A Magical Christmas in New York
Our guide includes 100 percent magic.
Most Christmassy hotel
Lotte New York Palace
Even if you won’t be staying at the luxurious Lotte New York Palace during your trip, you can boost your Christmas spirit with a visit. This hotel has one of the most beautiful Christmas trees in New York, and many locals come here to take their photo with the tree. The hotel is also just steps from the most famous tree in town (more on that below), and the official partner of the legendary Christmas special performed by the Radio City Rockettes. Short and sweet: Lotte New York Palace is perfect for a truly deluxe Christmas.
The must-see Christmas tree
Rockefeller Christmas tree
The Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center is truly iconic and has appeared in countless movies and TV shows. The tree perfectly captures the American idea of Christmas, which is utterly magical, with thousands of colorful lights and a spectacular star at the top.
Skating in the city
Wollman Rink
There are many places to go ice-skating in Manhattan. A favorite is right in Rockefeller Center, where you can admire the Christmas tree while on the ice, but the most amazing and popular skating is at Wollman Rink in Central Park. There’s something magical about being in this world-famous park and being able to see the skyscrapers beyond the trees. If it’s your lucky day, then it might even snow! Booking is highly recommended.
Awesome Christmas decorations
Dyker Heights
This neighborhood in Brooklyn is so famous for its Christmas decorations that there are guided tours for those who want to book, which might save you time, but of course, you’re welcome to go on your own. As the story goes, a woman named Lucy Spata started the tradition of imaginative Christmas decorations in the 1980s. Today, house after house is transformed into a magical Christmas landscape—some are beautiful, some are funny—and around 100,000 people come here to enjoy the area’s enormous Christmas spirit.
Christmassy pop-up bars
Miracle on 9th Street
A relatively new holiday tradition in New York is the Christmas-themed pop-up bar. The best-known bar is Miracle, which was the first and has become a global brand, with locations in New York at The Cabinet on 9th Street in Manhattan and at Thief in Brooklyn. The concept can best be described as 100% Christmas—the bartenders wear Santa hats, you drink Christmas drinks out of Christmas cups and the decor is a bit like sitting on a branch inside a Christmas tree.
Christmas displays at Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue
Fifth Avenue is home to many of New York’s luxury boutiques, as well as luxury department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue. Head there for the lavish Christmas displays—Saks dedicates its entire façade to a stunning light show. If you haven’t had enough Christmas spirit, you can continue your tour by visiting Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s.
Family-friendly opera
The Magic Flute at the Met
In 2023, the New York Metropolitan Opera will stage a family-friendly version of Mozart’s 1791 opera The Magic Flute with a star-studded cast and impressive set. Here, everyone in the family can share the love story of Prince Tamino and Princess Pamina, hear the Queen of the Night sing her famous aria and get to know Papageno the bird-catcher.
Most Christmassy restaurant
Rolf’s
Although it’s something of a tourist magnet, it’s hard to escape the fact that Rolf’s is the one restaurant in New York that truly embraces Christmas to the fullest. The decorations take three months to put up and over 200,000 lights are placed around the space. Bring your camera or phone and get ready to document your visit for social media. The food is (appropriately) decidedly German.
Three Christmas movies set in New York
Scrooged (1988)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
Text by Daniel Björk