In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Two big markets have published their 2026 dates. Notre-Dame, in Square René Viviani across the river from the cathedral, runs from 26 November to 27 December, with French crafts and regional food. La Défense, 300 chalets in front of the Grande Arche at the end of metro line 1, runs from 12 November to 31 December 2026. The Tuileries, the Hôtel de Ville and the other city-centre markets had not announced their dates by 30 September 2026; they usually confirm in October or November. On 25 December the Louvre, Versailles, the Musée d’Orsay, the Catacombs and the Sainte-Chapelle are closed. Or see the lights from a seat: the open-top Christmas bus tourad runs from 23 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 (from £28.41, 1½ hours).
The markets with 2026 dates
Dates and hours are the organisers’ own, read on 30 September 2026.
Notre-Dame: Square René Viviani
26 November to 27 December · Square René Viviani, quai de Montebello, 5e · RER B and C Saint-Michel Notre-Dame
A small market in the square facing Notre-Dame from the Left Bank, run by the association L’Art et la Seine (marche-de-noel-paris-notre-dame.fr). The stallholders are French craftspeople, selected by the organiser: jewellery, ceramics, leather, wooden toys. The food is from the French regions: macarons, gingerbread, foie gras, pretzels, cheese, nougat, cured meats from the south-west, roast chestnuts and mulled wine (vin chaud). Father Christmas comes every day, and children can join a free drawing workshop, with a prize draw on Sundays at 16:30.
La Défense: the parvis
12 November to 31 December 2026 · Parvis de La Défense · metro 1, RER A and E, tram T2 to La Défense–Grande Arche · free entertainment
The big one: 300 decorated chalets on the esplanade in front of the Grande Arche, in the business district just west of the city limits. Its organiser, 2A Organisation, calls it the largest Christmas market in the Paris region (xmasparisladefense.com). The festive area, Le Sommet, stays open to 3 January 2027. Metro line 1 brings you out at the market’s underground entrance.
The Christmas market chalets on the parvis de La Défense. Photo: Bretwa, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
| Days | Market hours |
|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | 11:00–21:00 |
| Friday | 11:00–23:00 |
| Saturday | 10:00–23:00 |
| Sunday | 11:00–21:30 |
| 24 and 31 December | 11:00–18:00 |
| 25 December | 15:00–23:00 |
Every show and activity on the market is free; some workshops, such as face painting, are for children only.
Markets without 2026 dates yet
These run every winter but had not published 2026 dates by 30 September 2026. They usually confirm them in October or November.
| Market | Where |
|---|---|
| Tuileries | The Jardin des Tuileries, between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde |
| Hôtel de Ville | The square in front of Paris’s city hall, 4e |
| Saint-Germain-des-Prés | Beside the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, 6e |
| Montmartre | On the butte, 18e |
| Alsatian market | The forecourt of the Gare de l’Est, 10e |
| Eiffel Tower | Quai Jacques Chirac, by the tower, 7e |
Christmas lights tours
The easiest way to see the lights in one go is from a bus or a boat. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” price on 30 September 2026.
Open-top Christmas bus
From £28.41 · 4.0 stars from 1,369 reviews · 1½ hours · 23 November 2026 to 3 January 2027
Paris: Tootbus Open-Top Christmas Bus Tourad takes an open-top bus through the lit-up streets after dark, with commentary in English, French and several other languages.
Private tour by Citroën 2CV
From £196.28 · 4.8 stars from 62 reviews · 2 hours · 21 November 2026 to 10 January 2027
Paris: Private Christmas Lights Tour by Citroën 2CVad puts your group in a vintage 2CV, with a guide’s commentary and blankets for the cold.
Evening lights cruise
From £14.57 · 4.3 stars from 5,567 reviews · 70 minutes · all year
Paris: Evening Lights Cruise with Bateaux-Mouchesad sails past the illuminated monuments. Seine river cruises compared has the other boats and the operators’ own prices.
Christmas dinner on the Seine
From £151.28 · 4.4 stars from 68 reviews · 4 hours · 24 and 25 December 2026 only
Paris: Seine Cruise with 5-Course Christmas Dinnerad is a glass-roofed boat with a five-course dinner and music, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Christmas at the châteaux
Vaux-le-Vicomte: Le Grand Noël
14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 · book online, for a timed château slot · closed Mondays and Tuesdays until 18 December
The 17th-century château south-east of Paris decorates its state rooms around a round-the-world theme this year, with automata and a projection indoors, then an ice rink, lit gardens and a film projected onto the façade at 18:00, 18:30 and 19:00 (vaux-le-vicomte.com, 30 September 2026). The château says to allow a little over four hours. Booking online is compulsory.
The château of Vaux-le-Vicomte across its parterres. Photo: Jebulon, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
- 14 November to 18 December: Wednesday to Sunday only, 10:30–20:00, except 5 and 12 December, open to 21:00.
- 19 December to 2 January: every day, 10:30–21:00; last entry 19:00.
- 24 and 31 December: 10:30–18:00, last entry 16:00. Closed 25 December and 1 January.
Chambord: Noël à Chambord
From 28 November 2026 · weekend activities in December · closed 25 December and 1 January
This year’s Christmas at Chambord takes Rabelais’s giant Gargantua as its theme, around the château’s exhibition on four historic banquets, Les Festins de Chambord, with themed guided tours and activities every weekend in December (chambord.org, 30 September 2026). Visitors from outside the European Economic Area pay €31 to enter. Chambord is 80 minutes by train to Blois and a shuttle bus from there; the Loire Valley day trip has the route and the tours.
What closes at Christmas
Plan the museums round these closing days:
- 25 December: the Louvre, Versailles, the Musée d’Orsay, the Catacombs and the Sainte-Chapelle are closed.
- 1 January: the Louvre, Versailles, the Catacombs and the Sainte-Chapelle are closed.
- 24 and 31 December 2026: the Arc de Triomphe closes at 16:00.
The rest of the week’s closing days, and what to book ahead, are on what to book before you go; the 3-day itinerary fits the big sights round them, and the best time to visit Paris lists the closing days for every month. Eiffel Tower lift tickets go on sale 60 days ahead and sell out in busy periods, so book the day your date opens.
Common questions
When do the Paris Christmas markets open in 2026?
La Défense opens first, on 12 November 2026, and runs to 31 December, with its festive area open to 3 January 2027. The Notre-Dame market in Square René Viviani runs from 26 November to 27 December. The other big markets, including the Tuileries and the Hôtel de Ville, had not announced their 2026 dates by 30 September 2026.
Which is the biggest Christmas market in Paris?
La Défense, on the parvis in front of the Grande Arche: its organiser counts 300 chalets and calls it the largest Christmas market in the Paris region. It is just outside the city limits, at the end of metro line 1 and on the RER A.
What is closed in Paris on Christmas Day?
On 25 December the Louvre, Versailles, the Musée d'Orsay, the Catacombs and the Sainte-Chapelle are closed. The Arc de Triomphe closes at 16:00 on 24 and 31 December 2026.
