Christmas in Paris 2026: markets, window displays and lights, on foot from the rue de Rivoli

From mid-November to early January, Paris lights up. And from our rue de Rivoli apartment, we have a front-row seat: the Tuileries Christmas market sets up right opposite, the department stores on boulevard Haussmann are twenty minutes away on foot and the Champs-Élysées lies at the far end of the garden. Here are all the dates you need for Christmas in Paris 2026, and the walk we recommend to our guests so they can enjoy it all without taking the metro.

• 14 November 2026 – 3 January 2027: the Christmas market in the Tuileries Garden, opposite the apartment (free entry).
• 12 November: unveiling of the Galeries Lafayette Haussmann windows and Christmas tree, at 6 pm.
• 22 November: the Champs-Élysées lights are switched on and a Christmas market returns to the avenue, until 4 January.
• 12 December – 6 January: a giant ice rink beneath the glass roof of the Grand Palais.
• 31 December: a show on the Arc de Triomphe and fireworks at midnight, with free public transport from 5 pm.

The Tuileries Christmas market, right opposite

This is the Christmas highlight closest to home: from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, the Tuileries Garden hosts its big Christmas market, between the Louvre and the place de la Concorde. Food chalets, mulled wine, fairground rides and a big wheel: entry is free, and you only pay for the rides and what you buy. The 2026 opening hours had not yet been published at the time of writing; last year, the market was open every day from 11 am until almost midnight, closing early on 24 and 31 December.

The joy of staying on the rue de Rivoli is popping down for a hot chocolate after dark, then heading back up to warm up while watching the lights from the balcony. On your way back, take a look at the gilded statue of Joan of Arc on place des Pyramides, a stone’s throw from the building.

The department stores’ windows and Christmas trees

The animated windows on boulevard Haussmann are a Parisian tradition. At Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, the windows and the famous tree beneath the dome will be unveiled on Thursday 12 November 2026 at 6 pm, on the theme “Au cœur de Noël”, devised by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. Right next door, Printemps Haussmann has chosen the theme “Noël bien tricoté”; the unveiling of its windows, planned for early November, has been postponed, and no new date had been announced at the time of writing. Printemps is also opening a rooftop ice rink from 7 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, free of charge with a booking.

Don’t miss the Galeries Lafayette panoramic terrace, open free of charge during store opening hours (it may close in bad weather). The view over the Opéra Garnier and the illuminated boulevard Haussmann is one of the finest in Paris at Christmas.

Closer to the apartment, ten minutes’ walk along the rue de Rivoli, La Samaritaine is worth a visit for its restored glass roof and Art Nouveau balconies. On the Left Bank, Le Bon Marché has already set up its “Village de Noël” (until 31 December), and the BHV unveils its windows on 17 November.

The lights: Champs-Élysées, place Vendôme and beyond

The Champs-Élysées should light up on Sunday 22 November 2026 and stay lit until the first days of January; the lights stay on all night on 24 and 31 December. New this year: after an absence of around ten years, a Christmas market returns to the lower end of the avenue, between the Concorde and the Rond-Point, from 22 November 2026 to 4 January 2027. From the rue de Rivoli, it is about a twenty-minute walk across the Tuileries and the place de la Concorde.

Place Vendôme, five minutes from the apartment via the rue de Castiglione, is decked out every year with decorations and illuminated facades. The 2026 dates were not yet known; last year, the illuminations were lit on 19 November and stayed up until 12 January.

Ice rinks, concerts and markets: more of our ideas

• The Grand Palais des Glaces, from 12 December 2026 to 6 January 2027: an ice rink beneath the glass roof of the Grand Palais, with three sessions a day (10 am-1 pm, 2 pm-7 pm and 8 pm-2 am), from €27 to €39 for an adult depending on the session, closing at 6 pm on 24 and 31 December.
• Christmas concerts at the Sainte-Chapelle, every evening from 18 to 31 December 2026, beneath the stained glass.
• The Notre-Dame Christmas market, in square René-Viviani, from 26 November to 27 December.
• The La Défense market, one of the largest in the Île-de-France region, from 12 November, twenty minutes away on line 1 with no change.

Our Christmas walk from the rue de Rivoli

Here is the route we recommend, in the late afternoon to make the most of the lights (allow about 4 km and two to three hours with stops):

1. Start at the Tuileries Christmas market, opposite the apartment.
2. Walk up the rue de Castiglione to place Vendôme and its illuminated facades.
3. Follow the rue de la Paix to the Opéra Garnier.
4. Cross over to boulevard Haussmann: the Printemps and Galeries Lafayette windows, then up to the terrace.
5. Head back down the avenue de l’Opéra to the Palais-Royal, and return via the rue de Rivoli.

New Year’s Eve in Paris

On New Year’s Eve, the big event is on the Champs-Élysées: a light show projected onto the Arc de Triomphe from 11.50 pm, followed by around ten minutes of fireworks at midnight. The event is free and the avenue opens to the public from 7 pm. Public transport is free from 5 pm on 31 December until noon on 1 January, but some stations near the Champs-Élysées close as early as 2 pm. From the apartment, the easiest option is to walk there through the Tuileries and the Concorde.

Frequently asked questions

Fancy spending Christmas in Paris with the Tuileries market right beneath your windows? Discover our rue de Rivoli apartment. And between walks, take your pick from our selection of winter 2026-2027 exhibitions.