Despite being the biggest Christmas market in the Paris area and boasting arguably the tastiest and most extensive food options (better than ever this year - more about that in a moment), the La Défense Village de Noël qualifies as a true "hidden gem," little known to most Paris visitors.
Why? This market's location in La Défense, the Paris business district filled with glittering high-rise office buildings about a mile beyond the Périphérique ring road (and about 2.5 miles from the Arc de Triomphe), means you're not going to happen to stroll by it as you explore the city.
But getting there is fast and easy. Just hop on the Paris metro's Line 1 at the Charles de Gaulle/Etoile station by the Arc de Triomphe, and in 7-8 minutes later, get off at the La Défense station next to the district's Grande Arche - a modern (and much larger) version of the better-known Arc.
Is the La Défense Christmas Market worth visiting, with so many other wonderful holiday markets located in central Paris? Absolutely! La Défense's Village de Noel, which dates back to 1995, typically welcomes about 1.5 million visitors during the holiday season.
Three things set this market apart: 1) seriously great shopping opportunities for a wide range of well-made, unique, and gift-worthy items, 2) delicious food, and 3) the stunning architecture of La Defense's surrounding skyscrapers, especially dazzling at night when their lights glitter like huge sparkly Christmas tree ornaments.
As a bonus, a large ice skating rink returns this year to the foot of the Grande Arche and will open one week after the Christmas Market's opening date.
Not only will you discover wonderful artisan "Made in France" items as well as a vast selection of gifts not typically seen in other Paris Christmas markets, but you'll love the steaming plates of delicious Quebeçois fare, Spanish-style paella, traditional French specialties.
Plus, you can enjoy La Defense's lovely holiday lights along its Esplanade, a wide pedestrian-only walkway stretching over half a mile (1k) between the Grande Arche and the Seine River.
So plan to spend more time here than you might expect!
Top photo: View of the La Defense Christmas Market (and the Arc de Triomphe on the Paris skyline) from the steps in front of La Defense's Grande Arche, (c) Paris Discovery Guide
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What Should You Expect at the La Defense Christmas Market?
As you step off the "up" escalator from the La Défense metro station, you'll be on a broad plaza, with the enormous Grande Arche behind you and the Christmas Market straight ahead.
On your right is a large enclosed shopping mall, Les Quatre Temps, and on your left, the distinctive arch of CNIT (Centre of New Industries and Technologies) where you'll find another shopping mall with a Fnac electronics store, a huge Decathlon sporting goods store, a bunch of other shops, and a Hilton Hotel.
But for now, ignore them, and walk through the Christmas Market's entrance across from the metro station and the Grande Arche. There's a quick security check, but usually not much of a line or delay getting in. The market also has two other entrance/exits - one on the the opposite end of the market, and another on the side across from CNIT.
As soon as you're inside the "village," you'll see paths lined Swiss-style wooden chalets, smell the tempting aromas of Alsatian sausages, gingerbread, and other holiday favorites, and perhaps even enjoy a visit and photo op with Santa.
The La Defense Christmas Market has a new organizer who is bringing lots of energy and some exciting new entertainment to this year's event, which covers almost twice as much space as last year.
Look for these traditional favorites and fun new additions:
- Around 250 Swiss-style chalets featuring creations by local, French, and international artisans and makers, as well as specialty food products and wine
- Six enormous tents where you'll find more delicious food than ever including made-to-order casual favorities such as raclette (melted cheese on bread), crepes, waffles (gaufres), foie gras, and tartiflette (creamy cheesy potatoes, with optional ham), plus three restaurants with well-equipped kitchens for more substantial fare such as Quebeçois specialties, Creole dishes, and many other foods from around the world
- Two large carnival-type rides for kids
- A bedazzled hot air balloon for photo ops
- An enormous 35-foot (12-meter) high evergreen Christmas tree
- A "Village Square" where well-known DJs entertain you with their holiday music sets during the week, improptu performances by a gospel choir, and other entertainment
- Plenty of opportunities to meet and photograph yourself with Father Christmas (Santa)
- A special Elf Workshop for children and their families, including crafts, face painting, and story time
- And of course, the large La Defense Christmas Ice Skating Rink
Festive Christmas Shows
What to Do, Eat, & Drink at La Defense's Village de Noël Christmas Market
With 250 chalets overflowing with mostly high-quality artisan crafts and gift items, delicious food, mulled wine, and hot chocolate to sample, and festive decorations and entertainment, you can easily spend many hours soaking up the holiday ambiance here.
But keep in mind, La Defense offers even more: fantastic skyline views (and during some years, ice skating) from the top of the Grande Arche, an outdoor sculpture museum, even more shopping opportunities nearby, and lovely holiday decorations along the length of the Esplanade.
Here are 8 festive things to do during your visit to the La Defense Christmas Market:
1. Check Out the Artisan Creations at the Village de Noël
If you need only one compelling reason to come to the La Defense Christmas Market, it might be the high-quality artisan products on offer here (although the food could be a close second).
Perhaps because of the large number of chalets, you'll see special items here that you won't find at other Paris Christmas markets.
Behind the scenes, the market organizers give strong preference to artisanal, local, and original products during the vendor vetting and selection process, and even require disclosure of the origins of raw materials and sustainability criteria.
In addition to local and "Fabrique en France" (made in France) items, you'll see hand-made products from other Francophone countries in Sub-Saharan and North Africa, as well as other areas.
What's special at the La Defense Christmas Market? Check out these categories:
- Leather items such as wallets, bags, slippers, gloves, even book covers, often from Morocco, Spain, or Italy
- Jewelry made in France and other European countries
- Unique handmade ceramics, pottery, decorative glass
- Nativity scenes and figures, including hand-crafted sets in a variety of styles and colors
- Hand-knit wool sweaters, hats, gloves, and scarves
- Artisan soaps and perfumes
- Christmas ornaments and decorations
- Special regional foods such as holiday breads, cookies, candy, and nuts, wines, and liquors
Pro Tip #1: Prices on everything from gift items to food and beverages to be consumed on the spot tend to be lower at the La Defense Christmas Market than at some of the Paris Christmas markets
Pro Tip #2: If you plan to shop at the market, bring your own reusable bags if possible
Pro Tip #3: Most, if not all, of the vendors here accept Visa (and usually MasterCard) credit cards
Special Christmas Cruises
2. Savor the Tartiflette, Raclette, Crepes, Hot Mulled Wine, & Other Tasty Treats at the La Defense Christmas Market Food Courts
Although almost all of Paris's Christmas Markets include stalls serving some sort of ready-to-eat-food, the ones at the La Defense Christmas Market offer the best and most mouth-watering selections, almost all of it freshly made on the spot.
To sample cold-weather favorites, head straight to the market's 6 enormous food tents, where each stall offers a different specialty.
You'll find steaming pans of tartiflette (a regional dish from Savoy made with potato chunks swathed in a creamy, cheesy sauce, sometimes with bits of smoked bacon, ham, or sausage), raclette (melted cheese) served on a baguette with optional chicken, ham, or sausage, aligòt (cheesy mashed potato dish popular in L'Auvergne), waffles (gaufres) and crepes with nutella or other delicious toppings, Spanish paella, Bavarian and Alsatian sausages, North African couscous with merguez, chicken, or lamb, hearty Quebeç fare, and Creole cuisine.
Just walking past the stands is a mouth-watering experience, thanks to all the delicious aromas.
Good luck with trying to limit yourself to just one serving!
And don't forget about the beverages. Head for the hot mulled wine (vin chaud), hot cider, and hot chocolate when you need to warm up, or sample the Champagne, local beer, and wine.
Coca Cola is also popular but it's regarded as a special treat in Paris because of the price. Don't be shocked when it costs more than the wine.
Sparkling Christmas Lights
3. Visit the Pop-Up Restaurants at La Defense's Village de Noël
Head to the pop-up restaurants at the La Defense Christmas Market to enjoy a meal featuring casual brasserie favorites: charcuterie or cheese platters, steak-frites, burgers, sausages, salads, mussels, and more.
Many offer crowd-pleasing regional specialties, such as the one in the above photo featuring favorites from the Auvergne region: truffade aux lardons (potato/cheese pancakes with smoked bacon, cooked in duck or goose fat), entrecote au bleu (rib eye steaks with blue cheese from Auvergne), burgers with blue cheese, and saucisse au couteau (sausage made from pork and maybe 1-2 other meats chopped up by hand with a knife instead of by a machine).
As a bonus, the restaurants provide chairs and tables where you can sit while eating.
Pro tip: You won't find restrooms in the restaurants. Instead, they are located in the market's northeast corner - so if you enter through the gate closest to the Grande Arche, look for them on your left. If you don't spot them, just ask any of the security people on site for les toilettes ("lay twa-lets").
4. Enjoy Festive Decorations, Ice Skating, Carnival-Type Rides, Seasonal Music, Photo Ops, DJs, & Other Entertainment at the Village de Noel
As in previous years, you'll see plenty of Christmas decorations including Christmas trees, larger-than-life-sized Santas, and plastic reindeer, and hear holiday music playing fairly softly in the background.
But this year brings a number of new types of entertainment:
- A sparkly hot air balloon - the perfect background for your selfies
- A "Village Square" where well-known DJs entertain you with their holiday music mixes
- Entertainment by performers
- Opportunities to meet and photograph yourself with Father Christmas (Santa)
- Special events for children, including crafts, face painting, and story time
- A couple of large carnival-type rides for kids
- The return of the ice skating rink!
And if you're visiting the market with children, be sure to take them for a ride on La Defense's charming vintage carousel.
You'll find the carousel just past the CNIT building on the east side of the Christmas Market, near American artist Richard Calder's enormous "Red Spider" sculpture, one of La Defense's 69 artworks.
Find Christmas Market tours & other favorite Paris Christmas activities
5. Do More Shopping at the Adjacent Malls
Need to do more shopping for items not offered in the La Defense Christmas Market?
For clothing, home decor, gifts, books, jewelry, and much more, you might check out the 200 or so French and international stores and boutiques in Les 4 Temps shopping mall.
In the CNIT building on the other side of the Holiday Market, the enormous Fnac electronics store and huge Decathlon sporting goods store just about everything you might possibly want in their respective categories, plus you'll find a variety of other stores.
Of course, you'll also find most if not all of these stores in Paris, but perhaps not so conveniently located in one spot. So if you still have energy left after your stroll through the Christmas Market and don't mind lugging your purchases back to to Paris on the metro, go for it!
6. Stroll Along the La Defense Esplanade to See More Holiday Decorations
Once you leave the Christmas Market, head down the Esplanade in the opposite direction of the Arche (in other words, toward Paris) to see La Defense's magical display of holiday lights draped around the limbs of the bare trees.
Find more places to see dazzling Paris holiday lights & decorations
Instead of being just one long path, the Esplanade features multiple paths surrounding gardens, art displays, and occasional reflecting pools. Each section features different decorations.
At intervals, you'll see much larger light displays which are often interactive. As you walk through or around them, motion detectors will trigger music, lights, or other special effects.
La Defense displays different decorations and illuminations (lights) each year, and like the holiday displays the windows of Paris's large department stores, highly anticipated by visitors.
As you walk along the Esplanade, you may also spot part of La Defense's collection of contemporary sculpture, some with brilliant lighting, such as the 49 brightly colored Signaux lights placed by sculptor Takis over a reflecting pool.
Once you reach The Takis light installation, you'll spot the Esplanade de La Defense metro station on the other side of the pool. If you're ready to head back to Paris, you can the metro from there.
Map Showing La Defense Christmas Market Location
As you can see in this map, La Defense's Village de Noel Christmas Market occupies a sizable portion of the Esplanade.
La Defense Christmas Market Visitor Information
Opening Hours & Dates
- Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 11am - 8pm
Friday: 11 am - 10 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 10 pm
Sunday: 11am - 9pm
Saturday, December 24th: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Closed on Christmas Day, December 25 - Dates: Mid-November through late December; check our Paris Events Calendar for December for exact dates
- Cost: Free admission, plus whatever you spend on food, gift items, and ice skating; as mentioned earlier, compared with other Paris Christmas Markets such as the one at Tuileries Garden, you may find prices at the La Defense market to be noticeably more affordable
Getting to La Defense Christmas Market
- Location: La Defense
- Métro stations: Take the Metro's Line 1 to La Defense (by the Arche) or Esplanade de La Defense (at the end of the Esplanade near the Seine River). RER A also goes to La Defense but you must have an RER ticket or a weekly or monthly Navigo pass - a normal t+ ticket will not work and might cause you to be fined. If in doubt, just take the Metro.
3 Interesting Facts about La Defense
- La Defense is Paris's business district, deliberately constructed outside of the city's historical core but close enough to be part of the Paris metropolitan area; its first buildings opened in 1958 but most of the glitziest ones date back to the 1980s and later.
- La Defense is not actually a city. Instead, the district is composed of parts of three congruent cities: Nanterre, Courbevoie, and Puteaux.
- Although about 180,000 people work in La Defense (although not everyone has returned post-pandemic) and another 45,000 students attend classes in the district's 5 business and other schools, the district has only about 25,000 residents.
Special Christmas Cruises
Best Places to Stay near La Defense Christmas Market
Choosing a hotel near the La Defense Christmas Market can be a smart move if you're on a budget because you'll often find significantly lower hotel rates (and somewhat larger rooms) than you will in Paris, especially when you're staying on the weekend when most of the district's business visitors have departed.
And with Paris only 8 minutes away on the Metro, you don't give up much in terms of convenience.
Here are a few hotels close to the Esplanade to consider:
- Hilton Paris La Defense - Located in the CNIT complex, across from La Grande Arche
- MGallery Nest Paris La Defense by Sofitel - 5-star hotel with a fitness room near the La Defense Esplanade and Les Quatre Temps shopping mall
- Melia Paris La Defense - Designer hotel near the Esplanade with panoramic Paris views including the Eiffel Tower from its 19th floor bar
Use this La Defense hotel map to find more hotels and apartments near the La Defense Christmas Market. Add your travel dates to see availability and best rates:
Booking.comMore About Celebrating Christmas Holidays in Paris
- Complete guide to Christmas in Paris
- Complete guide to Paris Christmas Markets
- Christmas concert schedule - don't miss these special musical events!
- Where to see Paris's famous Christmas department store windows & decorations
- Where to find Hanukkah celebrations in Paris
- How to score the best deals at the famous after-Christmas Paris sales in January
