Christmas in Manhattan

New York

CULTURECITY BREAK5 days

Downtown streets, uptown museums and winter lights across New York City

Dosage

5 days

Indication

City break, food & Christmas lights

Contra-indication

Cold & crowds

Side effects

Adjusting to American portion sizes

Christmas in Manhattan why go

This 5 day New York itinerary is enough to fall for the city if you walk it rather than tick it off. Think downtown mornings, uptown museums, and enough room for food, coffee and wandering between neighbourhoods.

✦ Based on expert opinion: We did the trial and error, so you get the optimized route.

2 min readShare

At a glance

Dosage5 days

IndicationCity break, food & Christmas lights

Contra-indication Cold & crowds

Side effectsAdjusting to American portion sizes

The itinerary what to do, where

5 places

Downtown to Rockefeller Center - Day 1

A strong first taste of New York, from downtown landmarks to Midtown energy and skyline views.

Stay: Flat Iron District

Highlights

9/11 Memorial
Brookfield Place (shopping & food)
Rockefeller center: Sunset at the Rock

Getting aroundMostly on foot; subway for longer distances.

EatSkirt Steak (Flat Iron District)

CoffeeDevoción

TipCheck the weather forecast before booking Top of the Rock. Low cloud can take away much of the skyline view.

Downtown to Rockefeller Center - Day 1 — 9/11 Memorial

Upper East Side & Central Park - Day 2

A classic New York day, with museum time, brownstone streets, Central Park and a busier Midtown finish after dark.

Highlights

Grand Central
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Central Park (via Yorkville)
St. Patrick's Cathedral
Times Square at night

EatRosa Mexicano

CoffeeLevain Bakery — for the famous chocolate chip cookies.

Tip Don’t be put off by the queue at The Met — it usually moves quickly. Note that the museum is closed on Wednesdays.

Upper East Side & Central Park - Day 2 — Central Park

Brooklyn Bridge, SoHo & Little Italy - Day 3

More street-level New York: bridge views, cast-iron streets and two neighbouring downtown districts.

Highlights

Brooklyn Bridge
SoHo neigbourhood
Little Italy neighbourhood — directly next to SoHo, so combine the two on foot.

TipTake the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn — you walk toward the skyline the whole way. Go early if you want to avoid the worst crowds.

Brooklyn Bridge, SoHo & Little Italy - Day 3 — Brooklyn Bridge

Chelsea & Hudson Yards - Day 4

A west-side day of coffee, the High Line and newer Manhattan architecture.

Highlights

Starbucks Reserve Roastery
Walk the High Line
Hudson Yards (the Vessel)
Radio City Music Hall: book a show

TipEnter the High Line at Gansevoort Street and walk north towards Hudson Yards. Last-minute Radio City tickets can sometimes be cheaper.

Chelsea & Hudson Yards - Day 4 — View from the High Line

Up to you - Day 5

Keep the final day deliberately open. Use it for anything you missed, somewhere you want to revisit or simply a slower final day before leaving New York.

From the road 8 photographs

Before you go take it with you

Make New York your next story

Questions about timings, seasons, or where to swap a stop? Write to us — we answer every message with the map open.

Plan it with us

Keep wandering similar routes

All destinations

CULTURE Flanders, Belgium1 day

Bruges

Canals, old streets and chocolate shops in one day

View travel itinerary

CULTURE Roadtrip through, Italy7 days

Tuscany

Renaissance cities, hill towns and hot springs across Tuscany

View travel itinerary

EXPLORE Central Europe, Slovenia & Italy4 days

Slovenia & Northern Italy

Trieste to Lake Bled via turquoise gorges and alpine views

View travel itinerary

Christmas in Manhattan

New York

CULTURECITY BREAK5 days

Downtown streets, uptown museums and winter lights across New York City

Dosage

5 days

Indication

City break, food & Christmas lights

Contra-indication

Cold & crowds

Side effects

Adjusting to American portion sizes

Christmas in Manhattan why go

✦ Based on expert opinion: We did the trial and error, so you get the optimized route.

2 min readShare

At a glance

Dosage5 days

IndicationCity break, food & Christmas lights

Contra-indication Cold & crowds

Side effectsAdjusting to American portion sizes

The itinerary what to do, where

5 places

Downtown to Rockefeller Center - Day 1

A strong first taste of New York, from downtown landmarks to Midtown energy and skyline views.

Stay: Flat Iron District

Highlights

9/11 Memorial
Brookfield Place (shopping & food)
Rockefeller center: Sunset at the Rock

Getting aroundMostly on foot; subway for longer distances.

EatSkirt Steak (Flat Iron District)

CoffeeDevoción

TipCheck the weather forecast before booking Top of the Rock. Low cloud can take away much of the skyline view.

Upper East Side & Central Park - Day 2

A classic New York day, with museum time, brownstone streets, Central Park and a busier Midtown finish after dark.

Highlights

Grand Central
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Central Park (via Yorkville)
St. Patrick's Cathedral
Times Square at night

EatRosa Mexicano

CoffeeLevain Bakery — for the famous chocolate chip cookies.

Tip Don’t be put off by the queue at The Met — it usually moves quickly. Note that the museum is closed on Wednesdays.

Brooklyn Bridge, SoHo & Little Italy - Day 3

More street-level New York: bridge views, cast-iron streets and two neighbouring downtown districts.

Highlights

Brooklyn Bridge
SoHo neigbourhood
Little Italy neighbourhood — directly next to SoHo, so combine the two on foot.

TipTake the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn — you walk toward the skyline the whole way. Go early if you want to avoid the worst crowds.

Chelsea & Hudson Yards - Day 4

A west-side day of coffee, the High Line and newer Manhattan architecture.

Highlights

Starbucks Reserve Roastery
Walk the High Line
Hudson Yards (the Vessel)
Radio City Music Hall: book a show

TipEnter the High Line at Gansevoort Street and walk north towards Hudson Yards. Last-minute Radio City tickets can sometimes be cheaper.

Up to you - Day 5

Keep the final day deliberately open. Use it for anything you missed, somewhere you want to revisit or simply a slower final day before leaving New York.

From the road 8 photographs