Everything you need to know to celebrate Christmas in Paris in 2025

Paris under the snow at Christmas is rare but magnificent when it happens. In any case, there will be avalanches: of gifts, of lights, of festivities!

The Christmas Eve is still a well-established institution in French society, and the capital takes advantage of it to annually reaffirm its status as the City of Light with a constant effort to keep up with the times. Indeed, thanks to technological innovations, the decorations are more beautiful each year, but also much more energy-efficient.

The department stores compete in ingenuity and beauty in decorating their windows. Stroll near the two temples of fashion and luxury, the Galeries Lafayette and the Printemps Haussmann, where magic happens for both the big and the small.

In December, ice rinks bloom in every corner of Paris, and few visitors know that you can also skate 58 meters high, on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower. The Christmas markets are no longer the exclusive domain of Eastern cities, mainly Strasbourg. In every corner of Paris, mulled wine with cinnamon is in the spotlight.

Christmas in Paris is an opportunity for visitors to enjoy an atypical Christmas Eve dinner, in the best Parisian restaurants but also aboard a Seine cruise, comfortably seated in front of panoramic windows, admiring the parade of the most beautiful Christmas lights and decorations! The cruises are, of course, heated. However, we suggest you take the risk of stepping out onto the decks of the boats to feel the delightfully chilly breeze along the water. On December 24th, the cabarets of the capital are also a very nice option to warm up after a day of shopping on the Champs-Elysées or wandering in the parks of Paris.

To celebrate Christmas Eve on a boat, in a restaurant, or in a cabaret, discover all our Christmas offers.