New York Holidays 2024/2025

Holidays in New York offer the ultimate big city holiday experience. It’s inevitable that New York City is most closely associated with the enormous towering buildings that make up the borough of Manhattan because it’s simply a sight to be seen. A New York holiday deserves a special place on your bucket list.

The memorable Manhattan skyline has appeared in countless films and television series. Within this concrete jungle, there are plenty of buildings you can visit to get an incredible view over the city. Perhaps the most famous building among them all is the massive Empire State Building, a colossal 102-storey structure that, despite no longer being the tallest, is still one of the most iconic and most visited buildings in the world. Just standing in front of it will take your breath away.

Along with the famous Central Park, the Empire State Building is a New York holiday must-see attraction. You’ll find it on New York’s famous 5th Avenue, the location of many of Manhattan’s most well-known shops and restaurants, including the Tiffany’s jewellery store, another popular New York holiday attraction. Central Park itself is a magnificent man-made wonder that sees over 25 million guests a year! You could spend an entire day just roaming around the grounds, people-watching or even cycling and rowing. It’s a beautiful spot where you can take a break from the hustle and bustle of the main thoroughfares. Imagine being in New York at Christmas when everything will be covered in a layer of glistening snow!

The cultural melting pot of New York

The New York way of life has emerged from the mixed backgrounds and ethnicities of its diverse inhabitants. Many different people have come together in one place to create a melting pot of different cultures. New York holidays allow you to sample this incredible mix, which you can experience in a variety of ways.

Traversing the streets of New York is simply the best for those who love a bit of people-watching. Immerse yourself into the hustle and bustle of city life, with suits dashing around with their briefcases swinging, supermodel lookalikes who use New York sidewalks as their catwalks and those slowly making their way home after a night of partying. It can sometimes be a mind-boggling experience, such is the vibrancy of the city, but you’ll never be far from a coffee shop, so if it does all become too much to take in you can always sit down and watch the world go by from a distance.

A visit to Times Square is another New York holiday essential. It’s the ultimate spot to experience the city’s diverse wonder. Also known as the ‘Crossroads of the World’, here the giant screens advertising your favourite fashion brands and electronics equipment remind you that you are smack-bang in the middle of an immense commercial and cultural epicentre. It’s an incredibly popular destination for annual festivities, especially New Year’s Eve.

The famous New York must-sees

There are a few must-sees for every New York holiday and they don’t all have to cost you much. The first and perhaps most obvious is of course a ferry journey to the world famous Statue Of Liberty. With a few dozen photo opportunities of the great landmark, you’ll capture incredible images of your New York holiday that you’ll never forget. The Statue of Liberty is thought not just to be a landmark of New York, but of America as a whole. In fact, almost half of all Americans can trace their ancestry back to Ellis Island! You can choose to see this monument from the harbour, up close and personal on Liberty Island or you can even climb the pedestal and go inside for the full experience.

Once the day comes to a close and the evening begins, the adventure continues in New York. This is arguably one of the best times in the Big Apple, for there is still much to do and see. For an evening’s entertainment, head down to Broadway to catch a show. There’s always a huge variety of productions to cater for everyone, so sit back and be impressed by the talent and skill you see in shows like The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera or how about Moulin Rouge? You can also simply wander the streets of ‘The City That Never Sleeps’ and settle into a cosy bar that suits your tastes. Whatever your preference, there is no shortage of evening entertainment opportunities on New York holidays.

The New York style

The range of cuisines available to you across the city are particularly evident of the varied culture in New York. There are cafes and restaurants from all corners of the world in the streets of NYC, but there are some New York classics that you simply must get your hands on, starting with the cream cheese bagel – an integral part of New York culture. Tuck into a bagel filled with cream cheese, lox, capers, tomatoes and red onions and you’ll never have tasted anything like it. It explains why the popular blue labelled bagels at home are called New York Bagels!

For those with a sweet tooth, the New York style Cheesecake is another must try. A cookie crust coated with plenty of cream cheese for a rich cream texture that melts in your mouth. How about a cronut? If you take your two favourite treats, a croissant and a donut, the results are mouth-watering! Of course, your New York holiday won’t be complete without a New York style hot dog, or a dirty water dog. Available at every street corner, visible with the classic blue and yellow umbrellas, you can pick up your freshly served hot dog layered with brown mustard and either sauerkraut or onions sauteed in tomato paste.

Shopping in New York

New York holidays present excellent shopping opportunities. With all kinds of shops imaginable, there’s no wonder New York is considered one of the fashion capitals of the world. The massive department stores offer very favourable prices and you’ll often be able to find pieces you can’t get anywhere else. Alongside the big name outlets, there are countless small boutiques and souvenir shops where you could pick up a new outfit in the bohemian style of the city or take home some little replicas of The Statue Of Liberty. 

Roam the New York streets and you’ll find many of them lined with all your favourite high street shops, but bigger and better. Of course, you’ve got to spend some time in the famous Macy’s on 5th Avenue. It’s the oldest department store in New York and is spread across seven floors, selling everything you could want. Bloomingdale’s is another must-visit, famous for the brown bags you’ve probably seen your favourite celebrities swinging around. Here you’ll find the best quality items, indeed the perfect place to buy that special someone a gift.

Similar USA city breaks

If you know the USA is where you want to venture next, there are plenty of options as well as New York. Head to the city of soaring skyscrapers and delicious street food with our great deals to Chicago, the home of the White House in Washington, or head for some glitz and glam in the extravagant city of Las Vegas.