A Quick Guide to Christmas Markets in Paris

Looking for some festive gifts for everyone on your holiday list? Check out our 3 favorite Christmas markets in Paris to get all your shopping done!

The most wonderful time of the year is upon us once again in Paris! Whether you’re lucky enough to live among us in the City of Lights, or fortunate enough to find yourself here on holiday, we’ve comprised the perfect guide to true Parisian Christmas markets for your pleasure!
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Of course, as we all know, the bests gifts are shared experiences with our loved ones. So, before you lighten your wallets at these fabulous Parisian markets, we recommend looking into our sensational theatre offerings that are sure to bring a smile to all on your gift list this year! With shows like Grease, I Love Piaf and Molière’s The Miser, you truly can’t go wrong, especially with tickets starting at only 25€. However, if you’re looking for some unique Parisian goods to bring back from your trip or home to your loved ones, Paris Christmas markets are the place to go. From the famous soaps of the south of France, artisan handcrafts, and the best of French holiday foods, there’s sure to be something for everyone. Here are our three favourite places to find them.

The Saint Ouen Christmas Flea Market in Paris

Marché Dauphine - 138-140 Rue des rossiers 93400 St Ouen
Open Sat/Sun 9am - 6pm, Mon 10am - 6pm

A little off the beaten track of traditional Christmas markets (as it in fact runs year round), the Saint-Ouen Flea Market houses the Marché Dauphine, which prides itself on being the largest antiques market in the world. It has 1700+ merchants, including 1400 antique dealers. Surrounding it are more modern vendors where one can find knock-offs and hidden gems alike; shoes, bags and clothes from brands like Hermes, Nike, Adidas, and more. There are also some nice scarf shops where you can find cashmere scarves for only 10 euros, pas mal ah? Once you weed through these shops, you will find yourself in the true antique section of the market which has practically any cool thing you could dream up, including antique guitars, watches, refurbished gas pumps, books, clothes, bags, furniture, the list goes on, in true Paris flea market style.

Christmas Village on the Esplanade at La Défense

Parvis de la Défense 92400 Paris La Défense
Open Mon-Thurs 11am - 8pm, Fri/Sat 10am - 10pm

The Christmas Village on La Défense esplanade is one of the classic go-to Christmas markets in all of Paris. In fact, it’s the largest Christmas market in the Ile-de-France region, extending over 10,000 square metres. This rightly-named village features more than 300 traditional French wooden chalets, some displaying festive decorations and others housing mouth watering food and drink such as raclette, French chocolate and tartiflettes. The vendors in the village feature traditional Christmas decorations, pottery, clothes, personalized jewelry etc. Along with finding the perfect Parisian Christmas-themed gifts for those on your list, you can also take part in a game of curling with friends and family!

Saint Germain des Près Christmas Market

Place Saint Germain des Près, 75006 Paris

The Marché de Noël (Christmas market, for our anglophones), of Saint Germain des Prés is one of the longest-running markets during Christmastime in Paris. This year it will run from Mid-November 2017 to early January 2018, so whenever your travels find you in Parisnever fear, Christmas shopping is already (or still?) here! Under the iconic shadow of the historic Saint-Germain-des-Prés church, one of Paris’ oldest, sit 25 chalets adorned with Christmas decorations and elaborate light displays, equipped with nativity scene and all! Here you can find a unique range of local French produce, arts and crafts, perfect for under the tree.

If you're looking to give the gift of French theatre, all you need to do is check out our lineup of fabulous French shows with no language barrier (in French with English subtitles, or Parisian shows in English; or even shows with no dialogue, then send us an email at contact@theatreinparis.com to request a gift certificiate. :) See you at the theatre