Jardin des Tuileries Christmas Market in Paris

Last Updated on 28th October 2024 by Sophie Nadeau

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For festive fun in Paris, you need to look no further than the further palace turned public park in the heart of the city. Faux snow and all the vin chaud, if you want to visit a Christmas market in the heart of the city, then the Jardin des Tuileries Christmas Market in Paris is the largest winter fair in the French capital.

Home to over a hundred wooden style chalets, this festive fair is known as La Magie de Noël (The Magic of Christmas). Here’s your ultimate guide on how to visit this French Christmas Market, as well as what to buy and what to avoid.

2023 Jardin des Tuileries Christmas market dates: Saturday 18th November – Sunday 7th January 2024

Market open times: Monday to Thursday 11 AM – 11:45 PM, Friday and Saturday 11 AM – 00:45 AM, Sunday 10 AM – 10 PM. The Market is closed on the 25th of December.

Introducing La Magie de Noël aux Tuileries, the biggest Christmas Market in Paris

In previous years, the market has been held along the Champs Élysées. However, a disagreement between the organisers and the City meant that in 2017, the market was cancelled completely.

As the Jardin des Tuileries is under a different body than the Champs, an agreement was made and the popular Christmas market has since been relocated (the entire situation is very complex).

Although there is much controversy surrounding the market, one thing is clear: the Christmas market along the iconic shopping avenue was unbelievably popular. After all, some estimates suggest that the festive fair along the Champs Élysées attracted up to thirteen million visitors on an annual basis!

First operated in 2018, 2019 marked the second year that there’s ‘La Magie de Noël aux Tuileries’. Since the Market was cancelled in 2020, 2023 will mark the 5th edition of this Christmas Market.

Visit the Jardin des Tuileries Christmas Market now, and you can expect to find winter favourites such as an ice skating rink, over a hundred chalets selling all manner of French cuisine foodstuffs, gifts, and wine, as well as plenty of fairground rides. In fact, 80% of the products sold are of French origin.

The park is even home to the largest Christmas tree in Paris! In total, there are over 100 Bavarian-style wooden chalets, serving up a whole range of traditional goods and produce. Check here for our guide to the best Christmas Market food.

The focus of the biggest Christmas market in Paris this year is on French produce, with 80% of the edible products, crafts, and artisanal gifts for sale originating in l’Hexagone.

For those who are looking for a more traditional take on Christmas markets, there’s sever beautiful carousels which make for perfect photos. For even more merry-go-rounds, here’s a guide to finding the best carousels in Paris.

How to visit the Jardin des Tuileries Christmas Market

The closest metro stations are Tuileries (line 1) and Concorde (line 1, 8 & 12) and the market is held in the Jardin des Tuileries in the 1st arrondissement of the city.

Entrances to the market can be found at various points around the park; along Rue de Rivoli, at Place de la Concorde, and in the park itself to name but a few. I personally enjoy heading to the market in the evening as the lights are simply gorgeous and give a cosy feel to the entire funfair/ market.

Entrance is free, although you’ll have to pay for the rides and, of course, you have to pay for the ice rink. The Christmas fair is held in exactly the same place as the summer fair of the Jardin des Tuileries.

Nearby, you’ll find tourist favourites such as Rue de Rivoli, Palais Royal (home to the Colonnes de Buren), and the Louvre Museum. If you want to avoid many of the crowds which inevitably visit at peak times, then be sure to visit earlier in the day and mid-week if possible.

While the winter season in Paris is much quieter than the rest of the year, it is still Paris. Around a ten-minute stroll away, a much smaller and lesser-known Christmas fair takes place, that of the Canopée des Halles. For even more festive Paris, be sure to check out our guide to the best Christmas Markets in Paris.

Though the market is well worth a visit, if only to say you’ve been to a Christmas Market in Paris, it’s worth noting that the prices are fairly high, especially for food products. Unlike a traditional Christmas Market, the Tuileries market has more of a commercial feel and is completely overpriced.

For example, a traditional Bretzel with toppings is around €8, while a glass of vin chaud clocks in at around €5. Cash is recommended since not all the sellers accept card.

Unlike in German Christmas Markets, French Christmas Markets serve their vin chaud in a plastic cup and you can’t get your deposit back on the cup at the Jardin des Tuileries market. It’s worth noting that the Jardin des Tuileries Christmas Market was featured in the 2021 Netflix French Language miniseries Christmas Flow.

Elsewhere in the 1st arrondissement of the city, you’ll soon discover many things to do and attractions that will fill your time in Paris to the fullest.

After all, the heart of the City of Love is where you can find the likes of the Louvre Museum (i.e. where the Mona Lisa is to be found), the former palace turned government complex of Palais-Royal, and the Musée de l’Orangerie, where Monet’s famed waterlilies can be admired.

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