Christmas and New Year Day In Paris
If you visit Palace of Versailles in Winter, you can also enjoy get a trip in Paris.
This page provides information about Christmas fun and entertainment family in Paris. There are lots of special events at Christmas time for kids and adults that make this an extra magical time of year with lots of fun and special moments together.
- Christmas Lights
- Outdoor activities at ice-rinks
- Carousels and The Big Wheel
- Christmas tree and Windows displays
- Christmas markets
- Christmas Nativity Scenes
Christmas Lights (illuminations) in Paris
The spectacular Christmas Lights in Paris are an awaited event for Parisians and tourists .
Luminous arches, incandescent flames, sparkling projections of light and Paris’s finest monuments illuminated at nightfall transform the avenues of the French capital. Paris become the ‘City of Light’ for 2 months.
From November to the beginning of January, the Christmas illuminations on the avenue des Champs-Élysées, on avenue Montaigne, in Place Vendôme, the Montmartre district, Bercy Village and in many other places across the city make Paris more magical than ever.
- Avenue des Champs-Élysées
Metro: Charles de Gaulle – Étoile / RER: Charles de Gaulle – Étoile - Avenue Montaigne
Metro: Alma – Marceau / RER: Pont de l’Alma - Place Vendôme
- Faubourg-Saint-Honoré
- Forum des Halles
Metro: Les Halles / RER: Châtelet – Les Halles
Back to top of Christmas and New Year Day in Paris
Outdoor activities at ice-rinks
- Ice Rink in front of the Hôtel de Ville (Paris City Hall)
Paris City Hall’s square
Metro: Hôtel de Ville / RER: Châtelet – Les Halles - Ice skating at the Grand Palais (Le Grand Palais des Glaces)
Grand Palais, Avenue Winston Churchill , Paris 75008
Metro: Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau / RER: Invalides - Charléty on snow : skating, skiing, sledding, zip lines, trampolines and climbing walls for 3-16 years old
Stade Charléty, 99 boulevard Kellermann, Paris 75013
Metro: Porte d’Italie / RER: Cité Universitaire
Back to top of Christmas and New Year Day in Paris
Carousels and The Big Wheel in the districts (arrondissements) of Paris
From Saturday 17th December 2016 to Monday 2ndJanuary 2017
- The Big Wheel on Place de la Concorde
Place de la Concorde, Paris 75008
Metro: Concorde / RER: Charles de Gaulle – Étoile - Carousel (Manège) Square Bonsergent
Square Bonsergent, place Bonsergent, Paris 75010
Metro: Porte d’Italie / RER: Cité Universitaire - Carousel (Manège) Square Willette
Square Willette, Paris 75013
Metro: Porte d’Italie / RER: Cité Universitaire - Carousel (Manège) Rue Belgrand
rue Belgrand, Paris 75020
Metro: Porte d’Italie / RER: Cité Universitaire - Carousel (Manège) Place du Bourg Tibourg
place du Bourg Tibourg, Paris 75004
Metro: Porte d’Italie / RER: Cité Universitaire - Carousel (Manège) square Saint-Médard
Square Saint-Médard, rue Censier, Paris 75005
Metro: Porte d’Italie / RER: Cité Universitaire - Carousel (Manège) Place Joffre
Place Joffre, Paris 75007
Metro: Porte d’Italie /RER: Cité Universitaire - Carousel (Manège) Place Lino Ventura
Place Lino Ventura, Paris 75009
Metro: Porte d’Italie / RER: Cité Universitaire - Carousel (Manège) Square du Père Chaillet
Square du Père Chaillet, place du Père Chaillet, Paris 75011
Metro: Porte d’Italie / RER: Cité Universitaire - Carousel (Manège) Place d’Italie
Place d’Italie, Paris 75013
Metro: Porte d’Italie / RER: Cité Universitaire - Carousel (Manège) Place du Trocadéro
Trocadéro square, Paris 75016
Metro: Trocadéro / RER: Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel - Carousel (Manège) Place Armand-Carrel
Place Armand Carrel, Paris 75019
Metro: Laumière - Carousel (Manège) Square du Temple
Square du Temple, Rue de Bretagne, Paris 75003
Metro: Temple - Carousel (Manège) Esplanade de la Gare Montparnasse
Gare TGV de Paris-Montparnasse, boulevard de Vaugirard, Paris 75014
Metro: Temple - Carousel (Manège) Place du Docteur Félix-Lobligeois
Place du Docteur Félix-Lobligeois, Paris 75017
Metro: Temple - Carousel (Manège) Place de la Mairie du 12e arrondissement
Mairie du 12e arrondissement, avenue Daumesnil, Paris 75012
Metro: Temple - Carousel (Manège) Place de l’Odéon
Place de l’Odéon, Paris 75006
Metro: Odéon / RER: Saint-Michel – Notre-Dame - Carousel (Manège) Place Saint-Sulpice
Place Saint-Sulpice, Paris 75006
Metro: Saint-Sulpice / RER: Saint-Michel – Notre-Dame - Carousel (Manège) Place de la Madeleine
Place de la Madeleine, Paris 75008
Metro: Madeleine - Carousel (Manège) corner of rue Didot and rue d’Alésia
Rue d’Alésia, Paris 75014
Metro: Madeleine
Back to top of Christmas and New Year Day in Paris
Christmas tree and Windows displays
- Inverted christmas tree in Galeries Lafayette
from Wednesday 2nd November 2017 to Wednesday 4th January 2018
40 boulevard Haussmann, Paris 75009
Metro: Chaussée d’Antin – La Fayette / RER: Auber - Windows displays at the big department stores
According to the tradition, the facades of Parisian department stores (Printemps Haussmann, Galeries Lafayette, BHV, Le Bon Marché) are adorned with festive decorations. Just walk along the windows displays to see these scenes layout with toys.
Back to top of Christmas and New Year Day in Paris
Christmas markets in Paris
Traditional and popular Christmas markets (marchés de Noël) are a major shopping event since November.
Originating in Alsace and Germany , Christmas markets have spread throughout Europe since the 1990s. You can find them all over the capital. Let’s have a hot spicy wine (vin chaud) for adults and hot chocolate for kids while walking in this magical Christmassy atmosphere.
It’s the perfect place to pick up Christmas decorations, festive objects, regional produce and arts & crafts … You will certainly find some original ideas for Christmas presents and ingredients to prepare a delicious Christmas meals.
- Gourmet Christmas Fair
Palais Brongniart, Place de la Bourse – Rue Notre-Dame des Victoires, Paris 75002
Metro: Bourse, Grands Boulevards - Christmas Market on the Champs-Elysées
Avenue des Champs-Élysées , Paris 75008
Metro: Charles de Gaulle – Étoile / RER: Charles de Gaulle – Étoile - Marché de Noël de la Place Saint Sulpice
Place Saint-Sulpice, Paris 75006
Metro: Saint-Sulpice / RER: Saint-Michel – Notre-Dame - Christmas Market at Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Saint-Germain-des-Prés square, Paris 75006
Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés - Christmas Market at Montparnasse
Gare de Paris Montparnasse, place Raoul-Dautry, Paris 75015
Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés - Christmas Market at Versailles
Town Center Versailles, avenue de Paris, Versailles 78000 - Christmas Market at Boulogne-Billancourt
Grand place, Boulogne-Billancourt 92100
Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés - Christmas Market at Abbesses
Place des Abbesses, Paris 75018
Metro: Abbesses - Christmas’ Village at Vincennes
Place Pierre Semard, Vincennes 94300
Metro: Abbesses - Solidarity know-how Fair (Foire des savoir-faire solidaires)
Parvis de la Basilique royale de Saint-Denis, rue de la Légion-d’Honneur, Saint-Denis 93200
Metro: Abbesses - The Féeries d’Auteuil
Apprentis d’Auteuil, 40 rue Jean de La Fontaine, Paris 75016
Metro: Jasmin - Christmas Market at Montmartre
Place du Tertre, Paris 75018
Metro : Abbesses, Lamarck – Caulaincourt - Christmas Market at La Défense
Parvis de La Défense, Courbevoie – La Défense 92400
Metro : Abbesses, Lamarck – Caulaincourt - Alsacien Christmas Market at Est Station (Gare de l’Est)
Parvis de la Gare de l’Est, place du 11-Novembre 1918, Paris 75010
Metro : Abbesses, Lamarck – Caulaincourt
Back to top of Christmas and New Year Day in Paris
Christmas Nativity Scenes (crèches de Noël)
Nativity scenes are installed in Parisian churches. Figures range from small to life-size and these figurative and poetic scenes may be animated, inspired by local life are even be given a new look by contemporary artists.
Every year, Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, the Madeleine church, and Basilique Sacré-Coeur welcome new Nativity scenes. Whether they be traditional, baroque or modern, these veritable works of art welcome a large number of visitors.
The Fééries d’Auteuil invite visitors to see not just one but several Nativity scenes, which are all part of original exhibitions.
- Christmas Nativity Scenes in Saint-Joseph-Artisan
Paroisse Saint Joseph-Artisan, 214 rue La Fayette, Paris 75010
Metro: Louis Blanc / RER: Gare du Nord – Magenta - Christmas Nativity Scenes in basilique du Sacré-Cœur
La Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre, 35 rue du Chevalier de la Barre, Paris 75018
Metro: Anvers - Christmas Nativity Scenes in la Madeleine church
Eglise de la Madeleine, Place de la Madeleine, Paris 75008
Metro: Madeleine / RER: Auber - Christmas Nativity Scenes in Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, 6 place du Parvis Notre-Dame, Paris 75004
Metro: Cité / RER: Saint-Michel – Notre-Dame - The Féeries d’Auteuil
Apprentis d’Auteuil, 40 rue Jean de La Fontaine, Paris 75016
Metro: Jasmin