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Amsterdam Christmas Market 2026-2027: Dates & Location

The Amsterdam Christmas Market, Christmas Village, runs from 3 to 27 December 2026 on Museumplein in front of the Rijksmuseum, with free entry. Amsterdam Winter Paradise at the RAI follows from 17 December 2026 to 2 January 2027.

Updated November 2, 2026Netherlands

Amsterdam Christmas Market title card: a canal lined with Christmas lights at dusk
Netherlands

The Amsterdam Christmas Market, called Christmas Village, runs from Thursday 3 December to Sunday 27 December 2026 on Museumplein, in front of the Rijksmuseum. Entry is free. Amsterdam spreads its Christmas season across several events rather than one big square, so this guide also covers the Museumplein ice rink, Amsterdam Winter Paradise at the RAI (17 December 2026 to 2 January 2027), the one-day craft markets, and the Haarlem Christmas Market 20 minutes away by train.

When is the Amsterdam Christmas Market in 2026?

The Amsterdam Christmas Market opens on Thursday 3 December 2026 and closes on Sunday 27 December 2026, according to Christmas Village Amsterdam, the market’s organiser. The opening hours are listed below.

DatesHours
3 to 24 December 202612:00-21:00
25 and 26 December 202612:00-19:00
27 December 202612:00-18:00

The market is open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day with shorter hours, and it closes for the season on 27 December, so there is no Christmas market on Museumplein over New Year. The organiser’s FAQ also lists an 11:00 start at weekends, so check the day you plan to go before arriving at opening time.

Which Christmas markets are there in Amsterdam?

Amsterdam has one daily Christmas market, Christmas Village on Museumplein, plus a winter fair, an ice rink and several one-day craft markets. I amsterdam, the city’s official tourism site, lists the events below for 2026.

Christmas Village on Museumplein

Christmas Village is Amsterdam’s main Christmas market and the only one open every day of December. It fills Museumplein, the park-like square between the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Concertgebouw, with more than 45 vendors, according to I amsterdam and the organiser. The stalls mix food and drink with crafts and gifts, and roaming choirs sing a cappella between the chalets. Entry is free for the whole run, 3 to 27 December 2026.

Schaatsbaan Museumplein ice rink

Schaatsbaan Museumplein is the ice rink next to the Christmas market, open from 24 October 2026 to 16 January 2027. The rink runs for weeks before and after the market, so you can skate on Museumplein over New Year even though the stalls have gone. Skating is ticketed; check current prices and holiday hours on the rink’s own site.

Amsterdam Winter Paradise at the RAI

Amsterdam Winter Paradise (Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs) runs from Thursday 17 December 2026 to Saturday 2 January 2027 at RAI Amsterdam, the convention centre in the south of the city. It is a ticketed winter fair rather than a traditional Christmas market, with indoor and outdoor ice rinks, a Ferris wheel, snow tubing, cross-country skiing between Christmas trees, food and après-ski. The organiser lists it as closed on 31 December.

Funky Xmas Market at Westergas

The Funky Xmas Market is a one-day Christmas edition of Amsterdam’s monthly Sunday Market, held on Sunday 20 December 2026 at the Westergasfabriek in Westerpark. It focuses on local artists, fashion designers and makers, with handmade art and accessories, and I amsterdam lists it from 12:00 to 18:00.

Pure Markt Winter Edition in Park Frankendael

The Pure Markt winter edition is a farmers’ and makers’ market in Park Frankendael, in Amsterdam Oost, on Sunday 29 November and Sunday 20 December 2026 from 11:00 to 17:00. It suits shopping for food gifts, such as cheese, preserves and baked goods, more than mulled wine and rides.

Is the Haarlem Christmas Market worth a day trip from Amsterdam?

The Haarlem Christmas Market is worth a day trip if your dates line up, because it runs for only 3 days: Friday 11 to Sunday 13 December 2026, according to Visit Haarlem. Haarlem is about a 20-minute train ride from Amsterdam, and the market spreads close to 350 stalls through the historic centre, which makes it far larger than Christmas Village. The ANWB lists hours of 10:30-20:00 on Friday and Saturday and 10:30-19:00 on Sunday.

What else is on in Amsterdam at Christmas?

The Amsterdam Light Festival is the other big winter event, running from 26 November 2026 to 17 January 2027 for its 15th edition. Light artworks are installed along the canals of the city centre, and you see them on foot, by bike or from a canal cruise. It overlaps the whole Christmas market season, so an evening at Museumplein pairs easily with a light-festival walk or boat trip.

What food and drink can you try at the Amsterdam Christmas Market?

The Amsterdam Christmas Market serves Dutch winter snacks alongside the mulled wine you find at any European market. Listed below are the Dutch specialities to look for.

  • Oliebollen. Oliebollen are deep-fried dough balls dusted with icing sugar, the Dutch winter snack sold from stalls in December and gone by February.
  • Poffertjes. Poffertjes are small, puffy pancakes served with butter and powdered sugar.
  • Stroopwafels. Stroopwafels are thin waffles sandwiched with caramel syrup and eaten warm from the griddle.
  • Glühwein and bisschopswijn. Glühwein is the German mulled wine, and bisschopswijn (“bishop’s wine”) is the Dutch spiced version.
  • Hot chocolate. Hot chocolate, often topped with whipped cream, is the non-alcoholic standby at every stall.

Raclette and other melted-cheese dishes also turn up at Museumplein’s food stalls. For more Dutch food and drink, see our Netherlands travel guide.

What can you buy at the Amsterdam Christmas Market?

Christmas Village sells crafts, gifts and art from its vendors, and the city’s one-day markets lean further towards handmade and design pieces. Listed below are the typical buys.

  • Handmade crafts and art. Handmade crafts and art come from local makers, especially at the Funky Xmas Market at Westergas.
  • Christmas decorations. Christmas decorations and ornaments are sold at Museumplein’s chalets.
  • Food gifts. Food gifts, such as Dutch cheese, stroopwafels and preserves, are easiest to find at the Pure Markt winter edition.

How do you get to the Amsterdam Christmas Market?

You reach the Amsterdam Christmas Market on Museumplein most easily by tram, and the organiser recommends public transport over driving. Listed below are the routes.

  1. Tram. Trams 2, 3 and 5 stop at the Museumplein stop, a short walk from the market.
  2. Metro. Metro line 52 (towards Zuid) stops at Vijzelgracht, about a 15-minute walk from the market.
  3. Car. A Q-Park car park sits under Museumplein, with paid parking.

Amsterdam Schiphol has a direct train to Amsterdam Centraal in about 15 minutes. Amsterdam Centraal is also on the international rail network, with Eurostar trains from Brussels, Paris and London and ICE trains from Germany, so compare train connections to Amsterdam before you book a flight. For Amsterdam Winter Paradise, the RAI has its own station on the metro and train network in the south of the city.

Where to stay near the Amsterdam Christmas Market?

The most convenient base is around Museumplein or the canal ring, both within walking or short tram distance of Christmas Village and the Light Festival route. Amsterdam hotels fill up and get expensive in December, so compare hotels in Amsterdam early.

The Eye Filmmuseum and the A'DAM Toren in Amsterdam Noord, home to the Sir Adam Hotel

For something different, the Sir Adam Hotel is inside the A’DAM Toren in Amsterdam Noord, a free ferry ride of under five minutes from behind Amsterdam Centraal. Check prices and availability at the Sir Adam, and see our guide to Amsterdam Noord for the rest of the north bank.

Tours to book during the Amsterdam Christmas season

A canal cruise is the easiest way to see the Amsterdam Light Festival, and the tours below update live with current prices and availability.

Amsterdam also works on a longer Christmas market trip by train, since Belgium is next door: see our guide to the Christmas markets in Belgium, including the Brussels Christmas market and the Ghent Christmas market.

Amsterdam Christmas market FAQ

Are there Christmas markets in Amsterdam?

Yes, Amsterdam has Christmas markets, but fewer than German or Belgian cities. The main one is Christmas Village on Museumplein, open daily from 3 to 27 December 2026, and smaller one-day markets run at Westergas and Park Frankendael.

Is the Amsterdam Christmas Market open on Christmas Day?

Yes, Christmas Village on Museumplein is open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, 25 and 26 December 2026, from 12:00 to 19:00. Its last day is Sunday 27 December, when it closes at 18:00.

Is the Amsterdam Christmas Market free?

Yes, entry to Christmas Village on Museumplein is free for the whole run. You pay only for food, drink and gifts. The ice rink next door and Amsterdam Winter Paradise at the RAI both charge for tickets.

Is Amsterdam worth visiting in December?

Amsterdam is worth visiting in December if you want a city break with a Christmas atmosphere rather than a classic market crawl. The Light Festival, the Museumplein ice rink, Christmas Village and Winter Paradise all overlap in mid to late December, and Haarlem’s larger market is a short train ride away.

Is the Amsterdam Christmas Market open in November?

No, Christmas Village on Museumplein does not open until 3 December 2026. In late November you can already skate at Schaatsbaan Museumplein (from 24 October), see the Light Festival (from 26 November) or visit the Pure Markt winter edition on Sunday 29 November.

WonderfulWanderings Pro Tips

The 4 tips below come from the organisers’ 2026 calendars, and each one covers a date that catches visitors out.

  1. Go before 27 December if the market is the point of the trip. Christmas Village closes at 18:00 on Sunday 27 December 2026, so a New Year’s trip finds the ice rink still open on Museumplein but no stalls.
  2. Book Haarlem for the weekend of 11 to 13 December. The Haarlem Christmas Market runs for only 3 days, from Friday to Sunday, and it is close to 350 stalls against Museumplein’s 45-plus.
  3. Do not plan Winter Paradise for New Year’s Eve. Amsterdam Winter Paradise at the RAI runs from 17 December 2026 to 2 January 2027, but the organiser lists it as closed on 31 December.
  4. Save Sunday 20 December for the one-day markets. The Funky Xmas Market at Westergas and the second Pure Markt winter edition in Park Frankendael both fall on that Sunday, so one day covers both.

Save this guide to Pinterest so the dates and details are ready when you plan the trip. Pin the Amsterdam Christmas Market guide.

Amsterdam Christmas Market Pinterest pin: 3 u2013 27 Dec 2026, Museumplein u00b7 free entry

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 team covers the Netherlands for independent travellers, including the Christmas markets, hotels and tours worth booking in Amsterdam, and updates this page when dates, hours and prices change.

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