Itinerary
Day 1: Monday, December 12th
Welcome to New York! Arrive in NYC and check-in to your hotel.
Independent dinner and night at leisure.
Overnight at Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square, 145 West 47th Street.
Day 2: Tuesday, December 13th
Buffet breakfast at your hotel.
9:00am – 3:00pm:
Today, get oriented with New York City when you take the guided Best of Manhattan Tour. Your tour begins in Times Square, bringing you to Central Park for your first stop. See the famous Dakota Building where John Lennon and Yoko Ono lived and visit the Strawberry Fields Memorial in Central Park. Your drive then takes you down 5th Avenue for your next stop at St. Patrick's Cathedral and Rockefeller Center. You will see the Flatiron Building, Empire State Building, and Madison Square Park on your way downtown. Drive through Soho and see the Charging Bull in the Financial District. Continue to the Staten Island Ferry where you will board for a quick skyline tour from a different perspective! Your last stop will be at the 9/11 Memorial and One World Trade Center, before returning to Times Square.
Independent lunch during your tour.
Return to your hotel to freshen up and relax a bit before dinner and a show!
5:30pm:
Meet at John’s of Times Square for your welcome dinner. Located in a Gospel Tabernacle Church dating back to the early 1900’s that had been abandoned, enjoy world famous New York pizza and other Italian specialties. Madeline Castellotti purchased the church in 1997 after seeing the perfectly intact stained glass ceiling, which is made up of 8 parts, all equal in size, just like her pizza! It was then that Madeline Castellotti knew this would be home to her dream, the most unique pizzeria in the world. https://www.johnspizzerianyc.com
7:30pm:
Walk to a theater in Times Square for a Broadway production.
Overnight at Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square.
Day 3: Wednesday, December 14th
Buffet breakfast at your hotel.
9:15am:
Meet your Peter’s Way Tours representatives in the lobby of the hotel to walk to Catholic Charities, 1011 1st Avenue, (1.7 miles; 35 minutes) If this is too far of a walk for you, feel free to take a taxi and we will meet you there!
10:00am – 12:00pm: We will be sorting donations for NYC families in need.
Walk to St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
12:30pm:
Attend the 12:30pm Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Reflect and pray on the birth of Jesus Christ and the reason we celebrate Christmas.
Independent lunch.
4:30pm: Meet in Times Square to board your bus for your NYC Christmas Lights Tour! This tour will take us downtown to the Hudson Yards district, the Vessel, and into Brooklyn to Dyker Heights for magnificent residential light displays, and stopping in DUMBO (Development Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) for an unparalleled view of the NYC skyline.
9:30pm: Return to Times Square
Overnight at Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square.
Day 4: Thursday, December 15th
Buffet breakfast at your hotel.
Today we have included tickets to the Museum of Modern Art, featuring works by Salvador Dalí, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol and Vincent Van Gogh, including Starry Night. Enjoy your self-guided visit throughout one of NYC’s most famous museums.
Enjoy most of your day at leisure to visit the museum or any other NYC sites. Perhaps you will take a horse drawn carriage ride through Central Park, catch another Broadway show that has a matinee, ice skate at Rockefeller Center, or visit one of the many Christmas Markets throughout the city. We recommend taking this opportunity to do some shopping at some of the most famous retailers in the world! Stroll down decorated 5th Avenue and window shop (or shop!) at the iconic Tiffany’s, Saks 5th Avenue, Cartier, Armani, Bergdorf Goodman, Gucci and others. And of course, don’t forget the magical journey through FAO Schwartz (30 Rockefeller Plaza). Though the flagship store closed in 2015, you can still visit the new location and dance on the big piano shown in Big and revel in the 20,000 square feet and three floors of toys! Continue down 5th Avenue to Bryant Park for more shopping and ice skating at their outdoor Winter Village. Ice skating is free; you only pay for the skate rental. Be sure to stop at 34th and 5th to visit Macy’s Herald Square, which opened in 1902 and is home to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the setting for Miracle on 34th Street. Stop in and take a picture with Santa if you Believe!
5:00pm:
Meet your Peter’s Way Tours representatives at Hard Rock Café in the heart of Times Square. Dinner will be from 5:00 – 6:30pm. After dinner, we will walk to Rockefeller Center to see the tree, Saks Fifth Avenue for the light display and then to Radio City Music Hall.
8:00pm – 9:30pm: New York City Christmas Spectacular, featuring the Radio City Rockettes!
Walk back to Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square for overnight.
Day 5: Friday, December 16th
Buffet breakfast at your hotel.
Depart NYC for home. We hope you enjoyed your stay in the Big Apple!
**Unexpected circumstances may require alteration to the details outlined in this itinerary. **
