradition in the world. You better bet they all offer a variety of Christmas cookies and other holiday specialties.
Some favorite New York bakeries to check out during your Christmas trip include Magnolia, Levain, Veniero’s, Pasticceria & Caffe, Russ and Daughters, and Milk Bar.
Latkes and Sufganiyot: Christmas isn’t the only holiday celebrated in December in New York City. For many New Yorkers, Hanukkah is the main December event, making it the perfect time to head to the lower East Side for some traditional Hanukkah treats like latkes or sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts).
Frozen Hot Chocolate: You’ll find hot apple cider and hot chocolate pretty much everywhere in New York City during the holiday season, but if you want Frozen Hot Chocolate, you’ll need to head to Serendipity 3. This popular and indulgent dessert is a fun oxymoron that makes a perfect end to a full day of exploring.
Special event drinks: Don’t forget to check out the concession stands at special events like the Christmas Spectacular or The Nutcracker. We loved settling into our seats at Radio City Music Hall with some festive, sparkling beverages in hand!
A Quick Guide to Christmas in New York
My 5 Best Tips for a Christmastime Visit
While I loved my NYC Christmas trip, this is the one trip in my life that I want a do-over for. (Maybe dovetailing it with an Alaskan winter adventure wasn’t such a great idea . . . .)
I made a lot of mistakes both in the planning and execution of this trip. In fact, I actually wrote a full post devoted to my tips for visiting New York at Christmas to help other holiday visitors avoid my mistakes. In a nutshell, here are my main takeaways:
A New York Christmas trip is not a budget trip
I spent way too much time trying to find an affordable, but conveniently located NYC apartment for the four of us to stay in. Spoiler alert: this doesn’t exist in Manhattan.
I should have saved the gnashing of teeth and just booked two hotel rooms and admitted that we would be eating most of our meals out. A holiday trip to New York is definitely a bucket list item, so start saving now and go all in.
Consider seeing popular New York City Christmas displays late at night
If you’re leery of crowds, do your Christmas lights and window display viewing as late in the evening as possible. Just be sure to check closing times of your must-see attractions before heading out. For example, Bryant Park closes at 9 p.m. and the Christmas markets shutter their stalls at 8 p.m., so plan your route accordingly.
Visit mid-week
I’m not sure how we ended up in New York City over the second weekend in December, but I definitely don’t recommend it. We spent most of Saturday and Sunday stuck in traffic and weaving through crowds.
When Monday rolled around, we suddenly had breathing room and everything was so much more pleasant. New York runs pretty much all of their Christmas activities every day of the holiday season, so do yourself a favor and avoid the weekend mania.
Focus only on Christmas activities
The holiday season attracts so many people to New York City for their first-ever visit. Meanwhile, actual New Yorkers are busy trying to navigate the crowds on their own holiday errands.
If you have a limited capacity for lines and crowds, hit the Top of the Rock Observation Deck, Times Square, and the Statue of Liberty on another trip.
Honestly, many bloggers will try to sell you on a New York Pass for your trip, but we found it stressful trying to “get our money’s worth” while also taking in the city’s Christmas sites. I would have much preferred wandering through the city with a peppermint mocha than rushing from one tourist attraction to the next.
Plan ahead, but leave room for spontaneity
Make hotel and dinner reservations well in advance, then let the rest of your New York Christmas fun full into place around those set engagements.
Things like visiting the tree of the Metropolitan Museum of Art or touring Christmas markets can happen at any time of any day. There are so many performances of the Christmas Spectacular, you might not even need to book tickets. Let your whims direct you and really soak up the Christmas spirit.
Best Restaurants for a Festive Holiday Meal
I learned pretty quickly that staying in Midtown puts you smack-dab in the center of a restaurant desert. While we didn’t enjoy great dining on this trip, it doesn’t have to be that way for you!
Here are some great restaurants I’ll visit the next time. Just remember to make reservations asap. You’ll be so glad you have a dinner plan after a long day of seasonal sightseeing!
Rolf’s German Restaurant: Rolf’s is probably the number one spot to grab a festive dinner in NYC. Definitely make reservations because everyone and their grandma wants to eat here at Christmastime.
One if By Land, Two if By Sea: Known as one of NYC’s most romantic restaurants, this West Village spot offers a special holiday menu.
Tavern on the Green: I’ve always been intrigued by this American restaurant located inside Central Park. With its convenient location near Lincoln Center, it would be a great place for an early bite before heading over to The Nutcracker.
Gramercy Tavern: This restaurant was on my shortlist of restaurants to check out on our NYC trip, but we didn’t make it. You can enjoy either a set seasonal menu in the dining room or order ala carte in the Tavern.
Money Saving Tips
Consumerism may have largely created the New York Christmas experience we’ve come to know and love, but you don’t actually need to spend any money to enjoy the city’s holiday season.
Here are some of the best free Christmas activities in New York:
- Browse the Grand Central Holiday Fair
- Stroll down 5th Avenue and take in the window displays and lights
- Go ice skating at the Bryant Park Winter Village (Just be sure to pack your ice skates!)
- Walk through the Columbus Circle and Union Station Christmas Markets
- Visit Santa at Bloomingdale’s Santaland, grab your free photo, and do a little window shopping
- Explore Central Park and find landmarks from Christmas movies set in New York City
- Play the giant floor keyboard at F.A.O. Schwartz toy store
In addition to check out these free activities, plan to walk or take the subway rather than taking expensive cabs from Point A to Point B.
Where To Stay
I definitely don’t recommend the two-bedroom 5th floor walk-up apartment where we stayed in the Kips Bay neighborhood. In fact, I’d give up on the idea of staying within walking distance of New York City’s Midtown Christmas attractions all together.
Instead, plan to use the subway to travel from your lodging to the various holiday activities and attractions around Manhattan. You’ll have way better dining options around you this way and you’ll get a little reprieve from crowds each night.
Here are some excellent lodging options:
The Beekman: I love a good boutique hotel and the Beekman Hotel in lower Manhattan looks right up my alley. I also think lower Manhattan, with its historic streets and sites, is a seriously underrated part of New York City.
HI New York Hostel: On the other end of the spectrum (and island), HI New York Hostel is probably the most affordable lodging option in Manhattan. I actually stayed here when I visited New York with my London housemates in 2010. While you’ll spend about 30 minutes on the subway getting to Midtown, it’s nicely located in a neighborhood with lots of restaurants and easy access to Central Park.
Midtown hotel options: If you must stay in Midtown, I’d grab a hotel from a well-regarded hotel chain such as Hampton Inn or Hyatt. Otherwise go all in and book that room at the Plaza!
New York City is waiting for you this Christmas season
I hope this guide provided you with all the information you need for a magical holiday visit to New York City. My goal with this post was to help you avoid the mistakes I made during our Christmas trip so you can enjoy all the best Christmas things to do in New York.
Whether you decide to visit attractions made famous in a popular Christmas movie, go ice skating under the most famous Christmas tree in the world, or sip hot chocolate in one of Christmas markets around Manhattan, I know you’ll remember your time in magical December trip for the rest of your life.
Here’s to a memorable and enchanting New York Christmas experience!
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