New York City is already full of life and energy (and great hotels! and pizza! and bars! and…)
Sprinkle in twinkling light shows, holiday markets, window displays, and a giant Christmas tree and you have pure magic. Sure, certain touristy things in the city can feel overrate, but not the holidays! The hype is earned and if you can get past the crowds, it’s worth it to experience the city during the holiday season at least once in your life.
For first-timers, here are my tips on what’s worth your time, and what you should avoid while exploring the festivities!
PART I — Where To Stay
Moxy NYC Times Square
Staying in Times Square is something everyone should experience at least once. The excitement, the crowds, and what seems like endless activity are so fun to be around, and the Moxy Times Square location is right in the middle of it all. The hotel is in a prime location for many of the winter activities. It’s a 10-minute walk from the hotel to Bryant Park and another 10 minutes from the park to Rockefeller Center.
KEY AMENITIES:
- Flexible furniture
- Free wifi
- Immersive social spaces
- Rooftop bar
- Skyline views
ROOM RATE: $200 per night
Times Square puts you in the center of it all and we have multiple Times Square or midtown properties on our “A NYC Hotel for Every Type Of Traveler” list. Travel editor Steve Bramucci, loves the ~nearby~ and newly opened Virgin Hotel, writing:
If you like to be in the thick of it all, like me, this brand-new Virgin Hotel is a cool in the best ways. It’s so so clean (see my rant about hotel cleanliness here) and very stylish. The moody, modern public spaces feel vaguely British while the rooms themselves are bright, airy, and simple. They’re spartan and slick, sure, but you want those qualities in an affordable hotel room because those sorts of rooms are easier to keep clean. (By contrast the Ace, just a block away, did the industrial design thing which felt cool and raw for a decade or so but now feels sort of dingy and mildewy in the wrong ways.)
Everdene, the property’s in-house restaurant, does classic cocktails with precision and attention to direct, clear flavors. I trust the Manhattan or negroni or paloma that you’d get from this team 100 times out of 100. The food is similarly on point, with the pork empanadas being an absolute “must order.”
The Plaza Hotel
Even if you don’t stay here, stop by The Plaza Hotel to view the beautiful Christmas decorations. They offer special packages that can bring your Home Alone 2: Lost in New York dreams to life. Guests can indulge in the package year-round, loading into a limousine with a piping hot cheese pizza as it takes you around to sightsee in the city, passing by places seen in the movie.
After essentially living the dream, you come back to spend the night at the Plaza Hotel and order room service that includes the famous ice cream sundae that Kevin McCalister has in the beloved Christmas movie.
KEY AMENITIES:
- Afternoon tea
- Heart of Midtown
- Salon
- Fitness Center
- 24-carat gold-plated bathroom fixtures
- Contemporary artwork
- Spa
- Three restaurants
ROOM RATE: $805 per night
PART II — What To Do
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
The Rockefeller Christmas Tree has been a solid tradition throughout the holidays in the city since the 1930s and has only grown in popularity. A tree this size (80 feet in 2023), covered in tens of thousands of lights can practically bring a tear to your eye and definitely fills you with cheer.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lights up for the season on November 29th, and the tree stays lit daily, starting at 5 AM until 12 AM up until January 13th at 10 PM (except Christmas day when tree is lit for a full 24 hours and NYE when the tree is only lit from 5 AM TO 9 PM).
Circle Line’s Holiday Harbor Lights
Cruises on the harbor aren’t just for the summertime. In fact, they might arguably be better during the holidays. Circle Line, known for their famous sightseeing boat tours around the city skyline, is continuing their tour throughout the holiday season with their Holiday Harbor Lights Cruise.
In addition to the boat being completely decked out with ornaments, Christmas lights, and festive trees, Circle Line is collaborating with the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes and Toys for Tots (NYC Chapter) to give back this holiday season and bring even more festivities to the table. Sip on a Rockette-tini (a sweet, salted caramel martini) or a Peppermint Hot Chocolate as you escape the Christmas crowds and enjoy the city views from the water.
Pizza Party
Take advantage of the vendors at the Christmas markets, or take away pizza slices during this time of the year to avoid huge wait times at restaurants. Want to pick the best of the (many, many) options? We went exhaustive with this ranking — re-tasting all the most famous slice shops post-pandemic.
If you want to experience a certain restaurant while visiting the city, be sure to make a reservation in advance. If you prefer to go the spontaneous, casual route, you’re surrounded by incredible pizza places to grab a quick, but delicious, cheese slice from places like Village Square Pizza in the West Village, Scarr’s, and John’s of Bleecker St. just to name a few.
Not in the mood for pizza (you good?), stop into a classic NYC spot like Katz’s Delicatessen for a giant pastrami or corned beef sandwich, with enough meat on it to feed you for days.
Rockettes Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall
The Rockettes Christmas Spectacular Show is a classic in the city. With performances happening at Radio City Music Hall since the 30s, the show is full of high kicks and holiday vibes. If you’re looking to see a show this season, the Rockettes put on a great performance to enjoy with friends, family, your significant other, and anyone else who you’re sharing time with this Christmas.
PRICE: $71-$305
The Saks Fifth Avenue Light Show
Right near Rockefeller Center is Saks Fifth Avenue. Every year around the holidays, Saks has an incredible light show display set to festive music. The show is completely free and can be watched right from the sidewalk.
Stop to see the brilliant light show from 5 PM to 11 PM.
The Union Square Holiday Market
The Union Square Market is one of the best. There are so many markets sprinkled throughout the city during this time of the year that, at times, they seem to all blend, but the Union Square Holiday Market is one that shouldn’t be missed. Right when you walk up, you’re hit with the smell of spices, mulled wine and the buzz of the crowd. This is an awesome place to start shopping for Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers.
Columbus Circle Holiday Market is another solid option, with a variety of vendors selling unique gifts, home decor, jewelry, specialty food, and more.
Hudson Yards
Hudson Yards and the Vessel are completely decked out this time of the year. The famous shopping center has luxury stores to explore, and an elaborate Christmas display of lights! Even if you’re not looking to splurge on high-end items this year, it’s worth a visit alone to see the decorations in all their glory.
Bryant Park Holiday Market
The iconic Bryant Park Holiday Market is one you have to visit. In addition to having a wide range of vendors selling everything from jewelry and scarves to art and ornaments, most products are reasonably priced. This is a great market to stock up on gifts and support local businesses. They have an ice-skating rink and plenty of incredible foods like French raclette, pasta, soups, sweets, hot cocoa, and more. Snap a picture by the Christmas tree while watching the skaters glide by, or sip on hot chocolate while browsing through the vendors.
It gets crowded at night, but it’s 100% worth it.
Central Park
The horses dragging carts through Central Park have been through enough. Don’t fall for this tourist trap by signing up for a carriage ride. Instead, take a stroll through Central Park. It’s super romantic this time of year, especially with a light dusting of snow.
Festive Window Displays
During the season, Macy’s Herald Square has holiday windows on display. Macy’s windows have a reputation for a reason and are always over the top and incredibly festive. Many stores jumped on the trend, especially along Fifth Avenue.
In addition to Macy’s, be sure to check out places like Bergdorf Goodman and Lord & Taylor for incredible displays.
PART III — What To Skip
The Weekends
Visiting Rockefeller Center to see the incredible 80 ft Christmas tree in person is on so many seasoned traveler’s bucket lists. If you can swing a weekday visit, I highly recommend avoiding the weekends. Most of the holiday activities happen daily anyway, and on weekends you’re going to be battling some serious crowds to get a view of the tree.
Really though…we’re talking close to 750,000 people on average…and that’s daily (according to Fast Company). That said, plan for extra time for each activity you want to do. With the crowds, everything will most likely take a little bit longer to get to than expected.
Ice Skating
I know you want the picture-perfect Instagram reel of you skating with the Rockefeller tree in the background. If skating alongside the sparkling Christmas tree, lit up at night, is something that’s important to you, be prepared to pay as much as $73 for the experience at The Rink at Rockefeller Center.
For a more affordable, but still beautiful experience, the Wollman Rink at the southern end of Central Park has an ice skating rink where general admission is around just $15.
PRICE: $15
Ubers & Taxis
Skip the expensive Ubers and Lyfts during the holidays to avoid burning through your spending money. It adds up quickly and just takes away hard-earned money that you could be spending at the markets on local vendors.
Instead, download Google Maps to get helpful directions for the subway. When you have exact directions available at your fingertips on your phone, it’s fairly easy to navigate and significantly less expensive. Not to mention faster, too. You’re underground, not dealing with traffic or the crowds of people above. Bundling up and walking whenever you can is a great option, as well, and an opportunity to run into unexpected holiday fun and shops along the way.
The Grand Central Holiday Market
I wasn’t too impressed with the Grand Central Holiday Market. That’s not saying you might not find something special there, but in my opinion, the food market in Grand Central Station is where you want to spend your money. This is a great place to stock up on specialty items to enjoy on New Year’s Eve like high-end caviar, meats, cheeses, and other indulgences.
PART IV — Pro-Traveler Tips
Dining
The holidays are one of the busiest times in New York, meaning the restaurants will be packed, as well. If you’re not into eating casually, popping in and out of hole-in-the-wall gems in Chinatown, pizzerias, or delis (which, by the way, all have solid options), just be sure to make your reservations well in advance.
If making reservations slipped your mind, and you’re still looking to try some sit-down, classic restaurants like Peter Luger Steak House or Keens, consider a lunch reservation. Many of these places still have lunch reservations available, and most of the time, the menus are very similar. It’ll be less crowded, and you can head to the markets at night when the lights are twinkling to grab something casual and small for dinner, after a big lunch.
Another great option for this time of year or food halls like the Chelsea Market. Don’t get me wrong, it’ll be packed in there, but they have delicious tacos, noodle dishes, sweets, and much more to choose from, no reservations required.
Plan for Rolf’s In Advance
Some of the touristy restaurants fill up quickly, like Rolf’s on 3rd. Don’t get me wrong, the incredible display of Christmas lights and decorations is worth a visit if you can snag a hard-to-get reservation, but unless you plan way ahead, you might not be so lucky.
Make The Most Of Your Time
Spontaneity is a great quality when traveling. Being easy-going and seeing what you stumble upon naturally often leads to some of the best experiences in a new city or country, but this is not something I would recommend for the holidays in New York City. Whether it’s a restaurant you’ve been wanting to try or ice skating reservations, things book up so quickly that having a plan in place (or paying extra to concierges etc.) can save you a ton of time and stress when trying to get the most out of your trip in the city.
It helps to do your research and make sure that you plan ahead to hit your “must visit” spots. As long as you have a plan of attack, you can have a ~relatively! affordable and stress-free trip to the city during the festive season.
