Christmas Markets in Europe 2026: Official Dates and Hotel Prices

Vienna, Colmar and Nuremberg have Christmas markets with official 2026 dates already published. This selection covers four markets in three cities: Rathausplatz and Schönbrunn in the Austrian capital, the markets of Colmar in France, and Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt in Germany. To travel while all four calendars are running, the shared window is 27/11 to 24/12, with early closures on Christmas Eve to watch out for. For a first trip, pick Vienna: two markets, one hotel (Rathausplatz until 26/12 and Schönbrunn until 6/1/2027). Colmar runs until 29/12, and Nuremberg closes on 24/12 at 2 pm.

To compare a base that serves both Vienna markets, see hotels in Vienna for your travel dates.

🏨 Hotels in Vienna for the Christmas markets
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A base in Vienna lets you visit two markets without changing hotels. Colmar suits travelers who want to keep everything within the historic center of Alsace; Nuremberg works for a trip centered on the German market and the old town. The quotes below use 10–13/12/2026, three nights, two adults and one room. They do not represent the full cost of the trip from the US.

✓Verified on 01/10/2026dates on each market’s official website and hotel prices on Booking

Quick pick: which market fits your trip?

Choose Vienna to visit two markets from the same hotel; Colmar for a base in Alsace; Nuremberg for the Christkindlesmarkt. The table organizes the four markets by starting point. Distance depends on your hotel’s address: compare the route to the square or the palace, not just the stated distance to the city center.

In Vienna, a single hotel search serves both markets: Rathausplatz (13/11 to 26/12) and Schönbrunn (6/11/2026 to 6/1/2027). Think about the walk back to your hotel after dark, especially with kids or limited mobility.

In this article

Official Christmas market dates in 2026

The calendars start in November, and closing dates range from 24/12/2026 to 6/1/2027. The dates below were checked on 01/10/2026 on the official websites. If you plan to travel after Christmas, pick your city based on the specific market’s calendar: Nuremberg will already be closed, while Schönbrunn will still have market programming.

Sources: Rathausplatz, Schönbrunn, Christmas in Colmar, Christkindlesmarkt and Nuremberg tourism board hours. The 5:30 pm start is the ceremony on 27/11; it is not the market’s daily opening time.

Travel before or after December 25?

To compare all the options, travel before Christmas Eve. December already brings all four markets in this selection together, but arriving on 24/12 leaves little time for Nuremberg, which closes at 2 pm. If your trip starts after 25/12, focus your search on Colmar or Schönbrunn and check each one’s closing date. Don’t buy a ticket based on last year’s calendar.

In Strasbourg, the official page still stated on 01/10/2026 that the 2026 dates were being finalized. The city is not included here as a market with a confirmed calendar. The 2025 period shown on the page does not prove the 2026 edition.

Vienna: Christmas market at Rathausplatz

The Rathausplatz market runs from 13/11 to 26/12/2026, from 10 am to 10 pm, with shorter hours on 24/12. It’s the pick for anyone who wants the illuminated city hall backdrop and prefers to build an urban trip around other Vienna sights. Set aside part of the day for the city and come back to the market whenever you want to see the lights, keeping the closing time in mind.

Before booking your hotel, test the route to Rathausplatz using the exact location of your accommodation. Check the distance from the hotel to Rathausplatz on the map before you book. If you only plan to spend a few hours at the stalls, public transport and a hotel with an easy return trip may work better than paying for a location that doesn’t serve the rest of your trip.

One base for Vienna’s markets and sights

Schedule your indoor sightseeing at different times from the market. That gives you flexibility to swap the order of the day if rain, cold or fatigue changes your plans. The three-day Vienna itinerary helps you spread palaces, cafés and attractions across your stay. To widen your options, also see what to do in Vienna. Snow on the ground, however, is not part of the deal: Vienna had no white Christmas between 2020 and 2024, and anyone set on the scenery should check the odds by city in the snowy Christmas guide.

A concert can fill another evening, as long as the times work with your accommodation and getting around. Check the activity’s terms, the exact venue and the cancellation policy before pairing a ticket with your stroll through the stalls.

Schönbrunn: market in front of Vienna’s palace

Schönbrunn has the longest season in this selection: from 6/11/2026 to 6/1/2027. Until 23/12, the announced hours are 10 am to 9 pm; on 24/12, 10 am to 4 pm; from 25/12, 10 am to 7 pm. It’s Vienna’s alternative for anyone arriving before Rathausplatz opens or staying in the city after 26/12.

The market sits in front of the palace, but browsing the stalls and touring the interior are two separate decisions. Check what the palace ticket includes and pick your time slot before planning the rest of the day. An activity booking does not prove access to the entire Christmas program, and the market’s long calendar should not be automatically applied to indoor visits.

You can plan the palace during the day and the market afterward, leaving room to exit the tour without rushing. If you’re traveling with kids, consider the combined length of both outings and a break to eat. On Christmas Eve, leave the hotel earlier: the market closes at 4 pm and doesn’t offer the same visiting window as the days before.

To compare the two Vienna markets, keep the same accommodation in your search and check each route. Switching hotels within the city just to be closer to a stall can eat up the time you’d rather spend sightseeing. On a short stay, realistic schedules and buffer time for getting around are worth more than trying to see everything in a single night.

Colmar: markets in the historic center of Alsace

Colmar’s Christmas markets are announced for 23/11 to 29/12/2026. The city is a good pick for focusing your itinerary on Alsace and walking between the different Christmas spaces downtown. Plan your accommodation around the route to the markets: the hotel quoted in this article serves as a price reference, and its location needs to be compared with the route you actually plan to walk.

To choose your outing, check the map and the specific hours of each square. The tourism board reports free entry at the Place Jeanne d’Arc market. The free part is entry to the market.

How to avoid an exhausting itinerary in Alsace

Choose your base first, then add day trips to other cities. Colmar and Strasbourg don’t necessarily share the same calendar: while the first already has the dates used here, the second was still pending at the time of checking. If a day trip is essential, confirm the schedule and transport before buying a non-refundable hotel rate.

Keep your accommodation address and the locations of your outings saved offline too. If you plan to use maps during the day, it’s worth checking your data plan’s coverage before you travel. A connection available at the hotel doesn’t, on its own, solve navigation on the way between the station, the squares and your accommodation.

Nuremberg: Christkindlesmarkt until Christmas Eve

Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt runs from 27/11 to 24/12/2026, closing at 2 pm on the last day. The opening ceremony is announced for 27/11 at 5:30 pm. On other days, the published daily hours are 10 am to 9 pm. Choose this base if the German market is your priority and plan your arrival with enough time to enjoy the outing.

Plan your route to Hauptmarkt, in the old town, from your hotel’s exact address. A short distance on the map can hide differences in the route for anyone carrying luggage or traveling with a stroller. Check access and avoid leaving your first visit for a night when your flight or connection already takes up most of the day.

For a trip after 25/12, Nuremberg won’t meet the goal of visiting this market in its 2026 edition. The city is still a destination, but the Christmas reason for this selection will be over. If the market is the main reason for your trip, choose earlier dates and keep at least one backup window for the visit in case your arrival is delayed.

What does three nights in December cost?

The three accommodation examples cost R$ 3,954 to R$ 4,219 for a total of three nights for two people. The search was done on Booking, quoted on 01/10/2026, for check-in on 10/12 and check-out on 13/12. These are rooms and apartments in different categories, with taxes included, and not a comparison between identical products or an average for each city.

Source: Booking.com, quoted on 01/10/2026 for 10–13/12/2026 · 3 nights, two adults and one room. These are accommodation examples, not destination averages. Prices subject to change.

Check the same dates on Booking (advertising): Vienna Residence, Prater – Exhibition Center · Campanile NATURE – Colmar Parc des Exposition · Nurban Apartments Oldtown.

In Vienna, R$ 3,490 for accommodation plus R$ 464 in taxes adds up to R$ 3,954. In Colmar, R$ 4,154 plus R$ 65 comes to R$ 4,219. In Nuremberg, R$ 4,092 already includes taxes. None of the three rates showed breakfast included. Check the cancellation deadline before booking.

What’s missing to know the full trip cost?

Add to the hotel your flight from your city, transport to the base, meals, shopping, insurance, internet and paid activities. There is no confirmed airfare quote in this article. That’s why the figures in the table are an accommodation budget, not a travel package or an “all-inclusive per person” price. When splitting a room between two people, remember that each flight and each meal is still an individual expense.

A comparable calculation uses the same dates, occupancy and conditions for each option. If you add another city, include the new accommodation and the transport between bases too. Three nights in Vienna and three in Colmar make two separate bookings; the price of one doesn’t cover the other. Only lock in your choice when arrival and return also make sense in your budget.

How to choose your arrival and getting around

Choose your airport and connection after deciding on the base city and market dates. Compare the time from landing to your accommodation, the baggage included and the buffer for any ground transfer. A cheaper airfare may stop being worth it if it requires another hotel night or a connection that eats up a big chunk of your three days.

For Colmar and Nuremberg, also consider arriving via another city and the onward leg, without assuming every plane ticket includes that transfer. Check schedules and conditions directly with the carrier before paying. If you buy separate bookings, check how each one handles delays and cancellations: don’t count on protection from a connection that wasn’t confirmed at purchase.

Search flights on Booking: enter your departure city and travel dates. The link opens the search; airfares were not quoted for this guide.

A car deserves comparison when you have an itinerary beyond your base, but a market visit doesn’t automatically require you to rent one. Add parking, pickup conditions, fuel and drop-off, on top of the daily rate. The decision depends on the full route and your willingness to drive during a winter trip.

Compare car rentals on Booking: check pickup, drop-off, deposit and protection before comparing just the daily rate.

To line up the dates with your time off, check the long weekend hub.

Prefer Christmas at sea? See the Christmas cruise guide.

Insurance, internet and bookings for winter

Before paying, check insurance coverage, eSIM compatibility and the terms of each booking. These items complete your planning and are not included in the accommodation totals. Read the insurance exclusions and service rules, plus the cancellation terms for hotels and activities. If you’re traveling between countries, check that every destination on your itinerary is covered.

Compare travel insurance on SegurosPromo (advertising). Choose based on the coverage and service conditions you need, not just the lowest price. No insurance prices were quoted for this article.

Check Yesim’s eSIM plans (advertising). Verify coverage for Austria, France and Germany according to your itinerary, data amount, validity and device compatibility. Check when the plan’s validity starts before activating it. No specific internet plan was quoted.

For a first trip with just a few days, Vienna simplifies the choice by bringing two markets together from the same base. Colmar makes sense when Alsace is the priority; Nuremberg calls for booking before the 24/12 closure. Pick the city that fits your route and your full budget, confirm the calendar close to departure and leave space between arrival and your first activity.

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Frequently asked questions

Which Christmas markets have official 2026 dates?

Rathausplatz in Vienna: 13/11 to 26/12; Schönbrunn: 6/11/2026 to 6/1/2027; Colmar: 23/11 to 29/12; Nuremberg: 27/11 to 24/12. The dates were checked on the respective official websites on 01/10/2026.

Which period lets you visit every market in the selection?

From 27/11 to 24/12/2026 all four calendars overlap, but there are early closures on Christmas Eve. The accommodation quotes use 10–13/12, three nights within every market’s season.

How much do three nights for two people cost?

The Booking examples for 10–13/12/2026 came to R$ 3,954 in Vienna, R$ 4,219 in Colmar and R$ 4,092 in Nuremberg, taxes included, quoted on 01/10/2026. These are one-room bookings for two adults; flights, meals and transport are not included.

Do the markets stay open after Christmas?

Schönbrunn runs until 6/1/2027, Rathausplatz until 26/12 and Colmar until 29/12/2026. Nuremberg closes on 24/12. Don’t use one city’s calendar to plan another.

Did Strasbourg already have a confirmed 2026 calendar?

At the time of checking on 01/10/2026, the official page said the dates were still being finalized. That’s why Strasbourg is not included in the selection with a confirmed calendar.