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New York City Christmas Holiday Lights and Markets Walking Tour

New York City Christmas Holiday Lights and Markets Walking Tour

Overview

Get into the spirit of the holiday season by visiting four of New York’s most attractive traditional holiday markets. Soak up the festive atmosphere of the Big Apple around Christmas time, when the city is at its most magical.

City: New York City

Fri 20 Sep

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $45.00

Make a reservation

Fri 20 Sep

Starting at $45.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Professional guide

Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Face masks required for travellers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Guides required to regularly wash hands

What To Expect

The Shops at Columbus Circle

Christopher Columbus is being honored here by a monument located in the center of a traffic circle that circles around the monument to go either north, south or east.

Columbus Circle

This is the first Holiday market that is being visited with many kiosks offering food, drink, arts and crafts and full of Holiday Gift ideas.

Central Park

This is the first public park in America with over 42 million visitors each year. This 843 acre park took 15 years to complete and was designed by famed architects Olmstead and Vaux. Home to the Wollman Rink, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Tavern on the Green.

Fifth Avenue

Fifth Avenue is a major thoroughfare in the borough of Manhattan. It stretches north from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to West 143rd Street in Harlem. It is one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world.

Bergdorf Goodman

Bergdorf Goodman Inc. is a luxury department store based on Fifth Avenue. This exclusive store always retains the highest quality and fashion. Christmas time brings their beautiful and avant-garde window displays.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

St. Patrick's Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in Midtown. It is the seat of the Archbishop of New York as well as a parish church. St Patrick opened its doors in 1879.

Rockefeller Center

(Exterior Visit) Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commercial buildings. The holidays in NYC begin at Rockefeller Center. Whether it’s a visit to the iconic Christmas Tree, a skate on the ice at the Rink, or exploring attractions and fun things to do, there’s a magic here that can’t be denied.

Saks Fifth Avenue

Shop the best designer clothing arrivals at Saks Fifth Avenue. During the Christmas season, they offer some of the most breathtaking decorations and window displays.

Bryant Park

The European-inspired open-air market curated by Urbanspace features artisans from New York City and around the world. Located along Bryant Park’s allées, plazas, and terraces, the Shops are housed in custom-designed, "jewel box" kiosks. Enjoy local crafts, artisan provisions, and exquisite gifts from around the world.

Grand Central Terminal

Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall hosts this enduring holiday market, where booths featuring artisans, jewelers & home goods vendors draw shoppers beneath the iconic Beaux Arts chandeliers.

Show 7 more stops

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (14)

537jaes

Dec 2021

The tour started off fine, but then in front of the Saks display the guide said we'd wait for it to start again and in the meantime we should take a look at the window displays. While we were doing that he crossed the street without any notification. We ran across trying to follow just as the display began again but our guide and the rest of the group were nowhere to be found. We called the tour emergency number and asked if they could help us with a meeting point later in the tour. We were put on hold, told he probably wouldn't answer his phone and despite having our phone number they never bothered to call us back. Never again will we book with Inside Out Tours. A complete disappointment!

Response from Host

Dec 2021

We apologize that you lost your guide but want to correct factual misstatements in this review. We spoke to the guide to clarify what happened and he said that in addition to having a red flag, he made an announcement stating that he was leaving to cross the street, holding his flag up for everyone to see. The vast majority of people followed him and he then stopped to gather everyone that he saw in the crowd. After a while, he thought you had decided to leave the group and stay to look at the windows. When you called the tour emergency number, we tried to re-connect with you but the call was disconnected and we were unable to reach you. We apologize if our call center could not connect you with the guide. We offered a free tour to you afterwards so that you could have a chance to enjoy the holiday markets again. In the future, we have the asked the guides to also provide their cell phone numbers in case customers get lost in the crowds around Rockefeller Center and also tell customers the location of the next stop on the tour. That way, if a customer is lost, they can re-connect with the group. Again, our apologies, and please let us know if we can do anything further.

mightysquidwhale

Dec 2019

My 9yo son and I went on this tour last week, and we had a fantastic time seeing the holiday lights and checking out the markets. This was a fantastic way to see Rockefeller Center, the Saks display, and what few remaining Christmas windows are in the city. Russell was incredibly knowledgeable and I appreciated how he engaged us in what we wanted more or less of as part of our tour. Things to know: - Wear good, waterproof walking shoes - you will be racking up the steps. - Dress for the weather. Hats and gloves made us much happier. - You will have enough time to grab bites of food at the markets or to shop - but not really both. We used it to figure out which markets we wanted to go back and spend more time at, and got doughnuts at one market and terrific dumplings at the second. - If you go with kids, plan to give them snacks. The dumplings are one of the main reasons we had such a great time. My highlights were seeing Grand Central Station, walking past the NYLibrary at night and down literary row, and the amazing holiday market at Grand Central Station. Extra special kudos to Russell, who gave us great information and local stories about New York, who staged us perfectly to watch the whole Saks' display, who very patiently chatted with my son who wanted to talk all about video games with him, and who did a fantastic job of reading his crowd and adjusting to give us a personalized experience. Definitely a winner over the holidays!

N6219WXdaveb

Dec 2019

First, be warned, there is a lot of walking, so wear comfy shoes. Totally worth the walking! It's not just shopping and lights, but Christmas movie sites as well. Katherine knows her stuff!! Despite the crowds she navigated us perfectly to the best spot for a photo opp in front of the Rockefeller Tree and views of the Saks fifth avenue light show. She gives you roughly 15- 30 minutes at each market (depending on the size). Do not miss, just watch the weather and prepare! Don't tour the mid-town until you book with her, you'll see a lot!!!