In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Edinburgh’s Christmas runs from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. The Traditional Christmas Markets in East Princes Street Gardens are free to enter and open 10:00 to 22:00 daily, closed on 25 December. The LNER Big Wheel is from £12 and the 80 m Around the World Star Flyer from £15.50. The ice attractions are the Polar Ice Bar (18+, from £16.50) and the Family Ice Experience (from £12) on George Street; they are hand-carved ice at -8°C, not skating. Or book a walk: the Old Town History and Tales Walking Tourad is from £18 for 2 hours.
⚠️ 25 December. The market, the Big Wheel and the Star Flyer are closed on Christmas Day, as are Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Royal Yacht Britannia. Holyroodhouse is shut from 24 to 26 December.
The season in dates
| What | Dates | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional Christmas Markets | 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 | East Princes Street Gardens |
| LNER Big Wheel, Around the World Star Flyer | 14 November to 3 January | East Princes Street Gardens |
| Polar Ice Bar (18+) | 19 November to 2 January | Outside 115 George Street |
| Family Ice Experience | 21 November to 3 January | Outside 115 George Street |
| Santa’s Stories | 20 November to 24 December | West Princes Street Gardens |
| La Clique Noël | 20 November to 3 January | Bristo Square |
| The Coorie Inn | 19 November to 3 January | George Street |
| Christmas at the castle | 18 November to 31 December | Edinburgh Castle |
| Hogmanay | 29 December to 1 January | Princes Street and the Old Town: see Hogmanay in Edinburgh |
The markets and the rides
Traditional Christmas Markets
East Princes Street Gardens · 14 November to 3 January · 10:00 to 22:00 daily · free to enter · edwinterfest.com
Chalets selling gifts, decorations, food and mulled wine, below the Old Town skyline. The organiser, Unique Assembly, gives hours that differ on seven dates and says they are subject to change, with updates on its social channels (@edinburghschristmas).
Christmas market stalls in Princes Street Gardens. Photo: Jim Barton, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
| Date | Hours |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 17 November | 16:00 to 22:00 |
| Thursday 24 December | 10:00 to 20:00 |
| Friday 25 December | Closed |
| Saturday 26 December | 12:00 to 20:00 |
| Thursday 31 December | 10:00 to 17:00 |
| Friday 1 January | 12:00 to 20:00 |
| Sunday 3 January | 10:00 to 18:00 |
LNER Big Wheel
East Princes Street Gardens · from £12 · last admission 21:30 · tickets
Enclosed pods that take up to six and are shared at busy times, with views of the Old Town, the castle and Arthur’s Seat. A ticket is for one date, with no time slots, and admission is first come, first served. A family ticket covers four people with at most two adults. It follows the market’s hours, except that it opens at 17:00 on 17 November and closes at 20:00 on 3 January.
The Big Wheel in East Princes Street Gardens. Photo: Jennifer Petrie, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Around the World Star Flyer
East Princes Street Gardens · from £15.50 · last admission 21:30 · tickets
An 80 m swing ride. Riders must be at least 1.2 m tall, and anyone under 1.4 m needs a paying adult with them. No babes in arms. It opens at 17:00 on 17 November and otherwise follows the market’s hours.
Ice, Santa and the evening shows
Polar Ice Bar with Icelandair
Outside 115 George Street, near Charlotte Square · 19 November to 2 January · from £16.50 · 18+ · tickets
A bar where the table, chairs and glasses are ice, at -8°C, with a Viking theme for 2026. The ticket includes one drink, alcoholic or not, and the hire of a jacket and gloves. Sessions start every 30 minutes and last up to 30 minutes; arrive 20 minutes early. Everyone is asked for photo ID under the Challenge 25 policy, closed-toe shoes are required, and tickets are non-refundable. A box office on the George Street site sells any space left on the day.
Family Ice Experience
Outside 115 George Street · 21 November to 3 January · from £12 · all ages · tickets
The same ice sculptures in sessions for families, at -8 to -10°C. Children get an apple juice in an ice glass or a hot chocolate token. Under-18-month-olds are free but carried, and there is no buggy park or buggies inside. A family ticket covers four people with at most two adults.
Santa’s Stories
West Princes Street Gardens · 20 November to 24 December · from £7.50 · 20-minute sessions · tickets
A story with Santa and his helpers in a cabin. Every child needs a “Child + Included Adult” ticket, which covers one adult and comes with a gift and a photo. There is no room for prams. Sessions are slotted from 15:00, and a ticket is valid only for its booked time.
La Clique Noël
Palais du Variété Spiegeltent, Bristo Square (outside McEwan Hall) · 20 November to 3 January · 19:30 · 100 minutes · tickets
An adult cabaret and circus show, 16+ (front row and ringside 18+), with nudity and flashing lights.
The Coorie Inn
George Street · 19 November to 3 January · 12:00 until late · free to enter
Hot drinks, outdoor heaters and live music beside the ice attractions. It opens at 16:00 on 19 and 20 November, closes at 20:00 from 24 December, except 17:00 on 31 December and 3 January, and is closed on 25 December.
Beyond the markets
- Edinburgh Castle. “Christmas at the Castle” runs from 18 November to 31 December. A Christmas afternoon tea in the Queen Anne Tea Room runs from 1 December to 3 January (not 25 and 26 December), in sittings from 11:00 to 14:30, at £70 with castle admission included: see Edinburgh Castle tickets and afternoon tea in Edinburgh.
- Christmas lights by bus. Edinburgh: Christmas Lights Tour on a Vintage Busad is from £16.80 for 75 minutes, on a 1960s Routemaster past George IV Bridge, the Mound and Princes Street.
- Closed days. On 25 December the castle, Holyroodhouse, the Royal Yacht Britannia, Camera Obscura, the Royal Botanic Garden, Rosslyn Chapel and the National Museum of Scotland are closed. The castle opens at 11:00 on 1 January.
The Dome on George Street in its Christmas lights. Photo: Andrew Abbott, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Where to stay for the market
The links go to the hotel on Hotels.com. Where to stay in Edinburgh compares the areas and explains the visitor levy, a 5% charge on the first five nights, and hotels near the Royal Mile lists the hotels round the Old Town.
The Balmoral
1 Princes Street · 186 rooms · two Michelin Keys · Hotels.comad
At the east end of Princes Street, over Waverley station. Castle View rooms and suites look across Princes Street Gardens to the castle, and the hotel serves a Christmas afternoon tea.
The Old Waverley Hotel
43 Princes Street, EH2 2BY · Hotels.comad
A hotel on Princes Street, about 0.4 km from St Giles’ Cathedral. It describes itself as Victorian charm with modern comforts and traditional décor.
Kimpton Charlotte Square
38 Charlotte Square · 199 rooms · Michelin Selected · Hotels.comad
Seven Georgian townhouses on Charlotte Square, which the Polar Ice Bar’s site on George Street is near. The hotel has a swimming pool and pours a complimentary glass at BABA Bar between 17:00 and 18:00 daily.
Planning
- Weather and light. November averages a high of 9.5°C and a low of 3.6°C, and December 7.0°C and 1.4°C, with 13 days a month of 1 mm of rain or more (Met Office, 1991 to 2020). The sun sets at 16:07 on 15 November, 15:38 on 15 December and 15:40 on Christmas Eve.
- The airport bus. From 14 November to 4 January the Airlink 100 stop towards the airport is on George Street, Stop GL: see Edinburgh airport to the city.
- Getting round. The gardens are a short walk from Waverley station: see Edinburgh public transport.
- Hogmanay. The Torchlight Procession is on 29 December and the Street Party on 31 December: see Hogmanay in Edinburgh.
Next
For the weather and events across the year, see the best time to visit Edinburgh. To fit the sights into the days around the market, Edinburgh in one or two days sets the order. Where to eat in Edinburgh and Edinburgh food tours cover the meals, and Edinburgh’s festivals in August covers the summer. Dublin’s markets are in Christmas in Dublin.
Common questions
When is Edinburgh's Christmas market in 2026?
From 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 in East Princes Street Gardens, open 10:00 to 22:00 daily. Entry is free. It is closed on 25 December, and 24, 26 and 31 December and 1 and 3 January have shorter hours.
Is the Edinburgh Christmas market free?
Entry to the Traditional Christmas Markets is free. The LNER Big Wheel is from £12, the Around the World Star Flyer from £15.50, Santa's Stories from £7.50, the Family Ice Experience from £12 and the Polar Ice Bar from £16.50.
Is there an ice rink at Edinburgh's Christmas?
No skating is listed in the 2026 programme. The ice attractions are the Polar Ice Bar (18+, from £16.50) and the Family Ice Experience (from £12), both outside 115 George Street: hand-carved ice sculptures at -8°C, in sessions of up to 30 minutes.
Can children go in the Polar Ice Bar?
No. The Polar Ice Bar is 18+ with a Challenge 25 ID check. Children go in the Family Ice Experience, which is open to all ages; under 18 months are free but must be carried, and buggies are not allowed inside.
Is Edinburgh's Christmas market open on Christmas Day?
No. The market, the Big Wheel and the Star Flyer are closed on 25 December. On 24 December they close at 20:00 and on 26 December they open at 12:00 and close at 20:00.
When does Edinburgh's Hogmanay start?
With the Torchlight Procession on Tuesday 29 December 2026 at 18:30. The Street Party is on Thursday 31 December. See the Hogmanay page for tickets and rules.
