Edinburgh Christmas market 2026: dates, times

Edinburgh's Christmas turns the city centre into a festival for seven weeks, and the 2026 dates are confirmed. The short answer: the festival runs from Saturday 14 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. Its traditional Christmas market in East Princes Street Gardens, right below the Old Town and next to Waverley station, is open daily from 10:00 to 22:00 and is free to enter – every day except Christmas Day.

Edinburgh's Christmas 2026: dates and times

All dates and times from the official Edinburgh's Christmas website and the city's tourism site (see sources), as of October 2026. Ticketed attractions have their own times on special days; check the official site for 24, 26 and 31 December and 1 January.

At 51 days, Edinburgh has one of the longest Christmas market seasons in Europe – longer than the big markets of Central Europe:

Season: calendar days from the first to the last day.

The market in East Princes Street Gardens

The market fills the gardens between Princes Street and the castle rock, around the Gothic spire of the Scott Monument. Decorated wooden chalets sell gifts and decorations, with bars and food huts in between; mulled wine and hot chocolate are the classics. The view up to the Old Town and the castle is what makes this market unlike any other.

Above the stalls turn the two big rides: the LNER Big Wheel, with enclosed pods and a view over the lit-up city, and the Around the World Star Flyer, which swings riders more than 80 metres above the market. Both need a ticket; the market itself is free.

More of Edinburgh's Christmas

Besides the market, the festival spreads across the New Town. The Family Ice Experience shows hand-carved ice sculptures, and on George Street adults can visit the Polar Ice Bar. In the Old Town, La Clique Noël brings cabaret and circus to Bristo Square in the evenings, and Santa's Stories runs until Christmas Eve. After Christmas, Edinburgh moves straight on to Hogmanay, its famous New Year celebrations – details are published separately by the organisers.

When to go

• Weekday mornings are the calmest time; the market opens at 10:00.
• Weekends in December and evenings after work are very busy – the gardens fill up and queues for the rides grow.
• Christmas Day the market is closed; on other holidays, the rides keep shorter hours.
• Between Christmas and New Year the market is still open until 3 January 2027 – a good time to combine it with Hogmanay.

Getting there and where to stay

Edinburgh Waverley station is right next to East Princes Street Gardens, so you can walk off the train into the market. Trains from London take roughly four and a half hours; compare train tickets from London to Edinburgh^* on Omio. From Edinburgh Airport, the tram and the Airlink bus run into the city centre. If you arrive early or leave late, you can use luggage storage in Edinburgh^* (Radical Storage).

The New Town around Princes Street and George Street puts you next to the market; the Old Town along the Royal Mile is a few minutes uphill. Hotels in the centre are much in demand in December, so book early. Visiting from the EU, a travel eSIM for the UK^* (Airalo) can be cheaper than roaming; our eSIM price index compares prices per gigabyte.

Weather in December

Edinburgh is mild but wet and windy in December: on average about 7.5 °C by day and 3.4 °C at night, with 99 mm of rain over the month (ERA5, 2015–2024). Daylight is short – the sun sets around 15:40 in mid-December – so the lit-up market is at its best from mid-afternoon. A waterproof jacket and good shoes matter more than a heavy coat.

How YesTrip helps

Our three-day plan for Edinburgh combines the castle, the Royal Mile, Calton Hill and Dean Village, and fits easily around an evening at the market. Tickets for Edinburgh Castle and guided walks^* are on Tiqets. YesTrip shows the weather for your travel days and suggests a packing list to match; for how long to stay, read how many days in Edinburgh. For Christmas markets on the continent, see our guide to the best Christmas markets in Europe and the guides to the Cologne, Munich and Vienna Christmas markets 2026.

Edinburgh trip planDay by day, with map and tips

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