Christmas in New York: Private Holiday History Tour
Overview
This is an expert led private tour to experience the magic, spectacle and spirit of the holiday season on an enchanted journey through the history of holiday traditions. This first class tour of Christmas in New York takes you to the most spectacular seasonal sites in the heart of Manhattan and reveals the inspired stories behind them. Get ready to enjoy the festive tales and stories behind time honored traditions that will bring the spectacle of the city to life for an unforgettable holiday treat.
- Discover the history and secrets behind the many merry customs we associate with season.
- Learn the magic behind Macy’s and uncover the miracles of 34th street.
- Stroll by a popular ice rink through to a local holiday village market
- Encounter the dazzling holiday displays along Fifth Avenue.
- Delight in the magnificence of Rockefeller Center
- Experience the true spirit of Christmas at St Patrick’s Cathedral.
- Take iconic holiday pictures of your unforgettable experience
- Discover the history and secrets behind the many merry customs we associate with season.
- Learn the magic behind Macy’s and uncover the miracles of 34th street.
- Stroll by a popular ice rink through to a local holiday village market
- Encounter the dazzling holiday displays along Fifth Avenue.
- Delight in the magnificence of Rockefeller Center
- Experience the true spirit of Christmas at St Patrick’s Cathedral.
- Take iconic holiday pictures of your unforgettable experience
Inclusions
- Private tour
- Expert local guide
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Manhattan, New York, NY, USA
Experience the magic, spectacle and spirit of the holiday season on an enchanted journey through the history of holiday traditions. This first class tour of Christmas in New York takes you to the
most spectacular seasonal sites in the heart of Manhattan and reveals the inspired stories behind them. Get ready to enjoy the festive tales and stories behind time honored traditions that will bring the spectacle of the city to life for an unforgettable holiday treat.
Your journey through the history of the holidays begins in Herald Square where your guide will begin to reveal how many of the concepts, sights and sounds of the season came became ubiquitous from a unique New York perspective. Discover how Santa became the reigning jolly old fellow and the meaning behind the many merry customs we associate with season. Encounter the wondrous whimsical windows and dazzling holiday displays along Fifth Avenue. Delight in the magnificence of Rockefeller Center, and experience the true spirit of Christmas at St Patrick’s Cathedral.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Macy's Herald Square, 151 West 34th Street, New York City, NY 10001-2101
Worlds Largest Department store
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: New York Public Library, 476 5th Ave New York, NY 10018, New York City, NY 10018
Discover the stories that inspired holiday traditions
Stop At: Bryant Park, between 40th and 42nd Streets & Fifth and Sixth Ave, New York City, NY 10017
Stroll through the winter village
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Fifth Avenue, 5th Ave, New York City, NY 10118-4810
World class shopping and holiday displays
Stop At: Rockefeller Center, Rockefeller Center, New York City, New York
Iconic art deco complex and home to the most popular christmas tree
Duration: 15 minutes
Pass By: Radio City Music Hall, 1260 6th Avenue Between 50th and 51st Streets, New York City, NY 10020
Home of the Rockettes and Christmas Spectacular
Pass By: St. Patrick's Cathedral, 50th Street & 5th Avenue Wheelchair accessibility located off the corner of 51st Street and 5th Avenue, New York City, NY 10022-6863
The largest decorated gothic-style Catholic Cathedral in the United States
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Manhattan, New York, NY, USA
Experience the magic, spectacle and spirit of the holiday season on an enchanted journey through the history of holiday traditions. This first class tour of Christmas in New York takes you to the
most spectacular seasonal sites in the heart of Manhattan and reveals the inspired stories behind them. Get ready to enjoy the festive tales and stories behind time honored traditions that will bring the spectacle of the city to life for an unforgettable holiday treat.
Your journey through the history of the holidays begins in Herald Square where your guide will begin to reveal how many of the concepts, sights and sounds of the season came became ubiquitous from a unique New York perspective. Discover how Santa became the reigning jolly old fellow and the meaning behind the many merry customs we associate with season. Encounter the wondrous whimsical windows and dazzling holiday displays along Fifth Avenue. Delight in the magnificence of Rockefeller Center, and experience the true spirit of Christmas at St Patrick’s Cathedral.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Macy's Herald Square, 151 West 34th Street, New York City, NY 10001-2101
Worlds Largest Department store
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: New York Public Library, 476 5th Ave New York, NY 10018, New York City, NY 10018
Discover the stories that inspired holiday traditions
Stop At: Bryant Park, between 40th and 42nd Streets & Fifth and Sixth Ave, New York City, NY 10017
Stroll through the winter village
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Fifth Avenue, 5th Ave, New York City, NY 10118-4810
World class shopping and holiday displays
Stop At: Rockefeller Center, Rockefeller Center, New York City, New York
Iconic art deco complex and home to the most popular christmas tree
Duration: 15 minutes
Pass By: Radio City Music Hall, 1260 6th Avenue Between 50th and 51st Streets, New York City, NY 10020
Home of the Rockettes and Christmas Spectacular
Pass By: St. Patrick's Cathedral, 50th Street & 5th Avenue Wheelchair accessibility located off the corner of 51st Street and 5th Avenue, New York City, NY 10022-6863
The largest decorated gothic-style Catholic Cathedral in the United States
Additional information
- Wheelchair accessible
- This is a walking tour conducted at a leisurely pace
- Dress appropriately for the winter weather
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Comfortable walking shoes are highly recommended
- Children 7 and under are free per accompanying adult
- Masks are recommended but not required outdoors. Masks and/or proof of vaccination may be required to enter any indoor facility
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
Canafornian
November 2018
On a recent trip to NYC, I arranged two historical private tours with Kevin Draper of New York Historical Tours. My best girlfriend of many years and I were in town celebrating a big birthday and Hamilton was one of the activities on our itinerary. Thinking it would be helpful to have the history...
On a recent trip to NYC, I arranged two historical private tours with Kevin Draper of New York Historical Tours. My best girlfriend of many years and I were in town celebrating a big birthday and Hamilton was one of the activities on our itinerary. Thinking it would be helpful to have the history of Hamilton in NY, I reached out to Kevin and arranged a Founding Fathers Tour & the following day a Brooklyn Bridge and Brooklyn Heights tour. So remarkable! Kevin was a wealth of information, beyond what we could have figured out on our own or even from a book. He is passionate about history and is a city native. We saw Hamilton and then the next morning met up with Kevin at Bowling Green at the tip of lower Manhattan where our tour began. This truly brought the days of Hamilton to life for us - remarkable to walk in the steps of these American Founders. I especially appreciated being able to ask questions and have well-informed answers - it helps me understand so many things. Kevin seemed to thrive on our genuine interest and shared additional sources, suggested venues and even a recommendation for our lunch, once knowing I was a francophile (La District - separate review coming soon). Having travelled extensively through Europe, I have come to appreciate the value of a solid guide. We are able to see more than most people cover in a week. It costs to do this, but it also costs NOT to do this - the knowledge gained and places seen are worth their weight in gold. Given the state of our nation currently, I do find solace in history. Democracy is a struggle. Standing on the steps where George Washington was inaugurated - somehow gives me hope that the side of good and reason is going to win the current struggle. I appreciated talking with Kevin about these things. Yes, Kevin is a tour guide, but I think of him as my personal historian. He is personable, has a great sense of humor and enjoys what he does. I honestly wished that we were staying a few more days so we could take a few more tours. Alas - next time! So grateful we did this - Thank you Kevin!SherryPandfamily
January 2021
My (adult) family and I took an exceptional two hour private "gilded age" tour with Kevin yesterday and had the most wonderful time. We have done walking tours when visiting other cities but, as native New Yorkers, had never taken the opportunity to do so here. With my birthday falling in the w...
My (adult) family and I took an exceptional two hour private "gilded age" tour with Kevin yesterday and had the most wonderful time. We have done walking tours when visiting other cities but, as native New Yorkers, had never taken the opportunity to do so here. With my birthday falling in the winter and the pandemic causing us to shy away from indoor activities to celebrate, we determined to do this tour- and it was a wise choice. Kevin led us from the Plaza up Fifth Avenue to 90th Street, providing fascinating information about the period, showing us the mansions that were built and what became of them, and sharing stories about the prominent families of that time. He also alerted us to various public art pieces and events that are held around the city (in non COVID times), as points of interest, unrelated to the subject of the tour. We were all masked and felt totally safe during the tour, with Kevin navigating us away from any crowded spots. I highly recommend this tour company, with Kevin as guide, for a completely enjoyable experience. Whether from out of town, or local, it is well worth itamsmrii
September 2020
Best tour I ever did! I did the Highlights of Harlem Tour, our tour guide Kevin was amazing! My friend and I learned so much about the history of Harlem. The second the tour ended, i started telling everyone I knew to do it! During this time (covid), they offer private tours only. The price was g...
Best tour I ever did! I did the Highlights of Harlem Tour, our tour guide Kevin was amazing! My friend and I learned so much about the history of Harlem. The second the tour ended, i started telling everyone I knew to do it! During this time (covid), they offer private tours only. The price was good, you can bring up to 6 people, and masks were on the entire time. Our guide, again, was really incredible. He was extremely insightful, and kept my friend and I engaged the entire time. I had to choose any walking tour in new york to do for a class. So honestly, neither of us were expecting this great of an experience. We HIGHLY recommend!jackinmd
March 2020
Kevin Draper has to be one of the most informed New York Tour guides. We took this fascinating 2 hour walking tour of Fifth Avenue this morning and were blown away by the quality of the information that Kevin imparted to us. We highly recommend this tour and Kevin.
Kevin Draper has to be one of the most informed New York Tour guides. We took this fascinating 2 hour walking tour of Fifth Avenue this morning and were blown away by the quality of the information that Kevin imparted to us. We highly recommend this tour and Kevin.TravelingTrayci
December 2019
Went to New York for Christmas and we had an excellent time. More scammers than we encountered on before trips. Careful with the characters in time square they will rip you off, they should be regulated better. Other than that there was a lot of people there and now with permits they allow vendor...
Went to New York for Christmas and we had an excellent time. More scammers than we encountered on before trips. Careful with the characters in time square they will rip you off, they should be regulated better. Other than that there was a lot of people there and now with permits they allow vendors to sell purses on the streets, loved it....X130NJcarolh
December 2019
My visitors from Texas found Mr Draper via TripAdvisor's rave reviews so I booked the tour for the four of us for December 5, 2019. We could not have been more pleased with his expertise and knowledge of the history regarding the Gilded Age. He was the best! We would recommend Mr. Draper to any...
My visitors from Texas found Mr Draper via TripAdvisor's rave reviews so I booked the tour for the four of us for December 5, 2019. We could not have been more pleased with his expertise and knowledge of the history regarding the Gilded Age. He was the best! We would recommend Mr. Draper to anyone. All of us left there raving about the tour and promising to come back for another one. There was a lot of walking involved and all 4 of us are over 60, but we had no problem at all.