Holiday Magic: 24 Hours in New York City

My daughter begged me to take her to New York City before Thanksgiving to take in the holiday spirit of the city. She was right! New York City certainly knows how to bring on the holidays. There are so many fun activities to do with the family if you can get there this holiday season. We did a 24-hour getaway with another mom-and-daughter duo. The four of us packed in a ton of food and fun! Here are the highlights of our quick 24-hour holiday girls' trip.

The author was hosted at select locations for the purposes of this review. All thoughts and opinions are her own.

Getting to New York City

There are obviously lots of ways to travel to NYC. This trip we decided to try Vamoose Bus. It was the best price to get to the city and the least hassle from our Maryland home. It picked us right up in Bethesda and dropped us off right outside Penn Station. 

There are chargers and wifi on the bus and it was comfortable and easy. Door-to-door it was 4 hours. Highly recommend it! 

Where to Stay in New York City

The beautifully decorated lobby at The Peninsula New York.

Our go-to hotel in NYC is The Peninsula New York. The location, service and rooms are just incredible. This time we stayed in an Executive Suite so we could spread out and let my daughter and her friend have one room and my friend and I the other. 

Our cute welcome package from The Peninsula New York.

Some exciting things The Peninsula New York is offering this holiday season:

• Festive Traditional Afternoon Tea
• Rooftop dining in a heated igloo
• Special dining experiences on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's
• New Year's Eve Rooftop Party

Find more information about holiday happenings at the Peninsula New York this holiday season!

Food Galore in NYC!

My daughter and her friend had researched where they wanted to eat. They had seen many, many Tik Toks at Bryant Park Holiday Market. (You will know what is trending on TikTok by the size of the lines (the chocolate-covered strawberry line takes forever, and for up to $25 for strawberries, it is outrageous, but it is TikTok famous, clearly).

Bryant Park Holiday Market is the holiday spot you must hit for food, shopping and ice skating right near Time Square. Other than the strawberries, the girls tried truffle fries, hot chocolate with s'mores on top, truffle cheese steak (the winner!), fried pickles, Bao Buns, and gnocchi with burrata. 

The girls were dying to go to  PopUp Bagels, which my daughter rated as her favorite food of the trip. It is a simple concept with multiple locations. The bagels are piping hot. Cream cheese flavors rotate weekly. You eat the bagels by pulling them and dipping them in the cream cheese. It is all the rage. There were long lines, but they moved quickly. 

Lastly, we had dinner at this very cool new spot in Times Square called Din Tai Fung. Basically it is a glass box that looks very small and unassuming. You walk in and go down under the ground in this gorgeous, trendy Chinese Restaurant. The girls already knew our order from watching so many TikToks. Of our order, the highlights were the cucumber salad, sweet and sour pork baby back ribs, spicy noodles, soup dumplings, chicken fried rice, and garlic green beans. The showstopper and most interesting course was the dessert. We were served chocolate dumplings and chocolate buns, which we dipped in sea salt cream. We were not blown away by the food here overall, but it was a fun experience, and I would recommend it, especially with kids! 

Walking around New York

Take time to see the holiday lights and displays in the windows. There is so much to see everywhere around the Times Square area, including the new Louis Vuitton building with the suitcases.

The girls also wanted to do holiday shopping. We hit their favorite street in Soho — Broadway and Spring Street — with tons of popular teen stores. I also had time to check out a 260 Sample Sale (Pro tip: Check this site to see what brands they have before you go! We also enjoyed some smaller, boutique shops in the West Village this trip, which led us into our next stop ... a place to treat our tired bodies!

Treating your tired feet

 I had read about Perry Street Reflexology, located in the West Village directly across from the Sex In the City home and Sarah Jessica Parker's go-to for her feet. It is a tiny little shop that has been around for 30 years and exclusively focuses on reflexology. 

I was a bit nervous, but within a minute, I was beyond relaxed and started fading in and out of sleep. I could not believe the impact the work she did on my feet had on my entire body. I left feeling so much more relaxed and lighter. Highly recommend you treat yourself! 

Can't-miss fun in NYC ... plus how to score great deals

You have to take your family to the Squid Game Experience. This seriously was such a great time! We all laughed our heads off and made really fun memories. It is a play on the television show where you are given challenges to win. Lots of games from the show are featured. I don’t want to spoil it with all the details, but it was a great hour of time spent. Click here to save on the Squid Game Experience!

Find great NYC deals on CertifiKID!

Find savings on:
Hell's Kitchen on Broadway (HIGHLY recommend!)
Annie with Whoopie Goldberg on Broadway
Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes® presented by QVC
  Tingle Bells: An ASMR-Inspired Holiday Special
The Gazillion Bubble Show at New World Stages
The Edge at Hudson Yards 
And MANY MORE!

We had such a fun time with our friends making holiday memories in NYC. Nothing is like NYC during the holidays. Make the time to go ... even if it's just for 24 hours!

Tags: New York City, holiday markets

CertifiKID was founded by a mom with a passion for helping parents provide the best experiences for their children on a budget. From outings to adventures, classes to camps, theater to sporting events, amusement parks to getaways, CertifiKID provides the best family-friendly experiences at unbeatable prices. Sign up for family-friendly deals in your area and start saving!