What is confirmed for 2026
At the end of September 2026, three events had official dates for the 2026-2027 season:
- La Défense: from Thursday 12 November to Thursday 31 December 2026.
- Notre-Dame: from Thursday 26 November to Sunday 27 December 2026.
- Champs-Élysées: site reserved by the City of Paris from 22 November 2026 to 4 January 2027, operator still being selected.
The markets at the Tuileries, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the Abbesses, Gare de l'Est, the Hôtel de Ville and quai Jacques-Chirac had not yet published their 2026 dates. They usually return every winter, but their 2026 edition was not yet official. For the wider festive atmosphere, see our Christmas in Paris guide.
The Paris La Défense Christmas market
This is the largest Christmas market in the Île-de-France region: more than 300 chalets are expected on the esplanade of La Défense, at the foot of the towers, with an ice rink in the middle and around a hundred free activities at previous editions (workshops, face painting, choirs, DJ sets). The festive area called "Le Sommet" stays open until 3 January 2027, after the chalets have closed.
- Address: parvis de La Défense, 92800 Puteaux.
- Getting there: metro line 1, RER A and E, tram T2, stop La Défense – Grande Arche.
- 2026 opening hours: Monday to Thursday 11am-9pm, Friday 11am-11pm, Saturday 10am-11pm, Sunday 11am-9.30pm.
- Special hours: 11am-6pm on 24 and 31 December, 3pm-11pm on 25 December.
The chalets are not heated and drinks are served in reusable cups.
The Notre-Dame Christmas market, square René-Viviani
Opposite Notre-Dame de Paris, on the Left Bank, this market of around forty chalets favours quality over quantity: crafts made in France (jewellery, wooden toys, ceramics, textiles, hand-painted decorations) and regional specialities, especially from the South-West (foie gras, charcuterie, cheese, nougat, gingerbread, roasted chestnuts). Choirs, jazz bands and brass bands perform every day from 4pm, and free drawing workshops are offered to children.
- Address: square René-Viviani, quai de Montebello, 75005 Paris.
- Getting there: metro line 4 (Saint-Michel or Cité), RER B and C (Saint-Michel Notre-Dame).
- 2026 dates and hours: 26 November to 27 December, daily 10am-8pm, until 9pm Friday to Sunday.
La Magie de Noël in the Tuileries Garden
Set along rue de Rivoli in the Tuileries Garden, between the Louvre and place de la Concorde, "La Magie de Noël" combines a market of around 80 chalets (crafts and regional food), a 250 m² ice rink, a Ferris wheel, fairground rides, a giant slide and free shows at weekends and during the school holidays.
- Address: jardin des Tuileries, rue de Rivoli side (113 rue de Rivoli), 75001 Paris.
- Getting there: metro Tuileries (line 1) or Concorde (lines 1, 8 and 12).
- 2025 edition: from mid-November 2025 to 4 January 2026, daily 11am-11.45pm, closing at 7.30pm on 24 and 31 December, open on 25 December and 1 January.
The 2026-2027 dates had not yet been published at the end of September 2026. Entry is free; rides and the ice rink are paid (in 2025, the rink cost €10 for adults and €6 for children).
A market returns to the Champs-Élysées
The last Christmas market on the avenue des Champs-Élysées was held in 2016; it was scrapped in 2017. In summer 2026, the City of Paris launched a call for expressions of interest to bring back a chalet market at the lower end of the avenue, with the site occupied from 22 November 2026 to 4 January 2027. The selection, which closed on 10 August 2026, is based on the quality and price of the products and on the look of the chalets.
At the end of September 2026, the chosen operator, the number of chalets and the opening hours had not yet been announced. Nearest stations to the lower avenue: Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau (lines 1 and 13) and Concorde (lines 1, 8 and 12).
Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Montmartre
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Run by the Comité Saint-Germain at the foot of the church, place Saint-Germain-des-Prés (75006), this market of around forty chalets focuses on upmarket crafts (leather goods, jewellery, designers) and food: pretzels, tartiflette, hot drinks. Father Christmas and children's activities complete the picture. Metro Saint-Germain-des-Prés (line 4).
- 2025 edition: 25 November 2025 to 1 January 2026, 11am-9pm on weekdays and 10am-9pm at weekends. 2026 dates not published at the end of September 2026.
To continue your walk, see our complete guide to Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
Montmartre, place des Abbesses
In the heart of Montmartre, about ten minutes' walk from the Sacré-Cœur, place des Abbesses (75018) hosts some twenty chalets run by French producers and craftspeople: jewellery, pottery, scarves, foie gras, pretzels, mulled wine. Father Christmas visits on Sundays from 11am to 1pm until 24 December. Metro Abbesses (line 12).
- 2025 edition: 21 November 2025 to 4 January 2026, daily 10am-8pm. 2026 dates not published at the end of September 2026.
The Alsatian market at Gare de l'Est
The oldest Alsatian Christmas market held outside Alsace (43rd edition in 2025) brings around fifteen producers and craftspeople to the forecourt of Gare de l'Est: kougelhopf, bredele biscuits, mannele, Munster cheese, charcuterie, Alsace wines and eaux-de-vie, Advent wreaths and decorations.
- Address: parvis de la gare de l'Est, rue du 8-Mai-1945, 75010 Paris.
- Getting there: metro Gare de l'Est (lines 4, 5 and 7).
- 2025 edition: 28 November to 14 December 2025, 9am-7.30pm Monday to Saturday and 10am-7pm on Sunday.
Note that this is a short market that closes before Christmas. 2026 dates not published at the end of September 2026.
Hôtel de Ville, Eiffel Tower and neighbourhood markets
Hôtel de Ville
In 2025, the City of Paris set up a small village called "la Forêt enchantée" on the square in front of the Hôtel de Ville (4th), devoted to craftspeople with the Fabriqué à Paris label: eleven chalets, three of them selling food (crêpes, waffles, tartiflette, hot chocolate), and a carousel, open from 5 December 2025 to 4 January 2026, daily 11am-9pm. Metro Hôtel de Ville (lines 1 and 11). 2026 dates not published at the end of September 2026.
Quai Jacques-Chirac, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower
No market had been announced on the Trocadéro esplanade for 2026. The nearest one is opposite, across the Seine, on quai Jacques-Chirac (75007), at the foot of the Eiffel Tower: some sixty designer chalets and food trucks. In 2025, it was open from 6 December 2025 to 4 January 2026, 12pm-11pm (7pm on 24 and 31 December). Metro Iéna (line 9) or Trocadéro (lines 6 and 9). 2026 dates not published at the end of September 2026.
Other neighbourhood markets
- Noël La Villette (19th): a Swiss-themed village of around a hundred chalets with an ice rink, near the fontaine aux Lions opposite the Grande Halle (211 avenue Jean-Jaurès). From 20 November to 28 December in 2025. Metro Porte de Pantin (line 5).
- Féeries d'Auteuil (16th): a charity market in the garden of the Apprentis d'Auteuil foundation, 40 rue Jean-de-La-Fontaine, free entry. From 6 to 14 December in 2025; event listings give 5 to 13 December 2026. Metro Jasmin (line 9) or Église d'Auteuil (line 10).
What you will find and what it costs
Entry to all these markets is free; only purchases, rides and ice rinks are paid. There are three types of stalls:
- Hot drinks: mulled wine, hot cider, hot chocolate. Expect to pay €5 to €7 for a cup of mulled wine at the big Paris markets (typical range noted at the 2025 edition); some markets, such as La Défense, use reusable cups.
- Street food: tartiflette, raclette, aligot, crêpes, waffles, churros, roasted chestnuts, pretzels.
- Gifts and food shopping: tree decorations, jewellery, wooden toys, ceramics, foie gras, gingerbread, nougat, regional wines. At the Hôtel de Ville village, items by Paris craftspeople cost around €10 in 2025.
For more original gifts, the neighbourhood markets (Abbesses, Notre-Dame, Gare de l'Est) are more selective about their stallholders. Prices noted in September 2026 based on the 2025 edition, as 2026 prices had not yet been published.
Summary table
| Market | Dates | Opening hours | Metro | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Défense | 12 November – 31 December 2026 | 11am-9pm (11pm Fri., 10am-11pm Sat.) | 1, RER A and E, T2 La Défense | The largest, ice rink |
| Notre-Dame (square René-Viviani) | 26 November – 27 December 2026 | 10am-8pm (9pm Fri.-Sun.) | 4 Saint-Michel, RER B and C | French crafts, cathedral view |
| Champs-Élysées (lower avenue) | Site reserved 22 November 2026 – 4 January 2027 | Not published | 1 and 13 Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau | Back after ten years |
| Tuileries | Mid-November – 4 January (2025 edition) | 11am-11.45pm | 1 Tuileries, Concorde | Ferris wheel, rides, ice rink |
| Saint-Germain-des-Prés | 25 November – 1 January (2025 edition) | 11am-9pm (10am at weekends) | 4 Saint-Germain-des-Prés | Upmarket designers |
| Abbesses (Montmartre) | 21 November – 4 January (2025 edition) | 10am-8pm | 12 Abbesses | Village feel, 100% made in France |
| Gare de l'Est (Alsatian) | 28 November – 14 December (2025 edition) | 9am-7.30pm (10am-7pm Sun.) | 4, 5, 7 Gare de l'Est | Alsace specialities |
| Hôtel de Ville | 5 December – 4 January (2025 edition) | 11am-9pm | 1 and 11 Hôtel de Ville | Paris craftspeople |
| Quai Jacques-Chirac (Eiffel Tower) | 6 December – 4 January (2025 edition) | 12pm-11pm | 9 Iéna, 6 and 9 Trocadéro | Eiffel Tower view |
Information checked and prices noted in September 2026. Dates marked "2025 edition" are given as a guide: check the 2026 edition with the organiser before you go.
Tips: crowds, pickpockets and the best times to go
- Go on a weekday, late morning or early afternoon. Friday and Saturday evenings are the busiest, especially at La Défense and the Tuileries.
- Aim for the first half of December. The Zone C Christmas school holidays (Paris, Créteil, Versailles) start on Saturday 19 December 2026, and crowds grow noticeably from then on.
- For the lights, arrive around 4.30pm. The sun sets at about 4.55pm in mid-December, so you see the market by day and then lit up.
- Watch your belongings. Narrow aisles and dense crowds attract pickpockets: keep your bag closed and in front of you, your phone in an inside pocket, and be extra careful at food stalls where you take out your wallet. Other common traps are covered in our guide to scams to avoid in Paris.
- Plan around the holidays: most markets have shorter hours on 24 and 31 December. For what to do on the 24th and 25th, see our guide to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Paris.
Day trips: Strasbourg and Reims
Two major markets in eastern France can be reached by TGV from Gare de l'Est:
- Strasbourg (about 1h50 by train): the Christkindelsmärik, documented since 1570, is one of the oldest in Europe; its 300 or so stalls are spread over about ten sites on the Grande Île. 2025 edition: 26 November to 24 December 2025. 2026 dates not published at the end of September 2026.
- Reims (about 45 minutes): "Noël scintille à Reims" has around 150 chalets on the Hautes Promenades, in the city centre. 2025 edition: 26 November to 28 December 2025, closed on 25 December. 2026 dates not confirmed by the city at the end of September 2026.
More ideas for day trips are in our guide to day trips from Paris.
Further reading
To round off your tour of the markets, our guide to the Christmas windows of the department stores gives the unveiling dates and the best times to go. All of the month's events, from exhibitions to New Year's Eve, are gathered in what to do in Paris in December. And for a walk around the Abbesses after the market, follow our complete guide to Montmartre.
