New York Christmas and Holiday Lights Tour
It’s time to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah and the New Year as Midtown Manhattan lights up like no other place in the world. Mechanical window displays, synchronized light, and sound shows, not to mention Santa Claus and toy soldiers surely await you in this winter wonderland.
Check them all our on our New York Holiday Lights Tour, a 2-hour festive pay-what-you-like walking tour that you won’t forget. If you prefer to stay warm, there’s also On Location Tours Holiday Lights & Movie Sites bus tour. Get more information on the bus tour version here.
Note: We also run a pay-what-you-like tour of the Dyker Heights Lights in Brooklyn.
Join Free Tours by Foot as we experience the holidays in the city as only New York can offer. We will take advantage of the subway to beat the street traffic, keep warm and catch some underground holiday music. Learn about the artists and backgrounds to these wonderful displays. You can’t get that on a bus and you can’t beat the price.
Lighting and window displays we visit on the New York Holiday Lights Tour:
- Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
- St. Patrick’s Cathedral
- Saks Fifth Ave
- Macy’s Herald Square
- Barneys
- Bergdorf Goodman
- Tiffany and Co.
- and much more
Check out our Guide for Christmas in New York. If you prefer the Holiday Lights & Movie Sites bus tour, you can get an online discount by booking here. Note: We also run a pay-what-you-like tour of the Dyker Heights Lights in Brooklyn.
Tour information
This tour is NOT wheelchair accessible. We cannot accommodate wheelchairs or non-foldable strollers.
Reservations: REQUIRED. Click here to reserve. Groups of 6 or more traveling together should visit our groups page.
Where: The tour meets on the stairs of the New York Public Library’s Schwartzman Building (map).
When: Daily @7 pm (21:00) between Dec 4th until Jan 1st. Additional time slots will be posted as needed (no tour on New Year’s Eve). View our full Calendar
Duration: Approximately 2 hours.
Cost: This tour is free to take, and you get to decide what, if anything, the tour was worth when it’s done. A name-your-own-price tour is a tour for anyone’s budget.
*Please have a subway Metro card with at least $2.75 for one subway ride.
Save more money with a tourist discount pass and our Guide to NYC on a Budget.
Holiday Lights and Movie Sights Bus Tour
This 2.5 hours guided bus tour takes you to sites throughout Manhattan, which served as a setting in holiday movies that you’ll recognize right away. During the ride, clips from movies filmed at the sites are shown on TV screens so you can match the locations you visit with the movie scenes filmed there.
You’ll see sites from wonderful holiday films such as Scrooged, Home Alone, Serendipity3, Miracle on 34th Street, Elf, New Year’s Eve, Mr. Popper’s Penguin, Eloise at Christmastime and The Family Man.
Along the ride, you’ll the spectacular department store windows at Bloomingdales, Lord & Taylor, Barneys, Saks, Macy’s and Tiffany & Co. You’ll also get a glimpse of the of the giant Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center. The bus makes a few stops for you to de-board and see sights close-up and take pictures.
This tour has great reviews with guests saying that guides are professional and also really entertaining. Many guests took the tour as a family and said that it was “multi-generational” and that adults, teens, and children will all enjoy this tour.
Advance purchase required.
Schedule: Every day from Nov 23 to Jan 1, 2018
Sun-Fri at 3:00 pm; Saturday at 3:00 pm and 5:30 pm
Regular Tickets: Adults: $45, Child: $35 Click here to purchase.
Priority Boarding Tickets: Pre-boarding and guaranteed seating in first 4 rows
Adults: $55, Children (ages 6 to 9) $45.
