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Paris has no single Christmas market but several, and the biggest, the Paris La Défense Christmas Market, runs from Thursday 12 November to Thursday 31 December 2026 with more than 350 chalets. The Tuileries Garden market is listed from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, and the Champs-Élysées Christmas market returns from 22 November 2026 to 4 January 2027 after almost ten years away. The Alsatian market at Gare de l’Est runs from 2 to 18 December 2026.
This guide gives the confirmed 2026-2027 dates for each Paris Christmas market, what to eat and buy, and how to reach the markets by metro and train.
When are the Paris Christmas markets in 2026?
The Paris Christmas markets open between 12 November and 2 December 2026, and the last ones close in early January 2027. The dates for the main markets are listed below, with the source for each in the section on that market.
| Market | Location | 2026-2027 dates |
|---|---|---|
| Paris La Défense Christmas Market | Parvis de La Défense, Puteaux | 12 Nov – 31 Dec 2026 (Le Sommet area to 3 Jan 2027) |
| Tuileries Christmas Market (La Magie de Noël) | Jardin des Tuileries, 1st arrondissement | 14 Nov 2026 – 3 Jan 2027 |
| Champs-Élysées Christmas Market | Avenue des Champs-Élysées, 8th arrondissement | 22 Nov 2026 – 4 Jan 2027 |
| Alsatian Christmas Market | Forecourt of Gare de l’Est, 10th arrondissement | 2 – 18 Dec 2026 |
| Notre-Dame Christmas Market | Square René-Viviani, 5th arrondissement | Late November to late December; 2026 dates not yet confirmed |
| Saint-Germain-des-Prés Christmas Market | Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés, 6th arrondissement | Late November to early January; 2026 dates not yet confirmed |
Entry is free at all of these markets, and you pay only for food, drink, rides and shopping.
Which is the biggest Christmas market in Paris?
The Paris La Défense Christmas Market is the biggest in Paris and the whole Île-de-France region, with more than 350 chalets, according to its official site.
Paris La Défense Christmas Market
The traditional market at La Défense runs from 12 November to 31 December 2026 on the Parvis, the main esplanade of the business district just west of the Paris city limits. Its 2026 hours are 11:00-21:00 Monday to Thursday, 11:00-23:00 on Friday, 10:00-23:00 on Saturday and 11:00-21:30 on Sunday. A separate festive area, Le Sommet, stays open until 3 January 2027. The market adds an ice rink, children’s workshops and entertainment to the chalets, and the metro line 1 and RER A stop at La Défense.
Which Christmas markets are in central Paris?
The Tuileries Garden, the Champs-Élysées, Notre-Dame and Saint-Germain-des-Prés hold the Christmas markets in central Paris. Each is described below.
Tuileries Christmas Market (La Magie de Noël)
The Tuileries Christmas Market, run under the name La Magie de Noël, is listed from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 in the Jardin des Tuileries, next to the Louvre, according to Sortir à Paris. It combines food chalets with a funfair, so entry is free but the rides cost extra. The nearest metro stations are Tuileries (line 1) and Concorde (lines 1, 8 and 12). Sortir à Paris reports that the 2026 hours have not been announced yet; in 2025 the market opened daily from 11:00 to 23:45 and closed early on 24 and 31 December.
Champs-Élysées Christmas Market
The Champs-Élysées Christmas Market returns to the avenue from 22 November 2026 to 4 January 2027, almost ten years after the last one, according to Le Parisien and Sortir à Paris. The Christmas lights on the Champs-Élysées are switched on the same evening, Sunday 22 November, by the actress Cate Blanchett, followed by a concert by the French rock band Feu! Chatterton, and the lights then shine every evening from 23 November to 3 January 2027. The nearest metro stations are Champs-Élysées-Clemenceau (lines 1 and 13), Franklin D. Roosevelt (lines 1 and 9), George V (line 1) and Charles de Gaulle-Étoile (lines 1, 2 and 6).
Notre-Dame Christmas Market
The Notre-Dame Christmas Market stands in Square René-Viviani, on the Left Bank opposite Notre-Dame Cathedral, and sells crafts and gourmet food. Its organiser’s site gives 26 November to 27 December with no year printed, and the same dates were announced for the 2025 market, so the 2026 dates are not yet confirmed. Expect a late-November opening and a close just after Christmas.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés Christmas Market
The Saint-Germain-des-Prés Christmas Market sets up beside the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés on the Left Bank, and the Paris tourist office names it among the city’s most famous markets. Its organiser had not confirmed the 2026 dates when this guide was checked at the end of October 2026, and it usually runs from late November into early January.
What is the Alsatian Christmas market at Gare de l’Est?
The Alsatian Christmas Market at Gare de l’Est is a food market of producers from Alsace, held on the station forecourt from 2 to 18 December 2026. The 2026 market is its 44th edition, according to Sortir à Paris. The stalls on the 2026 list sell Alsace wine and crémant, eaux-de-vie, beer, gingerbread, bredele biscuits, kougelhopf, choucroute, foie gras, cheese and charcuterie. Gare de l’Est is also where the TGV from Strasbourg arrives, which makes the market a natural first stop if you are coming from Alsace.
What food and drink can you try at the Paris Christmas markets?
Vin chaud (mulled wine) and roasted chestnuts are the classic tastes of the Paris Christmas markets, sold at La Défense, the Tuileries and the smaller markets alike. The foods worth looking for are listed below.
- Vin chaud. Vin chaud is French mulled wine, the standard hot drink at every Paris market.
- Roasted chestnuts. Roasted chestnuts (marrons chauds) are sold hot in paper cones.
- Raclette and tartiflette. Raclette and tartiflette are Alpine melted-cheese dishes served from the food chalets.
- Alsatian specialities. Alsatian specialities such as bredele, kougelhopf, gingerbread and choucroute are the focus of the Gare de l’Est market.
What can you buy at the Paris Christmas markets?
Christmas decorations, French crafts and gourmet food are what the Paris Christmas markets sell. La Défense has the widest range across its 350 chalets, Notre-Dame and Saint-Germain-des-Prés lean towards French crafts and gourmet gifts, and the Gare de l’Est market sells Alsatian wine, foie gras and biscuits to take home.
How do you get to the Paris Christmas markets?
The Paris metro reaches every market in this guide, so there is no need for a car in the city. Line 1 alone links La Défense, the Champs-Élysées and the Tuileries, which makes it the easiest line for a market evening.
From London, the Eurostar reaches Paris Gare du Nord in about 2 hours 15 minutes, and Gare de l’Est is a short walk from Gare du Nord. From Brussels, Amsterdam and the rest of France, high-speed trains also arrive in the city centre, so compare trains to Paris before you book. For long-haul trips, compare flights to Paris.
Where to stay near the Paris Christmas markets?
The 1st and 8th arrondissements are the most convenient base, because the Tuileries and Champs-Élysées markets are on your doorstep and metro line 1 runs straight out to La Défense. The 5th and 6th arrondissements on the Left Bank put you within walking distance of the Notre-Dame and Saint-Germain-des-Prés markets. For options in all of them, compare hotels in Paris and across France and book early for December weekends. Our girls’ weekend in Paris itinerary also covers where we stayed and a 2-day route through the city.
A December trip to Paris pairs well with a day at the Palace of Versailles, and direct trains to Belgium make the Brussels Christmas market an easy add-on. Our France travel guide covers Alsace, where Strasbourg holds the oldest Christmas market in France.
Paris Christmas Market FAQ
Where are the Christmas markets in Paris?
The main Christmas markets in Paris are at La Défense, in the Tuileries Garden, on the Champs-Élysées, outside Gare de l’Est, in Square René-Viviani opposite Notre-Dame and at Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Metro line 1 links La Défense, the Champs-Élysées and the Tuileries.
Are Christmas decorations up in Paris in November?
Yes, Paris puts up its Christmas decorations in November. The Champs-Élysées lights are switched on on 22 November 2026, and the La Défense and Tuileries markets open on 12 and 14 November 2026.
Are the Paris Christmas markets open after Christmas?
Yes, several Paris Christmas markets stay open after 25 December. La Défense runs to 31 December 2026 with its Le Sommet area open to 3 January 2027, the Tuileries market to 3 January 2027 and the Champs-Élysées market to 4 January 2027. The Gare de l’Est market closes earlier, on 18 December.
Do you have to pay to enter the Paris Christmas markets?
No, entry to the Paris Christmas markets is free. At the Tuileries, the funfair rides are paid separately, and at every market you pay for food, drink and shopping.
WonderfulWanderings Pro Tips
The 4 tips below come from the organisers’ 2026 listings and from Sofie’s own trip to La Défense, and each one changes when or where you go.
- Check La Défense’s opening date before you plan around it. On a girls’ weekend in Paris, Sofie reached La Défense to find that the Christmas market on the Parvis had not opened yet. In 2026 the chalets open on Thursday 12 November.
- Go to Gare de l’Est early in December. The Alsatian market runs only from 2 to 18 December 2026, so a trip in the week before Christmas misses it completely.
- Be on the Champs-Élysées on the evening of 22 November. That is when the lights are switched on and the Christmas market opens, followed by a concert by Feu! Chatterton.
- Ride metro line 1 for a three-market evening. Line 1 stops at La Défense, the Champs-Élysées stations and Tuileries, so you can start at the biggest market and end at the Tuileries funfair without changing trains.
About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh, and the first-hand note in this post comes from her girls’ weekend in Paris. The team covers France for independent travellers, including the Christmas markets, hotels, trains and tours worth booking, and updates this page when dates, prices and rules change.
