Stop 1 of 5Top of the Rock1 hour
Itinerary noteTop of the Rock uses mandatory timed entry, and advance online booking is strongly recommended because sunset slots and Beam sessions can fill up days or weeks ahead.
First visit3 days
Christmas in New York: 3-Day Guide
This planned itinerary progresses through New York one day at a time, keeping every selected stop in the supplied order.
Day 1
Rockefeller Center and Fifth Avenue
5 routed stops · about 7.5 hours including travel
A glimpse inside the itinerary builder
Walk 8 minutes · 621 m
Stop 2 of 5Valerie2 hours
Itinerary noteValerie is at 45 West 45th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues in Midtown.
Walk 9 minutes · 697 m
Stop 3 of 5St. Patrick's Cathedral1 hour
Itinerary noteNo reservation is needed to walk into St. Patrick's Cathedral and view it on your own; guided and audio tours are optional add-ons, not required for entry.
01
Top of the Rock
Top of the Rock uses mandatory timed entry, and advance online booking is strongly recommended because sunset slots and Beam sessions can fill up days or weeks ahead. General admission adult pricing is dynamic, ranging roughly $47 (off-peak) to $60 (peak); children 6-12 pay $40-$53, seniors 62+ pay $45-$58, and children under 5 enter free. A VIP Pass (from ~$207) includes a private guide, Skylift access, a private Beam session, a photo pass, and champagne.
Time here1 hour
Price level
Walk 8 minutes
02
Valerie
Valerie is at 45 West 45th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues in Midtown. Weekday lunch is served 11:30AM - 3:30PM, and group happy hour bookings require a reservation.
Time here2 hours
Price level
Walk 9 minutes
03
St. Patrick's Cathedral
No reservation is needed to walk into St. Patrick's Cathedral and view it on your own; guided and audio tours are optional add-ons, not required for entry. Daily masses are open to all and not ticketed, except for a small number of special masses, such as Christmas Midnight Mass, that require tickets. Non-flash photography is permitted inside, and modest attire is appreciated—though no strict dress code is enforced—because the Cathedral remains an active house of worship.
Time here1 hour
Price level
Walk 4 minutes
04
Paley Park
Paley Park opened in 1967 as the original “vest pocket park,” designed by landscape architect Robert Zion on the former site of the Stork Club. This free, ivy-walled micro-oasis with movable chairs sits a block off Fifth Avenue and offers the kind of five-minute sit-down break a local friend recommends for a stroller-and-grandparent group rather than a listed attraction. The park is closed on national holidays.
Time here1 hour
Price level
Walk 8 minutes
05
Le Rock
Le Rock is located at 45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY, in a historic Art Deco space. It is run by chefs Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr, the team behind Tribeca's Frenchette, and occupies the former home of Brasserie Ruhlmann.
Time here2 hours
Price level
Day 2
Broadway and Radio City
4 routed stops · about 6 hours including travel
01
Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour
The Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour offers group rates upon request for parties of 9 or more. Online ticket sales close the day before a scheduled performance to prioritize show attendees, though same-day tour tickets may still be available in person. The current official adult ticket price is $44-$46, including a $5 online service fee; tickets for children 12 & under and seniors 65+ are $39-$41.
Time here1 hour
Price level
Walk 7 minutes
02
Junior's Restaurant & Bakery (Times Square)
Junior's Restaurant & Bakery was founded by Harry Rosen in downtown Brooklyn in 1950. Hours are Sunday–Thursday 7:00 AM–12:00 AM (midnight) and Friday–Saturday 7:00 AM–1:00 AM. The location seats up to roughly 300 people and includes an on-site bakery counter.
Time here1 hour
Price level
Walk 2 minutes
03
The Lion King (Broadway)
The Lion King (Broadway) is a general-audience mainstage production intended for guests 6 and up, with a recommended minimum age of 6+. All guests require a ticket regardless of age, children under 2 are not admitted, and seating is assigned in a traditional Broadway house rather than general admission. The production uses theatrical smoke, fog effects, flashing lights, and loud noises. Scar's portrayal and the roughly 2.5-hour runtime can make the show difficult for children younger than the recommended age.
Time here3 hours
Price level
Walk 3 minutes
04
Mermaid Oyster Bar (Times Square)
Mermaid Oyster Bar (Times Square) is located at 127 West 43rd Street. It is open daily 11:30am–9:00pm, with lunch service 11:30am–3:30pm and dinner service 3:30pm–9:00pm. Families can enjoy coloring books and crayons at the table, plus a kids' menu featuring chicken fingers, fish sticks, smoked gouda mac and cheese, and grilled chicken breast.
Time here1 hour
Price level
Day 3
Central Park in the holiday season
4 routed stops · about 10.5 hours including travel
01
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Met’s regular hours are 10am-5pm Sunday-Tuesday and Thursday, with hours extended to 9pm on Friday and Saturday. For accessibility accommodations, call 212-650-2010 or email access@metmuseum.org. Visitors who cannot manage stairs can use a free shuttle that picks up near the Postern entrance and travels to an accessible entrance inside the Museum’s courtyard.
Time here3 hours 22 minutes
Price level
Walk 8 minutes
02
Antonucci Cafe
Antonucci Cafe is located at 170 East 81st Street on the Upper East Side. The kitchen is open Sunday and Monday from 12pm until it closes at 10pm, and online ordering is available in addition to reservations.
Time here1 hour
Price level
Walk 28 minutes
03
Wollman Rink
Wollman Rink is near the southeast corner of Central Park, with entry at 59th Street and Sixth Avenue. During ice skating season, it is open from 10:00am to 9:00pm on Sunday. Tickets follow dynamic tiers: adults are $16 (off-peak), $28 (peak), or $40 (prime); seniors (65+) and children (4-12) are $11 flat; children 3 and under are free.
Time here2 hours
Price level
Walk 23 minutes
04
Sushi Noz
At Sushi Noz, Chef Nozomu Abe curates a seasonal Edomae-style omakase menu nightly, using aging and preparation techniques dating to Japan's Edo period. The deposit is forfeited unless you cancel or reschedule at least 72 hours in advance. Its official website states that the restaurant is working to ensure the site is accessible to people with disabilities.
Time here3 hours
Price level
A few useful details before you go
- Does this itinerary account for travel between stops?
- Yes. Every adjacent stop has a planned walking or driving leg, so the time between places is part of the day rather than an afterthought.
- What backs the place details?
- The place details come from information we compile for trip planning and turn into practical guidance. Always confirm time-sensitive details such as opening hours and ticket rules before you go.
- Is the whole itinerary free?
- Yes — every day of it, with the stops, the timings and the travel between them. Paid planning is the separate, one-time purchase: it plans around your own dates, your hotel and your constraints rather than a general trip shape.
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A 3-day starting itinerary for 1 traveler, built from your choices and checked local data. Make it a perfect fit for your party whenever you’re ready.
- Dates
- 18 Dec – 20 Dec
- Daily rhythm
- Up to 4 sights + lunch and dinner · full days
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Give the Met time for a full museum visit through its collections. It closes on Wednesdays, so the suggested day may need to move.
Middling
You've given it 2.7 hoursAllow about 4 hours
Shorter than most visits take.
Strong fit
One of your must-seesNew York State residents (and NY/NJ/CT students) may pay what they wish for admission instead of the standard price.
Lunch
J.G. Melon
J.G. Melon has served hamburgers on the Upper East Side since opening in 1972.
Middling
You've given it 1 hourAllow about 90 minutes
Shorter than most visits take.
American Museum of Natural History
Explore the Gilder Center’s galleries, Butterfly Vivarium and immersive Invisible Worlds experience; the latter two need separate add-on tickets.
Middling
You've given it 1 hourAllow about 3 hours
Shorter than most visits take.
Strong fit
Nearby additionAccess to the main Gilder Center galleries is included with General Admission, but the Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium and the 'Invisible Worlds' immersive experience within the Gilder Center require separate, additional tickets.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Follow the Guggenheim’s museum visit through its rotunda levels; elevators serve every level except the two-step High Gallery entrance.
Pricey
You've given it 59 minutesAllow about 2 hours
Shorter than most visits take.
Strong fit
Nearby additionGeneral admission is $30 for adults (ages 13–64), $19 for seniors (65+) and students with valid ID, and free for children under 12.
Central Park Carousel
Make room for a simple ride on the Central Park Carousel, running from morning until dusk when conditions allow.
Little or nothing
You've given it 45 minutesAllow about 1 hour
Fit considered
Nearby additionCentral Park Conservancy lists the Carousel single-ride ticket price at $3.50 per person per ride.
Dinner
Tavern on the Green
Tavern on the Green is a historic Central Park restaurant and a longstanding New York dining landmark.
A splurge
You've given it 2 hoursAllow about 2 hours
Top of the Rock
Start with an open-air observation-deck visit above Rockefeller Center; admission varies with demand and time of day.
Pricey
You've given it 1 hourAllow about 1 hour
Strong fit
One of your must-seesGeneral admission adult pricing is dynamic, ranging roughly $47 (off-peak) to $60 (peak); children 6-12 $40-$53, seniors 62+ $45-$58, children under 5 free.
Lunch
Cafe China
Café China became New York City’s first Chinese restaurant to receive a Michelin star in 2013.
Easy on the wallet
You've given it 1 hourAllow about 1 hour
Empire State Building
An Art Deco lobby leads to the open-air 86th-floor deck, about 1,050 feet above New York, with lowered viewing walls and binoculars.
Pricey
You've given it 87 minutesAllow about 2 hours
Strong fit
Nearby additionArt deco lobby and open-air 86th floor observation deck ~1,050 feet up; popular group attraction.
Statue of Liberty / Ellis Island
Take the harbor ferry to Liberty and Ellis islands, with the Crown as a tightly limited climb for visitors at least 42 inches tall.
Middling
You've given it 2.2 hoursAllow about 5 hours
Shorter than most visits take.
Strong fit
Nearby additionGeneral ferry/ground admission ticket prices are Adult (13+) $26.00, Senior (62+) $23.00, Child (4–12) $17.00, and free for children under 4; this ferry fee is a transportation fee, not an entrance fee, so it is not covered by America the Beautiful passes or NPS Fee-Free Days.
Brooklyn Bridge
Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge for free, using the main step-free approaches if anyone in the party has a wheelchair or stroller.
Little or nothing
You've given it 1 hourAllow about 1 hour
Strong fit
Nearby additionThere is no fee to walk, bike, or drive across the Brooklyn Bridge; it is completely free with no tickets required.
Dinner
Scarr's Pizza
Scarr’s Pizza is known for zesty sauce and dough made from grains milled in-house.
Easy on the wallet
You've given it 1 hourAllow about 1 hour
Central Park Zoo
Give Central Park Zoo a two-hour animal stop at an easy family pace, with the Tisch Children’s Zoo inside the visit.
Middling
You've given it 2 hoursAllow about 2 hours
Fit considered
Nearby additionStandard admission (includes 4-D Theater): Adult (13+) $22.95, Senior (65+) $18.95, Child (3-12) $16.95, Child 2 & under free. A cheaper online-only 'Limited Admission' tier also exists: Adult $15.95, Senior $12.95, Child $9.95.
Lunch
La Grande Boucherie
La Grande Boucherie turns Midtown into an Art Nouveau-style Parisian brasserie.
Pricey
You've given it 2 hoursAllow about 2 hours
St. Patrick's Cathedral
Step inside the Gothic Revival St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue for free, with no ticket or reservation needed.
Little or nothing
You've given it 1 hourAllow about 1 hour
Strong fit
One of your must-seesSt. Patrick's Cathedral is a free, indoor Gothic Revival cathedral on Fifth Avenue, a short walk from Grand Central Terminal.
Grand Central Terminal
Look up in Grand Central’s Main Concourse: twelve constellations are picked out in gold leaf against a deep blue ceiling.
Little or nothing
You've given it 1 hourAllow about 1 hour
Strong fit
Nearby additionThe main concourse ceiling depicts twelve constellations in gold leaf on a blue background.
Dinner
Keens Steakhouse
Keens pairs its signature mutton chop with ceilings hung from one of the world’s largest collections of clay smoking pipes.
A splurge
You've given it 2 hoursAllow about 2 hours
Keep the value, then choose
A strong start. Make it personal when you’re ready.
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