Open or closed on 24 and 25 December 2026
| Place | Thursday 24 December | Friday 25 December | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louvre Museum | Open, 9am-6pm (usual Thursday hours) | Closed | Louvre website |
| La Défense Christmas market | 11am-6pm | 3pm-11pm | Market organiser |
| Notre-Dame Christmas market | Open, hours vary by day | Open, hours vary by day | City of Paris (market until 27 Dec.) |
| Tuileries market | 2026 edition not published (2025: closing at 7:30pm) | 2026 edition not published (2025: open) | 2025 guide |
| Department stores (boulevard Haussmann) | Holiday hours to be confirmed | Usually closed | Store websites |
Check before you go: hours on the 24th are often reduced and those on the 25th vary from one business to another.
What to do on the evening of the 24th
A stroll along the lit-up boulevards, then dinner: a restaurant, a Seine dinner cruise or a hotel table. Our Seine cruise guide compares the options. The Christmas lights walking route takes two and a half hours. To book ahead, the Seine cruise with a five-course Christmas dinner runs on 24 and 25 December, and the Christmas Day special evening cruise is another option for Christmas evening.
What to do on 25 December
Plan a museum-free day: a walk through a neighbourhood, the La Défense market in the afternoon, a cinema or a dinner booked in advance. The department-store windows can be admired from outside, with the stores closed.
Going further
All the dates of the season are gathered in Christmas in Paris; for the evening of the 31st, see the New Year's Eve guide for Paris. To see the lights before dinner without walking, there is also a Christmas tour by night in a Citroën 2CV.
