Paris at Christmas is pure romance. The boulevards glitter, the department stores unveil their windows, and the whole city feels lit from within. You do not need to be there on Christmas Day, the magic runs all season. Here is how I would plan it.
Start with the Champs-Élysées lights and the grand holiday window displays at Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, complete with a giant tree under the Galeries dome. Stroll the Christmas markets (the Tuileries market is a favorite), go ice skating, and warm up with vin chaud and roasted chestnuts along the way.
The classics feel extra magical now: the tree and lights near Notre-Dame, a warm café on a cold afternoon, and the shop-lined arcades. Everything I love about the city, from Montmartre to the café culture, is only cozier in December.
The holidays are one of the most magical, and busiest, times to visit Paris, so the best hotels and tables book up early. I secure the right stay, the reservations, and a route that captures the sparkle, through my trusted local partners on the ground. Because it is a long-haul flight, it is worth reading whether business class is worth it for the trip over.
The famous Christmas markets at Rathausplatz, Schönbrunn and Belvedere, glühwein, and holiday concerts.
Read the guide →The Oxford Street lights, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, Christmas markets, and ice skating.
Read the guide →St. Peter’s Square, Rome’s Piazza Navona market, the alpine markets of the north, and La Befana.
Read the guide →