Paris at Christmas: Christmas Markets and Top Things To Do

Bonjour

If this is your first time on The Weithouse - welcome! My name is Taylor and I’m the girl behind the screen and camera bringing you resources to help you plan the trip of your dreams.

In January of 2022, my husband and I left our home in Atlanta, packed our bags and moved to Paris! Every day we wake up in disbelief that we get to call this incredible city our home, a city full of rich history, world-renowned food, and beauty hidden around every corner.

In this Paris at Christmas Guide we’re sharing everything you need to know to fully discover Paris at Christmas, including where to find the Paris Christmas Markets, where to see the Christmas Lights in Paris and where to shop for Christmas gifts in Paris.

pARIS AT CHRISTMAS

If you’re visiting Paris during December or the Holiday season (which generally begins mid-November in Paris), you’ll be lucky to have additional festive activities to discover on top of your already full Paris itinerary. Paris at Christmas adds magic to the City of Lights, making it a special time of year to visit the city, and you’ll discover Christmas markets, Christmas lights and some of the worlds best shopping.

Discover the Paris Christmas Markets

Often overshadowed by more famous Christmas market cities in Europe like Strasbourg, France or Munich, Germany, however Paris does indeed have her own little collection of Christmas markets scattered throughout the city. Truthfully, the markets lack some of the charm that you would find at the aforementioned cities, but nonetheless, they are fun and festive gathering spots to stroll through during the month of December.

Here’s where you can find the Paris Christmas markets:

• Jardin des Tuileries Christmas market: Located, you guess it, within the Jardin des Tuileries, this is the largest Christmas market in Paris and feels slightly more like an small amusement park than a Christmas market. Even still, you can find all the Christmas market classics like a Christmas pyramid, mulled wine, and even vendors selling gifts. This is a great option if you have young or teenage kids as there are fun Christmas-themed rides and games. There’s even a small ice skating rink in the center of the market.

  • The market is free to enter and is open from November 18, 2023 to January 7, 2024.

• Marché de Noël Notre Dame de Paris (Notre Dame Christmas Market): Located across the river from Notre Dame at Square Viviani is the extremely petite, yet charming Notre Dame Christmas market. The market is made up of only 20 or so tents circling the square, but you can find kids crafts, mulled wine and regional foods and artisans.

  • The market is free to enter and is open from December 8 to Sunday December 25, 2023.

• Hotel de Ville Christmas Market: Located in front of the striking Hotel de Ville in Paris’ 4th arrondissement, the Hotel de Ville Christmas Market features a beautiful light display, 100s of real Christmas trees and a handful of rides for the kids in your group. There’s very few stalls at this market, and it’s better as a gathering place to meet friends after work or grab a cup of mulled wine as you’re heading to your next destination.

  • The market is free to enter and is open from November 30 - January 1, 2024.

• Montmartre Christmas Market: Last but not least is the small Christmas market located at the Abbesses stop in Montmartre, where you can find a handful of chalets selling foods (including escargot) and mulled wine. You can quickly walk through the market as part of your day exploring Montmartre.

  • The market is free to enter and is likely open from the end of November to the end of December 2023.

(Pictured below are images from the 2022 Jardin des Tuileries Christmas Market)

see the Christmas Displays at the Paris Grand Magasins

With cold and dark days, you can discover the magic of Christmas inside the warmth of many of Paris’ grand magasins, or department stores. Each department store has a unique Christmas display every season, available for viewing at the beginning or in the middle of November and running through the New Year. These are great spots to both Holiday shop and get in the Holiday spirit.

Here are the Parisian grand magasins worth visiting at Christmas:

• Christmas Display at Galeries LaFayette: The most famous of all the Christmas displays, you can expect an over the top display hanging beneath the beautiful art-deco domed glass ceiling.

• Le Bon Marche Christmas Display: Located on the left bank, Le Bon Marche is a “posh” department store, famous for its criss-crossing escalators. During the Holiday season, the escalators are the backdrop for a playful Christmas display. You can also discover the Christmas window displays outside Le Bon Marche.

• Samaritaine: Renovated in 2021, Samaritaine is a stunning grand magasin located near Pont Neuf. The 11-story high department store is covered head to toe in Christmas magic during the Holidays, and be sure to take the stairs (or elevator) to the top floor to get the full view.

stroll under the christmas lights in paris

You’ll find no shortage of Christmas light displays as you wander throughout the city, however there are a few light displays that are worth going out of your way for. You’ll likely be in the areas these Christmas light displays can be found, so just bookmark them on your map before your travels.

• Christmas Light Displays on Rue Saint-Honoré: Rue Saint-Honoré is the famous luxury shopping street in Paris and during the Holiday season the designer brands don’t hold back from transforming their facades in light displays as over the top as their luxury items. The Chanel and Dior exhibits are especially impressive.

• The Light-Lined Champs-Élysées: You’ll likely be strolling down this famous avenue during your Parisian travels, and at Christmas every tree of the Champs-Élysées is covered in lights. You’ll also find the facades of the businesses showing off their Christmas displays for the year, but be warned, this area can become very crowded!

• Tree from the Top of Galeries LaFayette: Be sure to head to the rooftop if inside Galeries LaFayette to see amazing views over the city, lights on the surrounding buildings and the Christmas Tree in the central roundabout.

• Lights in Galerie Vivienne: Located in the 2nd Arrondissement, Galerie Vivienne was built in 1823 and is one of the most beautiful covered passages in Paris. During Christmas, the passage is lined with twinkling lights transforming it into a winter wonderland. The passage is short and can be easily walked through if you find yourself near Palais Royal or Bibliothèque nationale.

Take a Day Trip to Strasbourg

If you really want to take your French Christmas experience to the next level during your Holiday in Paris, then you’ll want to plan a day trip to the “Capital of Christmas” also known as Strasbourg, France.

You can easily access Strasbourg by direct train from Paris, making it feasible to do in a day. The train usually takes under two hours, so you would need to leave Paris in the morning and then take a later train back to Paris.

Once in Strasbourg, you’ll be immersed in a French Christmas wonderland with the city of half-timber houses covered roof to foundation in Christmas decor. There are 12, yes 12, Christmas markets in Strasbourg, so you can easily spend the entire day drinking mulled wine, eating crepes and wandering around the beauty of the city.

You can find more details and information on the Strasbourg and Alsace Christmas markets in this post.

find the magic of christmas at Disneyland Paris

Whether you have children or just love all things Disney, if you find yourself in Paris at Christmas, you’ll want to set aside a day to soak up the magic of Disneyland Paris at Christmas. From 11 November 2023 to 7 January 2024, you can step into the Christmas world of Disneyland Paris, where you’ll discover a magical Christmas parade, a Christmas musical, Christmas characters and even a Christmas market.

To plan your trip to Disneyland Paris, be sure to book your tickets in advance either on Disneyland Paris’ website here or book a guided tour with GetYourGuide here.

To access Disneyland Paris from Paris, you’ll either need to take the RER A train from Paris city center, or book a private shuttle or transfer. You can find all the ways to access the park here.

go christmas shopping in paris

Paris is already a shopping hub, and the Christmas season makes it an even more festive place to purchase gifts for your loved ones or souvenirs for yourself. Whether you’re looking for a designer bag, a unique Christmas ornament, or a French-made item, you’re sure to find it in Paris.

Here are a few of our favorite places to go Christmas shopping in Paris:

• The Grand Magasins (mentioned above): As you’re headed to Galeries LaFayette, Le Bon Marche or Samaritaine to discover the Christmas displays, you can also do a little shopping. The department stores usually offer items of all price points and are great places to purchase perfume, purses, shoes and clothes.

• For Christmas Ornaments: If you’re looking for a Christmas ornament to purchase as a souvenir, you won’t have any shortage of options. Some of our favorite places selling Christmas ornaments are Le Bon Marche (on the top floor where the Christmas trees are), Astier de Villatte (a ceramics store that brings in 1000s of glass ornaments every Christmas), and La Maison du Roy (an antique store where you can find all of the French ornaments - think macarons and croissants).

• For Culinary Items: If you have a foodie on your Christmas list, you’re in luck. Paris is covered in great food or cooking souvenirs to bring back to that chef in your life. Some of our favorite places to shop for foodies in Paris are La Grande Epicerie (a huge food hall located across from Le Bon Marche, selling everything from mustards to cooking supplies) and E.Dehillerin (a culinary store selling everything from knives to Le Creuset).

STICK AROUND FOR A WHILE

Planning a trip to Paris at Christmas?

Be sure to check out all of our other Paris guides to plan your complete Paris Christmas itinerary. You can find anything and everything you need to know about Paris in our Complete Paris Guide, or if you’re visiting Paris for the first time you can find our quick guide on the Top Things to Do Your First Time in Paris.

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