Christmas in New York City brings to mind so many famous movies. Whether you want to see the NYC of Elf, Home Alone 2, Miracle on 34th Street, Serendipity, or one of many Hallmark Christmas movies, you will be able to find it. The great thing is that the magic of New York City at Christmas is so much better than what you see in the movies. It’s boisterous, jollier, and so very much bigger!

NYC can be an overwhelming place under any circumstance, but to try to see everything with the Christmas crowds and NYC becomes a logistical nightmare.

Well, I am here to help! We have lived in a suburb of NYC for nearly 20 years and have taken our kids in every Christmas. I am well acquainted with Christmas in New York City and will give you a to do list complete with subway lines to take.

Need a place to stay? Check out my guide to where to stay in NYC.

Start in the Bronx:

Holiday Train Show at the NY Botanical Gardens

Come see a miniature of NYC made completely out of natural materials. You can watch model trains travel past the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge. These tiny buildings are so detailed and refined, and it is fun to guess from what materials they are made.

This is a real hit for the kids! The train show runs through to the middle of January and purchasing tickets beforehand is a good idea.

Plan on 1-2 hours.

Now take a 10-15 minute walk to the Coney Island-Stillwell Ave Station and take the D train downtown to 34th St-Herald Square.

Macy’s Christmas Windows

Macy’s at Herald Square might be the most Christmassy place in NYC. Macy’s decorates all of their windows with a new theme each year. They often involve animatronics, miniatures, and always invoke childhood fantasy. While there are many other options for Christmas department store windows, if you want to see the best year after year, this is the place.

Plan on 30 minutes

Go inside and take the escalator to the very top floor

Santaland at Macy’s

If you have ever watched a Christmas movie, you know that the real Santa is at Macy’s! In years past, going to see Santa could take up half of a day in NYC, but you can now make reservations! There is still a wait from 10-30 minutes but it beats the old method.  Click here for more information.

You and your kids will be delighted  with the Christmas display that surrounds the line. The main event of course is Santa! You can take your own pictures or buy a professional shot.

Plan on an hour or two depending on how quickly you can get to see Santa.

Walk 3 minutes to 34th Street-Penn station. Take the 1, 2, or 3 train to the 72nd Street -Broadway station.

Christmas Lunch at Alice’s Tea Cup

This whimsical tea shop is a great place to get lunch or tea. The menu has delicious treats that even the pickiest eater will eat. I really recommend the pumpkin scone, the croque madame, and the rose and mint tea. For more information about where to eat in NYC click here!

Walk back to 72nd Street station and take the downtown 1 train (not the 2 or 3) to 59th Street Columbus Circle.

Christmas Light Show at Shops at Columbus Circle

This indoor shopping center features 14-foot stars hanging from the ceiling. A musical light show happens on the half hour from 5 to 9 pm. Even if you can’t get there in that time period, they are still worth seeing.

Tip: While you are there, grab a treat from Bouchon Bakery. I love the TKO cookie.

Plan on 15-20 minutes

Walk across the street to the corner of Central Park to 59th Street and Central Park West.

Columbus Circle Holiday Market

There are many holiday markets in Manhattan, and everyone has their favorite. This is one of mine. It always seems to be a little less crowded than others and offers similar products. Take a stroll around, do some Christmas shopping and enjoy the Christmas feeling.

Tip: We always buy “No Chewing Allowed” chocolates. They are so very good.

Plan on 30 minutes

Walk to 59th Street-Columbus Circle and take the downtown D train to 47-50th Street-Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

You have arrived at the mother of all Christmas displays! Rockefeller Center features a large Christmas tree, ice rink and angel sculptures. It will be crowded but so worth going.  Take a picture in front of the tree, go ice skating or grab a hot chocolate at Magnolia Bakery.

Tips for visiting Rockefeller Center:

• I recommend going around 4:30 (just when it’s getting dark) or going around 10 pm. Both times are much less busy. Weekdays are also preferable to weekends if you want to avoid a crowd.
• Ice skating is free at many other rinks around the city including my favorite, Bryant Park. The rink at Rockefeller Center is $28-$33 per person, and there is often a long wait. But if you have always wanted to do it, it might be worth the splurge.

Walk to the area near the angel sculptures and look toward Saks 5th Avenue

Saks 5th Avenue Holiday Light Show

Saks has been doing large light displays on the facade of their building for the past few years. The music and light show is easy to see from parts of Rockefeller center, so keep your eyes peeled to see when it is starting!

See a Christmas Musical

This is my favorite part about going to NYC. I love musicals! My picks for families this year are: Anastasia or Frozen. Both have readily available tickets that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

Tips for seeing a Broadway show:

• My favorite way to buy discount tickets is www.todaytix.com. It doesn’t require a long line or last-minutes plans. The deals are as good as they get.
• For more information on what shows to see with your kids, check out the Best Musicals for Families.

See the Nutcracker

If ballet is more your speed, see the ultimate version of  “The Nutcracker” at New York City Ballet. This version is a feast for the senses and truly some of the most beautiful dancing you will ever see. If you have little ones, plan on going to a matinee where there will be lots of other little ones, and you won’t worry about noise.

For a great deal on tickets click here.

See the Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes

If you would rather see over the top Christmas splendor, the Christmas Spectacular might be for you. Music, dancing, and even live camels are part of the celebration. Over the top in the best way, you will love this show. Plus with 3-4 showings a day there are lots of opportunities to fit it in your schedule.

For a great deal on tickets click here.

Do you have a second day?

Visit Bryant Park’s Christmas Market

This is another great Christmas market just steps away from Grand Central Station. It has wooden stall set up that remind me of a German Christmas market. You can buy most of the same things here that you can buy at the Columbus Circle market, but there are so many more food options at Bryant Park.

In addition you can bundle up and see if you still know how to ice skate. This rink is a fraction of the price of Rockefeller Center and the surroundings are just as beautiful (it even has an enormous tree overlooking the rink!) Skating is free, but skate rentals are $20 each.

Go to lunch at Rolf’s

You have to see this place to believe it! Visit Rolf’s to see the most over the top Christmas decorations ever. If you have been looking for Christmas activities in New York City you have run into pictures of a Christmas wonderland.  Rolf’s serves German food, and it is really good German food. To be able to enjoy it you will need to get in line by 11 am on a weekday and prepare for a huge line on weekends.

If you aren’t hungry but want to see the place, grab a drink and enjoy the bar. The line is always shorter.

Free things to do in NYC at Christmas

The great thing about New York at Christmas is there are so many free things to do. Here are my favorite in no particular order:

Visit unique Christmas Trees.

There are hundreds of beautiful and unique Christmas trees all over the city. My particular favorites are: the Public Library, the angel tree at the Metropolitan Museum, the origami tree at the Natural History Museum, the paper crane tree at Cathedral of St. John, Rockefeller Center Tree, and Bryant Park Tree.

Go to a Christmas Tree Lighting

Although Rockefeller Center tree lighting is a star studded affair and draws huge crowds, most other trees in New York also have tree lighting ceremonies that are neighborhood affairs. Most have a countdown, refreshments, and carol singing. The one in Central Park has lots for kids to do and is followed by a flotilla of trees down the Harlem Meer. Check here for dates and details, then go and feel the joy of the season with thousands of New Yorkers

Christmas Windows

Most major department stores in New York City spend large amounts of time and money on their Christmas window displays. The most incredible and kid focused ones are always at Macy’s and the enchantment grows from one window to the next.

Sak’s 5th Avenue does a Christmas light show in addition to its windows. We always make sure to stop there as it is very close to Rockefeller Center. In addition, we always enjoy Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman and Henri Bendel.

Christmas windows are a great way to feel festive without spending a dime.

Visit the Gingerbread houses at the Le Parker Meridien Hotel

Le Meridien Parker holds a gingerbread extravaganza each year at Christmas. Contestants from bakeries all over the city send their very best gingerbread creations to be viewed in the hotel lobby. The gorgeous displays of confection are free to view, or you can pay a small fee (that goes to charity) to vote on your favorite.

Listen to some live music

There are tons of places to experience holiday and religious music in the city and many are completely free, from the lunch time concerts at Trinity Church to Julliard recitals, click here to find free live music.

Visit Dyker Heights

Dkyer Heights is an area of Brooklyn that puts on the most over the top Christmas light display in the city. Private residents put up Christmas lights that fill every inch of their property and many have different themes.

It is a great activity for families as your kids will love picking out their favorite houses. For maps and more information click here.

Whew! That’s a long day! This itinerary can be done in a day, but if you have 2 or more days you can go visit Bryant Park Holiday Market or Union Square Holiday Market, go see two or more shows, visit City Bakery, stop at some awesome playgrounds, see the Nutcracker, and/or take in all the sites of Central Park. There is still an endless list, but this is the best way to see the Christmas highlights!

When is the best time to visit New York City to see Christmas sites?

Most Christmas events run from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve. If there is something particular that you want to see, check before you go.

Where to stay in NYC at Christmas?

If you are staying in NYC over Christmas you want to make sure you are staying in a hotel that is as dressed up for Christmas as the city is! My pick for staying during Christmas have to be:

The Plaza

Ever since I saw Home Alone when I was little, I was in awe of The Plaza. It seemed so fancy, so posh and so New York. Well, The Plaza is all of those things, but it isn’t quite as expensive as I had imagined it to be.  It is an iconic landmark in New York, it is close to midtown and it is as Christmassy as it comes.

You will feel Christmas all over at the Plaza starting with the lobby that has an enormous Christmas tree in the center of it. The lobby is lined with lights, garlands, poinsettias and more. The rooms are much larger than your standard New York City room and you can see the dazzling lights of the city out of your window.

For booking information click here.

Tip: If staying here isn’t in your budget, make sure to have the Eloise Tea here instead.

Want to visit New York City at a time other than Christmas?

Click here to visit my ultimate guide to New York City!

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