The 6 Best New York City Christmas Light Tours

The beauty of New York is undeniable, but if you have the opportunity to visit during Christmas, you will fall in love with it forever. Christmas in New York is internationally known for the spectacular lighting in neighbourhoods such as Dyker Heights and Manhattan, and its famous Christmas trees that fill the city with magic.

In such a large city, a good option is to join a guided tour that shows you the best lights in its streets, squares, buildings, etc. Here are some options. If you don't know what to see and do in New York at Christmas, start by taking note of the following tours:

Dyker Heights is a neighbourhood in Brooklyn full of single-family homes with gardens. And, on this special date on the calendar, the neighbourhood takes the opportunity to decorate their homes with lots of lights, Christmas decorations, giant Santa Clauses, reindeer, toy soldiers, sweets and much more. It's a real competition between neighbouring families!

To visit Dyker Heights, I recommend a guided tour so you can learn all about the history and curiosities of this neighbourhood. In this article on how to visit the lights of Dyker Heights, you'll find all the details about this neighbourhood that leaves no visitor indifferent.

Which famous houses in Dyker Heights will you see on your tour?

The most famous houses are located on 83rd and 86th Streets between 10th and 12th Avenues, and although the itinerary may vary slightly from year to year, tours usually take you to see:

• Lucy Spata: The most famous house is Lucy Spata's, located at 1152 84th Street. This Dyker Heights resident started the tradition of decorating her house with numerous Christmas figures and lights. The rest of the neighbourhood soon joined in.
• Polizzotto: Another of the best-known homes for its Christmas decorations is that of the Polizzotto family, located at 1145 84th Street. This house is easily recognisable because it has a merry-go-round and a large Santa Claus in the garden.
• Sam the Greek: Along with Lucy Spata and the Polizzotto family, another of the most characteristic houses in the neighbourhood is that of Sam the Greek, located between 71st and 72nd Streets on 14th Avenue. This house is decorated with lights all over the façade and in the garden.

Interesting details

• The price of guided tours: There are different categories of guided tours of Dyker Heights. This tour can be done either on foot or by bus, and the approximate price starts at €40 by bus or €20 on foot.
• Tour duration: The walking tour of Dyker Heights usually lasts an hour and a half, while the bus tour lasts three and a half to four hours and can be complemented with other places in the city.
• How to get to Dyker Heights on your own: the neighbourhood is located between Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst, in southwest Brooklyn ( 45 minutes to 1 hour from Manhattan). To get there, you can take the D or R subway line or you can also take the bus from Wall Street.
• Best time to see Dyker Heights: from mid-December (they usually start lighting up after Thanksgiving, but there are always a few stragglers) and just before dusk, so you have the opportunity to see all the lights come on. It is also advisable not to go after 9 p.m., as many houses start to turn off their lights after that time.

One of the best ways to enjoy New York's Christmas lights is on a sightseeing bus tour. It's more comfortable and you'll escape the bitter cold of New York City at this time of year.

What you'll see on your Christmas tour from the tourist bus

The bus will take you on a tour of the Dyker Heights neighbourhood and will also include other iconic areas of the city such as Rockefeller Center, where you can admire the most spectacular tree in New York City with over 50,000 lights, Fifth Avenue and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Details of interest

• The duration of a guided bus tour can range from three and a half to four hours and includes walking tours of the Dyker Heights neighbourhood.
• The price of the bus tour varies depending on the duration of the tour, but you can find it from approximately £35 per person.

If you're looking for an original alternative to see the Christmas lights, I recommend taking a cruise on the Hudson. From a yacht or sailboat, you'll be able to enjoy the beauty of the lights in neighbourhoods such as Manhattan and Brooklyn in a different way. These cruises depart at different times of the day, but if you want to enjoy the lights, it's best to do so at dusk.

In fact, there is also the option of taking a dinner cruise on the Hudson while sheltering from the cold of New York City in December. Sounds good, right?

What you'll see on your Christmas cruise along the Hudson

On a cruise, you can see the New York City skyline, as well as the spectacular Christmas decorations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. You will also have the opportunity to see the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, One World Trade Center, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan Bridge, and the Williamsburg Bridge, among other landmarks.

If you have any doubts about whether to take this cruise, here is a post about how much a cruise on the Hudson River in New York costs, where you will find different alternatives.

Details of interest

• Price: the price of the Hudson River cruise starts at €35.
• Duration: between an hour and a half and two hours.

If flying over New York is a spectacle in itself, imagine what it must be like to see the Christmas lights from the sky on a helicopter flight from New Jersey. On a 30-minute tour, you can see the city's main monuments lit up.

Don't rule out treating yourself either. Since travelling to New York at Christmas is a unique experience, how about taking a limousine ride to see the Christmas lights? A luxury that lasts about three and a half hours and is sure to be unforgettable.

And if you want to feel like the star of a vintage Christmas film, this is the option for you: a tour to see the Christmas lights in a horse-drawn carriage.

Details of interest

• Price: around €340
• Duration: between 40 and 45 minutes.

Most guided walking tours to see the lights in Manhattan start at Rockefeller Centre at Christmas, where you can see New York's most famous tree, which is no less than 20 metres high, has almost 50,000 LED lights and is crowned by a Swarovski star weighing almost 400 kilos.

After seeing the most famous tree in the United States and the ice rink at its feet, the tour will continue along Fifth Avenue, whose shop windows are carefully designed for this time of year. From there, the guide will head to the Meatpacking District and Greenwich Village and stop at the High Line area to enjoy the wonderful views this place has to offer.

Details of interest

• Duration: the duration of this walking tour to see Manhattan's Christmas lights may vary, but it usually lasts approximately four hours.
• Price: the price of the tour to see Manhattan's Christmas lights starts at €38.

If you decide to take a tour on your own, I recommend getting a map and choosing the time of day when night falls to start your tour.

Rockefeller Centre

Start at Rockefeller Center, one of the most iconic places that will make you aware of the magic and meaning of Christmas. Since 1931, this square has been home to New York's most famous Christmas tree, which is 20 metres tall, has almost 50,000 LED lights and is crowned by a Swarovski star weighing almost 400 kilos.

Fifth Avenue

After Rockefeller Center, I recommend you head to Fifth Avenue, the heart of Manhattan, where the Christmas decorations are also picture-perfect. The city lights are complemented by the shop windows, which are meticulously decorated at this time of year. In fact, some of them feature the work of renowned artists. And speaking of films, this is the best tour for film and Christmas lovers: Manhattan Christmas Lights Tour

Bryant Park

Another place you can't miss is Bryant Park, which also has a spectacular Christmas tree and wonderful lighting. What's more, right here you can enjoy one of New York's most popular ice rinks.

Madison Square Park

Also, don't forget to stop by Madison Square Park, where the Tree of Light is celebrated, an event that consists of decorating the different trees in the area with gold and silver lights. And after that, don't miss the Christmas tree located under the Arc de Triomphe, where the popular Christmas carol concert is held every year.

Dyker Heights

But without a doubt, the most outstanding place to see the Christmas lights is the neighbourhood of Dyker Heights, a residential neighbourhood where residents decorate their homes and gardens with millions of lights and Christmas decorations.

Traveller's tip

I recommend that you travel to New York between mid-December and the end of the year, so that you can soak up all the Christmas culture of the city.

• Wrap up warm: When going on a tour to see the Christmas lights, it is essential that you wrap up warm and wear boots with thick, non-slip soles.
• Bring water and a snack: The Christmas lights tour takes you through some residential neighbourhoods such as Dyker Heights, where it is difficult to find a café or place to get something to eat. I therefore recommend that you bring water and a snack.
• Hot drinks: As the tour is entirely outdoors, we recommend that you buy a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate to go from time to time to escape the cold.

The best time to discover the Christmas lights in New York City is just before nightfall, so you can see the lights come on and avoid the coldest temperatures of the night or early morning.

Considering the time it gets dark in New York City in December and January, the ideal time to go out is around 4:30 p.m.

If after this tour you are left wanting to continue discovering all the possibilities that New York has to offer at Christmas, be sure to visit the post on what to do and see in New York at Christmas.

By the way, if you feel inspired and want to get out of Manhattan, you can always go see the Christmas lights at the Bronx Zoo. It's quite a spectacle!

Strolling through the Christmas markets is another of the city's great attractions when the winter season arrives. Here are the ones you can't miss:

• Grand Central Holiday Fair at Grand Central Terminal: This market is located in the Vanderbilt Hall terminal and has numerous craft stalls where you can find jewellery, household items, art...
• Winter Village in Bryant Park: This is arguably the most famous market in New York City, as well as the largest. It has more than 120 stalls selling all kinds of products, and you can find everything you can imagine. What's more, if your stroll coincides with lunchtime, there are plenty of options for food and drink.
• Union Square Holiday Market: This open-air market is located in Union Square Park and has almost everything: handmade jewellery, accessories of all kinds, and numerous food and drink stalls.
• Columbus Circle Holiday Market: Located on the southwest corner of Central Park, this market is on par with any European market. You can even find mulled wine.
• The Market at Westfield: This market is very interesting because of its location. It is located in the central plaza inside The Oculus at the World Trade Centre. It is well worth a visit.

And of course, when Christmas comes around, one of the main traditions is to meet up with your friends or partner and go ice skating. Some of the skating rinks are located in New York's best parks, and the most popular ones are:

• The Rockefeller skating rink, The Rink at Rockefeller Centre: This is the most popular skating rink in New York. It is located in Rockefeller Centre Plaza.
• The Rink at Bryant Park: This rink, located in the centre of Bryant Park, is a favourite among many New Yorkers because it overlooks the Empire State Building.
• The Central Park skating rink, Wollman Rink: In the south-west of Central Park, you will find this charming skating rink.

Take the opportunity to ask your guide about other iconic spots where you can enjoy the Christmas lights and window displays. The legendary Macy's department store, for example, always puts on animated displays set to music in its huge windows (you'll see hundreds of tourists and New Yorkers peering in with curiosity).

New York's department stores also get into the Christmas spirit and carefully decorate their shop windows. You can see them all on a tour of New York's Christmas shop windows. Here are my favourites:

• Bloomingdale's: between 59th and 60th Streets until you reach Lexington Avenue.
• Bergdorf Goodman: between 58th Street and Fifth Avenue.
• Tiffany & Co: on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street.
• Cartier: on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street.
• Macy's: between 34th and 35th Streets and Broadway.

As I mentioned, the best Christmas trees in New York are true works of art and another attraction for New Yorkers and tourists alike. This tour to see the Christmas lights in a limousine will take you to see them all, but the trees you can't miss on your Christmas tour of New York are:

• The Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree: This Christmas tree is 20 metres tall, has more than 50,000 LED bulbs and is crowned by a Swarovski star weighing no less than 400 kilos.
• The Madison Square Park Christmas tree: This is the oldest Christmas tree in New York City. It was first erected in 1912.
• The American Museum of Natural History Christmas Tree: The Christmas tree at this museum is characterised by its origami decorations.
• The Christmas tree in Bryant Park: This tree, along with the one at Rockefeller Centre, stands out for its lighting, with more than 30,000 lights.
• The Wall Street Christmas tree: This Christmas tree has a history. Specifically, it was the first in New York City to have electric lights.
• The MET Museum Christmas Tree: This museum's Christmas tree is the most traditional. At its base is a nativity scene with more than 200 figures, decorated with angels and cherubs dating back to the 18th century.