I love Christmas! I am obsessed with all the decorations, music, gift giving, food, and most importantly, spending time with loved ones. I love it so much that the souvenirs I collect from each new place I visit are Christmas ornaments. Our Christmas tree is absolutely hideous with all the mismatched decorations, but it’s a lovely trip down memory lane when unpacking them each year.

Due to having forced time off work for the holidays, alot of my overseas travel has been during November and December. So, naturally I have visited quiet a few Christmas markets in my time, and I’ve even been lucky enough to experience a white Christmas; a nice contrast to the 40 degree weather we experience at home. Reflecting on all these trips, I have pulled together my top 5 destinations for Christmas markets (so far…), plus a few honourable mentions at the end.

1. Paris, France

Paris is my number 1 all time favourite place for Christmas markets. From November to January they can be found all over the city, with some having gorgeous landmark backdrops like the Eiffel Tour and Notre-Dame.

I visited La Magie de Noel (The Magic of Christmas), Tuileries Garden Christmas Markets in December 2018. Located between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde, the markets feature over 100 Swiss-style chalet stalls selling specialty food & drinks, artisan crafts, gifts, and more. There are also carnival rides with an enormous ferris wheel, ice skating rink, and numerous Christmas themed rides to enjoy. This includes a very unique zombie Santa ride and haunted house (photo 4 below) which I have not seen anything like since!

With the Tuileries Garden Christmas Markets being the largest winter fair in Paris, floods of people attend every year. Despite the crowds I was still able to stop and browse the different stalls without feeling rushed. I was also able to grab a table to sit and eat a very decadent chocolate crepe (so yummy I could have eaten 5!); paired with a delicious mulled wine it was perfect for warming me up in the 5 degree temperatures. And yes… I did also get into Parisian fashion and bought myself a beret (a red one because it was Christmas), a purchase I am still very happy with today.

Location: Tuileries Garden (Jardin des Tuileries), Paris.

2. Oslo, Norway

Following closely behind Paris is Oslo’s Jul i Vinterland! Located in the heart of the city there are extensive stalls for shopping gifts, clothing, toys, and much more. There is also an equally large amount of food stalls serving everything from traditional Norwegian cuisine to Indian and Mexican street food. There are absolutely magical lights and decorations (making it Instagram worthy) dressing up the streets, as well as snow sculptures created by local artists to admire.

Some of my highlights were sipping hot chocolate around one of the many fire pits (perfect in the sub zero temperatures), feasting on Bratwurst cooked on large outdoor grills, taking in the city views from the ferris wheel, and attempting to ice skate in the central rink (although I fell on my face ALOT).

Location: Spikersuppa Ice Rink, Oslo.

3. Vancouver, Canada

I visited the Vancouver Christmas Markets in December 2023, which are German themed and have unique features I have not seen elsewhere. Located in Canada Place, the markets stretch across the harbour wall and have amazing views across Coal Harbour. What makes the markets unique is that there is a multi-story timber hut; the bottom level contains a bar, in the middle is a live music stage, and there’s a nativity scene on the top level. Beautiful carols were played by a string quarter which could be heard no matter where you were in the market. This added to the cosy festive vibes.

With a gigantic tree in the centre, there are over 90 artisan huts with handmade gifts, decorations, food, spirits, artwork, soaps, jewellery and more! You can also indulge in Gluhwein (mulled wine), German beers, and a gourmet selection of sweet and savoury treats. I was like a kid in a candy shop looking at all the handmade glass Christmas ornaments; I broke my rule of buying only one collectable decoration per place, instead bringing home three… (oops!).

The markets are also great for kids (or kids at heart), with an ornate carousel, market-wide scavenger hunts, Christmas lights, and of course the opportunity to meet Santa.

Tip: there is an entry fee for the Vancouver Christmas Markets which you can pre-purchase through their website. I recommend doing so to avoid queueing for entry.

Location: Jack Poole Place, Canada Place, Vancouver.

4. Dubrovnik, Croatia

The Dubrovnik Winter Festival was always going to make it into the top 5 based on its location alone! The festival is spread across multiple locations in Dubrovnik, however the markets in the Old Town are special as they are set against the backdrop of the city’s medieval walls and architecture. The majority of stalls I browsed were for food (I was starving) and they offered many local festive treats like smokvenjak (fig cake) and rakija (fruit brandy). I tried the phenomenal fritule, which are mini fried donuts and pared perfectly with mulled wine.

There is live music and plenty of tables dotted around to sit and enjoy festivities, and more importantly each had their own outdoor heaters so you could really sit back and relax outdoors in the icy weather.

Tip: Dubrovnik’s Old Town is surrounded by high city walls. I strongly recommend going for a walk along the top (entry is 35 euros) to take in all the beautiful scenery and Christmas lights from above!

Location: Stradun, Old Town, Dubrovnik.

5. New York City

When Googling the best Christmas activities in Manhattan the most popular recommendations are the Macy’s window displays and Rockefeller Centre. While on a solo trip to New York in 2022 I attempted to do both of these, but because of the crowds I couldn’t even get a small glimpse at the Macy’s display, and Rockefeller Centre was so packed with people it was unbearable.

If you are like me and loathe being in big crowds, and can’t stand getting shoved around, then I suggest heading to the Bryant Park Christmas Markets. While exploring the city I visited 6 different markets and I found the ones at Bryant Park to be the prettiest, most charming, and most centrally located.

You can pick up all sorts of items in the 60+ stalls, and there are loads of yummy treats to snack on aswell. Other attractions include an ice skating rink (which is free if you have skates), a massive Christmas tree like Rockefeller Centre, igloos to relax in, and even a curling rink. While the markets are still busy, you can wander at your own pace and browse all the charming, hand-made decorations.

Tip: In the photo gallery I included a picture of the Christmas markets in Times Square. A lot of the goodies on offer there can also be found in Bryant Park, however purely because of the Times Square backdrop I think its worth giving these a quick visit too.

Location: Bryant Park, New York

Honourable Mentions

London, England

The Hyde Park Winter Wonderland Festival is a huge carnival that runs for 6 weeks over the Christmas period. It’s packed full of different rides and activities for kids, with the usual carnival style foods on offer.

I would say that the festival is very much geared towards kids and young families, which is great if that’s what you are searching for. I however found it to be a little too repetitive and not enough to see and do for adults. I also found that the hard plastic flooring which covered the grass, preventing you from walking on the wet ground, didn’t actually stop mud and puddles from coming up everywhere. So, I’d recommend wearing shoes you don’t care for or waterproof boots when visiting – not white sneakers like I did…

Monaco

Monaco’s Christmas Village is located alongside Port Hercules and can be enjoyed from December to early January. There is an ice skating rink along with Santa’s workshop for the kids, fantastic food stalls, and home-made Monegasque treasures to take home as souvenirs.

It’s unique setting among the luxurious yachts that make Monaco famous is definitely worth seeing, however I did find that there were numerous shops across the city where you could find more Christmas treasures (don’t worry, I’m not referring to Rolex or the other designer stores). There are also fantastic decorations adorning popular landmark spots, like the Monte-Carlo Casino, so it’s well worth taking a stroll around the city.

Glasgow, Scotland

Last, but certainly not least, on our honourable mentions list is the Glasgow Winterfest. Located in the heart of the city, and much like all of the above, the markets had a range of artisan gift and street food stalls. What made these markets special was the amount of local art being showcased. You could either purchase directly from different vendors, or watch and admire as the artists themselves created new pieces in person. There was even street artists who covered the pavement in all kinds of spectacular scenes and optical illusions.