Looking for the best things to do in Paris at Christmastime? There are few things I can think of that are better than planning a romantic trip for the holidays – and if romance is what you’re thinking, Paris is the place. There is nowhere on earth that I can think of that would be a more perfect destination for lovers, friends, or ahem, even solo travelers who want to romanticize their lives. If you want to be swept away in the City of Light, keep scrolling for 5 of the best things to do in Paris at Christmas!
- Want more Paris? Check out all my Paris posts here!
I went to Paris as a solo traveler for Christmas, and had the best time taking in all the magic of the city. Although I only got to stay for a couple days, I left feeling like I was able to experience some of the best things to do in Paris at Christmas. TBH, one of my favorite activities was just walking aimlessly around, seeing all the decorated shops and restaurants and taking in the ambiance of the city.
This post will give you 5 suggestions that involve Christmas lights, a Christmas market, shopping, and of course, hot chocolate. Ready to explore Paris at Christmas? Let’s go!
Paris Hotel recommendation
Villa Saxe Eiffel
This hotel is located right near the Eiffel Tower in a prime spot in Paris! I stayed here when I went to see the Eras Tour in Paris and I absolutely loved it. Click your favorite link to book.
5 of The Best Things To Do in Paris at Christmastime
1. Discover Your Favorite (Viral) Hot Chocolate
Is it even Christmastime if you aren’t drinking hot chocolate? Two cafes in Paris – Angelina and Carette – are both known for their extra rich, extra creamy, viral hot chocolates. (And if something goes viral, you pretty much have to try it, right? That’s the rules.)
When I say extra rich & creamy, I mean these hot chocolates are thicc, and come with equally thicc whipped cream*. If you’re a chocolate girlie like I am, you won’t want to miss the opportunity of trying one or both.
- *If you get your hot chocolate from Angelina to go, it will not come with whipped cream
Last time I was in Paris for Christmas, I did my own little “Battle of the Hot Chocolates” on Instagram where I tried a cup from each place. Both were incredible, and it was hard for me to pick a favorite…but if you held a gun to my head, I think I’d choose Angelina, just because it was sliiiightly thicker and richer.
(notice the whipped cream in the background…mmmmhm)
But don’t take my word for it. Go have your own Battle of the Hot Chocolates, and LMK which one you love more in the comments!
Tips for Visiting Angelina and Carette
- Carette is a sit-down restaurant where you can have the “full hot chocolate experience” – I’m talking croissants, hot chocolate, and a massive bowl of whipped cream. They are usually packed, so make a reservation!
- Carette is also in Place du Trocadéro, where you can get a great view of the Eiffel Tower
- Angelina has a sit-down section in their cafe, but also a grab & go line. They are incredibly popular and do NOT take reservations, and therefore cannot accommodate everybody who wants to sit inside and eat.
- When I went to Angelina, there was a huge line to eat inside AND for the grab & go counter. If you’re lucky enough to eat inside, you’ll have a “full experience” similar to Carette, but I hopped in the grab & go line and got my cup to go.
2. Go Shopping (and See The Christmas Tree!) at Galaries Lafayette Hausmann
The Galeries Lafayette is an upscale French department store chain, with its flagship store being the Hausmann location. It’s worth visiting any time of the year, but at Christmas, it’s on a whole other level.
Even if you have absolutely zero intentions of spending money shopping in Paris (and I mean, I would only be judging you slightly), you have to at least go inside Galaries Lafayette Hausmann and look around. In the center, they have a massive Christmas tree that extends up beyond the top of the tallest shopping floor. Hanging all around it are dangling lights, stars, and other decorations.
I screamed. I can’t even lie. This was one of the most beautiful shopping centers I’ve ever been in, and the way they had it decorated for Christmas was just beyond. The tree had color-changing lights and seemed to get prettier every time I looked at it.
- Pro Tip: There is a place where you can go up on a ledge (seen at the top of the above photo) and get your photo taken near the very top of the tree. TBH I’m not sure if they charge you a fee to go up here, but if they do, you can get equally cool pics basically anywhere you can find the space. If you’re a solo traveler, make sure you have this tripod handy!
Exploring the Outside of Galaries Lafayette Hausmann
Although walking around the inside of this department store will likely be the highlight of your shopping trip, I wanted to point out a couple things about the outside of the store.
First, the window displays leading up to the entrance are adorable. Before you come in or after you leave, walk around the outside of Galaries Lafayette Hausmann and check out the Christmas decorations in the windows. There are many creative, artsy Christmas displays with puppets and moving figures that are too cute not to see.
- The lighting for these photos combined with the reflection from the window was not good, but you get the idea…
You are also able to go on the rooftop terrace of Galaries Lafayette Hausmann and get a great view of Paris. From here, you can see the Eiffel Tower, Opéra Garnier, Sacré Cœur, Notre Dame, and all the way out to Montmartre. The terrace is located on the 8th floor and is a great photo op spot.
3. Check Out the Christmas Market at Jardins de Tulierres
The Jardins de Tulierres Christmas market, known as La Magie de Noël, is located directly across from Angelina that I mentioned earlier in this post. Sounds like the perfect excuse to grab a hot chocolate and a macaroon and then explore the market, if you ask me…
Although walking around a Christmas market is fun for people of all ages, this one is especially a must-do if you have children. I enjoyed seeing this market, but I thought it was particularly geared towards kids, so I didn’t stay long. I don’t have any children of my own, but I imagined how much my friends’ kids would love coming here and seeing the lights and decorations and riding the rides.
- Pro Tip: If you want to plan a European Christmas market trip, I would absolutely recommend visiting the Christmas markets in Germany. Germany is where Christmas markets originated, and are regarded by many as being the best in the world.
- (Another) Pro Tip: If you can’t make it all the way to Germany, the only other Christmas market that I’ve loved nearly as much is the Distillery Winter Village in Toronto, Canada.
4. See How the Designers Do Christmas
We all know that Paris is one of the major fashion capitals of the world, so it should be no surprise that the major designers deck the halls of their own stores.
Two of my favorite storefronts were the Chanel and Dior stores near Place Maurice Barrès. All the glittering lights on the Dior storefront were so eye-catching, and Chanel was so classically chic with large “pearls” dangling in over the storefront.
Place Maurice Barrès is located at the intersection of Rue St. Honoré and Rue Cambon. You’ll find a lot of designer stores up and down Rue St. Honoré. Most will not be as elaborately decorated as the two you see above, but it’s still a beautiful street to walk down and look at everything. Even if the window displays aren’t blatantly Christmas-y, they are always flawlessly done.
This light-up golden snow globe was in the middle of Place Maurice Barrès and is another perfect photo op. It is designed to pay homage to St. Honoré and the magical street.
- Fun Fact: Saint Honoré is the patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs. VERY Paris-appropriate!
Also nearby is Place Vendôme, a neoclassical square in Paris known for its luxuriously beautiful buildings and shops. This area is home to The Ritz Paris, high end jewelry stores, and even more designers, including another a decked-out Chanel.
There are also 2 glittering Christmas trees, giving this area even more romantic ambiance than it already has. When I went to Paris, I spent so much time walking around this square and just taking in the “Christmas feeling.”
5. Look at the Christmas Lights on Champs-Élysées and Avenue Montaigne
No matter what, you HAVE to make it a point to walk down one of the streets in Paris that are decked out in Christmas lights. While I’m sure there are multiple areas you can go to, I’ll direct you to what I saw when I was there.
If you are familiar with Paris, you have likely heard of Champs-Élysées, Paris’s most famous shopping street with (even more) designer and non-designer stores. Yes, I realize I already mentioned 2 iconic shopping areas above, but we’re in one of the biggest fashion capitals of the world, rememberrrr?
I feel like my photo below doesn’t do it justice of how beautiful it was on this street. The lights on the trees danced and glittered similar to the ones on the Eiffel Tower.
As I was aimlessly walking around, I stumbled across Avenue Montaigne, a street off of the Champs-Élysées roundabout. This street looked like it was decked out with even more Christmas lights, so I thought, “when in Rome!”…err, I mean, Paris.
If you’ve been to Paris, you know how elaborate the hotels are all around the city center. I stumbled across Hôtel Plaza Athénée during my walk, and it looked so beautiful on the outside that I thought, “okay, why not, let’s go inside for a drink.” The bar inside, appropriately named Le Bar, has a gorgeous blue ambiance and serves handcrafted cocktails along with champagne. If you did want to walk down this street, Hôtel Plaza Athénée is a great place to type into Google maps to get you into this area. If you start here, you’ll also easily be able to find Champs-Élysées.
- Pro Tip: Hôtel Plaza Athénée is also really close to the Eiffel Tower. IMO, it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen the Eiffel Tower, because it never gets old…so here’s your excuse to see it again!
