Paris doesn't do Christmas markets the way Strasbourg or Vienna does. There's no single old square full of mulled wine. The season spreads across the city instead: a fairground in the Tuileries, a giant market under the Grande Arche, a few dozen chalets beside old churches on the Left Bank, and lights along the avenues from late November.
Here are the 2026 dates we have so far, what each market is like, and how to see several of them in one day. Some dates are confirmed by the organisers and some are still the usual slot; we say which is which.
Here are the 2026 dates we have so far, what each market is like, and how to see several of them in one day. Some dates are confirmed by the organisers and some are still the usual slot; we say which is which.
When do the Christmas markets open in Paris in 2026?
The first ones open in mid-November: La Défense on 12 November and the Tuileries on 14 November. The smaller neighbourhood markets follow in the last week of the month, and most close between 27 December and the first days of January. If you want the markets and the lights together, aim for the period between the last week of November and Christmas.
Which Christmas markets in Paris are worth visiting?
For most visitors, the Tuileries and the small markets on the Left Bank. La Défense is the biggest, but it's outside the historic centre.
- Tuileries, 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 (expected). The biggest market inside Paris, in the garden between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde: around 80 wooden chalets, regional food from Alsace to Savoie, and rides from carousels to proper thrill rides. Entry is free; the rides and food are not. Last year it opened from 11am until late in the evening, closing early on 24 and 31 December. Métro Tuileries or Concorde.
- Champs-Élysées, 22 November 2026 to 4 January 2027. Stalls along the lower end of the avenue near Concorde, under the Christmas lights. It's right next to the Tuileries, so do them together.
- Notre-Dame, Square René Viviani, 26 November to 27 December 2026. A small market in the park across the river from the cathedral, next to Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, one of the oldest churches in Paris. Come for the view of Notre-Dame lit up rather than for the shopping.
- Saint-Germain-des-Prés, late November to early January (2026 dates not announced yet). About thirty chalets along Boulevard Saint-Germain beside the abbey church, run by the neighbourhood committee since 1999: crafts and food rather than rides.
- La Défense, 12 November to 31 December 2026. The largest Christmas market in the Paris region, with more than 300 chalets last year and a 504 m² ice rink this year, on the esplanade in front of the Grande Arche. It feels more like a huge outdoor fair than a village market. Métro line 1 or RER A to La Défense.
When do the Christmas lights go on in Paris?
The Champs-Élysées lights usually go on in late November and stay on until early or mid-January. The 2026 switch-on date hasn't been announced yet. The window displays at Galeries Lafayette and Printemps on Boulevard Haussmann are unveiled in November, and this year Galeries Lafayette celebrates its 130th Christmas. Place Vendôme, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and the area around the Eiffel Tower are lit as well.
How can you see several Paris Christmas markets in one day?
Start at the Tuileries, walk to the Champs-Élysées stalls, cross the river to Saint-Germain-des-Prés and finish at the Notre-Dame market as it gets dark. It's about 4 km on foot, most of it along or close to the Seine. Leave La Défense for a separate trip: it's worth it if you love big markets, but it's out of the way.
If you want to make a day of it on the Left Bank, the Notre-Dame market sits right at the start of the medieval streets around Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre and Cluny. Our medieval Paris walking tour passes through exactly there, with the darker stories of the city that most visitors never hear.
One more idea if you have a spare weekend: the medieval Christmas market in Provins, a walled UNESCO-listed town about an hour and a half from Paris by train, takes place on 12 and 13 December 2026.
If you want to make a day of it on the Left Bank, the Notre-Dame market sits right at the start of the medieval streets around Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre and Cluny. Our medieval Paris walking tour passes through exactly there, with the darker stories of the city that most visitors never hear.
One more idea if you have a spare weekend: the medieval Christmas market in Provins, a walled UNESCO-listed town about an hour and a half from Paris by train, takes place on 12 and 13 December 2026.
Is December a good time for a bike tour in Paris?
Yes, if you dress for it. December in Paris is cold rather than freezing, with daytime highs usually around 7 to 8°C, and the riverside paths are calmer than in summer. A daytime ride gets you the Seine, Notre-Dame and the Louvre in low winter light, and leaves the evening free for the markets and the lights. Gloves make more difference than you'd think.
Sources: Tuileries, Champs-Élysées and Provins dates from Sortir à Paris; La Défense dates and ice rink from Sortir à Paris; Notre-Dame market dates from Paris Select Book; Saint-Germain-des-Prés market from Agenda Culturel; Christmas lights from Come to Paris.
