Our pick
From Manhattan: 4-Hour Dyker Heights Holiday Lights Bus Tour, Scatto a New York
Scatto a New York runs this tour from 566 10th Avenue in Hell's Kitchen, a short walk from Times Square. A guide meets you with a sign, and the bus heads south through Manhattan and into Brooklyn while they tell you how the whole thing started.
Buses can't get into the narrow streets of Dyker Heights, so you leave the bus and walk for about an hour with the guide. The route takes in the two most lit streets and the house of Lucy Spata, which the listing credits with starting the tradition in the 1980s.
On the way back the bus stops for about 25 minutes at Brooklyn Bridge Park, under the bridge with Manhattan lit up across the water. It then crosses the Manhattan Bridge and leaves you at Bryant Park, where the winter market is still open in the evening.
- Price
- from ~$63 per person, often shown lower
- Duration
- 3.5 to just over 4 hours, traffic permitting
- On foot
- About 1 hour in Dyker Heights
- Skyline stop
- About 25 minutes, Brooklyn Bridge Park
- Meeting point
- 566 10th Ave, Hell's Kitchen
- Ends
- Bryant Park, Midtown
- Language
- English-speaking guide
- Cancellation
- Free up to 24 hours; reserve now, pay later
How the evening runs, step by step
Traffic decides the exact times, especially on the way out of Midtown. This is the outline the listing gives:
Out of Manhattan
- Meet the guide with the sign at 566 10th Avenue
- Bus south through Manhattan and over to Brooklyn, with commentary
- Park near the lit blocks, since buses can't enter them
In Brooklyn
- About an hour on foot along the two brightest streets, Lucy Spata's house included
- About 25 minutes at Brooklyn Bridge Park for the bridge and the skyline
- Back over the Manhattan Bridge to Bryant Park
What the price covers
The fare pays for the ride and the guide. Everything you eat or drink on the night is up to you.
Included
- The bus from Midtown and back
- A live guide in English
- The walking tour of Dyker Heights
- A restroom on the bus
Not included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Food and drinks
- A tour of Bryant Park
- A tip for the guide
Between us, before you go
A word from one cold-footed visitor to another. The houses are out of sight from the bus, which makes the walk the whole tour. That gets hard with a stroller or for anyone who struggles to stand for an hour. The listing itself says it is not suitable for people with limited mobility. It runs rain or shine. Children under 3 ride free on a lap, and eating on the bus is not allowed.
Warm boots matter more than a warm coat. Our guide to dressing for an hour outside covers the rest.
Why it beats the other two
The Manhattan-and-Brooklyn tour spreads the same four hours over three areas, so Dyker Heights gets less of it. The limo gives you a shorter walk for much more money unless you fill the car. This bus spends the most time on foot among the houses and still adds the best skyline view in Brooklyn. Rockefeller tree and Dyker Heights in one night weighs the trade.
Who we would not send on it
Wheelchair users and anyone who can't walk for an hour, who are better off in the private limo with its shorter walk. First-timers who also want the Rockefeller Center tree and Fifth Avenue's windows in the same evening, who should look at ExperienceNYC's tour.
Book it if
You want the lights done properly in one evening, without working out the subway after dark. Walk the brightest blocks with someone who knows the stories, then get the skyline photo on the way back. It suits couples and groups of friends, and families with children who can manage an hour on foot.
Skip it if
- Want Midtown's lights too? Try ExperienceNYC, from ~$75
- Can't walk for an hour? Check the private limo
- Happy on the subway? Read Dyker Heights on your own
- Bringing small children? Read the lights with kids first
Ready for the brightest blocks in Brooklyn?
The tour is on GetYourGuide and on Viator. GetYourGuide shows more reviews and a slightly higher score, and both let you cancel for free up to 24 hours before, so you can watch the weather forecast before you commit.
