This post was originally published on A Globe Well Travelled in 2015. The content has been revised and updated with fresh information.
It was 24°C (75°F) on Christmas Eve in New York City… not quite the white Christmas I’d signed up for.
Having grown up celebrating Christmas in Australia, I was unbelievably excited for my first festive season living in New York City. Finally, a Christmas where I could rug up in a winter coat instead of sweating through lunch! I had high hopes for snow, but December 2015 apparently had other ideas.
Thankfully, New York doesn’t need snow to put on a good Christmas. I spent that December and the following year’s festive season exploring Midtown’s oversized decorations and checking out the famous Rockefeller Center tree.
The next year, while sitting beside the window at our favourite Christmas-themed bar, I got to watch the first flakes of the season fall outside while I downed a festive cocktail in a Santa-shaped mug. It was a truly memorable Christmas moment, that’s for sure.
There’s so much to enjoy in New York in the lead-up to Christmas. These are my favourite things to do, along with a few extra options worth considering and a walking route to help you find the best festive displays.
Quick summary:
Discover the best things to do in New York City at Christmas, from Midtown’s oversized decorations and the Rockefeller tree to festive cocktail bars, holiday markets and ice skating. Drawing on two Christmas seasons living in NYC, I share personal favourites and practical tips.
Recommended tours & tickets:
🎁 NYC Christmas Holiday Walking Tour – Explore Midtown’s festive displays with a guide to show you the highlights.
💃 Radio City Christmas Spectacular – Watch the Rockettes’ synchronised dancing in an iconic New York Christmas show.
✨ Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Tour – Visit the Brooklyn neighbourhood famous for its extravagantly decorated homes.
🎬 Home Alone 2 & Elf Locations Tour – Discover Central Park filming locations from two Christmas favourites.
Best things to do in NYC at Christmas time
Wander through Midtown’s Christmas displays
Midtown goes all out for Christmas, and wandering between the decorations was one of my favourite ways to get into the festive spirit. The department store windows are elaborately decorated, but I was just as impressed by the oversized ornaments along Sixth Avenue. Giant Christmas baubles, enormous strings of colourful lights, Radio City’s glowing signs… subtle it is not, and I loved it.
You can connect plenty of these sights on foot. Start with the oversized decorations on Sixth Avenue and Radio City, then head to the Rockefeller Center tree and Saks Fifth Avenue’s holiday windows. For a longer wander, continue north along Fifth Avenue to Bergdorf Goodman at West 58th Street.
Be prepared to share the pavement with plenty of other people doing exactly the same thing. Getting photos can involve a little patience, especially when everyone wants to stand in front of the same display. I’d go in the late afternoon so you can enjoy the lights as daylight fades.
🎁 If you’d prefer someone else to lead the way, a New York Christmas Holiday Walking Tour is a handy way to explore Midtown’s festive displays with a guide.
See the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree
I’d seen the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in so many movies and photos that I was pretty excited to finally see it myself. It’s an impressive sight, even when you’re expecting it to be enormous. With the skating rink below and all the decorations around the plaza, this was one of those places where it really hit me that I was spending Christmas in New York.
I didn’t attend the lighting ceremony, but stopped by to admire the tree and watch the skaters during my Midtown Christmas explorations. You don’t need to skate or book an activity to enjoy seeing it from the surrounding public areas.
The 2026 lighting ceremony takes place on 2 December, so plan your visit after that if you want to see the tree illuminated. Expect plenty of company around the plaza, particularly in the evening — this is one of the city’s most famous Christmas sights, after all.
Get tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular
Walking past Radio City’s festive decorations was a highlight of my Midtown Christmas explorations, but you can also head inside for the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes. I didn’t get to see the show myself, though it’s worth considering if you’d like to add a Christmas performance to your trip.
The show combines the Rockettes’ famously synchronised dancing with elaborate costumes, festive sets and musical numbers. It runs for 90 minutes without an interval, making it easy to pair with seeing the Rockefeller tree and nearby decorations.
💃 The 2026 season runs from 4 November to 4 January 2027. Book your Radio City Christmas Spectacular tickets to see the Rockettes perform in one of New York’s most iconic Christmas shows.
Grab a cocktail at a Christmas-themed bar
If you need a boost of Christmas spirit, this is going to be the best way to get your hit.
My husband and I visited the Christmas bars with friends who also lived in NYC, and Miracle on 9th Street was definitely our favourite. They decked the halls with an insane amount of Christmas decor, including a Hanukkah corner when we visited.
The cocktail list was exceptional, with Christmas-themed drinks like a Bad Santa, Christmopolitan, and Jingle Balls Nog. The mugs were also on point — there’s something so cheery about receiving your drink in Santa-shaped cupware.
In December 2016, I was sitting beside the window when the first snow of the season began falling outside. After our absurdly warm first Christmas in New York, I was so excited! Snow outside our favourite Christmas bar was everything I’d hoped for.
Miracle on 9th Street now operates seasonally at The Cabinet in the East Village — check the official website for visiting details. We also enjoyed Sippin’ Santa’s surf shack pop-up at Boilermaker, though host venues change, so check its current locations before visiting. More Christmas cocktails, anyone?
Explore Central Park’s Christmas movie locations
If you’ve watched Home Alone 2 and Elf a few too many times, you’ll probably recognise a few places around New York. Visiting the filming locations is a fun way to add some Christmas movie nostalgia to your sightseeing, and you can see several on a walk through Central Park.
Start outside the Plaza Hotel, where Kevin checks himself in for a very extravagant stay in Home Alone 2. From there, head into the park to Gapstow Bridge, where he meets the Pigeon Lady. It’s one of NYC’s best photo spots, with the city buildings rising above the trees.
For Elf fans, Pinebank Arch is the setting for Buddy’s spectacular snowball fight with Michael. You can also continue to Bethesda Terrace, which appears during the film’s Central Park finale. These outdoor locations are free to explore, so you can work them into a longer wander through the park.
🎬 For more stories behind the scenes, consider the Home Alone 2 & Elf Locations Tour in Central Park, which connects filming spots on a guided ride.
See the Dyker Heights Christmas lights
If Midtown’s decorations leave you wanting more, Dyker Heights takes Christmas enthusiasm to another level. This Brooklyn neighbourhood is known for homes covered in elaborate light displays, with oversized Santas, glowing reindeer and front gardens packed with decorations.
I didn’t make it out to Dyker Heights during my Christmas seasons in NYC, but it’s worth considering if you’d like to see a different side of the city’s celebrations. These are people’s homes rather than department stores, which gives the displays a different character from those around Rockefeller Center.
You can explore independently for free, concentrating on 83rd to 86th Streets between 11th and 13th Avenues. Plan an evening visit so you can enjoy the lights after dark, and remember that this is a residential neighbourhood — keep to public paths and admire the decorations from outside the properties.
✨ A Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Tour is a convenient alternative if you’d prefer a guide to lead you between the displays. For an easier journey from Manhattan, choose an option that includes transport and check its departure point before booking.
Visit NYC’s holiday markets
Having spent time at the Christmas markets in Germany, I can’t say New York’s quite lived up to their European counterparts, but I still enjoyed munching on a choc-covered churro while peeking into stalls filled with Christmas decorations and trinkets.
I visited Bryant Park Winter Village, where the holiday shops surround the skating rink. It’s an easy stop to work into your Midtown sightseeing, whether you’re looking for gifts or just fancy something sweet while watching the skaters. For the 2026 season, the main holiday shops run from late October to the beginning of January.
Other options include Union Square Holiday Market, with gifts from artists and independent businesses, and Columbus Circle Holiday Market, which you could combine with a walk through Central Park. You don’t need to visit them all — check out this list of holiday markets and choose whichever fits best with your plans.
Seek out New York’s ice skating rinks
I’m fairly good at skiing, but apparently none of those skills transfer to ice skating. I spend more time trying to stay upright than enjoying myself, so I was happy to watch the skaters during our Christmas explorations. If you’re a little steadier on your feet, New York has some gorgeous places to get out on the ice.
⛸️ Wollman Rink in Central Park offers an ice skating package with skate rental included. This iconic rink has a backdrop of trees and city buildings, making it a good option to combine with exploring the park’s Christmas movie locations.
The Rink at Rockefeller Center is another classic choice, with the Christmas tree towering above you. Bryant Park’s rink is handy if you’re visiting the holiday market — admission is free, but skate hire costs extra, so it’s only a free activity if you bring your own skates.
Ride a vintage NYC subway train
Ever wondered what it would be like to catch the NYC subway in the 1930s? Even if that thought hasn’t crossed your mind, the holiday season gives you a chance to find out.
The MTA and New York Transit Museum bring vintage subway cars back onto the tracks for their annual Holiday Nostalgia Rides. I managed to catch one while living in New York, and I have seriously never seen so many smiles on the faces of New York City residents as when they saw this vintage train approaching the platform. It was such a beautiful moment.
For 2026, the trains run on Sundays between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, from 10am to 5pm, between 2 Av–Houston St and 96 St–2 Av. You can board at designated stops along the route, including Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center, and the ride costs no extra beyond your regular subway fare.
Check the Transit Museum’s route and timetable before heading out, so you know which platform to wait on and when to expect the vintage train.
Spot the SantaCon crowds
Imagine heading out for the day and finding the streets full of Santas. Not just a few, but crowds of them making their way between bars in various states of festive cheer.
I encountered SantaCon during both years I spent December in New York. I never joined the bar crawl myself, but seeing so many people wandering around in Santa suits was a pretty entertaining addition to an ordinary day in the city.
It’s very much a love-it-or-hate-it event. SantaCon takes place on Saturday 12 December in 2026, with festivities across Manhattan from 9am to 9pm. The starting point and participating bars are announced closer to the day, so check the organisers’ website if you’re keen to join in.
FAQ: Christmas in New York City
Does it snow in New York at Christmas?
It can, but don’t count on it. Our Christmas Eve in 2015 reached 24°C (75°F), while I watched snow falling in December the following year. Plan for cold weather and treat any snow as a bonus.
What are the best free things to do in NYC at Christmas?
See the Rockefeller Center tree, explore Midtown’s oversized decorations and festive windows, browse the holiday markets, or visit Central Park’s Christmas movie locations.
What’s the best area to stay in New York at Christmas?
Midtown is convenient for Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue and Bryant Park. Staying elsewhere near a subway station also works well — you don’t need a hotel beside the tree to enjoy the festive sights.
What is New York like on Christmas Day?
Christmas Day in 2015 felt surprisingly quiet compared with the festive lead-up. You can still enjoy parks and outdoor decorations, but check individual restaurant and attraction opening hours. Book ahead if you have a particular Christmas meal in mind.
Are the Christmas decorations still up after Christmas?
Many decorations remain into January, so you can still enjoy festive sights after Christmas Day. Closing dates vary between displays, markets and events, though, so check the places you particularly want to visit before choosing your travel dates.
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