Winter Events to Explore in New York City

Winter travel is upon us and many are hopping on planes and trains and headed to the big city – New York City, that is.

The Big Apple's calendar of winter events is massive, and as a tourist, you don’t want to find yourself missing out because you don’t know what activities and events should be at the top of your list. Enter: New York City Vacation Packages (NYCVP).

NYCVP has been in the New York City tour business since 1983 and is the only major independent tour company focuses entirely on NYC travel. So you can trust that they know the best things to do in the five boroughs every month of the winter season.

Whether you’re planning to visit NYC in December or February, we’ve created a monthly winter guide of things you’ll want NYCVP to add to your itinerary. Check it out below:

December

New York City is unlike any other during the holiday season. It twinkles with lights and excitement thanks to numerous activities and sights around the city.

This December, NYCVP is helping tourists from all over the world get into the holiday spirit by setting up activities like Breakfast with Santa or ice skating at the Rockefeller Center.

Their NYC Holidays Lights Tour, a guided tour that takes travelers to all the best holiday displays around town in a heated motorcoach, is especially popular. The World’s Largest Menorah, the tree at Lincoln Center, and Central Park’s Holiday Markets are among some of the stops of this tour.

Perhaps you prefer a more off-the-beaten-path holiday travel experience? NYCVP can set you up with their Brooklyn Christmas Lights Tour which highlights the homes of Dyker Heights, an Italian-American neighborhood featured on PBS and TLC.

If holiday-focused tours aren’t for you, but you want to take advantage of pre-holiday shopping opportunities, NYCVP’s Pre-Holiday Shopping Weekend package is the way to go. It includes a two-night hotel stay, coupons and discounts to the Big Apple’s best department stores, and other activities like a water taxi Statue of Liberty flex pass.

Additions like NYCVP's Christmas Markets tour can be added to your itinerary if you enjoy shopping among unique crafts, items, or clothing. This localized shopping tour includes stops at Grand Central’s Holiday Fair, the Union Square Holiday Market, Holiday Shops at Bryant Park’s Winter Village, and Columbus Circle Holiday Market.

January

Bring in the New Year and January with NYCVP’s New Year’s Eve in Times Square Vacation Package.

The tour company hosts an exclusive party in the Convene Conference Center in the heart of Times Square and provides attendees with food, music, dancing, drinks, and perfect views of the ball drop – all without the cold or the crowds. The package offers a hotel stay in the “lockdown” zone so you don’t have to go far after the party to get to your bed.

If you’re brave, follow up NYCVP’s exclusive party with a trip out to Coney Island on the morning of January 1st for a dip in the frigid cold waters of the ocean with the Coney Island Polar Beach Club.

Depending on how long you stay in January, you could have NYCVP help you set up an itinerary that includes a visit to the New York Jewish Film Festival on January 9th or Winter Jazzfest on January 4th.

February

Want to celebrate the month of love in New York City?

NYCVP’s Valentine’s Day Package includes a romantic evening dinner with views of the NYC skyline from the comfort of a yacht. Tie in a Broadway show, tour, stop at The Orchid Show at NY Botanical Gardens, and grab a special hot chocolate from City Bakery during their month-long Hot Chocolate Festival, and it’s sure to be a memorable Valentine’s Day for you and your loved one.

If there are other events in NYC in February that you want to experience, like the Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade and Festival or the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden, NYCVP can help you design your own vacation and tour package around those events.

March

Say farewell to winter and hello to spring with the last NYC event of the winter season: St. Patrick’s Day. NYCVP’s St. Patrick’s Day Weekend Package includes a hotel stay near the parade route, as well as optional popular tours of the city.

New York City is the city that never sleeps – even in the winter – and NYCVP knows this. NYCVP can help you maximize your winter vacation and take advantage of the best events and activities with just one call.