Noël à Paris · November to January
Where the markets are, when they open, which ones are worth the métro ride, and how to fold in the lights, the department-store windows, and an ice rink.
Updated October 19, 2026 · Prices checked October 19, 2026 · Tour prices refresh daily
Photo: Antonio Vivace / Unsplash
Paris does not do Christmas markets the way Strasbourg or Cologne does. There is no single great square of chalets. Instead there are a handful of markets of very different quality, scattered from the Left Bank to La Défense, and the city’s real Christmas spectacle is elsewhere: the lights on the Champs-Élysées, the department-store windows on Boulevard Haussmann, and the Seine after dark.
That shapes how to plan. Pick one or two markets that suit you, then build the evening around the lights. Below are the 2026 dates we could confirm and the ones we could not, our honest take on each market, and the tours worth booking for the few weeks they run. We will re-check every date in mid-November, when the remaining markets publish theirs.
N° 01Short on time
1erSmall groupBest lights walk
Dayin
Two hours on foot past Palais Royal, Place Vendôme, and the covered passages dressed for Christmas, with a hot chocolate or mulled wine, in a group of six at most. It runs rain or shine.
Free cancellation
From$78.96
per person
2eSmall groupBest for food lovers
Meeting the French
A three-hour Left Bank walk for up to eight people that samples seasonal specialties in gourmet shops, stops at a Christmas market, and ends with a hot drink in a tearoom. Minimum age is 6.
Free cancellation
From$239.17
per person
3ePrivateBest private evening
With Love From Paris Tours
Door to door from your hotel: a private guide takes you on foot and by taxi through the lights of the Champs-Élysées, Opéra, and Place Vendôme, past the Galeries Lafayette displays, with a market stop for mulled wine.
Free cancellation
From$343.30
lowest listed option
We may earn a commission when you book through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never decides our picks. Tour prices are Viator’s US-dollar from-prices, refreshed with ratings every day; they change by date, and Viator may show your local currency. How we make money.
N° 02Les marchés
The Status column tells you how firm each date is. So far only the Notre-Dame market is confirmed by the City of Paris. The others come from organizer announcements reported in the press, or have not been announced yet, in which case we show last year’s dates for reference.
| Market | Where | 2026 dates | Hours | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre-Dame | Square René-Viviani, 5th | Nov 26–Dec 27 | Mon–Thu and Sun 10am–8pm; Fri–Sat 10am–9pm | Confirmed (paris.fr) |
| Tuileries winter fair | Jardin des Tuileries, 1st | Mid-Nov to early Jan; exact dates vary by source | Not yet announced (2025: 11am–11:45pm daily) | Press reports; sources disagree |
| Champs-Élysées (new for 2026) | Lower avenue, Concorde to the Rond-Point, 8th | Nov 22–Jan 4 | Not yet announced | Press reports |
| La Défense | Parvis, below the Grande Arche | Christmas event Nov 12–Jan 3; market end date TBC | Not yet announced | Organizer site; details TBC |
| Alsace market, Gare de l’Est | Station forecourt, rue d’Alsace side, 10th | Dec 2–18 | About 9am–7:30pm; Sun about 10am–7pm | Press reports |
| Montmartre | Place des Abbesses, 18th | Not yet announced (2025: Nov 21–Jan 4) | — | TBC |
| Saint-Germain-des-Prés | Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés, 6th | Not yet announced (2025: Nov 25–Jan 1) | 2025: 11am–9pm, weekends from 10am | TBC |
| Hôtel de Ville | In front of City Hall, 4th | Not yet announced (2025: Dec 5–Jan 4) | — | TBC |
Checked October 19, 2026. Notre-Dame dates and hours are from paris.fr. Tuileries, Champs-Élysées, La Défense, and Gare de l’Est dates come from organizer announcements reported in the press and may still change; the Gare de l’Est hours are approximate. The markets with published details are free to enter, with food, drinks, and rides extra. We will update this table in mid-November. Source: paris.fr, Marché de Noël Notre-Dame.
N° 03Notre avis
The market in Square René-Viviani is small, about 40 chalets run by L’Art et la Seine, but the setting does the work. It sits on the Left Bank across from the cathedral, so a visit folds naturally into a walk along the quais and through the Latin Quarter. It is the most central market, the only one with dates confirmed by the City so far (November 26 to December 27), and the best at dusk, when the lights come on and the cathedral is still visible against the sky.
The Tuileries winter fair is about rides and food stalls more than crafts. Entry is free and the rides are paid, which makes it the easy pick with children, and the Louvre glowing at the end of the garden is a fine backdrop. It is also the noisiest and most commercial of the central options. Sources disagree on the 2026 dates, though every listing we found has it opening in November and closing in early January.
For 2026 a market returns to the lower Champs-Élysées, between Concorde and the Rond-Point, after about ten years away. Organizers have announced November 22 to January 4, which would put the chalets right under the avenue’s Christmas lights. Hours and the number of stalls have not been published, so treat it as promising but untested.
The market on the parvis at La Défense is the largest in the Paris area, at about 300 chalets, with more regional food and more room to wander than anything in the center. It is a straight ride on Métro line 1, but the setting is the glass towers of the business district, so it trades charm for choice. Expect security checks at the entrances. The wider Christmas event runs from November 12 to January 3; the market’s own end date has not been confirmed (last year it closed on December 28).
The Alsatian market on the Gare de l’Est forecourt runs only from December 2 to 18, and it is all about the region’s food and drink. It is worth an hour if you are nearby, or if you are catching an early TGV from the same station for a Champagne day trip.
These are neighborhood markets: pleasant if you are already there, not worth crossing the city for. None has announced 2026 dates yet. Last year Montmartre ran on Place des Abbesses from November 21, Saint-Germain-des-Prés from November 25, and Hôtel de Ville from December 5.
N° 04Les illuminations
This is the part of a Paris Christmas that nobody should skip, and it costs nothing.
The two Haussmann stores sit side by side, so one walk covers both sets of windows. The store dates above come from press reports rather than the stores’ own sites, so check before you plan an evening around an unveiling.
The lights are best on foot, and the short tasting walk along the Champs-Élysées and Avenue Montaigne is the cheapest guided way to do it:
Small groupParis Fun Tours
Free cancellation
From$67.52
per person
If you would rather be driven, a convertible Citroën 2CV with blankets is the most memorable option we found, for up to three passengers:
Private4 roues sous 1 parapluie
Free cancellation
From$262.05
lowest listed option
N° 05Pour la saison
These tours run for only a few weeks a year, so every one has a small number of reviews compared with our year-round picks. The Tootbus lights tour has the most reviews of the group but the weakest scores; we would book it only for a quick seated overview with tired children. Prices shown are the lowest listed option.
| Tour | Format | Length | Reviews | From | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Lights Small-Group Walk with Hot Chocolate or Mulled WineDayinTravelers wanting an affordable small-group Christmas lights walk Free cancellation | Walking · small group | 2 hours | 4.7919 reviews | $78.96 | Check |
| Christmas Gourmet Food Walk with a Market VisitMeeting the FrenchFood lovers who want a Christmas-market and gourmet-shop tasting walk Free cancellation | Walking · small group | 3 hours | 4.4418 reviews | $239.17 | Check |
| Private Christmas Illuminations Tour with Hotel PickupWith Love From Paris ToursCouples and families wanting a door-to-door private Christmas lights evening Free cancellation | Mixed · private | 3-4 hours | 5.0047 reviews | $343.30lowest listed option | Check |
| Champs-Élysées Christmas Lights Walk with TastingsParis Fun ToursTravelers wanting a short, low-cost festive walk with treats Free cancellation | Walking · small group | 1.5 hours | 5.0015 reviews | $67.52 | Check |
| Christmas Lights by Vintage Citroën 2CV (private)4 roues sous 1 parapluieCouples or small parties wanting a nostalgic, photogenic Christmas lights drive Free cancellation | Car · private | 2 hours | 4.7617 reviews | $262.05lowest listed option | Check |
| Tootbus Festive Christmas Lights Bus TourTootbusBudget travelers and families wanting a quick, seated lights overview Free cancellation | Bus · group | 1.5 hours | 3.7684 reviews | $37.94 | Check |
N° 06Patinoires
Le Grand Palais de Glace is the big one: a rink inside the Grand Palais, listed on its ticketing site from December 13, 2026 to January 6, 2027 (the same site’s header says December 12). There are three sessions a day, 10am–1pm, 2pm–7pm, and 8pm–1am. Adults pay €27 in the morning and €32 in the afternoon, children €15 and €18, and the evening session is €39 flat. Skates are included, tickets are sold online only, and the rink closes at 6pm on December 24 and 31. The Grand Palais’s own site has not listed the 2026 rink yet, so treat these details as provisional.
Galeries Lafayette is reported to open its rooftop rink from November 24 to January 3. La Défense had a natural-ice rink last year, but its 2026 details have not been published, and we found no City Hall rink announced for this season.
N° 07Bon à savoir
01
Sunset in Paris is around 5pm through December, so the lights and the markets are at their best from about 5pm on. Do museums in the daylight and save the markets for the evening.
02
Météo-France averages for December are a high of 8°C (46°F) and a low of about 4°C (39°F), with rain on 11 days of the month. Waterproof shoes matter more than a heavy coat.
03
Markets often shorten their hours on December 24 and 31. Last year La Défense closed at 6pm on Christmas Eve and stayed shut on Christmas Day. The Notre-Dame market ends on December 27.
04
The Notre-Dame market is a short walk from several Seine piers. An hour on the water after dark is the best way to see the city lit up; see our evening cruise guide.
05
The small-group walks cap groups at six to eight people and run for only a few weeks, so the best evenings fill first. The tours above all list free cancellation, which makes booking early a low-risk move.
06
Disney Enchanted Christmas runs from November 7, 2026 to January 6, 2027, and for the first time it extends to World of Frozen. The parade and tree lighting are included with a park ticket.
N° 08Hors de Paris
If you want a proper market town, take a day trip. Bruges is the classic choice, and one guided day trip from Paris runs a Christmas season from November 20 to January 3, adding a glass of Champagne and Belgian chocolates in December and swapping its canal cruise for a visit to the Gothic town hall in winter. The listing allows up to 55 people per departure, so do not expect a small group.
Small groupFrance Tourisme
Free cancellation
From$208.27
per person
In the Loire Valley, one small-group tour runs a Christmas option while its châteaux are decorated, from November 29 to January 3, with a glass of Champagne and a box of chocolates. Compare every option in our Bruges and Loire Valley guides, or see Paris in December for what is open over the holidays.
N° 09Good to know
Most open between mid-November and early December and run into early January. The Notre-Dame market, confirmed by the City of Paris, runs November 26 to December 27. The new Champs-Élysées market is announced for November 22 to January 4, and the Gare de l’Est Alsace market for December 2 to 18. Several neighborhood markets have not announced their 2026 dates yet.
For atmosphere, the Notre-Dame market in Square René-Viviani: small, central, and beautifully placed across from the cathedral. For sheer size and choice, La Défense, with about 300 chalets. With children, the Tuileries fair, which is more rides than crafts.
Yes. The markets with published details, including Notre-Dame, the Tuileries, La Défense, and Gare de l’Est, are free to enter. You pay for food, drinks, and rides.
The switch-on is reported for Sunday, November 22, 2026, with the lights staying up until early January. The organizing committee has not published an official release yet. Last year the trees were lit from 5pm to midnight every day, and all night on December 24 and 31.
It depends on the market, and most have not published their holiday hours. Last year La Défense closed early on Christmas Eve and was shut on December 25. Plan your market visits for the days before Christmas, and see Paris in December for what else is open.
The 2026 windows and dome tree are reported to open on November 12, and the Printemps windows next door on November 5. Both dates come from press reports, so check the stores’ sites before you go.
It is a good idea. The small-group walks cap groups at six to eight people and run for only a few weeks a year. The tours we compare list free cancellation, so booking early costs little if your plans change.
N° 10Booking.com
Search live prices for the areas that make this trip easiest.
Keep planning
Décembre · Practical guide
The real weather, what closes on the holidays, and the evenings and day trips worth booking.
Read the guide
After dark · On the Seine
Sunset Champagne boats, private cruises and a bike-and-boat night tour, plus how to time the Eiffel Tower sparkle.
Read the guide
Day trip · Belgium, 270 km north
Medieval canals in Belgium: a long day by coach, a faster one by train, and best of all overnight.
Read the guideOur top pick
Christmas Lights Small-Group Walk with Hot Chocolate or Mulled Wine