The best things to do in New York City during the Christmas holidays include visiting the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, watching the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes. New York does not do the holidays quietly, and once you land in the middle of it, you will understand why people fly in just for this. Walk a few blocks of Fifth Avenue and you will find yourself in front of windows that feel more like art installations than store displays. Wander into Midtown and the smell of roasted chestnuts follows you from one corner to the next. Get anywhere near Rockefeller Center and you will quickly learn that walking in a straight line is no longer an option. If you are visiting for Christmas, here is exactly where to spend your time, what to expect, and when to go if you would rather skip the worst of the crowds.
See the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
You already know this is your first stop, and it earns the hype the moment you see it in person. The 2026 tree is expected to arrive and get hoisted into place in early to mid November, with the official lighting ceremony scheduled for December 2. Once it is lit, you can see it through the beginning of January. You do not need a ticket, though if you show up during peak evening hours in December, expect to squeeze through a genuinely large crowd just to get a clear view. Show up early in the morning instead, before most tourists are even awake, and you will get a much calmer look, plus a far better photo without a dozen strangers in the frame.
Go Ice Skating Beneath the Tree
If skating is on your list, plan around the calendar a little. The rink at Rockefeller Center typically opens for the season in mid October, well before the tree itself arrives, so you can actually skate underneath it while it is still bare and being decorated. Sessions run about an hour and tend to sell out in the evening, so book ahead rather than assuming you can walk up. If the idea of fighting Rockefeller crowds does not appeal to you, head to the rink at Bryant Park instead. It sits inside a full holiday market, and the atmosphere there tends to feel a lot more relaxed than what you will find under the big tree.
Wander a Holiday Market
You will find two standout markets worth building time for. Bryant Park’s Winter Village is the most complete option, and once you are inside, you will see why people spend hours there. It combines more than a hundred small shops with food stalls, string lights, and its own ice rink, all within walking distance of Grand Central and Fifth Avenue. Union Square also runs a large holiday market, typically open from mid November through Christmas Eve, and you will find a strong lineup of independent food vendors and local makers there that you will not see anywhere else in the city. Entry to both is free, so you only pay for what you actually buy or book once you are inside.
Walk Fifth Avenue’s Holiday Windows
Once you are done with the tree, keep walking. The department store windows along Fifth Avenue are their own attraction during the holidays, with elaborate, almost theatrical displays that pull in crowds most evenings. Since they sit close enough to Rockefeller Center, you can easily combine both into one evening walk instead of treating them as separate outings.
Catch a Holiday Show
If your feet need a break and the cold has started to get to you, book yourself a couple of hours indoors. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, featuring the Rockettes, is the classic pick, and you will want to book it well ahead of your trip since it sells out fast during December. It is one of the easiest ways to warm up while still doing something that feels distinctly New York.
See the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights
If you want something completely different from Midtown, head to Dyker Heights in Brooklyn. Entire blocks of houses there go all in on elaborate light displays every December, and walking through feels nothing like the rest of your trip. It is a bit of a haul from Manhattan, so give it its own evening rather than trying to squeeze it in after a full day somewhere else.
Getting Around During the Holiday Rush
Expect the city to move slower than usual once the season is in full swing. Sidewalks around Rockefeller Center and Fifth Avenue get genuinely packed, and taxis and rideshares slow to a crawl in the same areas. You will usually save time by taking the subway between neighborhoods and walking the last few blocks yourself, especially anywhere near Midtown.
What to Wear
Layer more than you think you need to. You will be outside longer than planned once you start walking between the tree, the windows, and a market or two. Waterproof boots are worth it if there has been any snow, and a hat and gloves make a bigger difference than a heavier coat once the wind picks up along the avenues.
Best Time to Visit to Avoid the Worst Crowds
If you want the decorations without the worst of the crowds, aim for early December, right after Thanksgiving. You will still get a fully lit tree and every market open, just without the crush of people you will run into the week before Christmas itself. If your schedule is flexible, weekday mornings throughout the season are consistently calmer than weekend evenings, especially around Rockefeller Center, so plan your must see stops for earlier in the day when you can.
A Few Questions People Ask Us Often
The tree lighting ceremony is scheduled for December 2, 2026, and you can see the tree lit through the start of January.
The rink typically opens in mid October, ahead of the tree itself, so you can skate there before the official tree lighting if you are visiting earlier in the season.
No. You can view the tree and walk through markets like Bryant Park or Union Square for free. You only pay if you buy food, shop, or book an ice skating session.
Yes, if you can set aside an evening specifically for it. It has a very different feel from the Midtown attractions, so treat it as its own outing rather than squeezing it into an already packed day.
Group your stops by neighborhood instead of jumping across the city. The tree, the windows, and Radio City all sit close together in Midtown, while Dyker Heights and the Brooklyn side of things deserve a separate day entirely.
Bring a Photographer Along for the Season
Christmas in New York is photographed beautifully, and once you see the tree lit up or the snow dusted paths of Central Park in person, you will understand why so many people plan trips around this exact time of year. A private tour timed around the holidays gets you the kind of photos that actually capture what the trip felt like, not just what it looked like. Book a private NYC walking tour with PhotoTrek Tours and we will help you plan around the season’s best light and the smallest crowds, or go straight for a private Central Park photo shoot if you already know that is where you want your photos taken.
