Christmas in Paris 2026: The Elegant Insider's Guide (Lights, Markets, Réveillon Dinner)

Paris does not do Christmas loudly. It does it in layers: a lit avenue, a glass dome, a long dinner on the 24th that runs past midnight. If you are planning Christmas in Paris in 2026, this is the elegant version, with every date and price below checked on the official page on October 20, 2026. Where a 2026 detail has not been published yet, we say so, and tell you where to look.

Christmas in Paris 2026 at a Glance

• Champs-Élysées lights: November 22, 2026 to January 4, 2027, every evening from 5 p.m. to midnight, and all night on December 24 and 31. Free.
• Champs-Élysées Christmas market: back after ten years, November 22, 2026 to January 4, 2027.
• Notre-Dame Christmas market: November 26 to December 27, 2026, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Square René Viviani. Free.
• Réveillon dinners on December 24: from €150 at Fauchon L'Hôtel to €725 at the Ritz Paris's Espadon.
• School holidays: French Christmas school holidays run from Saturday, December 19, 2026 to Monday, January 4, 2027, so expect families and fuller museums in that window.

The Lights: When Paris Switches On

The Champs-Élysées

The official switch-on is Sunday, November 22, 2026. According to Paris je t'aime, the city's tourism office, the avenue will be lit from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde until January 4, 2027, from 5 p.m. to midnight each evening and all night on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. It is free. For the most beautiful view, walk it downhill from the Arc toward the Concorde after dinner, when the crowds thin and the trees seem to go on forever.

The Galeries Lafayette Dome

Every winter since 1976, Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann has installed a giant Christmas tree beneath its Art Nouveau glass Coupole, alongside animated windows on Boulevard Haussmann. The store has not yet published its 2026 theme or dates, so check its official page before you go. The insider move: arrive at opening on a weekday, look up from the ground floor, then take the escalators to the upper galleries for the view across the tree, the angle on our cover.

The Quiet Streets

Some of the loveliest December walks in Paris are the shortest: Avenue Montaigne and the streets around Place Vendôme, where the couture and jewelry houses dress their façades for the season, and the Île de la Cité at dusk. No ticket, no queue, just a good coat.

The Christmas Markets Worth Your Evening

Paris markets are less about mulled wine in plastic cups and more about a slow stroll between chalets. Three are confirmed for 2026 on their official pages:

• Champs-Élysées. After ten years away, the Champs-Élysées Christmas market returns from November 22, 2026 to January 4, 2027, open Monday to Thursday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. It closes early on December 24 (8 p.m.) and is closed on December 31.
• Notre-Dame. The most charming of the three: about 40 makers of French crafts and regional food in Square René Viviani, facing the cathedral, from November 26 to December 27, 2026, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Free entry.
• La Défense. The largest, on the business district's esplanade, runs from November 12 to December 31, 2026, according to the market's official page. Go for scale, not romance.

Réveillon: Where to Have Christmas Eve Dinner in Paris

In France, the main event is the réveillon de Noël, the long dinner on the evening of December 24. Palace hotels publish their menus early and the best tables go first. These were confirmed for Thursday, December 24, 2026 on each hotel's official page:

Ritz Paris

Two moods on Place Vendôme. At the Bar Vendôme, a five-course festive dinner with a pianist and singer, at €295 per person (7 to 10 p.m.). At the Michelin-starred Espadon, Chef Eugénie Béziat's six-course menu at €725 per person. Note the Espadon terms: free cancellation up to 30 days before, and a smart dress code throughout the hotel.

Hôtel Plaza Athénée

Le Relais Plaza serves a festive French dinner with desserts by Angelo Musa and live music, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m., at €430 per person or €580 with wine pairing. The dress code, per the hotel's 2026 festive booklet, is evening attire.

Mandarin Oriental, Paris

At Camélia, Chef Nina Haradji's single tasting menu (think langoustine, truffle, foie gras and Saint-Jacques) with music during the evening, at €298 per person excluding drinks, via the restaurant's official booking page.

Fauchon L'Hôtel Paris

The gourmand choice on Place de la Madeleine: a four-course réveillon at the Grand Café Fauchon for €150 per person excluding drinks, with prepayment at booking, and a three-course Christmas Day lunch on December 25 at €100, according to the hotel.

Staying through New Year's? Our guide to New Year's Eve in Paris 2026 covers the gala dinners, cabaret and the Seine.

Midnight Mass at Notre-Dame

Notre-Dame de Paris has not yet published its 2026 Christmas schedule. In its most recent published program, the cathedral held Masses in the late afternoon and evening of December 24, a musical vigil with its choir, and a Midnight Mass, with no reservation required and entry limited to available places. Check the cathedral's official site in late November, and arrive very early.

How to Do Christmas in Paris Elegantly

• Book December 24 first, then build the trip around it. Palace menus are already live.
• Pack for evening. "Evening attire" in a Paris palace means a long dress or a refined cocktail look, not jeans and a good blazer. Our black-tie Christmas party guide has the details.
• See the lights on a weeknight, and avoid the opening night on the Champs-Élysées unless you love crowds.
• Add one black-tie night. December is one of the richest months of the Paris social calendar; our overview of Paris galas in 2026 is the place to start.

Make It More Than a Trip

If you want December in Paris to include the rooms that are not on a tourist map, start with The Black-Tie Year: Paris, our calendar of 82 galas, balls and black-tie evenings in Paris and beyond, month by month. Pair it with Paris, Access Explained, which shows how entry to the city's cultural evenings really works, from the Opéra Garnier to the museums. Both are in our Paris collection, and every edition is on the Femme Jet Set guides page.

Christmas in Paris 2026: FAQ

When are the Christmas lights in Paris in 2026?

The Champs-Élysées lights are switched on on November 22, 2026 and stay on until January 4, 2027, from 5 p.m. to midnight, and all night on December 24 and 31, according to the Paris tourism office.

When are the Christmas markets in Paris in 2026?

Confirmed so far: La Défense from November 12 to December 31, the Champs-Élysées from November 22 to January 4, 2027, and Notre-Dame from November 26 to December 27, 2026.

How much is Christmas Eve dinner in Paris in 2026?

At the palace hotels we checked, from €295 (Ritz Paris, Bar Vendôme) to €725 (Espadon) per person, with Le Relais Plaza at €430 and Camélia at €298 excluding drinks. Fauchon L'Hôtel offers a réveillon at €150 excluding drinks.

Is Paris worth visiting at Christmas?

Yes, if you like the city quieter and more intimate: lit avenues, markets and long dinners. Plan around the school holidays (December 19 to January 4) and book your December 24 table early.

Cover photo: the Christmas tree under the dome of Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, by ErasmusOfParis, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.