See how New York City residents decorate their homes for the holidays with this evening tour. Visit Dyker Heights and Bay Ridge in Brooklyn, neighborhoods known for their homes with quirky Christmas lights. Plus, you'll pass Dumbo, the Brooklyn Bridge, Lincoln Center, Fifth Avenue, and Rockefeller Center.

Explore the neighborhoods of Brooklyn during holidays
See over-the-top light displays including the Blue House in Bay Ridge
This tour is a good option for first-time and returning visitors
Depart from a convenient location in Times Square

What's Included

Air-conditioned vehicle

Dinner

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Carve Cafe & Pizza
717 8th Ave, New York, NY 10036, USA

Start time

04:00 PM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Brooklyn Bridge (Pass By)

Dumbo

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Brooklyn

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Dyker Heights

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

New York City (Pass By)

Rockefeller Center

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation

Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 58 travelers

Operated by Joy Vacations Club

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

3.5

19 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 19 reviews

Excellent lights, very poor guide

Nigel_F, Dec 2023

Excellent Christmas lights but the guide didn’t seem to know how to lead a trip and struggled with English. The tour was sold as an English speaking guide. No clear indication of how long to stay at certain stops. One member of the group was lost for a while. We weren’t dropped off at the starting point as indicated on the trip notes. Just dropped off in Manhattan

Magical Christmas Lights Tour.

Richard_K, Dec 2023

We saw everything listed on the tour. And Hector knew so much about the area we were seeing. He was very personable and wanted to make sure we enjoyed our tour. The stop at DUMBO was magical. Thank you sooo much!!

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Thanks a lot Richard we are so glad you enjoy it. Have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed new year!

A must do experience

Heather_A, Dec 2023

Our driver was just the best. Took us to the best houses and told us all about the area and history of the lights. Definitely recommend.

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Hi Heather, Thanks a lot for your comment, we really appreciate your feedback. Have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year 2024. Many blessings!

Dyker Heights MUST do trip!

Michael_S, Dec 2022

Allen did an absolutely amazing job on this tour! Learned a lot about the city of New York. He is VERY, very knowledgeable!. He made the tour a lot of fun despite the fact it was crazy bitter cold tonight! Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas

Above and beyond

Tessa_F, Dec 2022

Our guide is phenomenal and has a great sense of humor. He showed us so much more than what was listed on the tour. It was great to be in our own vehicle with my party than crammed on a bus with 50 others. Hector was attentive to all our needs. I would take another tour with him again!

Disability Access Failure

Jacob_G, Dec 2022

After being promised my tour would be wheelchair accessible, we tried two or three different vehicles, none of which were configured for a wheelchair. They wanted me to wait get another hour in the cold, for them to dispatch another vehicle (“VIP,” I was told), it I was not going to take another chance of repeating the same thing again. Refund was provided immediately, but I never had the tour experience I paid Joy Travel (via Viator) for.

Amazing! Definitely should book

Latrisha_B, Dec 2021

The tour was amazing thanks to our guide Hector. I would definitely recommend for anyone. We had kids age 8, 9 and 11 and all loved it. We were just hoping to see all the awesome Christmas decorations but ended up seeing so much more! I'd definitely recommend and go again if in the area!!

Response from Host, Jan 2022

Thank you, we are really glad you enjoy the tour. Have a wonderful new year!

Horrible Experience

Nick_V, Dec 2021

First, I was contacted and asked if my time could be switched by 1.5 hours. No problem with that. Our group of 8 ladies went to the given address to meet the bus. It was on an unlit corner in front of a deserted store front. We stood there for over one hour while making calls to the tour operator who kept saying the bus was there. We crossed the street and approached several buses to be told they were not the correct bus. When a bus finally did arrive, it was a Spanish tour! So, off we go on a tour that was completely in Spanish. We paid over $500 to not understand a word of the tour. I must say that the tour guide could speak English and once we arrived in Brooklyn, he was very attentive to our group.

Response from Host, Jan 2022

We contacted you days before and ask if it was possible for you to change for a later tour and you agreed Our buses were parked across Carve Cafe on time but when you were told which one was your bus (a bilingual tour) you didn't want to get in because some of the tourist didn't have mask outside the bus (we require mask inside the bus) when the bus was about to leave without your group because it was getting late you finally decided to get in. Our tour guide was in shock when we informed him about this complaint, he told us you really enjoyed the tour, that he walked Dyker Heights with you explaining you everything in english and sent us the screen shots of the conversations you got after the tour and the pictures he sent you. one of the text reads: "Mucho gracious my friend! We want to give you a great review. We need your name! Thanks

Spectacular, our driver was pleasant and very accommodating.

Rhonda_B, Dec 2021

This tour with a private driver is the way to go. Our driver, Hector, was very nice, knowledgeable and accommodating. He stopped at the designated places and if we requested, he’d stop for a picture.

Response from Host, Jan 2022

Thanks a lot for your comment, we are really glad you enjoyed the tour. Happy new Year!

Lights in brooklyn

Lisa_T, Dec 2021

Beautiful lights friendly guide however it was all in Spanish we don’t speak Spanish also the wait was very unorganized we had to check 5 or 6 busses to find the right one bc of being late

Response from Host, Jan 2022

Thanks for the review, I just answered your friend and as I wrote to her our buses were parked across Carve Cafe on time but when you were told which one was your bus (a bilingual tour) you didn't want to get in because some of the tourist didn't have mask outside the bus (we require mask inside the bus) when the bus was about to leave without your group because it was getting late you finally decided to get in. Our tour guide was in shock when we informed him about this and your friend's review, he told us you really enjoyed the tour, that he walked Dyker Heights with you explaining you everything in english and sent us the screen shots of the conversations you got after the tour and the pictures he sent you. one of the text reads: "Mucho gracious my friend! We want to give you a great review. We need your name! Thanks

I would make sure the type of vehicle to be used

Sandie_F, Dec 2021

This is a disappointing tour. Hector our guide was very nice, but signs seems to be able to understand English very well a(he did try, it was just difficult). The tour organizer called me the day before our a tour and asked if we could change the tour to the current day, or if we couldn’t could we do it at 6pm instead of 4pm on the originally scheduled day. We opted for the latter as we already had plans for the day she called. When we arrived at the meeting spot for the tour, we were met by 2 other groups of two ho confirmed we were in the right place (I’m assuming they called the tour group to confirm, because it was in front of a closed business with no signage or anything). A few minutes later, someone said “the tour bus is here”…. Looking around I saw no bus, so I said “where? I don’t see a bus” and she pointed across the street to a suburban and said “I guess that’s it”. This was our first disappointment. All 6 of us, plus hector, were to pile into this truck for our “tour”. Granted, the description of this tour does not say what type of vehicle we would be in, but we mistakenly assumed it would be an actual bus of some sort. Begrudgingly, we all piled in, masks on (except for Hector), and got reluctantly cozy. If you’ve never been in a suburban, it’s pretty snug. Three rows: driver and passenger up front, middle row of two single seats, and back bench row. Tight for 7 adults. Not a great comfort during a pandemic. One note, anywhere you go in Manhattan at the current moment, you are required to show proof of vaccination. We were not asked for proof for this tour. So, we get going in rush hour traffic, and realize that your literally can’t see ANYTHING from the back bench seat (where HALF of the people on this tour are seated). We slowly moved through traffic to the Hudson Yards to see the lights on the Vessel, where we stopped and were encouraged by Hector to get out of the truck and take photos. We then drove past the Little Island, where Hector offered to stop so people could walk around on it (it was dark, and there were no Christmas lights there), which everyone declined. We then went via tunnel to Brooklyn and our to Dyker Heights. We drove around a few blocks, and Hector kept asking if anyone wanted to get out for photos, which we did a couple times, but there really seemed to be no route in mind for us to see specific lights etc, just randomly driving around different blocks. Finally, Hector seemed to realize our group was pretty disappointed, so he said he was going to bring us somewhere he would “guarantee “ we would love. He ended up taking us to a hotel in Dumbo, parked in an empty parking lot, had us all get out of the car, and follow him into the hotel, up and elevator, and into a bathroom. Apparently he was showing us the view, but it was all sooooooo weird! Lol! The hostess at the lounge was completely obviously confused about us, and I heard her asking Hector about our vaccine status (of course, he didn’t know what that was) and I didn’t hear what he said, but he directed us to the rooftop of the hotel. I have to admit, the view was stunning, and I would have never known about it had it not been for Hector bringing us there. But WOW it was all so odd! We were then driven to 5th ave near Saks, and offering to wait 10 minutes for us to see the lights and then take us back to where he picked us up, or to leave us there. We stayed and took the subway back to our hotel after a walk about the area. Overall, I think this would be good as a private tour. NOT as a group tour, especially not right now, with Covid and all, unless they were actually going to have more room in their vehicle. It felt weirdly like we were taken hostage for a few hours!

Response from Host, Jan 2022

First of all we never specified the kind of transportation to be used in our tours because it depends on the amount of passengers, but we are really careful to have comfortable cars, in this case you were in a suburban 2021 for 6 passengers and you were 6 passengers. Our guide Hector is one of our best guides, he is Hispanic so he speaks English with an accent but in this company we don't discriminate for skin color, race nor nationally we require our guides to be professional, respectful and speak the language of the tour. the route you describe is the same other describe with 5 stars but we respect your opinion. Our tour ends in that Dumbo Hotel with that stunning view that you describe as something random, that view you will not see it in any other tour, you can only see it in our Christmas lights tour!

Do not waste your money

Heather_C, Jan 2020

Half of the lights were not even on, the weather is too cold to walk along the neighborhood or along the Brooklyn bridge areas. The guide has been in America for 20+ years but has a strong Spanish accent. We are American English speaking and could not understand much at all.

Response from Host, Dec 2020

First of all we thank you for choosing us. All companies operate this tour until January 2nd when the most famous houses are still on. The Christmas tour is in winter, being American you should know in this season the weather here in New York is cold. Lots of tourists from all over the world come visit us this season and choose to do this famous tour and everyone is photographed in the Vessel, Tribeca, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Dumbo where they can appreciate the view of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge from the promenade and from the Roof Top where we have the exclusivity of taking you. We have been doing this tour with our guides for years, all of whom are bilingual and of Hispanic origin, so they have a Hispanic accent and are trained to give you the best service. We are very surprised by your comment because all the time you were with us you were treated with professionalism and kindness. Our priority is to give you the best tour and serve you with love. We wish you a New Year full of blessings.

Drivers were great and informative

AnnaS6262014, Dec 2019

The lights decorations were fabulous, NYC skyline and Brooklyn Bridge was beautiful and the drivers were so accomodating.

Amazing

Imani C, Dec 2019

The tour bus was small so we got to spend as much time as we wanted at each attraction during the duration of the tour. The lights were beautiful. I loved the end of the tour where we got to see the top of NYC.

Response from Host, Dec 2019

Thank you so much for your comment. Have a blessed new year.

Wahnsinnstag

Ingrid_M, Dec 2021

Die gesamte Fahrt war einmalig schön. Ganz besonders der Fahrer war super nett. Wir haben NY mal von einer ganz anderen Seite kennengelernt. Der Fahrer kannte sich super aus und hat uns viele tolle Ecken von NY gezeigt.

Response from Host, Jan 2022

Vielen Dank für Ihren Kommentar, wir freuen uns, dass Ihnen die Tour gefallen hat. Frohes neues Jahr 2022