Which Paris Christmas market should you go to in 2026?
Go to the Notre-Dame market, open from Thursday, November 26 to Sunday, December 27, 2026, in the small park facing the cathedral across the river. It is the one market in central Paris with its 2026 dates and hours already posted by both its organizer and the city, and at 40 selected stallholders it is small enough to see in an hour, then walk on to dinner. The bigger names, the Tuileries fair and the La Défense market, had not posted full 2026 dates when I checked on October 27.
If you are in Paris over New Year, the city has set dates for a market on the lower Champs-Élysées that runs until January 4, 2027. Notre-Dame closes on December 27, so it is the one to plan around for a December trip.
When and where are the Paris Christmas markets in 2026?
| Market | Area | 2026 dates | Hours | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre-Dame Christmas market | Square René Viviani, the small park on the Left Bank facing Notre-Dame (5th) | Thursday, November 26 to Sunday, December 27, 2026 (organizer) | Monday to Thursday and Sunday 10am to 8pm; Friday and Saturday 10am to 9pm. Free. | An hour of gifts and food from 40 selected stallholders, with the cathedral behind the chalets |
| Champs-Élysées Christmas market | The lower end of the Champs-Élysées, toward Place de la Concorde (8th) | November 22, 2026 to January 4, 2027 | Not posted yet | The only central market still open over New Year |
The Champs-Élysées dates come from the city's call for market operators, which closed in August; the city had not posted the operator or the hours when I checked. Paris La Défense, the business district just west of the city, says only that its market of about 300 chalets returns in November 2026 and opens every day, with no start or end date yet. The Tuileries fair, the Saint-Germain-des-Prés market, the Alsace market outside the Gare de l'Est and the Place des Abbesses chalets in Montmartre had no 2026 dates on their own or the city's pages, so they are not in the table. The department store windows and the Champs-Élysées lights had not posted 2026 dates either.
Is the Notre-Dame Christmas market worth it?
Yes, for an hour, as part of an evening on the islands rather than as the reason for the evening. It is a market of wooden chalets selling food and small gifts: the organizer lists macarons, gingerbread, foie gras, pretzels, cheese, nougat, cured meats from the southwest, roast chestnuts and mulled wine. Father Christmas is there every day for photographs, which matters if you are traveling with children and is easy to walk past if you are not.
Go on a weekday after dark. The city lists weekday closing at 8pm and Friday and Saturday closing at 9pm, and weekends in December are when the park is fullest. Entry is free.
What should you pair with the Notre-Dame market?
Sainte-Chapelle before it, dinner on the Left Bank after. Sainte-Chapelle, the royal chapel of stained glass on the Île de la Cité, is under ten minutes on foot from the market over the Petit Pont. From October 1 to March 31 it opens 9am to 5pm, with last entry 30 minutes before closing, and it is closed on December 25. Book a timed ticket and take the last slot of the afternoon, then cross to the market as the lights come on.
For dinner, La Tour d'Argent, the old Paris restaurant known for its pressed duck, sits on the quai a few minutes upriver and looks across to the back of the cathedral. It is the dinner I would build this evening around; book it before you book anything else for the trip. For a museum the next morning rather than the same day, the second visit itinerary puts Sainte-Chapelle and the Rodin museum on one day.
Is the Champs-Élysées market worth it?
Only if your dates fall between December 28 and January 4, when it is the central market still open. The city's notice places it on the lower Champs-Élysées and sets it to run from November 22, 2026 to January 4, 2027, but no hours or stall list were posted when I checked. Before that, Notre-Dame is the better hour. If you go, pair it with the Petit Palais, the city's fine arts museum a short walk from the bottom of the avenue, and check its hours for your day.
What should you book before a December trip to Paris?
Book in this order: Christmas Eve dinner, any dinner you are building an evening around, then timed museum tickets.
- Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners. December 24 is a Thursday and December 25 a Friday this year, and many restaurants run a set menu or close. Ask when you book.
- The one dinner the trip is for, as soon as the restaurant opens December bookings.
- Timed tickets for Sainte-Chapelle and the big museums. December days are short, so take afternoon slots that end at dusk, when the markets and lights are worth seeing.
If a December day turns wet, the Paris rainy day guide has the indoor plan. Traveling as a couple, the Paris for couples itinerary has the evenings, and the market fits on the night you spend on the islands.