Aside from London, the Edinburgh Christmas Market is one of the most famous in the UK — and in 2026 it returns to East Princes Street Gardens under the castle, with the LNER Big Wheel and the 80m Around the World Star Flyer turning above the stalls from 14 November.
Entry is free, it opens daily except Christmas Day, and you don't need a ticket to walk in. Below you'll find everything that has been confirmed for this year so far, what things cost, when to go if you'd rather not queue, and what else is worth doing in the city while you're up here.
One thing worth knowing before you plan: the organisers publish the festival's exact market dates and opening hours in stages, and at the time of writing the official Edinburgh's Christmas listing gives the run as mid-November 2026 to January 2027 without confirming the closing date or this year's hours. Individual attractions already carry firm dates, and those are listed below. Check the official site before you book travel.
- How to plan your visit
- Where to go for the Edinburgh Christmas market
- What's at the stalls
- Things to do in Edinburgh at Christmas
- Where to stay in Edinburgh at Christmas
- Frequently asked questions
How To Plan Your Visit to the Edinburgh Christmas Market 2026
When does the Edinburgh Christmas Market 2026 start?
The festival's own listing puts the Traditional Christmas Markets at mid-November 2026 through to January 2027. The two big rides above the gardens — the LNER Big Wheel and the Around the World Star Flyer — are both dated 14 November 2026, which in previous years has been the day the markets opened alongside them.
These dates are confirmed on the official what's-on listing:
| What | 2026 date |
|---|---|
| LNER Big Wheel opens | 14 November 2026 |
| Around the World Star Flyer opens | 14 November 2026 |
| Santa's Stories begins | 20 November 2026 |
| Torchlight Procession | 29 December 2026, from 18:30 |
| Hogmanay Street Party | 31 December 2026, from 20:00 |
| Traditional Christmas Markets | Mid-November 2026 – January 2027 |
What time does the Edinburgh Christmas Market open?
The markets run day and evening, daily, and the organisers state they are open every day except Christmas Day. In recent years the stalls have run roughly 10am to 10pm, with a shorter day on Christmas Eve — but this year's hours had not been published when we updated this guide, so confirm them on the official site before travelling for a specific evening.
Individual attractions keep their own hours: Santa's Stories, for instance, is listed with a 15:00 start.
Is the Edinburgh Christmas Market free?
Yes. Walking into the Traditional Christmas Markets in East Princes Street Gardens is free, which makes it a genuinely cheap day out for families, friends and couples looking for something festive to do together. You only pay for what you actually use — the rides, the food and drink, and any ticketed attraction.
Do you need a ticket for the Edinburgh Christmas Market?
Not to get in. You do need tickets for the rides and for the bookable attractions, and those go on sale through the official site — at the time of writing several 2026 listings were still marked "coming soon". Booking the popular ones ahead is worth doing on busy evenings, when queues at the wheel and the flyer are at their longest.
How much does the Edinburgh Christmas Market cost?
Entry costs nothing, so your budget is entirely about what you do once you're inside. Expect to pay for:
- Rides — the LNER Big Wheel and the Star Flyer are each ticketed separately, per person, per ride
- Food and drink — mulled wine, hot chocolate and the food huts, which is where most people's money actually goes
- Bookable attractions — Santa's Stories and similar sessions, which are ticketed and sell out
- Gifts — the stalls themselves, priced by the individual traders
Ticket prices for 2026 hadn't been released when this guide was updated. The official site is the only place they're confirmed, and prices change year to year, so it's the one thing not worth taking from a guide like this one.
Where is the Edinburgh Christmas Market?
The Traditional Christmas Markets return to East Princes Street Gardens, right in the city centre and directly below the castle. In past years the festival has also spread along George Street, Castle Street and St Andrew Square — worth checking this year's map on the official site, as the footprint changes.
Everything sits within easy walking distance, and Edinburgh's centre is compact enough that you won't need transport between sites.
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How do you get to the Edinburgh Christmas Market?
Waverley Station is the closest — the gardens are a few minutes' walk from the exit, which makes arriving by train far easier than driving into the centre in December. Haymarket is the alternative if you're staying west of the city centre. Both are on the main line, and city-centre parking over the festive period is limited and expensive enough that most visitors are better off without a car.
When is the best time to visit the Edinburgh Christmas Market?
The markets get genuinely crowded, and the difference between a good visit and a shuffling one is mostly timing:
- Quietest: weekday daytimes, especially in the opening fortnight before the Scottish school holidays begin
- Busiest: Friday and Saturday evenings in December, and the last weekend before Christmas
- Best for photos: late afternoon, when the lights come on but the castle is still visible against the sky
If you want the atmosphere without the crush, a Tuesday or Wednesday in late November is the sweet spot.
Are dogs allowed at the Edinburgh Christmas Market?
Yes — the Edinburgh Christmas markets are dog-friendly, as long as your dog is on a lead. Be warned, though: the walkways between the chalets are narrow and it gets very crowded in the evenings, so a quieter weekday visit is kinder on a nervous dog than a Saturday night.
Where To Go For The Edinburgh Christmas Markets 2026
1. East Princes Street Gardens Christmas Market
This is the main event, and the one the official listing confirms for 2026. Set in the gardens below the castle, it holds around 70 chalets selling gifts, decorations and food, with bars and food huts threaded between them. It's free to enter.
It's also where the two big rides live. The LNER Big Wheel is Scotland's largest Ferris wheel, and the Around the World Star Flyer takes you 80m above the gardens for a view over the skyline — both worth doing once, ideally after dark.
2. West Princes Street Gardens Family Funfair
In past years the western half of the gardens has run as a free family zone, with the Ross Bandstand hosting live events through the season — choirs, the St Andrew's Day Ceilidh, carol concerts and Santa Fun Runs among them. The 2026 programme for this side of the gardens hadn't been announced when we updated this guide, so check the official what's-on before building a day around it.
3. George Street West & Castle Street
George Street has historically been the festival's second hub, home to the city's outdoor ice rink — real ice, not plastic — along with a warming zone of food stalls and a festive workshops area where you could make wreaths, decorations and other unique Christmas gifts to take home.
Whether the rink and the workshops return in 2026 is one of the details still to be confirmed. If skating is the reason you're going, check before you book.
4. St Andrew Square Winter Garden
Santa's Stories — confirmed for 2026 from 20 November, with a 15:00 start. These are small group sessions where every child meets Santa and goes home with a gift. They need booking in advance and they do sell out.
Christmas Tree Maze — one of the UK's largest illuminated Christmas tree trails has run at St Andrew Square in recent years, and it's consistently the most photographed corner of the whole festival. Its return for 2026 hadn't been confirmed at the time of writing.
What's At The Edinburgh Christmas Market Stalls
How many stalls are there?
Around 70 chalets fill East Princes Street Gardens — a mix of Scottish and European traders, independent retailers, crafters and artists, alongside the bars and food huts.
Food and drink
The food huts are the reason a lot of people come, and the line-up follows the European market template: mulled wine and hot chocolate as the default, alongside grilled sausages, raclette and melted-cheese dishes, crêpes and churros, and roasted nuts. Traders change from year to year, so treat any published list — including this one — as a guide to the kind of thing you'll find rather than a menu.
Prices at the food huts are festival prices, and that's the most common complaint visitors make about the market. Eating before you arrive and treating the huts as a mulled wine stop rather than dinner is the cheaper way to do it.
Gifts and crafts
The gift stalls lean towards decorations, candles, knitwear, jewellery, ceramics and Scottish-made food and drink — the kind of thing that works as a small present rather than a main one. If you're doing serious Christmas shopping, the market is better for stocking fillers than for the big gift, and Edinburgh's own shops are a few minutes' walk away on Princes Street.
Things To Do In Edinburgh At Christmas 2026
1. The Castle of Light
Edinburgh Castle turns into a projection show for Castle of Light, with the ancient walls used as the screen. It has run from mid-November into January in past years and is a separate ticket from anything at the market — check the castle's own what's-on for this year's dates.
2. Torchlight Procession
Confirmed for 29 December 2026 from 18:30. Fifteen thousand torch bearers walk through the Old Town in a river of fire, ending in a display at the finish. It's free to watch and it's the single most striking thing in Edinburgh's festive calendar.
3. Edinburgh's Hogmanay
If you're staying past Christmas, the Street Party on 31 December 2026 from 20:00 is the reason people fly in from around the world, with Hogmanay in the Gardens running alongside it and First Footin' — a free, unticketed live music trail across the city — taking over New Year's Day. Tickets for the ticketed events go through the official festival site.
4. The panto
No Christmas here is complete without one. The Edinburgh Playhouse runs a major panto every year, with the usual slapstick, costumes and audience participation — check the theatre's listings for this season's show and book early, because the family matinées go first.
5. The Dome
For the upmarket version of an Edinburgh Christmas trip, head to The Dome on George Street for a festive drink and a mince pie. Its decorations are famous enough to draw a queue of photographers on their own. You can pop in for a drink or book the festive afternoon tea.
6. Swamplesque
For something well off the usual festive track, this Shrek-themed burlesque and drag parody has become an Edinburgh fixture. It's advised for 16+, so it's one for after the kids are in bed rather than an afternoon out.
7. Hopetoun House Christmas Shopping Fair
A short trip out of the city, Hopetoun House hosts a Christmas shopping fair in a stately-home setting, with dozens of stalls, festive entertainment and local food. There's an entry charge and it runs on set dates each year — check Hopetoun's own site for this season's.
8. Summerhall Christmas Market
Summerhall's market is the quirky alternative to the city-centre chalets: vintage stalls, local crafts, vegan food and wreath-making workshops, with carols from the Summerhall Community Choir. If the Princes Street crowds aren't for you, this is the one to look up.
9. Jupiter Artland's Christmas Fair
Jupiter Artland, the sculpture park just outside Edinburgh, runs a Christmas fair across a couple of December weekends with artisan stalls, live music, mulled wine, a Santa's grotto and donkey rides for the children. Dates are announced each autumn.
Where to stay in Edinburgh at Christmas
Edinburgh fills up fast over the festive weeks, and the gap between booking in September and booking in December is substantial. If you're giving the trip as a present rather than taking it yourself, a hotel gift card lets the recipient pick their own dates.
The Best Hotels in Edinburgh Old Town for Christmas
- Cheval Old Town Chambers | Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 1PN | ★★★★★ — a luxury aparthotel a short walk from the Princes Street markets, with views over the gardens once the lights are up.
- The Scotsman Hotel | 20 North Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1TR | ★★★★ — a grand old building minutes from Waverley Station, which matters if you're arriving by train.
- Grassmarket Hotel | 94-96 Grassmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2JR | ★★★ — about as central as it gets, at the foot of Victoria Street and under the castle.
- Stay Central | 139 Cowgate, Edinburgh, EH1 1LL | ★★★ — a sociable city-centre option about ten minutes' walk from the Royal Mile.
The Best Hotels in Edinburgh New Town for Christmas
- Cheval The Edinburgh Grand | 42 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 2AD | ★★★★★ — a luxury Edinburgh hotel on St Andrew Square itself, steps from George Street.
- Haymarket Apartments | 6 Torphichen Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8JQ | ★★★★ — a good choice if you're coming by train, minutes from Haymarket Station.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Edinburgh Christmas Market 2026 start?
The official listing gives the Traditional Christmas Markets as mid-November 2026 to January 2027. The LNER Big Wheel and the Around the World Star Flyer are both dated 14 November 2026, and the markets have opened alongside them in past years. Exact market dates are confirmed on the official festival site.
What time does the Edinburgh Christmas Market open and close?
The markets run day and evening, daily, apart from Christmas Day. Hours have been roughly 10am to 10pm in recent years, with a shorter day on Christmas Eve, but 2026 hours had not been published when this guide was updated.
Is the Edinburgh Christmas Market free?
Yes. Entry to the Traditional Christmas Markets in East Princes Street Gardens is free. You pay only for rides, food and drink, and ticketed attractions.
Do you need tickets for the Edinburgh Christmas Market?
No ticket is needed to enter. Rides and bookable attractions such as Santa's Stories are ticketed separately and are worth booking ahead on busy evenings.
How much does the Edinburgh Christmas Market cost?
Nothing to walk in. Beyond that your spend is rides, food and drink, ticketed attractions and whatever you buy from the stalls. Prices are set each year and published on the official site.
How many stalls are at the Edinburgh Christmas Market?
Around 70 chalets fill East Princes Street Gardens, mixing Scottish and European traders, independent retailers, crafters and artists with bars and food huts.
Are dogs allowed at the Edinburgh Christmas Market?
Yes, dogs are welcome as long as they're on a lead. The walkways get very crowded on December evenings, so a weekday daytime visit is easier on a nervous dog.
When is the best time to visit the Edinburgh Christmas Market?
Weekday daytimes in the opening fortnight are the quietest. Friday and Saturday evenings in December and the final weekend before Christmas are the busiest. Late afternoon gives you the lights and the castle in the same photograph.
Will You Visit The Edinburgh Christmas Market 2026?
If you want to shake up your December, the Edinburgh Christmas Market is hard to beat: free to walk into, set below a castle, and surrounded by enough else in the city — the Torchlight Procession, Castle of Light, Hogmanay — to fill a long weekend rather than an afternoon.
Planning further afield? We've also covered the Manchester Christmas markets, the best Christmas markets in London and the Winchester Christmas market, plus Strasbourg if you fancy crossing the Channel for it.
Give The Best Gift This Christmas With Experiencegift
Not finished your Christmas shopping yet? A trip to Edinburgh makes a better present than anything you'll carry home from a stall. At Experiencegift we make it easy to gift hotel stays, flights and trains in thousands of destinations — including the ones with a Christmas market at the end of them.
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Our experience gift vouchers are flexible on budget too, and once the card arrives the recipient has time to decide where they want to go — which beats guessing their dates for them. Looking for something for a partner? We've rounded up ideas for Christmas gifts for boyfriends as well.
For the official programme, ticket releases and confirmed 2026 dates, the VisitScotland Edinburgh Christmas Market listing and the festival's own site are the places to check.