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Every December I lived in New York City, I’d grab my DSLR, bundle up, and walk the city streets hunting for the perfect picture.
Some years I got it.
Other years I got a very clear photo of a stranger’s head in front of the Rockefeller Center tree.
I’m a licensed NYC tour guide, and these are the Christmas photo spots I’d send a friend to: the big Instagrammable classics, plus the corners most visitors walk right past.
For each one, you’ll get this year’s dates, the best time of day, and how I keep the crowds out of the frame.
Most of them are free.
A few require reservations weeks in advance, and I’ll flag those.
And yes, the famous ones are worth it.
You just have to know WHEN to go.
My recommendation if you only have one evening: start at Brookfield Place as the sun sets over the Hudson, see the Luminaries light up, then walk across Lower Manhattan to the Seaport’s Christmas tree.
Short On Time?
- Best Christmas photo spot in NYC: the Rockefeller Center tree, then cross Fifth Avenue for the Saks light show. In 2026 the tree is lit on December 2 and the Saks show returns November 23.
- My personal favorite: Brookfield Place in the Financial District. You’re right on the water, the Luminaries lanterns glow over the Winter Garden, the shopping is excellent, and the ice rink is far calmer than the famous ones uptown.
- Best free spots: Rockefeller Center, the Fifth Avenue windows, the Sixth Avenue ornaments, Dyker Heights, and Bryant Park (skating is free if you bring your own skates and book a free time slot).
- Best time of day: right at sunrise (around 7 a.m. in December) for empty shots, or the 30 minutes after sunset (around 4:30 p.m.) when the lights are on and the sky is still blue.
- Best dates for 2026: December 2 to 23, when the tree is lit, the windows are up and Dyker Heights is at full glow. Weekdays beat weekends every time.
- Book ahead for: Macy’s Santaland (free reservations open November 20), afternoon tea at The Plaza, and dinner at Rolf’s.
Map of NYC Christmas Photo Spots
Here are all 25 spots on one map. About a dozen of them are in Midtown, close enough to walk between, so start there.
The Best Christmas Photo Spots in NYC
The list starts in Midtown, where the biggest displays are packed into a few blocks, then heads downtown, out to Brooklyn and up to the top of Manhattan.
Every spot has a “best time” note so you can build your own route, or follow mine on the map below.
Planning a trip to New York City this holiday season?
- Where to stay: My favorite Christmas hotels in NYC
- Best tour for the lights: Dyker Heights Lights & Skyline Tour from Manhattan (round-trip bus, no subway transfers in the cold)
- Best view of it all: Top of the Rock tickets
1. Marvel at Rockefeller Center’s Christmas Tree
Best time: a weekday right at sunrise, or the half hour after sunset when the tree is lit, and the sky is still blue.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is THE New York Christmas photo. I’m not going to pretend otherwise.
For 2026, the tree arrives on November 7 and the lighting ceremony is on December 2.
Last season’s tree came down on January 10, so expect it to stay lit into the first week of January.
Since the area is free to enter, you won’t have the plaza to yourself at any time of day.
Early morning is your best bet, though you’ll share it with the crowd outside the TODAY Show studio, NBC’s morning show that broadcasts right from the plaza.
The later it gets, the thicker the crowd.
So stop fighting the people and use them. For example, you can shoot down from the rail above the skating rink so the skaters become part of the picture, or frame the tree from the plaza’s Fifth Avenue end.
Once you have your shot, head inside FAO Schwarz, the famous toy store featured in Big with Tom Hanks.
2. See the Saks Fifth Avenue light show
Best time: the first few shows after dark on a weeknight.
Saks Fifth Avenue‘s light show is the other half of the Rockefeller Center photo.
In past seasons, the whole ten-story facade lit up to music every few minutes from about 5 to 11 p.m.
Saks skipped the show in 2024 for the first time in about 20 years, brought it back in 2025, and it returns on November 23 for 2026.
For the full building, stand across Fifth Avenue on the Rockefeller Center side. When the show ends, cross the street for the window displays.
3. Walk the Fifth Avenue holiday windows
Best time: early morning before the sidewalks fill, or right at dusk.
Classic department stores like Lord & Taylor and Barneys have closed in recent years, but several Fifth Avenue stores still go all out for the holidays.
New York stores have competed over their Christmas windows since the late 1800s, and Macy’s usually gets the credit for starting it. Clearly, it worked!
After Saks, you’ll pass St. Patrick’s Cathedral, North America’s largest Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral, dressed up for the season.
Head inside, then keep walking north for the windows at Cartier, Harry Winston, Louis Vuitton, and Bergdorf Goodman.
4. See Cartier wrapped like a Christmas present
Best time: after dark, when the bow is lit.
One of the city’s most famous jewelry stores, the Cartier Mansion at 653 Fifth Avenue (at 52nd Street), goes all out with its holiday decorations.
Even if Cartier jewelry is out of your price range, you can still photograph the whole building wrapped like a Christmas gift, complete with a bow.
Since the store sits on a busy Fifth Avenue corner, your best bet for that perfect Instagram shot is the crosswalk when it’s your turn to cross.
But be quick; you don’t want to hold up traffic!
5. Capture Radio City Music Hall
Best time: after dark for the lit marquee; between shows to avoid the crowd at the doors.
Is there a more classic Christmas bucket-list NYC activity than seeing the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall?
Radio City opened on December 27, 1932, and the Christmas show began the following year.
Some numbers change from season to season, but the Rockettes’ Parade of the Wooden Soldiers and the Living Nativity (live camels and all) have been in it since 1933. The 2026 run starts on November 4.
Get your tickets for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular on the official Rockettes website.
Even if you skip the show, the marquee is the photo.
Cross to the east side of Sixth Avenue to fit the whole sign in. If you want to see the inside, you can tour the theater to glimpse the magic backstage.
The one-hour tour includes a meet-and-greet with a Rockette, and it’s one of my picks for the best NYC Christmas tours if you want to build a whole holiday day around it.
Check tour times and book here: Radio City Music Hall Tour Experience
6. Take a picture with the Sixth Avenue Ornaments
Best time: early morning, or mid-show when the Radio City crowd is inside.
You’ll find larger-than-life Christmas ornaments along Sixth Avenue, right across from Radio City Music Hall at 1251 Sixth Avenue.
A garland of giant Christmas lights, big red bulbs in a fountain, and nutcrackers next to a red, white, and blue tree have all waited for my camera here.
The exact lineup changes a little each year.
Thankfully, this spot isn’t packed, except when Radio City empties out after a Christmas Spectacular.
7. Stay at the Peninsula Hotel New York
The Peninsula New York is a Forbes Five-Star luxury hotel at 700 Fifth Avenue, at 55th Street, with a spa, rooftop bar, and some of the most elegant holiday decorations on the avenue.
If you’re staying for Christmas, the hotel offers two holiday packages. The Nights Before Christmas package is built for families.
The Holly Jolly New York Holiday package includes skip-the-line Top of the Rock tickets, a holiday window walking tour, and welcome cocktails at the Clement Bar or Chesa, their rooftop Swiss chalet.
If you can splurge, a package covers several photo spots on this list in one go.
The Peninsula is one of New York’s best Christmas hotels. I have a complete guide if you want more options around the five boroughs!
8. Admire Grand Army Plaza before afternoon tea at The Plaza
Best time: the plaza at sunrise; tea at the 3:30 seating, so you walk out into the evening lights. If this has been on your list, do it now! The Plaza will close for a four-year-long renovation process starting in January 2027.
Where Fifth Avenue meets the southeast corner of Central Park, you’ll find Grand Army Plaza and the Pulitzer Fountain, with The Plaza Hotel right behind it.
You might recognize The Plaza from Sleepless in Seattle, Plaza Suite, and the Christmas classic Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
To see the inside, book afternoon tea at The Palm Court. Tea runs daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in three seatings, and the holiday tea is decorated for the season.
It’s a dress-up kind of place (no athletic wear, ripped denim or shorts), so you feel like you’re enjoying a refined experience.
Holiday tea reservations open to the public 60 days ahead, and December goes fast. Book on OpenTable or reserve a table on their website.
9. Go ice skating at the Bryant Park Winter Village
Best time: weekdays at 8 a.m., when the rink opens, and the ice is still empty.
The Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park is the city’s best-known Christmas village.
For 2026, it opens on October 28. About 180 holiday shops run through January 3, and the rink stays open through February 28, 2027.
Spend some time browsing the stalls (they’re small, local businesses) and grab a snack before lacing up your skates.
Skating is free if you bring your own skates, but you still need a free time-slot ticket, released online one week ahead. Rentals start at about $19 and cost more at peak times.
The rink is open daily, with late hours until midnight from November 19 to January 3. Line up your shot with the Bryant Park tree and the New York Public Library behind the skaters.
10. Scout out street corners for Christmas trees
Best time: Early December, when the stands are full.
Venture into local neighborhoods for this next New York City Christmas photo spot.
On the street corners on the Upper East and Upper West Sides of New York City and other neighborhoods throughout the boroughs, you’ll find street vendors selling real Christmas trees for people to bring home and decorate their apartments.
If you stumble upon one, it’s a photo opportunity unique to cities like NYC.
Need some gift-giving inspiration this holiday season? Check out my guides on the best travel essentials for women, travel gifts under $20, zero-waste travel essentials, and great gifts for friends going abroad!
11. Take pictures in the outdoor courtyard at Lotte New York Palace
Best time: after dark, when the tree is lit.
The Lotte New York Palace is a luxury hotel on Madison Avenue at East 50th Street, right across from the back of St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Part of the hotel is the Villard Houses, a set of 1880s mansions designed by McKim, Mead & White and wrapped around a courtyard.
At Christmas, that courtyard gets a towering tree dressed in ornaments and red ribbon, and the inside is filled with garlands and lights.
You don’t need to be a guest to walk in for a photo.
This hotel is a must if you want that picture-perfect Christmas in NYC photo!
12. See the Christmas tree in Washington Square Park
Best time: after dark, framing the lit tree inside the arch.
It’s one of the city’s smaller Christmas trees, but Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village does it beautifully.
The tree goes up right under the arch (it was 45 feet tall in 2024).
And with a view!
Look north up Fifth Avenue, and you’ll see the Empire State Building.
Look south, and you’ll see the top of One World Trade Center, home to one of my favorite observatories.
You can create some really interesting Christmas pictures here.
13. See the Wall Street Christmas tree and Hanukkah menorah
Best time: late afternoon on a weekday, when the tree is lit, but the area is still busy.
In front of the New York Stock Exchange in the Financial District, you’ll find one of the city’s oldest Christmas tree traditions.
The NYSE has put up a tree every year since 1923.
The tree and the Hanukkah menorah look beautiful against the Stock Exchange’s giant columns.
Then, at the corner of Wall and Broad, you’ll find Federal Hall, where George Washington was sworn in as the first President of the United States.
The building standing there today went up in 1842 as the New York Custom House.
14. Take a picture with Santa at Macy’s Santaland Herald Square
Best time: the first slot of the day, before the store fills up.
The REAL Santa is said to be sitting in Santaland at Macy’s in Herald Square.
Santa has been visiting Macy’s since the 1860s, and today you’ll find him on the 8th floor of the 34th Street store.
For 2026, Santaland is all new: you ride the North Star Express, an immersive trip to the North Pole, before you meet the big guy.
It opens on November 27, and there are sensory-friendly hours this year too.
Visits are free, but reserve a time.
Free reservations open November 20 and are released on a rolling basis, seven days before each date.
If you show up without one, you may wait for hours or be turned away. (A premium package for up to eight people, with first pick of times and a photo package, costs $250.)
If there’s no availability left during your trip, Macy’s still does an incredible job with its in-store decorations and window displays, unveiled on November 19.
You’re sure to find something to capture!
15. Enjoy the lights at Zuccotti Park
Best time: blue hour, when the lights pop against the sky.
This is one of my favorite under-the-radar Christmas photo spots in New York City!
Around the corner from the World Trade Center, Zuccotti Park sustained heavy damage due to 9/11.
It has since been rebuilt, and it comes alive at the holidays.
Every tree in the park is wrapped in lights, which gives this corner of Lower Manhattan a gorgeous glow.
16. See the Seaport’s Christmas tree on the cobblestones
Best time: after dark on a weeknight, when the tree is lit against the old brick buildings.
A few blocks east of the World Trade Center, the Seaport turns its old cobblestone streets into a holiday village every winter.
The centerpiece is a giant Christmas tree at Fulton and Water Streets, one of the city’s tallest, and there’s usually a holiday pop-up market and a menorah lighting, too.
Wandering around is free.
I love visiting this area of the city; its architecture is some of the oldest still standing in the city, and it feels like you’re walking through history.
Your Christmas pictures framing the tree with the old brick buildings, or walking out to Pier 17 for the Brooklyn Bridge, will be very unique down this way!
17. Glimpse the Christmas lights at Hudson Yards
Best time: blue hour, when the Vessel’s lights show up against the sky.
Hudson Yards is the newest development on Manhattan’s far West Side, where the High Line ends at 34th Street, with views across the Hudson River to New Jersey.
Every holiday season it puts on Shine Bright, a free light display.
In past years, that meant about 2 million lights; the Vessel lit up, ten 11-foot toy soldiers, and a 32-foot hot air balloon hanging in the Great Room of the Shops & Restaurants.
18. Marvel at the incredible Dyker Heights Christmas Light displays
Best time: a weeknight in mid-December, right after dark.
The Brooklyn neighborhood of Dyker Heights puts on some of the most over-the-top Christmas displays in the country.
It started with Lucy Spata. She and her husband, Angelo, moved here in 1986, found the houses disappointingly plain at Christmas, and started decorating their own.
Lucy has said she kept going bigger to keep her mother’s memory alive, and the neighbors followed.
Most houses light up the day after Thanksgiving (November 27 in 2026), but the displays peak from mid-December through New Year’s Eve.
The lights come on around 4:30 or 5 p.m., and most are off by 10.
Start on 83rd and 84th Streets, then wander the blocks between 11th and 13th Avenues.
To get there, take the Brooklyn-bound R train to 86th Street or the D train to 79th Street, then walk 15 to 20 minutes.
Pro Tip: Using the New York City subway is pretty easy, and it’s something you definitely should experience while you’re here. Check out my guide on using the subway if you want to learn more.
If you’d rather skip the subway transfers in the cold, take a tour out to Dyker Heights.
This one takes you there and back by bus from Manhattan in about four hours, with a live guide.
Check dates and book the Dyker Heights tour here: From Manhattan: Dyker Heights Lights & Skyline Tour
19. Enjoy a festive dinner at Rolf’s German Restaurant
If you’ve ever seen a photo of a restaurant where every inch of the ceiling is covered in ornaments, it was probably Rolf’s German Restaurant, at 281 Third Avenue near 22nd Street.
Every holiday season, it goes all out, with about 15,000 ornaments hanging overhead.
From the moment you step inside, it feels like you’ve been transported into a holiday wonderland.
If you want dinner here, book as early as you can. Rolf’s takes holiday reservations by phone only (212-477-4750).
Rolf’s booked up? Get my free list of 15+ NYC restaurants that decorate just as hard.
20. Capture Brookfield Place’s Luminaries and ice rink (my favorite!)
Best time: just before sunset, so you get the river in daylight and then the lanterns as it gets dark.
If I could only pick one spot on this list, it’s this one. It’s not the most famous, but it’s a beautiful day out!
Brookfield Place sits right on the water in Lower Manhattan, connected to the Oculus by an underground passage.
Many visitors never make it this far downtown at Christmas, and that’s their loss.
Every holiday season, its glass-roofed Winter Garden fills with Luminaries, a canopy of glowing lanterns designed by the LAB at Rockwell Group.
Touch one of the Wishing Stations and the whole canopy changes color, and Brookfield Place donates to charity for the wishes.
Light shows run every hour, and since it’s all indoors, it’s a great way to stay warm between outdoor stops.
The shopping is excellent too, so you can knock out half your gift list while you’re here.
Then head out the back to North Cove Marina, with the Hudson River and Jersey City across the water, and you’ll find The Rink at Brookfield Place.
It’s nowhere near as busy as the rinks at Rockefeller Center or Bryant Park, and it’s really well done.
21. Enjoy rooftop igloos at 230 Fifth Avenue
Have you ever had drinks outside in New York City in a winter igloo?
A couple of bars around the city offer this wintertime experience, but my favorite is 230 Fifth Avenue.
Under the lights of the Empire State Building, you can order drinks and take in the view from inside a heated igloo. Tucked inside with your friends, it feels almost private.
Imagine the pictures: drinking and chatting with friends, toasty warm, the Empire State Building right behind you.
Absolutely iconic!
Igloos are first-come, first-served. Groups of 10 or more can reserve one with a $25 per-person deposit and a minimum spend.
22. Take in the holiday decor from one of the city’s observation decks
For the whole city decked out at once, go up.
\The Top of the Rock Observatory sits above the Rockefeller Center tree, with open-air decks offering views of the Empire State Building and Central Park.
Book a slot about an hour before sunset (around 3:30 p.m. in December), and you’ll get daylight, golden hour, and the city switching on its lights in one visit.
Check times and book Top of the Rock tickets here: Top of the Rock Observation Deck ticket (from about $46, free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead)
24. Dress in your vintage best for a Holiday Nostalgia Ride
Every holiday season, the New York Transit Museum and the MTA bring vintage subway cars from the 1930s out of retirement for the Holiday Nostalgia Rides.
In 2025, the train ran on Sundays in December, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on the F and Q lines between 2nd Avenue (Houston Street) and 96th Street. It costs a regular subway fare.
People come dressed in their finest throwback outfits, back to a time when riding the subway was a refined activity.
(Ok, fine, a time when it was SUPPOSED to be.)
Whether you love vintage trains, vintage fashion, or just more holiday spirit, this ride belongs on your list of NYC Christmas Instagram spots.
The 2026 schedule usually comes out in November, so check the New York Transit Museum’s website to plan ahead.
24. Marvel at Medieval ‘Christmastide’ at The Cloisters
Best time: a weekday morning, before the cloisters fill.
The Met Cloisters sits high in Fort Tryon Park at the top of Manhattan and takes you straight to medieval Europe.
This branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art opened in 1938 in a building designed by architect Charles Collens around pieces of real French monasteries.
It holds about 5,000 works of European art and architecture, mostly from the Byzantine period to the early Renaissance.
Garden staff and volunteers spend weeks handcrafting locally sourced holiday furnishings, including evergreen trees, holly, ivy, and other plants used to celebrate Christmastide, the 12-day Medieval festival between the Nativity and the Epiphany.
This is a fantastic place to explore any time of year, but if you want to capture it at the holidays, go now.
25. Enter a 19th-century sitting room at Lillie’s Victorian Establishment
In the Broadway Theatre District across from the Eugene O’Neill Theater, Lillie’s Victorian Establishment is another fun restaurant that goes all out for Christmas.
When you head inside any time of year, the interior is decorated to resemble a 19th-century home, with Victorian-era decor lining the walls.
But at Christmas, they include holiday decorations in the space.
They also have a location on East 17th Street in Union Square.
Love Lillie’s? It made my free list of 15+ NYC restaurants that go all out for Christmas.
Read More
- Christmas in New York Bucket List
- Your Perfect New York City Christmas Itinerary
- 13 Best NYC Christmas Tours
- 41+ Crazy Things to do in New York City at Night
- 37+ Phenomenal Things to do in NYC Alone (from a Tour Guide)
- NYC City Pass vs New York Pass: The Ultimate New York City Passes Comparison
How to Take Better Christmas Photos in NYC
Christmas lights are harder to photograph than they look. Here’s what works for me after years of shooting this city in December.
✔️ Wake up early. I know, it’s the last thing you want to do on vacation. But sunrise is around 7 a.m. in December, and at that hour you’ll have the best spots almost to yourself.
✔️ Shoot in blue hour. The half hour after sunset (around 4:30 p.m.) is when the lights are on, and the sky is still deep blue, not black. It’s the most flattering light for every spot on this list.
✔️ Keep the camera still. Low light means slow shutter speeds, and slow shutter speeds mean blur. A small travel tripod helps; on a phone, lean on a railing, turn on night mode, and use the 3-second timer so your tap doesn’t shake the shot.
✔️ Shoot in RAW. RAW files let you fix white balance afterward, so you can control the light’s color. They’re much bigger than JPEGs, so bring a spare memory card.
✔️ Beat the window glare. For store windows, get close and shoot at a slight angle so your own reflection (and the street behind you) drops out of the frame.
✔️ Take multiple shots. Take several of each scene from different angles. You’ll thank yourself when one has a stranger’s elbow in it.
✔️ Expose for the lights. Tap to focus on the lights, then drag the exposure down until they stop looking like white blobs. For that dreamy blur, focus on a person close to you and let the lights melt in the background.
NYC Christmas Photo Spots: FAQs
When is NYC decorated for Christmas in 2026?
Most decorations go up in the second half of November. The Rockefeller Center tree arrives on November 7 and is lit on December 2, the Saks light show starts November 23, and Dyker Heights lights up the day after Thanksgiving. Early to mid-December is when everything is up at once.
Where is the best place to take Christmas photos in NYC?
The Rockefeller Center tree, with the Saks Fifth Avenue light show directly across the street. My personal favorite is Brookfield Place in the Financial District, for its glowing Luminaries lanterns, waterfront views and a much calmer ice rink.
What is the most Christmassy place in New York?
Rockefeller Center is the classic answer, and Dyker Heights in Brooklyn is the most over-the-top. If you want Christmas without the elbows, go to Brookfield Place.
Can you do a Christmas photoshoot in NYC for free?
Yes. Rockefeller Center, the Fifth Avenue windows, the Cartier bow, the Sixth Avenue ornaments, Washington Square Park, Brookfield Place and Dyker Heights are all free. Plan your shoot for sunrise on a weekday and you’ll have the best spots to yourself.
What time are the Christmas lights on in NYC?
Most displays switch on at dusk, around 4:30 p.m. in December. The half hour after sunset is the best time for photos, when the lights are on.
Is NYC crowded at Christmas?
Very, especially around Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue and Bryant Park on weekend evenings. Go on weekdays, go early, and save Midtown for the morning.
More Resources for Visiting New York City at Christmas
- Be inspired by my list of the best winter dates around NYC
- Here are all the best places to stay in New York City at Christmas
- Check out my list of the top Christmas tours
- Find out here if it snows in New York at Christmas
- I have a full guide on how to spend your time in NYC this Christmas
- My complete New York at Christmas bucket list
Christmas Photo Spots in New York City: Wrap-Up
From the tree at Rockefeller Center to the medieval halls of The Cloisters, New York offers a Christmas photo op on almost every corner.
You just have to show up at the right time.
Read this next: Your Perfect New York City Christmas Itinerary, so you can fit these spots into your days.
Which spot are you most excited to shoot?
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