This post is all about the best things to do in December in Paris.
Paris is always a good idea! The city is packed with amazing things to do.
From the Eiffel Tower to the Champs-Élysées, Paris is a place where you can find any kind of experience. On top of that add the magical Christmas spirit, and you have yourself a great holiday!
You’ll be able to experience the holiday cheer, snuggle in warm cozy clothes, explore the city, stopping for a hot chocolate at Angelina. It’s going to be amazing!
December is a great time to visit the French capital. Besides the many sights to see, this is also a great time to visit Paris. There are numerous events taking place, and Christmas markets to experience during this month as well.
So you won’t have to worry about finding something interesting to do with friends and family on Christmas Day! Paris has something for everyone, whether you are traveling solo or with friends and family.
Keep reading to plan your Paris trip to have the best time ever!
The City of Light; A Beautiful, Magical Place in December
If you are in Paris this Christmas, here are the 7 things you should do during this Christmas season!
Christmas activities in Paris this time of year
Go Ice Skating
In The Tuileries Gardens
Nothing is more Christmassy than going ice skating! Imagine if you could do that in the center of Paris for example in the Tuilerie gardens, just a few steps away from the Louvre. The ice rink at The Tuileries Gardens is one of the best things to do in Paris during winter. It is a perfect place to go ice skating with friends and family.
You can even get a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower whilst ice skating. What more would you want?
The ice ring is around 500 square meters, and it’s not the only attraction in the gardens.
If ice skating is not your cup of tea, you’ll be pleased to know that the ring is located in the middle of a Christmas market. So you’ll have your share of Christmas spirit.
The Tuileries Garden is one of the most beautiful and central parks in Paris, and it is also the largest. Once you’re done ice skating, you should go and have a look at the large carousel near the Louvre museum. It was built in 1867 and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Paris.
To get there, get off at the metro station Tuilerie on line 1.
On top of the Montparnasse tower
Another great place to go ice skating is on the 56th floor of the Montparnasse tower. This might not have been on your list of places to visit. However, this is a great place to go to have the perfect view of…the Eiffel Tower! To have the perfect picture of Paris, you need the Eiffel Tower in it. The height of the Montparnasse tower will give you the best angle and perspective. It will also allow having a great view of other Parisian landmarks, such as the Sacré Coeur, the Arc de Triomphe, the Grand Palais, or La Defense.
During Christmas time they set up an ice skating ring on top of the tower as well. So you have something for everyone: ice skating, incredible view and if you want to can even enjoy a hot beverage at the top of the tower in the 360 café. If you chose to go to the 360 café, this can be a great way of avoiding the long line of tourists purchasing a ticket to just go to the rooftop. Entry to the café is of course free, but you have to purchase a drink or food at the top, which considering the location can certainly be overpriced.
You can get to the Montparnasse tower by metro. Just get out at station Tour Montparnasse on lines 12, 4, 13 or 6. you can book your tickets in advance here.
The Christmas Market at Place de la Concorde and on the Champs Elysées
Every year, there’s a different Christmas market that pops up all over town. You won’t be able to resist buying some unique gifts for your loved ones at these markets.
They have a special place during the holiday season: they are full of wonderful things to eat, the perfect place to drink a glass of vin chaud (hot wine), and a great spot to find quite some unique ( and sometimes pricy!) gifts. They usually start to get set up in late November and keep going throughout the month of December.
The Christmas markets of Paris are a must-see for anyone visiting the city!
Paris has over 100 different markets and each one is unique in its way. The most famous ones are the Champs-Elysees market, the Place de la Concorde market, and the Montmartre market.
The Champs-Elysees market is very well known for its festive decorations and amazing displays of lights. It goes down the whole street, so it’s a great way to visit this very iconic street in Paris and get in the Christmas spirit at the same time.
It has many food stalls offering a variety of traditional French dishes like crepes, croissants, choucroute, and hot chocolate. you should be able to find something great to nibble on.
The Place de la Concorde market has a more modern feel with its tall buildings surrounding it. It also offers an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower which is lit up beautifully at night time. Get out at station Concorde on metro line 1 to visit it.
Montmartre is a very picturesque neighborhood in Paris where there are many beautiful gardens and little streets to admire. Tons of unique shops offer art and souvenirs.
There are so many different markets in Paris, but these three have been the most famous ones that you should check out!
Go see a Christmas show
Paris is a city with a lot of theaters, operas, concert places, and stages. There is always something going on for you to discover and explore.
This is the perfect activity for the winter months, where you could experience rainy days or generally cold weather. you’ll be very happy to get inside and feast your eyes on some wonderful art being played in front of you!
You could book a ticket to a Christmas concert at the Opera Garnier or a ballet show at the same Opera Garnier. If this is something you really want to do, be sure to book your tickets in advance, because those Christmas shows sell out very fast!
If you are into classical music, you could go to a music concert in a famous Paris church. For example, in the church of la Madeleine, where this year they are playing the four seasons of Vivaldi.
Here is a link to a list of Christmas concerts that are going on around Christmas time in Paris. It’s a great experience and a really Parisian thing to do!
The World of the Tiny seen in large at the Jardin des Plantes
If you are visiting Paris with younger children, this is a great activity to bring them to.
The Plant garden is great to visit with children even outside of the holiday season. It’s located in the Latin quarter near the Seine river and is a lovely botanical garden and zoo.
During the holiday season, they usually put on a light display around the gardens. It’s best to visit once the night has fallen to have the full effect. This year the theme of the display is “World of the Tiny seen in large”.
You’ll be able to experience all the lovely trees and Christmas trees decorated with Christmas lights and their lights exhibits. Your kids will have a great time. This place will make you feel quite festive!
If you’re too cold outside, there is also a gallery displaying some very impressive dinosaur skeletons and representations of more current animals. This is perfect for kids!
You can book your entry tickets directly on the website of the Jardin des Plantes.
Christmas light displays
If you had planned to do some Christmas shopping, you should go to the boulevard Haussmann and have a look at the lovely Christmas display in the windows of the big department stores Galleries Lafayette and le Printemps.
Every year they create some very lovely and detailed little scenes in the shop windows with toys and a lot of Christmas decorations.
It is always a big hit with children. Since this has been going on for several years now, they have really thought everything through. Usually, you’ll find a lot of people in front of the various windows trying to catch a glimpse of the magic displays. So they have installed just in front of the windows a little stage for children to get on to have the full experience without being blocked by the crowd.
If you go inside the Galeries Lafayette, they usually also go big on the Christmas spirit inside of the mall, with a huge Christmas tree in the center of the shop.
It’s a nice experience but be prepared to be surrounded by tourists and Parisian during this time of year.
To get there you can get off at metro station Chaussée d’Antin — La Fayette on lines 7 or 9.
Go to Disneyland Paris
Another great place you could go to that needs no introduction is Disneyland! They know how to bring the Christmas spirit and the magic!
Disney will start putting up their Christmas display around mid-November and keep them up until early January next year.
You’ll have all the holiday lights, the Christmas shows, a huge Christmas tree in the center of the park, and lovely Christmas food all over. This is perfect for the whole family!
If you are staying for new year’s eve, Disney also has something on the menu if you’re interested! A parade, a huge fireworks show and a light show display. This is sure to make this year’s party super fun and magical!
To reach the park from the center of Paris, you’ll need to hop on the RER train A in the direction of Marne-La-Vallée Parcs Disneyland.
Around Christmas and new year’s the park can get quite crowded, so be sure to book your ticket in advance (and accommodation if you want to stay in or near the park) to not miss it.
Go to the Place Vendôme
If you are walking in the center of Paris, be sure to include the place Vendôme. This part of town is known to be the high-end jeweler’s quarter. So you should recognize some quite famous names if you could around the square.
During December, they install huge Christmas trees at the center of the square and have beautiful Christmas lights. It looks very nice with the beautiful buildings all around.
So definitely check it out if you are in the area and are looking for a little Christmas cheer.
to get there you can get off at metro station Tuilerie or Concorde on line 1 or metro station Opera on lines 8, 3, 7.
The food in December in Paris
There are many delicious foods in December in Paris. Depending on your diet and food preferences you might want to try some or all of them.
Some very traditional ones are oysters and foie gras. The latter you should be able to find quite easily in any French restaurant during this time of year. For good seafood, one should be more careful as to where to eat them, as the consequences of food poisoning are no fun!
Here a few recommendations you could check out if you are interested in trying some seafood:
From a pastry and cake perspective, Christmas is a great time to be in Paris. All the bakers are doing their best work. You’ll have a wide variety of desserts to choose from. The traditional dessert is a Christmas bûche, which is cake and buttercream in a log form. You’ll find many different variations of those. If you are looking for something lighter you can also find an ice-cream version of those which are very delicious and Christmassy too.
If you are going to do Christmas or New Year’s eve at home and want to order a cake, be sure to do it a week or so at least before the day. That way you’ll be sure to have the bûche of your dreams.
If you are planning on spending Christmas day or New Year’s eve in Paris, be sure to book your dinner in advance. Usually, restaurants have a special menu on those days that goes for everyone. So check it out and if you’re pleased with the whole menu, be sure to call to book your table.
Finally, be aware that those set menus can get quite expensive.
The climate in December in Paris
The weather in December in Paris
Here are some elements on the average temperatures you could experience in December in Paris.
The average temperature in December is between 14°C and 16°C, but there are also cold days with temperatures below 10°C. On Christmas day, it’s usually cloudy with some rain.
In general, be prepared to have a mix of sunshine and rain.
What to bring with you for your trip?
There are certain things you should absolutely bring with you to Paris during December!
- an umbrella: this is a must as it could rain during your trip, and it’s no fun to get wet and catch a cold during your holiday
- some sort of hat or bonnet to keep your head warm: there could be some extremely cold winds in Paris or you could have a cold day, and it’s nicer if you’re not losing all the heat your body is producing to keep you warm. On the note of head coverings, and this might be an unpopular opinion, Parisian very very rarely (if at all) wear a beret. I know that Emily in Paris gave that impression and I see all the tourists buy a beret at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. However, I’ve never seen one of my Parisian friends were one…EVER!
- cloves are always nice to have they protect your hands from the cold and are a sanitary barrier in the various public transportation you might take
This post was all about all the great things you could do and experience in Paris in December!
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