Things to Do in Paris at Christmas: An Honest Guide

Quick answer: The best things to do in Paris at Christmas are wandering the Christmas markets (especially Notre-Dame and Hôtel de Ville), seeing the department store windows, walking the Seine after dark and eating a proper bowl of onion soup. Base yourself in the Latin Quarter, avoid the Louvre on Tuesdays and 25 December, and don’t trust every glowing restaurant review.

Paris at Christmas has a reputation as the most romantic, magical place to spend the holidays. Some of that is true. There were moments on my Christmas trip, wandering the Seine walkways as the lights came on, browsing the little market beside Shakespeare and Company, when I understood exactly why people fall in love with this city.

But I have lived in France for three years and I am not going to pretend it was all fairy lights. There was rubbish in the streets, some of the worst food I have eaten anywhere, and a coffee bill that made me wince. This guide covers both: the things that genuinely made the trip, and the things I wish someone had warned me about.

Paris at Christmas: Fast Facts

Where to Stay in Paris at Christmas: The Left Bank

I stayed on the Left Bank in the Latin Quarter, and I would do it again. Everything I wanted to see at Christmas was walkable: the Notre-Dame Christmas market, Shakespeare and Company, the Seine, Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Île de la Cité. It feels like a real neighbourhood too, full of students from the Sorbonne, bookshops and bakeries, rather than a hotel district.

Hôtel Quartier Latin, rue des Écoles

Our hotel was the Hôtel Quartier Latin at 9 rue des Écoles in the 5th arrondissement. The rooms are small, and I mean Paris small, so pack light. But the staff were wonderful, genuinely helpful and warm, and the location is excellent. Right across the road was a great bakery where we got our morning croissants, and a very good kebab restaurant for a cheap, filling dinner after a long cold day of walking.

The Best Christmas Markets in Paris

Paris Christmas markets are smaller and less elaborate than the big German and Alsace markets. Don’t expect Strasbourg. What you get instead are charming wooden chalets tucked into squares and gardens, selling crafts, regional food, mulled wine and roasted chestnuts. They are free to wander, and the best ones are right in the historic centre.

Notre-Dame Christmas Market (by Shakespeare and Company)

This was my favourite. The market sits in Square René Viviani, right beside the famous Shakespeare and Company bookshop, looking across the river to Notre-Dame. It is small, around forty chalets, with French crafts and regional food producers rather than mass-produced tat. Browse the market, then go and lose an hour in the bookshop next door. It is one of the most Parisian afternoons you can have at Christmas.

2026 dates: 26 November to 27 December 2026 (confirmed).

Hôtel de Ville Christmas Market

The square in front of Paris City Hall hosts a small but pretty Christmas village, and when I visited it had a lovely old-fashioned carousel. With the grand Hôtel de Ville lit up behind it, this is one of the most photogenic spots in the city at Christmas. It is an easy walk from Notre-Dame, so do both together.

2026 dates: Not yet confirmed. Last year it ran from early December into the first days of January.

Other Paris Christmas Markets Worth Knowing

I didn’t get to these, but they are among the most popular with visitors:

• Jardin des Tuileries: the biggest and busiest, half Christmas market and half funfair, with rides and a big wheel. Great for families, less so if you hate crowds. Usually mid-November to early January.
• Saint-Germain-des-Prés: an upmarket market near the church and the famous cafés, usually from late November into early January.
• Place Saint-Michel: small and lively, a few minutes from the Notre-Dame market. Look for the crêpe stall with the long queue.
• La Défense: the largest market in the Paris region, in the business district west of the centre, running from mid-November to late December.

See the Department Store Christmas Windows

The Christmas window displays at the big Paris department stores are a tradition in their own right. Galeries Lafayette and Printemps on Boulevard Haussmann go all out with animated windows, and Galeries Lafayette hangs an enormous Christmas tree under its famous glass dome. Parisian families come specifically to see them, and there is a real festive buzz on the pavement.

A practical tip: go early in the morning or on a weekday. At weekends the pavement in front of the windows is packed, and you will be shuffling along in a queue of pushchairs.

Walk the Seine and Wander the Streets

Some of the best things to do in Paris at Christmas cost nothing at all. I spent hours simply wandering: along the Seine walkways at dusk, over the bridges, through the side streets of the Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain, stopping to look in shop windows and bakeries. The river is beautiful in winter light, and it is the best way to take in the Christmas lights and decorations at your own pace.

Dress properly. Paris in December is damp and cold rather than snowy, and the wind off the river cuts right through you. Good waterproof walking shoes matter more than anything else you pack.

Take the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus

We took the hop-on hop-off bus around the city, and it is a good way to see the big sights, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Élysées and the Opéra, without walking yourself into the ground on a cold day. It is especially useful on your first day to get your bearings, or if walking long distances is difficult for you.

Sit upstairs for the views but wrap up well, because the open top deck is freezing in December. And after dark, when the Christmas lights are on, the ride along the Champs-Élysées is at its best.

The Louvre at Christmas: Check the Closing Days

When we went to the Louvre, it was closed. We simply hadn’t checked, and it is a mistake plenty of visitors make. The Louvre is closed every Tuesday, all year round, and also on 25 December and 1 January. On other days of the Christmas holidays it opens from 9am, with late opening until 9pm on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Learn from me: check the opening days before you plan your itinerary, and book a timed ticket online. If you do find it closed, the Tuileries Garden and its Christmas market are right next door.

Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots: Worth It Once

These two cafés sit almost side by side on Boulevard Saint-Germain, and they are part of Paris literary legend. Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir practically lived at Café de Flore, and Les Deux Magots counted Hemingway and Picasso among its regulars. Sitting there in the Christmas season, watching Paris walk past, does feel special.

But be prepared: we had very expensive coffee at both. You are paying for the history and the seat, not the coffee. Go once, have one drink, soak it up, and then get your everyday coffee somewhere ordinary for a fraction of the price.

Where to Eat in Paris at Christmas (and Where Not To)

After thirty years working in food development and restaurants, I am hard to impress and easy to disappoint. Paris gave me both extremes on this trip. The biggest lesson: some reviewers lie like a rug. Places with glowing online ratings served us some of the worst food of the trip, so treat reviews with suspicion.

Au Pied de Cochon: The Best Onion Soup in Paris

Au Pied de Cochon near Les Halles served me the best onion soup I have ever eaten. This brasserie opened in 1947 to feed the workers of the old Les Halles market, and its gratinée is everything French onion soup should be: deeply caramelised onions, rich broth and a thick lid of melted cheese. It is famous for keeping very late hours, so it is also perfect for a warming bowl after an evening of Christmas lights. If you only eat one proper meal in Paris at Christmas, make it this.

Mobster Diner: Superb Burgers on the Left Bank

For something casual, the burgers at Mobster Diner, tucked into a little street in the Latin Quarter, were superb. It is a small, 1920s Chicago-themed place with jazz playing, homemade fries and proper bakery buns, and it was great value compared with most of Paris.

The Bakery and Kebab Shop Across from Our Hotel

Some of our best food was the simplest. The bakery across the road from our hotel on rue des Écoles made great croissants, and the kebab restaurant next to it was very good. Neighbourhood places like these, where locals actually queue, are often a safer bet than restaurants with menus in six languages.

The Disappointments

Breakfast in America: this American-style diner on rue des Écoles was terrible and overpriced, a real disappointment. If you are craving an American breakfast in Paris, I would give it a miss.

Brasserie Cosmos, rue des Écoles: just down the road from our hotel, this was the worst onion soup I have ever had, served by staff who simply did not care. We walked out.

How to Avoid Bad Food in Paris

• Read the most recent reviews, and read the French-language ones, not just the English ones.
• Be wary of big photo menus, menus in many languages and staff touting for customers outside.
• Look for places full of locals at lunchtime, especially in residential streets rather than on the big squares.
• Don’t order the classic dishes, like onion soup, just anywhere. Go where the dish is a speciality.
• Book Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals well ahead, as the good places fill up fast.

The Honest Bit: What Nobody Tells You About Paris at Christmas

There is a name for the shock some visitors feel when the real Paris doesn’t match the romantic image: Paris syndrome. I felt a touch of it. The thing that bothered me most was the rubbish in the streets. Overflowing bins and litter in some areas take the shine off even the prettiest Christmas lights, and it is not something the glossy Christmas guides mention.

Add in the crowds at the famous sights, the prices at the famous cafés and the tourist-trap restaurants, and Paris at Christmas can be hard work. None of this means you shouldn’t go. It means you should go with your eyes open, plan your meals, pick a good neighbourhood base, and leave time just to wander. The magic is there, you just have to walk past a few bins to find it.

Accessibility in Paris at Christmas

Paris is a challenging city for anyone with limited mobility, and winter adds wet cobbles and early darkness. Most Metro stations have stairs and no lifts; line 14 is the only fully step-free line. Buses are a much better option, as most are low-floor with a wheelchair space. The hop-on hop-off bus is a useful way to see the main sights without long walks, though check the operator’s accessibility before booking. The Christmas markets in Square René Viviani and at the Hôtel de Ville are on flat, open squares, which makes them easier to get around than many parts of the city, but they can be crowded in the evenings and at weekends.

Understand How the French Celebrate Christmas

Christmas in Paris makes much more sense when you understand French traditions: the Réveillon feast on Christmas Eve, bûche de Noël, Père Noël and the regional customs that vary across the country. I cover all of this in my guide to French Christmas traditions.

And if you are still deciding where to spend the holidays, see my guide to Christmas in Europe page for more festive destinations across the continent.

Paris at Christmas: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Paris worth visiting at Christmas?

Yes, if you go in with realistic expectations. The lights, the Christmas markets, the department store windows and the walks along the Seine are genuinely magical. But Paris is also busy, expensive and not always clean, and some highly rated restaurants are tourist traps. Base yourself somewhere central like the Latin Quarter, plan your meals carefully and you will get the best of it.

When do the Christmas markets open in Paris in 2026?

Most Paris Christmas markets open between mid-November and early December. The Notre-Dame Christmas Market in Square René Viviani is confirmed for 26 November to 27 December 2026. Other markets, including the Hôtel de Ville and Tuileries markets, usually confirm their dates in the autumn, so check before you travel.

Is the Louvre open at Christmas?

The Louvre is closed on 25 December, 1 January and 1 May, and it is closed every Tuesday all year round. It is open on the other days of the Christmas holidays, with late opening until 9pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. Book a timed ticket in advance.

What is open in Paris on Christmas Day?

Most museums and many shops close on 25 December, but the city does not shut down completely. Churches hold Christmas services, many Christmas markets stay open, some brasseries and hotel restaurants serve Christmas lunch, and the streets, lights and Seine walkways are free to enjoy. Book any Christmas Day meal well in advance.

Where is the best place to stay in Paris at Christmas?

The Latin Quarter on the Left Bank is an excellent base. You can walk to the Notre-Dame Christmas Market, Shakespeare and Company, the Seine and Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and there are bakeries and casual places to eat on every street. I stayed at the Hôtel Quartier Latin on rue des Écoles: small rooms, but wonderful staff and a perfect location.

Are Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots worth it?

Go once for the history and the people-watching, not for value. Both cafés were famous haunts of writers and philosophers, and sitting there is part of the Saint-Germain experience. But expect to pay several times what you would in an ordinary Paris café for a coffee.

Where can you get the best onion soup in Paris?

In my experience, Au Pied de Cochon near Les Halles serves the best onion soup in Paris. It is a brasserie that has served the Les Halles crowd since 1947, and its gratinée is rich, cheesy and deeply flavoured. Avoid ordering onion soup at random neighbourhood brasseries, where quality varies wildly.

Is the hop-on hop-off bus worth it in Paris in winter?

It can be, especially if you have limited time, tired legs or mobility issues. It is an easy way to see the main sights and get your bearings, and it saves a lot of walking on cold days. Sit upstairs for the views, but dress warmly, as the open top deck is freezing in December.