Christmas Itinerary for New York

A Christmas itinerary for New York will help you plan your trip and make sure you don’t miss anything in the city during the holiday period. There are countless activities you can do during Christmas in New York. Soak up the Christmas spirit at one of the ice skating rinks, shopping for Christmas presents and admiring all the festive decorations found throughout the city. With this handy itinerary, I want to give you some ideas for what to do on a trip to New York during Christmas time. Here are the best things to do in New York in December.

Read more about the itinerary below

Day 1: Shopping, a Christmas Show and Dyker Heights

Morning 10:00 – 12:00: Macy’s

Start your day at Macy’s, New York’s biggest department store. Before you head inside, it’s well worth checking out the shop’s window displays. The theme changes every year, creating one of the most beautiful window displays in New York.

The shop usually opens at 10:00, and if you enter when the doors open, you will be warmly welcomed by applauding shop staff. Everything is also beautifully decorated inside; it’s truly an ‘American experience’.

For the ultimate Christmas experience, head towards the 8th floor, where you will find Santaland: a little winter wonderland. Everything here is decorated to the nines and you can even meet Santa Claus. You get there using wooden escalators, which are worth a visit in themselves. They are over 100 years old and still in daily use.

Afternoon 12:00 – 16:00: See a Christmas show

Every year, you can go and see several Christmas shows in New York. For instance, the New York City Ballet performs The Nutcracker annually, and Madison Square Garden also has a unique show. Visiting a Christmas show will help get you into the Christmas spirit! From Herald Square, where Macy’s is located, you can easily catch the subway to one of the theatres or take a short walk to Madison Square Garden.

If you don’t want to see the Christmas show, you could go ice skating at Bryant Park instead. The park is about a 10-minute walk from Macy’s.

Afternoon 16:00 – 18:00: Union Square Christmas market

A festive trip around the Holidays would not be complete without visiting a Christmas market. There are several great Christmas markets in New York, and some of them are included in this itinerary.

You can get to the Union Square Christmas market by taking the N, Q, R or W subway line or by walking there. This market has around 185 stalls where you can find everything from scarves and soaps to Christmas baubles and more. There are also many food stalls, making it a good place to get something to eat before the next activity.

Evening 18:00 – 21:00: Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Tour

Union Square is also the place where the tour for Dyker Heights departs! This neighbourhood in Brooklyn is known for its extravagantly decorated houses. Together with a guide, you will visit different parts of the neighbourhood and get a true holiday feeling on this fun tour!

Buy your tickets for the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Tour here

Day 2: Central Park, the Rockettes and the Tree at Rockefeller

Morning 10:00 – 12:00: Ice skating in Central Park

Start your day in New York with a stroll through Central Park. The park is huge, so to help you plan a route, you can take my walking route through Central Park. Along the way, you will pass Wollman Rink, a famous ice skating rink in the park. Put on your skates and brave the ice!

Afternoon 12:00 – 13:00: Columbus Circle Christmas market

After skating, you can walk towards Columbus Circle, where there’s another great Christmas market with all kinds of stalls selling Christmas presents, chocolates, jewellery and much more. While you’re there, treat yourself to a hot chocolate with a gingerbread cookie or some other treat.

Afternoon 13:00 – 14:00: 6th Avenue Christmas decorations

From Columbus Circle, you can walk to 6th Avenue, a street that’s home to many unusual Christmas decorations. You’ll see life-size candy canes, Nutcrackers and Christmas baubles, for example (points 3, 5 and 6 in my Christmas walking route).

Across 6th Avenue, you can walk to Radio City Music Hall, where the next activity takes place.

Afternoon 14:00 – 17:00: Radio City Christmas Spectacular

Radio City Music Hall is the venue for the annual Radio City Christmas Spectacular show, a true Christmas tradition in New York that stars the famous Rockettes. They are known for their synchronised dancing and the show will leave you with the ultimate Christmas feeling.

Book your tickets for Radio City Christmas Spectacular here

There are several performances throughout the day, so it’s also possible to go in the evening. Generally, tickets for the afternoon performances, which take place between 13:00 and 17:00, are cheaper.

Afternoon 17:00 – 18:00: Rockefeller Center Christmas tree

Next, you can walk a block to the Rockefeller Center, home to the iconic Christmas tree. Visit it in the early evening, as it starts to get dark because later the place gets very crowded with visitors. If you come a little earlier, chances are it will be a little quieter and you can take your photos and walk around.

Evening 18:00 – 21:00: Decorated shop windows on Fifth Avenue

For shop lovers, Fifth Avenue is already a paradise anyway, but during the Christmas period, it attracts even more people. Famous shops like Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman and Tiffany’s all have the most beautiful window displays. Fifth Avenue is also home to St Patrick’s Cathedral, another place that will fill you with the Christmas spirit.

Day 3: A Christmas cruise and visiting a Christmas market

Morning 10:00 – 13:00: Explore Downtown Manhattan

Start your day in Downtown Manhattan, where everyone will be in a festive mood! Visit the famous Stock Exchange (11 Wall Street), which has a huge Christmas tree in front of it every year. From there, walk past Trinity Church and continue to the Oculus, which is also beautifully decorated.

If you still have time to spare, visit Pier 17 in the historic South Street Seaport, where you can find an ice skating rink and have something to eat or drink.

You can combine your visit to Downtown Manhattan with the One World Observatory or the 9/11 Museum.

Afternoon 13:00 – 15:00: Christmas cruise

From Downtown Manhattan, take the A, C or E subway line towards 14th Street. From there, you can walk to Pier 62 and board a Christmas cruise! This boat trip takes about an hour and a half and you will see the Statue of Liberty, have a view of the skyline and enjoy a delicious hot chocolate.

Book the Christmas cruise here

Afternoon 15:00 – 16:00: Chelsea Market and High Line Park

After the cruise, head to Chelsea Market, where everything will be decked out in Christmas decor. This is also a good place to stock up on some gifts and souvenirs. From there, you can walk up the High Line; a long park on an elevated train track.

Afternoon 16:00 – 18:00: Hudson Yards

When you leave the High Line, you arrive at Hudson Yards. You can find Vessel and the observation deck Edge here, as well as a shopping mall. Everything is beautifully decorated for the Christmas season.

Afternoon 18:00 – 21:00: Bryant Park Winter Village

From Hudson Yards, take subway line 7 to Fifth Avenue to visit Bryant Park. Every year, the park transforms into a Winter Village. This Christmas market is secretly my favourite. The atmosphere here is so cosy, and if you look up, you can even spot the Empire State Building!

The Christmas market has stalls from local entrepreneurs and an ice skating rink. It’s a charming place to stroll around and get something to eat. You can go ice skating too if you feel like it!

If you happen to be in the Big Apple for more than three days and want more inspiration for your New York Christmas itinerary, check out my full overview of things to do at Christmas.

Christmas Walking Route

If you are in New York during the Christmas season and have limited time, you can also follow my Christmas walking tour. This way, you can experience the magic of New York for yourself. Walk past the decorated shops, see the most beautiful Christmas trees and get into the Christmas spirit. You will discover a lot of Christmassy sights in New York in a short time!