A warm black SUV, a chauffeur who drops you at each stop and waits, and three hours to see the Rockefeller tree, the Fifth Avenue windows and Bryant Park. The route, the best nights to go and the price.
The Christmas lights in Manhattan are best seen on foot for a block or two and from a warm car for everything in between. Parking near Rockefeller Center in December is close to impossible and a cab will not wait, which is why a private SUV with a chauffeur who drops you at each stop and waits nearby is the easiest way to do it. Here is the route we like, when to go, and what it costs.
By car with someone else driving. The displays are spread across Midtown, the sidewalks are packed and the streets around Rockefeller Center close to traffic on the busiest evenings. A chauffeur drops you at the closest open corner, waits while you walk, and picks you up when you text. You see three or four displays in an evening without a single parking garage, and the car is warm every time you get back in.
The tour is Manhattan only. We do not run to the Dyker Heights displays in Brooklyn, because the drive there and back in December traffic eats most of the evening.
Most displays are lit from Thanksgiving weekend into early January. Weekday evenings are far quieter than weekends, and the first two weeks of December are calmer than the week before Christmas. Start between 5 and 6 pm to see the lights come on and finish before the late-night crowds.
The tour is sold as our 3-hour minimum charter with the gratuity included:
| Vehicle | 3 hours, gratuity included |
|---|---|
| Chevrolet Suburban (up to 6) | $345 |
| Cadillac Escalade (up to 6) | $431 |
Tolls are extra. Extra hours are $100 (Suburban) or $125 (Escalade) an hour plus 15% gratuity. On Thanksgiving Eve and Day, Christmas Eve and Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, holiday rates apply ($125 and $150 an hour, 4-hour minimum) and 50% of the price is a non-refundable deposit. Full details are on the Christmas lights tour page.
Families with young children (child seats are $50 each), grandparents who would rather not walk forty blocks, out-of-town guests, and couples who want the evening to feel like an occasion rather than a transit plan. Up to six people per SUV; larger parties take two.
Yes. That is how the tour is designed: short walks, warm car in between.
Yes. Pickup anywhere in our New Jersey and New York City area is included; the three hours start at pickup.
Add a fourth hour and we drop you at the restaurant and wait, or book the ride home separately.
The car is warm, clean and stocked with water. Bring your own hot chocolate; we have cup holders.
Book your lights tour: reserve a 3-hour charter or call or text (848) 666-3358.
Get an instant all-in quote and book online, or call or text (848) 666-3358, 24/7.