NYC Holiday Lights Sightseeing Bus Tour
Description
Experience the magic of New York City’s holiday season like never before! Hop aboard a festively decorated double-decker bus and enjoy a cozy, guided 7-mile journey through the city’s most dazzling lights and iconic landmarks. With live storytelling, Christmas carols, and a chance to meet Santa and his elves in person, this isn’t just a tour — it’s a joyful holiday adventure for the whole family. Plus, with complimentary hot cocoa, cozy blankets, and special gifts, we bring the spirit of Christmas to life in every moment. Join us and make unforgettable memories in the city that truly knows how to celebrate the season!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Located in Midtown Manhattan, this charming park transforms into a winter wonderland during the holidays, complete with a skating rink, holiday shops, and festive lights. It’s also your departure point, just beside the New York Public Library.
Catch a glimpse of the world-famous Rockefeller Christmas Tree, beautifully lit and surrounded by dazzling ice skaters and sparkling decorations — a true symbol of NYC's holiday season.
Home of the legendary Rockettes, this iconic venue shines with neon lights and classic holiday decor, making it a must-see stop on your journey.
Admire the stunning Gothic Revival architecture of this historic cathedral, beautifully illuminated and framed by Fifth Avenue’s famous holiday window displays.
View the grand facade and twinkling interior of one of NYC’s most historic and beautiful train stations, decorated each year with wreaths, garlands, and a festive light show in the main concourse.
This legendary skyscraper dazzles with color-changing LED lights throughout the season — a breathtaking display set high above the city.
One of NYC’s Art Deco masterpieces, the Chrysler Building’s illuminated crown adds a sleek sparkle to the skyline during your ride.
Drive past this vibrant area at the southwest corner of Central Park, often decorated with glowing stars and close to the Holiday Market known for seasonal shopping and lights.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Boarding starts 15 minutes before your scheduled departure time—late arrivals may not be accommodated.
- Infants under 2 years old may travel free of charge when seated on a guardian’s lap (guardian must be 16+ years old).
- If you prefer to reserve a separate seat for your infant, please purchase a Kids ticket.
- The tour includes hot cocoa, treats, and a cozy blanket and hat, but no full meals.
- This tour does not include hotel pickup or drop-off; guests must meet at the designated meeting point near Bryant Park
- Restrooms are not available on the bus, so plan accordingly before the tour begins.
Reviews(10)
What a magical experience! I can’t recommend this fun holiday splurge enough! The staff were so engaging and Santa was phenomenal and you could tell he really enjoyed making the adventure one for the memory books.
The music did not work on the bus. There was no dancing and minimal singing. When we approached the few monuments we did see there was not pointing out. We did not see all the monuments listed in the advertisement. Waste of money and it was not cheap. Oh and there was no organization when boarding and people selling tickets were very rude.
TopView would not let me and my family get on because they said Viator did not send my information to TopView. I have requested a refund.
This was a horrible experience and absolutely not worth the money. The bus was advertised as a “holiday lights” experience, yet the bus itself had no working lights. The lights were broken, which completely defeats the purpose of the tour. On top of that, there was no Christmas music, so there was zero holiday atmosphere. They charge a very high price for a service that delivers almost nothing. The hot chocolate was cold, poorly prepared, and clearly an afterthought. The so-called entertainment was awful — extremely low quality and presented in a way that felt insulting and childish, as if it were designed for people with no standards. It was not funny, not engaging, and honestly uncomfortable. Overall, I felt cheated, like this was a rip-off and a complete waste of time and money. I would never recommend this experience to anyone. Save your money and do something else in New York — this is not it.
Lots of fun! Received a blanket, Santa hat, cocoa & a cookie. Sang songs & Santa visited & gave us each a present. Lots of fun!
Trip was cancelled and was unorganized. Went to get a refund and was told that I had to contact you since it was booked through you and not directly. I need assistance with this
Late departure. Departure location not clear. It was stated the bus would depart from Bryant Park, which it did not. We searched for 20 minutes to find the departure location, which was next to the library. No blankets were provided in freezing cold temperatures.
The employees do a great job but the actual tour is not a holiday lights tour. It’s mostly just cutesy. It would be so much better if they actually told you what lights were coming so you could feel ready. Instead it’s singing and distracting from the lights themselves. We’ve never been here for Christmas so I didn’t know to look when we were near the Rockefeller Center and pretty much missed the tree completely. The bus went so fast you didn’t even know you went past it. And they don’t actually slow down in front of Saks, they just drive by. It would be better if you just walked and saw everything on your own. Very disappointing.
Everyone was super nice except the bus driver. He gave us a hard time because we got the tickets from Viator. It was an ordeal and he said our tickets were not good.
It was nice seeing the city lights with a holiday spin but at times I thought I could’ve done the same tour in a taxi. I would like to recommend this tour in the future add some narrative of history behind the sites, i.e. how long has the Rockefeller tree been up? The ornaments decor been used? The Christmas tunes drowned out anything the ladies were saying. Be weather aware, it was quite chilly but the blankets were very nice to have and hot chocolate was a nice touch.