With Thanksgiving upon us and Christmas tree stands popping up all over the city the holiday season has officially begun! There is nothing more magical than Christmastime in New York. There is so much to do, see, and eat. It can be overwhelming to figure out what to see and what to skip if you’re only in town for a limited amount of time so I’ve put together a list of some of my personal favorites that can all be checked off in 24 hours!

My first stop would have to be Eataly in Flatiron for brunch. Grab a charcuterie board and soak in the Alpine wonderland they’ve got set up in the rooftop restaurant SERRA by Birreria. They take reservations on Open Table, which you can book a month out. If you’re just popping in, put your name in at the door and wander around the market downstairs while you wait!

Next up is Bryant Park to check out the winter village and skating rink. Each year they set up a skating rink on the lawn, which is surrounded by a series of cute holiday shops and food kiosks. JD and I love to browse for gift ideas and go for a skate, which is free if you bring your own skates and lock for the lockers. If you don’t have either you can rent skates and purchase a lock on site!

After you’ve shopped, snacked, and skated to your heart’s content walk over to 5th Avenue and head up to Rockefeller Center to check out the tree. They also have a skating rink and have a Ralph’s Coffee truck set up off to the side. It can get very crowded regardless of what time of day so just keep that in mind.

From there you’re right on 5th Avenue where they have all of the department store and shop windows decked out for the holidays! Saks Fifth Avenue does a light show complete with music and the window displays are always gorgeous up and down the block. My personal favorite is the large glittery bow on Cartier!

Once you’ve taken in all of the shop windows, and have maybe done some shopping of your own head down to Gramercy Park for dinner at Rolf’s! This place starts booking up for the holidays months in advance – think late October/early November and always has a line around the block for people waiting to get in to have dinner or grab a drink at the bar under a myriad of Christmas ornaments! While it’s crowded and you have to wait to get in, it is a lot of fun and is truly a sight! We go with a group of friends every year and always have the best time – it’s the kind of place where everyone starts singing along when their favorite Christmas song comes on so definitely keep that in mind because it can be a lot!

And finally, to cap off your evening, if you still have it in you, head uptown to Lincoln Center to catch The Nutcracker. After talking about it for ages JD and I went for the first time last year after he surprised me with tickets for Christmas and it was incredible! I would definitely recommend going to see it at some point over the course of it’s run (Nov. 29 – Jan. 5)!

Now that you’ve taken it all in it’s time to head home and unwind with a glass of wine or mug of spiked hot cocoa, preferably on the couch in pajamas, maybe while a holiday movie plays in the background!

There truly are so many amazing spots to visit in New York during the holiday season. Obviously this list doesn’t cover all of them and is just a quick itinerary so that you can realistically see as much as possible in a short stretch of time!

If you live in the city or are in town for longer, I would also recommend checking out: NYBG’s Holiday Train Show, Central Park and the Wollman Rink (especially in the snow!), the holiday markets at Columbus Circle and Union Square, the Christmas tree at The Palace Hotel, and the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights.

I’m so sure that I’m missing a hundred other things so on that note, leave a comment and let me know what your favorite holiday spots are!