Are you going to be in New York for Christmas? Lucky you. I wish I could spend Christmas in New York city every year. It’s the best place I can think of during the holiday season.

I am often amazed as to how many ask whether it is worth visiting NYC at Christmas. It is just so worth it and one of the best travel experiences you can have in your lifetime.

There is a reason why so many movies are based around Christmas time in New York. Whether it is the perception of magic in the air or just the festive, cheery atmosphere that comes with the season, New York is definitely the place to be during Christmas.

So today, I am going to spend some time describing what is there to do in NYC on Christmas. Where to spend Christmas eve in New York? Few places to eat and how you can simply have a merry time.

Quick note before we begin, New York can get both busy and expensive during Christmas but its in a good way. Don’t let it dampen your plans.

In general NYC is busy and expensive so you are not spending that much extra over others times of the year.

My suggestions on how to spend Christmas in New York City

1) Soak in the festive spirit of Central Park

Central Park is great during any time of the year. An Oasis right in the middle of one of the busiest and most bustling cities in the world.

Exploring Central Park in NYC would be in any list of top things to do in New York.

However, the Park has a completely different vibe and charm during the holiday season.

Top things to do in Central Park at Christmas

Take a carriage or pedicab ride
Top things to do in Central Park at Christmas - Carriage ride

Horse carriage rides have been a holiday season tradition in Central Park for over a hundred years.

Carriage rides are a great way to experience the park as it is huge and has so many attractions that tourists often miss out on most things Central Park has to offer.

You can book a carriage ride to view all the holiday lighting or choose between the many ride paths on offer.

Just in case horse carriages are not your thing but you still want to experience a ride in Central Park, you can book one of the many pedicab rides. Pedicabs are like bicycle taxis and take you around the park for anything between 15 minutes to an hour.

Both horse carriage rides and pedicab rides can be booked online or directly at the park.

Book a tour with Central Park Conservancy

With its rich history and number of attractions, booking a tour with Central Park Conservancy is in general one of the best ways to explore the park.

However, during the holiday season, it makes all the more sense to book tours as you get to experience a side to Central Park that is perhaps limited to this season.

Central Park Conservancy, is the non-profit organization responsible for the upkeep and management of the park. Its volunteers work tirelessly to preserve the park making it one of the best places to visit for all New Yorkers and tourists to the city.

There are a number of tours that are conducted on a daily basis and these tours can be booked from the Central Park Conservancy website.

Go ice skating at Wollman Rink

Ice skating at Wollman Rink is another Christmas tradition that you must not miss.

Wollman Rink, situated on the southern section of Central Park comes to life every evening during the holiday season.

With beautiful lights, perfect skating conditions, hundreds of fellow ice skaters enjoying the gorgeous chilly evenings, its just one of the happiest places during Christmas.

Even if you are not into ice skating, do visit Wollman Rink to enjoy the festive atmosphere underneath a beautiful starry night.

Explore holiday lighting and Christmas tree

Every year, Central Park celebrates the holiday season with beautiful holiday lightings and dazzling Christmas tree.

For me, just exploring the park to view the holiday lighting with the Christmas tree is one of the best activities you can do in December in Central Park.

For a schedule of when the lights come on, you can check the Central Park Conservancy website or contact them for further assistance.

If you are traveling with family, then the Central Park Carousel and the Central Park zoo should be in your absolute to-do list.

Both of these attractions are well lit up and decorated during Christmas. Kids are sure to have a jolly time and you will find many adults enjoying these spaces as well all on their own.

Just walk around

With the number of statues, monuments, arches and bridges, walkways, historic buildings, various fields, lakes, tree trails etc., simply walking around Central Park is one of the best activities you can do during Christmas.

Central Park is huge with 843 acres to explore. If you have the time, do take a few hours to explore the entire place at your own leisure.

Just walk, sit in a beautiful corner, explore again. That’s the best way really to soak in the festive spirit of Central Park.

Catch a show

During various times of the year, there are shows and concerts happening in different areas of the park.

If you are lucky, you can catch one of these performances and experience a great evening in Central Park.

It is advisable to check in advance the list of shows or concerts in the park, either using a search engine or checking the Central Park Conservancy website.

2) Check out the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

Every year, on the Wednesday following Thanksgiving, the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center is lit and it is a pure marvel.

You can visit the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree all through the month of December. It is the must-see Christmas Tree in all of New York.

Being the most popular attraction for tourists, it can get quite busy during the holiday season so do plan to visit accordingly as there may be a lot of crowd during peak hours.

3) Go on the Christmas Tree trail

If it is your first time visiting New York and you want to see the best of what the city has to offer, you should go on the New York Christmas Tree trail.

Basically, all of the main hotspots in New York have Christmas Trees that are as spectacular as the one at Rockefeller Center.

From Madison Square Park to Lincoln Center, New York Stock Exchange and others, there are incredible Christmas Trees everywhere.

What I would suggest is before leaving for your trip, just google the best Christmas trees in New York for “put the year here” and search. You will get a whole list of places to add to your NYC Christmas Itinerary.

4) Window shopping on Fifth Avenue

How many Christmas songs have the lyrics ‘window shopping on Fifth Avenue’ in them? I’d say a lot of them.

This is because each year during the holiday season, Fifth Avenue stores have some of the most stunning displays and decorations that pay homage to the special time of the year.

Just walking through Fifth Avenue admiring these window displays is one of the best things to do in New York for Christmas.

5) Visit the New York Botanical Garden

You may be wondering why Botanical Garden for Christmas? Believe me, it is one of the best places in New York all of December.

Firstly there is the famous annual New York Botanical Garden Train Show. This is special only to this season and a lot of care and precise work goes into creating this excellent show.

Apart from that, the flora and fauna of the Botanical Garden during the snowy months take a new splendour that makes walking through the garden such a blissful experience.

Of course there is the New York Botanical Garden lighting and Christmas special events that all together make the place a great visit during any day in December.

6) Have family fun at Bronx Zoo

Bronx Zoo is great any time of the year for families. However, spending Christmas with our friends from the animal kingdom is just extra-special.

Regardless of whether you are traveling with friends, family or on your own, do visit the Bronx Zoo as the whole place comes to life with special holiday lightings, displays and other special attractions.

7) Watch mesmerizing holiday shows

New York has always been famous for its performance arts. The holiday season brings with it special shows, musicals, events all across the city.

There are just too many of them to mention and you will be spoilt for choice.

Whether it is The Rockettes at the Radio City Music Hall or the Nutcracker at the New York City Ballet, all shows are spectacular.

There are plenty of Broadway shows and you can do a simple search to check all the Christmas specials across the city theatres.

8) Get dazzled at Dyker Heights

Dyker Heights is a residential area in Brooklyn. Over the years, this locality has become one of the most famous places in New York during Christmas thanks to the expansive decorations by each house in the neighborhood.

If you have seen movies or pictures where houses have incredible decorations all over with extraordinary lighting, then that is what you can expect in Dyker Heights.

It has become a tradition for tourists to go through this area and watch the whole area dazzle with superb Christmas lighting and decorations.

9) Escape to the Winter Village at Bryant Park

Spend Christmas in New York at Bryant Park Winter Village

Every year, The Bank of America Winter Village is organized at Bryant Park. Also known as a winter wonderland, you can spend quality time at the village undertaking all kinds of Christmas activities.

The ice skating rink in the Winter Village is free to enter and there are a number of eateries serving scrumptious holiday delights.

This is another place that is great for families as there are lots to do for all with artisanal open-air markets, shops, holiday activities, restaurants and more.

10) Walk around Times Square

Walking around the iconic Times Square is in general a must-do activity when in New York.

During Christmas, tourists can expect a lot more with holiday lightings, distinctive decorations, huge snow globe sculptures, restaurants serving season-special meals, shows, events and lot more.

In Times Square you get to check out the most important landmarks of New York while being enchanted with the spirit of the season.

Final thoughts

New York city is one of the best places in the world during Christmas. It is a once in a lifetime experience that should not be missed.

Just take care that you plan in advance so that you can do it all without any disappointments.

For shows and events at any place, booking in advance is recommended. Also each place mentioned in the list has its official website. Try going through the sites to check out the current holiday specials and timings.