Rockefeller Center Christmas Walk: The Tree, the Windows and Fifth Avenue
Nine stops from the Bryant Park rink to the Plaza Hotel, past the Rockefeller Center tree and its 900-pound Libeskind star.
Christmas guide
Christmas in New York 2026: what's on and how to walk it
New York's Christmas is mostly free and mostly outdoors, and the tree, the Saks windows and the library lions sit on one 1.7-mile stretch between Bryant Park and the Plaza. Here are this year's dates, the evening we'd plan, and three self-guided audio walks that tell you what you're looking at.
3 walks for this trip
Stop 1 of each is free, no sign-up. The whole walk is $4.99, on up to 4 phones.
Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Walking Tour
Four stops, including Lucy Spata's house at 1152 84th Street, which began with 40 angels, and the Polizzotto house across the street.
Central Park Walking Tour: The Pond to Belvedere Castle
Eight stops from the Pond and Gapstow Bridge to Seneca Village, by way of Bethesda Fountain's angel, unveiled in 1873, and Belvedere Castle.
Christmas in New York: this year's dates
| What | When | Where, and what it costs |
|---|---|---|
| Bryant Park Winter Village | Oct 28 to Feb 28. Holiday shops until Jan 3. Tree lighting Tue, Dec 1, 5:30 p.m. | Between 40th and 42nd streets, off Sixth Avenue. Rink admission is free; skate rental starts at $18.72. |
| Rockefeller Center tree | Lit Wed, Dec 2, ceremony 7 to 10 p.m. Stays up into January. | Rockefeller Plaza, between 49th and 50th streets. Free, no tickets. |
| Saks Fifth Avenue windows and light show | Expected from Nov 23. Show times weren't posted when we checked. | 611 Fifth Avenue, across from the tree. Free, from the sidewalk. |
| Wollman Rink | Daily, Oct 28 to Mar 16. | Central Park. Enter at 59th Street and Sixth Avenue. Tickets are priced by day (off-peak, peak, prime) on its site. |
| Dyker Heights lights | Around Thanksgiving to early January. No official dates: the houses decide. | 83rd to 86th streets, between 11th and 13th avenues, Brooklyn. Free. R train to 86th Street, then a 15 to 20 minute walk. |
| Union Square Holiday Market | Usually mid-November to Dec 24. This year's dates weren't confirmed when we checked. | Union Square, at 14th Street. Free to browse. |
Checked November 2026. Dates and hours change: check the official sites before you go.
The evening we'd plan
- About 3:30 p.m., Bryant Park
Start with the shops while it's light, and the rink if you want it. The sun is down by about 4:30 in December, so the lights are on by the time you reach Fifth Avenue. Stop 1 of the Rockefeller Center walk plays here, free.
- Dusk, up Fifth Avenue
The library lions first, then Saks, then the tree across the street. This is the thickest crowd of the night, so pick a weeknight if you can, and skip lighting night unless the crowd is the point.
- After dark, on to 59th Street
Radio City, St. Patrick's, Tiffany and Bergdorf's, ending at the Plaza. The whole walk is 1.7 miles and about 67 minutes. Wollman Rink is a few minutes past the Plaza if you still have legs.
- Another night, Dyker Heights
Take the R train to Brooklyn after dark. The walk is 1.1 miles, four stops and about 40 minutes, past the houses that started it. Weeknights are quieter here too.
- The morning after, Central Park
The Central Park walk starts at the Pond, passes Wollman Rink and ends at Belvedere Castle: 2.2 miles and about 78 minutes. No lights needed, just a cold clear morning.
None of this needs a Stories walk. The tree, the windows and the houses are free either way. The walks are for people who'd like to know what they're looking at.
Where the walks stop
Where the Rockefeller Center Christmas Walk stops: Bryant Park, The New York Public Library Lions, Saks Fifth Avenue Windows, The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, Radio City Music Hall, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Tiffany & Co. on Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and The Plaza Hotel.
Where the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights Walking Tour stops: Dyker Heights, Lucy Spata and The Polizzotto House.
Where the Central Park Walking Tour stops: The Pond and Gapstow Bridge, Wollman Rink, The Mall and Literary Walk, Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, Bow Bridge, Strawberry Fields, Belvedere Castle and Seneca Village.
Christmas in New York: questions people ask
What is there to do in New York at Christmas?
See the Rockefeller Center tree and the Saks windows, skate at Bryant Park or Wollman Rink, browse the Bryant Park and Union Square markets, and take the R train to Dyker Heights for the lights. Most of it is free and outdoors.
When is the best time to see Christmas in New York?
We'd go midweek between December 3 and about December 20. The tree is lit from December 2, every rink and market is open, and you miss lighting night and the last-minute shoppers.
When is the Rockefeller Center tree lit in 2026?
Wednesday, December 2, with the ceremony from 7 to 10 p.m. It is free, needs no tickets, and the tree stays up into January.
What are the best Christmas lights in NYC?
Dyker Heights in Brooklyn for houses, and the Rockefeller tree and the Saks windows for Midtown. Dyker Heights takes a subway ride; the other two are across Fifth Avenue from each other.
What do the walks cost?
Stop 1 of each walk is free, no sign-up. The whole walk is $4.99 for your group, on up to 4 phones, and it plays in your browser or the Stories app.