From window shopping at grand Magasins to exploring Christmas markets with a steaming cup of vin chaud & seasonal delights – discover the best of Paris in winter
Paris, often hailed as the city of art and fashion, takes on a magical allure during the Christmas season. Discover what makes this city one of the best places to visit and uncover a selection of famous Parisian landmarks and attractions that attract visitors year-round.
In this guide, I will provide a concise overview of the unique experiences to explore in Paris in winter. These include visiting some of the famous landmarks, embracing old-school festive glamour, basking in the sparkling light displays, immersing yourself in the magic of Christmas markets, and savouring the church concerts that Paris offers during the winter season.
Paris remains an enticing year-round destination, with each season offering its unique charm. However, winters in Paris infuse the French capital with an added layer of romance. The nights grow longer, the weather turns brisk, and the City of Light elevates its enchantment by enveloping everything in a radiant glow.
During this season, Paris becomes a beacon of brilliance, with dazzling decorations illuminating every city district. Twinkling bulbs, festive decor, and captivating window displays adorn the streets, making the city a thousand times brighter. The vibrancy of Christmas markets elevates the experience, offering an opportunity to discover exquisite gifts for your loved ones.
Parisian locals are energetic, luxurious stores aglow with colourful Noël displays, restaurants are filled with seasonal delights – there’s so much you could see & do in every corner – that it’s hard to describe the magical sight of Paris in winter.
What’s the Weather like in Paris in Winter
When visiting Paris in December, anticipate chilly and cold weather, albeit relatively mild for the season. Average temperatures typically range from 7°C (44°F) with lows of around 3°C (37°F). In January, Paris remains cold, but there are occasional sunny days.
Temperatures during January can fluctuate between 5°C and 7°C, providing a mix of wintry conditions with occasional brighter spells.
Snow in Paris is rare, especially in December – but you can expect cloudy days with occasional rainfalls and sleeting. It can get frosty in the night though – so ensure you pack winter wear accordingly.
Paris offers an abundance of cosy indoor havens, including cafés, restaurants, museums, and theatres, where you can escape the cold and find your perfect spot to warm up and unwind.
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Reasons Why You Need to Visit Paris in Winter
Magical Christmas Markets
An outdoor Christmas market is an integral part of the festive season, and over the past few decades, they have proliferated across Europe, becoming an annual tradition in many cities, including Paris.
And no visit to Paris during the winter season is truly complete without immersing yourself in the charm of its lively and elegant Christmas markets. As you wander through the city’s streets, you’ll encounter an array of shops and stalls offering an enticing assortment of festive treats, local delicacies, and decorative treasures to lift up the holiday spirit.
Moreover, shopping in Paris during the festive season is a delightful experience that encompasses a wide range of offerings. From savoring some of the finest cheeses and delectable French biscuits to perusing local tree decorations and wooden gifts, your shopping adventures in the city are sure to be filled with delightful discoveries.
Here’s a short list of my personal favourite Christmas markets in Paris –
La Défense
La Défense, one of the largest Christmas markets in Paris, offers an incredible festive experience. With over 350 food and craft stalls, this market sprawls across an impressive 13,000 square meters. Visitors can immerse themselves in the holiday spirit and explore the market’s offerings, which run from November 25th to December 29th, 2023.
La Magie de Noël, Tuileries Garden
La Magie de Noël, or “The Magic of Christmas,” which evolved from the former Champs-Élysées Christmas Market, is among the most beautiful markets in Paris. This market unfolds across the picturesque gardens of Tuileries and features over 100 stalls offering a delectable array of treats, including roasted chestnuts, mulled wine, classic wine, and traditional onion soup.
You can also enjoy attractions like an ice rink, a towering Christmas tree, and an elaborately decorated fairground designed to captivate the hearts of children. The market’s festive atmosphere and diverse offerings make it a must-visit during the holiday season in Paris.
Marché de Noël, Notre Dame
Nestled next to the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral, Marché de Noël is a charming little market that showcases Parisian-style goods and delights. It’s an ideal destination, particularly if you’re seeking French-produced speciality food items, artisan crafts such as mosaics and raku (Japanese pottery), and an array of local cuisine offerings. This picturesque market offers a taste of both tradition and creativity, making it a delightful place to explore during the festive season in Paris.
There’s also the Alsatian Christmas Market, in Gare de l’Est, Trocadéro Christmas Market near Palace of Chaillot, Abbesses Christmas Market in Montmartre and the Le Village de Noël at Les Halles – all adding up a perfect Christmas market experience.
The Louvre Museum
One of the most exquisite experiences when visiting Paris in winter is the opportunity to have the Louvre Museum all to yourself. This season offers the perfect chance to leisurely explore the museum’s galleries, rooms, reception halls, and magnificent paintings without the bustling crowds. During the peak tourist season, the Louvre Museum can become quite congested, which can detract from the overall experience.
During the winter season, when the Louvre Museum sees fewer visitors, you can enjoy the luxury of strolling at your own pace. Take your time to peruse the museum’s classic highlights, including the world-renowned Mona Lisa painting, and explore every section at your leisure.
The winter season in Paris also brings forth additional attractions within the Louvre Museum to tempt you. Café Richelieu, located near the Richelieu Wing, beckons visitors to indulge in a delightful breakfast, lunch, or tea. The café is particularly renowned for its delectable dark chocolate, making it a must-try treat during your visit.
Pleasures of Window Shopping
Paris truly shines as a show-stopper during the Christmas season, with its penchant for dressing up in style. The city’s major department stores go all out to create captivating store displays and host grand-themed celebrations, ensuring that their window displays are nothing short of unique and enchanting.
The artistry and creativity that Paris invests in its festive decorations and store windows contribute to the city’s reputation as a world-class destination for experiencing the magic of Christmas. From Hollywood glamour to enchanting tales like Beauty and the Beast, the creativity behind these themes knows no bounds. These thematic displays incorporate a mesmerizing blend of lights, animations, special effects, music, and a generous sprinkling of snow and sparkle.
You can expect to see most of the décor from early November till the end of the year. The one that you should look out for – is the departmental stores on Boulevard Haussmann. Home to some of Paris’s most pleasing home décor, fashion boutiques, and gourmet food – the window displays are on-spot with their Christmas game.
Other departmental stores like Galeries Lafayette and Printemps have a footprint to elaborate unique Christmas decorations and window displays. Additionally, it would be best if you didn’t miss exploring Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche and BHV Marais.
All this exploration during the winters of Paris makes it worthwhile!
Recommended: What to Wear in Paris in Winter: A Complete Clothing Guide & Packing List
Marvel at Christmas Lights
During the festive season, the City of Light (literally) becomes the City of Fairy Lights! The whole of Paris goes into an illumination of glittering lights and colorful decorations. Each area of the district is decorated in such a splendid way, to create a luminous city wanting to be explored and enjoyed.
Trees lined up along the Champs Elysées are draped with millions of light bulbs. Usually, they’re illuminated between 6 pm and 2 am each night, but usually turned on an entire night on the eve of Christmas and New Year’s. Along with the wonderful lighting scenes, the stores around the corner near Champs Elysées fancy up their Christmas merry with their amazing store displays.
Moreover, you can head straight to Boulevard Hausmann to see a huge line-up of Christmas decorations. The high-end boutique stores of Rue Faubourg-St-Honoré and Avenue Montaigne are also worth a visit. Lastly, visit the Bercy Village for an eye-catching experience of 1200 sparkling umbrellas hung up on a ceiling.
Whether you’re window shopping or strolling around – the streets of Paris will definitely please your eyes!
Nativity Scenes in Paris at Christmas
Christmas is incomplete without experiencing the actual traditions of the Catholic religion. More than the lights & décor, it’s a moment of celebration that marks the birth of Jesus Christ. And there are no better places in Paris, to view nativity traditions in one of the churches.
Popularly, Notre-Dame Cathedral is a perfect place to marvel at its architecture along with its nativity traditions. In the pre-covid era, the cathedral attracted over 2 million visitors from the first Advent Sunday to Candlemas. As you explore the place, you’ll find a crib set up on the Northern ambulatory of Notre Dame. Hundreds of small statues are placed around the crib, displaying a new theme every year.
Additionally, you should also visit the Saint-François-Xavier, Saint-Germain-L’Auxerrois, and La Madeleine Church to witness more of the nativity traditions in Paris.
Musical Concerts
Attending a concert is one of the best things to do in Paris in winter. Some of the city’s architectural giants hold amazing festive events around Christmas. Many of the beautiful and historic churches of Paris hosts regular music performances to attract tourists all around the world.
Most of the classical music concerts happen in the churches of Saint-Germain des Prés, Saint‐Eustache, and La Madeleine. The famous of all is the Sainte Chapelle, known for its stained glass windows covering over 600 square meters.
These are limited-performance events and likely get sold out fast. So book early if you want to grab a seat!
Visit this website to check a full-calendar program for all Christmas Concerts in Paris.
Château de Versailles
Wintertime in Paris brings out the least crowd into the iconic Château de Versailles. Being one of the landmarks of Paris, this UNESCO World Heritage Site often pulls in the maximum tourists every year, across all seasons. If you travel during the summer, spring, or early fall period – you often get to sense the palace being an amusement park. Crowds are queued up in large numbers to explore a series of rooms inside the Château de Versailles.
Having said that, the best time to visit the palace is during the winter season of Paris. You’ll be treated with a quieter ambience, with less crowds across the Château de Versailles. Make the most of your time to explore the corridors and public accessible rooms at your leisurely place.
Wander through the Hall of Mirrors, marvel at the incredible chandeliers, and spectate beautiful lined gardens located on the outdoor grounds. Having less visitors, also mean more time to browse through a wide range of masterpiece paintings made by renowded artists.
Christmas on the Seine
What could be more special than spending Christmas Eve on the Seine River Cruise. Especially, when you’re getting carried away by the sights of Paris, with a classic French meal & champagne.
Having a dinner cruise on the night of 24 December is an unusual way to celebrate Christmas, but nowadays you see more travelers preferring niche ways to spend their time. Ideally, this could be something that you could choose to experience whilst soaking in the nightlife scenes of Paris’s famous landmarks.
With plenty of options to select from cheap and luxury cruises, you could book any departure throughout the evening. For more details, check out the catalog here.
Try Ice Skating
Ice-skating may not be a popular bucket-list experience for some of the visitors, but come to Christmas Time – it’s a must-do activity. The festive season in Paris brings out numerous family-friendly events and activities for you to indulge in, but the most popular remain – ice skating and ornate old-style carousels.
You could find most of the ice-skating rinks in some truly impressive locations, including one right under the Eiffel Tower. There’s no entry fee to ice rinks, however, if you’d be charged on renting skates.
Many of the popular rinks are conveniently located next to the Christmas markets, so you can always enjoy a mug of hot chocolate once you get off the ice.
Traditional Festive Treats
What would be Christmas without hogging onto delicious festive delights? If you’ve had a hard day shopping in Paris, then head out to the vibrant Christmas markets of Paris to spoil yourself with scrumptious Christmas sweets.
Many of the markets are lined up with restaurants and bars, extending their festive offers with amazing deals. From rich chocolates, and local cheese to world-class wines & beers – enjoy the gastronomical side of the city.
The one thing that you shouldn’t miss out on at any cost – is a steaming cup of vin chaud. A popular French staple that involves dry red wine, sugar, orange, and fragrant spices. You can almost find this on sale across bars and nearby Christmas markets. The drink is often served in a commemorative mug for which you need to pay a small deposit – and can take home as a souvenir.
Another festive treat that you ought to try – is the Bûche de Noël. These are sponge cakes coated with chocolate buttercream, which is rich in flavor. You can get them either whole or sliced at any of the city’s patisseries.
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Sip Hot Chocolate
Sipping down a cup of hot chocolate in Paris in winter is one of the best experiences you could have. For starters, head to Angelina on the Rue de Rivoli for a rich, flavorsome Chocolat Chaud that will leave you amazed with its thick layered chocolate. For a simple yet toothsome experience, treat yourself with Jacques Genin’s pure and delicious hot chocolate – made from rich cocoa and whole milk.
Disneyland Paris
For a more enchanting experience with family, visit Disneyland Paris to celebrate the festive season of Christmas. Located just outside the city, Disneyland is known to put up a festive show with some of the grandest of parades, shows, markets, and illumination displays.
You could see all the lanes and streets within the park draped with gorgeous decorations and lightings. Plus, your favorite Disney characters will make it even more special.
A normal day trip ticket would cost you around €59–94 for adults and €54–86 for children. Although, it depends on the date that you choose – so make sure you check their updated pricing on the website. You can travel via the Disneyland Paris Express from the Gare du Nord for a more convenient travel mode.
Hope this guide helped you, in deciding which places to visit & what activities to experience in Paris. If you have any more suggestions, do use the comment box below.
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Further Readings & Resources
Slovenia – Lake Bled Slovenia: The Most Beautiful Lake in Europe
Europe – 10 Day Europe Itinerary: Germany, Belgium & France to Ireland
Italy – Top Places to Visit in Italy: Discover Best Attractions & Experiences
Greece – 15 Amazing Things To Do On The Greek Island Of Santorini
