Christmas in NYC: A 5-Day Itinerary

Arrive in NYC, get an Uber to your hotel, and drop your bags off. If you can’t check in yet, hotels will allow you to drop your bags off so that you can explore the city while you wait for your room to be ready.

Go walk around the area. I highly recommend grabbing a coffee and heading to Liberty Bagels for your first New York bagel—these do not disappoint. I recommend getting a sweet one and a savory one so you can try out both. Enjoy your bagel in Battery Park, taking in the ocean views and the Statue of Liberty. There’s no better way to kick off your time in the city than with a New York Bagel and the Statue of Liberty.

After those couple of hours, head back to your hotel to check in, reset, and refresh.

Head to Ellen’s Stardust diner for a fun-filled dinner before heading to a Broadway show.

Head to a show at the Gershwin Theatre to end the night with some incredible entertainment. I highly recommend seeing Wicked—this was an incredible performance.

Start your morning with a complimentary breakfast at your hotel (If you use me as your travel advisor, I can get you a complimentary breakfast for two—because NYC is expensive enough!), and then head to Central Park. We used the subway to bring us a little closer to Central Park, as we stayed in the Financial District; however, we walked the rest of the day. Manhattan is a very walkable city.

On your way to Central Park, you’ll stop by Ralph’s coffee truck, the cutest little photo opportunity and place to grab an iconic NYC coffee to take with you to the park.

As you continue your way to Central Park, you’ll pass along the iconic Plaza Hotel. This is truly your Kevin from Home Alone moment. Take in the view of the hotel and its gorgeous Christmas decorations while you watch horses with carriages stroll along the streets.

Now you can finally explore Central Park and its beauty. This is a great way to start your morning before it gets too busy, and it’s a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.

When you leave Central Park, head to 5th Avenue for some window shopping (or real shopping). All of the buildings are decorated in beautiful ribbons, lights, and wreaths, making it feel like you’re walking through a Hallmark movie.

You’re probably getting hungry by now, so next, head on over to the Bryant Park Winter Village, an amazing place to check out local food vendors and vendors with adorable gifts, crafts, and goods. Take in the scenery of the ice rink, listen to the Christmas music, and, of course, get a bite to eat.

If you visit the city when they have the annual Rockefeller Tree Lighting ceremony, it’s a must-do. If not, then still head to Rockefeller Centre in the evening to see the absolutely iconic Rockefeller Christmas Tree. This was not overhyped and truly made me feel like I was really in New York City at Christmas.

Rise and shine! You’ve got an early morning for a sunrise walk on the Brooklyn Bridge. Leave your hotel and head to the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge on the Manhattan side, right across from City Hall. You’ll want to bundle up and dress warm—lots of layers, warm socks, a hat and mittens, and, of course, a warm coat. The bridge has an entire section fully dedicated to pedestrians, so no worries about being close to cars or motorcycles. Enjoy the absolutely stunning views of the sun rising over the city and World Trade Center—it’s truly breathtaking

After your sunrise walk, either head back to your hotel to warm up and to grab some complimentary breakfast or head out to a restaurant nearby. We took advantage of our free breakfast because, of course, nothing in NYC is cheap.

After breakfast, you’ll head to the 9/11 Memorial. I highly recommend doing a tour of the museum. I’ve done this tour twice now, and I recommend doing a guided tour if you’re able to. You’ll need to book this in advance (I would love to book it for you) in order to secure your time. There are places available to hang your coat if you don’t want to wear it during the tour. You’ll be here for a couple of hours. Really take in the history. This was one of my most memorable memories of the trip, and everyone should take in this historic event.

After finishing at the 9/11 Museum, you’ll take a short walk to Times Square, one of New York’s most iconic areas. There is so much to see in Times Square, from the bright billboards, to the lights, the Christmas decorations, all of the shops, and the street performers. You can surely spend a couple of hours here taking it all in. If you aren’t super into shopping and are looking for an indoor activity to beat the cold, I highly recommend checking out Madame Tussauds Wax Museum—this is such a cool experience, with incredible wax figures of iconic celebrities and characters like Kim Kardashian, Queen Elizabeth, Michael Jackson, RuPaul, and so many more.

Now it’s time for something to eat. If you’re in Times Square, I highly recommend heading to Raising Caines for the best chicken fingers you’ll ever have. It may be a simple meal, but it’s a super fun atmosphere, and who doesn’t love chicken fingers and fries? If you head there during Christmas time, you just might see the iconic green and yellow Buddy the Elf costume from the movie Elf on display. This was there when I visited—toward the back of the restaurant on the wall as you head to the bathroom.

You already know how we’re starting off the day: with complimentary breakfast at the hotel! Afterward, hop on the subway and head to Greenwich Village to see a different side of the city.

I highly recommend grabbing a coffee from a local coffee shop and walking over to Washington Square Park to take in the scenery and people-watch. This is a beautiful, calm park that really makes you feel like you’re in New York but away from the hustle and bustle of the city after a busy day yesterday.

If you’re a big Friends or Taylor Swift fan like myself, then you’re absolutely going to want to check out the Friends apartment and Cornelia Street.

After you’ve done your sightseeing, I recommend grabbing a healthy lunch at Sweetgreen before heading back to the city, where you’ll head on the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty.

After taking the subway back to the city toward Battery Park, you’ll head on the Staten Island ferry where you’ll pass by the Statue of Liberty. If you’re looking to save some money, you can ride the Staten Island ferry for free. The ferry will bring you over to Staten Island, which passes directly past the Statue of Liberty. If you’re interested in getting off at the Statue of Liberty for a closer view, then you will need to pay and book a ticket for a separate boat. (Again, I’d love to book this for you to help you out.) Either way, you cannot pass up seeing the Statue of Liberty when in New York.

After your adventure, as the sun goes down, you’ll want to take a stroll through the city again to see all of the incredible Christmas lights and the Rockefeller Tree one more time. I highly recommend walking along 6th Avenue to see the beautiful Radio City Music Hall with its lights arranged as a Christmas tree. All the buildings in this area have absolutely stunning light displays and Christmas music—a beautiful way to end your final night in NYC.