Amiens Christmas Market 2026: Dates, Hours and Cathedral

1. Dates and opening hours of the 2026 market

The market opens on Friday 20 November 2026. The organiser and the Amiens tourist office announce a closing date of Wednesday 30 December 2026; section 2 explains why the City’s tender notice gives a different date. Opening hours match across sources: the chalets close at 7:30 pm Monday to Thursday and on Sunday, and at 9:00 pm on Friday and Saturday. On Thursday 24 December and Wednesday 30 December, closing is brought forward to 5:00 pm. The market is closed all day on 25 December. One online cultural listing gives different hours; it is judged unreliable here.

Is the market worth the detour?

The research turned up no traveller reviews, so what follows rests on facts rather than firsthand accounts. The market has more than a hundred chalets, spread along about two kilometres. The skating rink and the Father Christmas Village appear in the City’s 2026 tender notice, along with the stage design. Somme Tourisme’s official page describes footfall as « very heavy » at weekends: if you want a quieter market, a weekday suits better.

Source: Amiens tourist office events listing and organiser’s website, checked on 25 October 2026. The 24 December hour also comes from Senior Vacances, last checked on 4 September 2026, which is the only source for the 30 December hour.

2. End date: two dates in the sources

Two public documents give two different end dates for the 2026 edition. We don’t reconcile them for you here.

• 30 December 2026 is the date given by the organiser, by the tourist office and by most of the listings checked. It is the reference for the hours table.
• 27 December 2026 appears in the City of Amiens public tender notice (AO-2636-1053), published on 28 August 2026, with bids due by 21 September 2026. The notice sets the period for the services the City contracts out: stage design, sound, the skating rink and the Father Christmas Village. It is not a public announcement of opening hours.

No confirmation from the City turned up at the time of checking. Before you book accommodation for the end of the year, check the organiser’s website or the tourist office, and confirm the date the day before you leave.

Source: tender notice AO-2636-1053, City of Amiens, checked on 25 October 2026; organiser: fr.marchedenoel.fr, checked on 25 October 2026.

3. The market: route, chalets and events

The route, from place René-Goblet to place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville

Free entry About 2 km 20 Nov to 30 Dec 2026 11:00 am to 7:30 pm or 9:00 pm

The route runs through the pedestrian city centre, from place René-Goblet to place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, along rue des Trois-Cailloux and place Gambetta. The tender notice also names the square Saint-Denis and the courtyard of the Hôtel de Ville as event spaces. The organiser and the tourist office announce more than a hundred chalets. Amiens tourist office.

Highlights

• Free entry, according to Senior Vacances (September 2026 check).
• Skating rink, Father Christmas Village and stage design appear in the City’s 2026 tender notice.

Pixidia tip: don’t plan your evening around Chroma, the parades or the panoramic tower. These belonged to the 2025 edition, and no 2026 source confirms them at the time of checking.

For a day away from the market, Viator offers a tour from Amiens to the Australian battlefields of the First World War. It has no link with the market and is included only as an option for a free day. According to its description, it covers most of the Australian combat sites, with original trenches, war remains, landscape views, and a mix of museum and outdoor visits. It lasts eight hours, and the listing presents it as a private tour. One point to watch: the description consulted does not give the return time to Amiens. Check it before booking if you want to take the evening train back (section 5).

Full-day Australian Battlefields tour from Amiens €420 for two adults, or €210 per person on that basis, checked on 25 October 2026; the price varies by date and number of travellers · ★ 4.9 (125 reviews)

Book my battlefields day

The market is easy to see on foot, with no ticket, and is best seen at nightfall, when the chalets are lit. This is an editorial suggestion: none of the sources checked publishes lighting times.

The Father Christmas Village, planned by the City according to the tender notice, is the main attraction announced for children. The organiser has not confirmed any date for Father Christmas’s presence at the time of checking.

4. Notre-Dame Cathedral of Amiens

The cathedral has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. Its nave and choir are open without a ticket according to the tourist listings checked. A labyrinth dating from 1288 sits at the centre of the nave. Of the 120 carved oak stalls from 1508-1519, 110 survive, according to Wikipedia. Historical sources: Wikipedia (French).

The towers cost €7 at full price and €5 at the reduced rate, and are free for under-26s, according to the cathedral’s official site. Winter opening hours were not on the site’s home page when checked on 25 October; check the tour times on the practical information page before you go.

Source: cathedral official site for the towers; 2026 belfry listings, for example the JDS listing for the guided belfry tour, checked on 25 October 2026.

The belfry, on place au Fil, is not accessible to people with reduced mobility, according to the listing checked. Its terrace stays closed in rain.

5. Getting to Amiens from Paris, Lille and other cities

The train is the simplest option. The fastest trip from Paris Nord takes about 1 h 06, according to the timetables L’Itinéraire published for October 2026. Trips with a change, via Creil, Compiègne or Arras, stretch to about 2 h 48. From Lille, allow about 1 h 15 to 1 h 20 depending on the source. Coming from London, Eurostar takes about 2 h 20 from St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord (Eurostar timetables), then you continue by train to Amiens.

Source: L’Itinéraire, Senior Vacances and Hourrail, checked on 25 October 2026.

The last train, the most uncertain point

L’Itinéraire’s timetables for October 2026 show a departure from Amiens around 9:25 pm on Sunday and around 9:40 pm on Monday. No December 2026 timetable was found. Don’t plan a late-night return without checking SNCF Connect on your travel day. The sources checked don’t give ticket prices.

By car and on foot from the station

The city centre is pedestrian during the market, according to Senior Vacances. Covered car parks are near place Gambetta and place René-Goblet; rates found on third-party sites are not confirmed by the City. The station is about ten minutes’ walk from the market, over cobbles: wear comfortable shoes.

6. Budget for a weekend in Amiens

The market is free. Spending goes mainly on accommodation, meals, transport and paid visits. The sources checked don’t give a reliable hotel price for December 2026 nights. One comparison site quotes €73 on Sundays and €92 on Saturdays, but for October nights and with no December dates. Don’t rely on a December rate shown without a date.

Source: Amiens Cœur de Somme Pass for the passes; cathedral official site for the cathedral; 2026 listings for the belfry; checked on 25 October 2026.

Each pass includes the Discover Amiens guided tour and a €10 voucher for partner shops, to collect at the tourist office. Guided tours and the boat trip on the hortillonnages are booked separately.

For a two-day weekend with the cathedral, the belfry and a 48-hour Amiens Pass, allow about €41 per person, or about €82 for two: €32 for the pass, €7 for the towers and €2 for the belfry, at full price, excluding transport and accommodation.

Tight budget

The cathedral, the self-guided belfry visit and the market cost €9 together at full price, or €7 at the cathedral’s reduced rate. Accommodation remains the main cost, with no reliable December price on record.

7. Weekend ideas: one day, two days

One day: cathedral in the morning, market in the evening

In the morning, start at the cathedral. The nave and choir need no ticket, and the labyrinth sits at the centre of the nave. If the towers are open that day, allow €7 or €5; December hours still need checking. In the afternoon, climb the belfry on a self-guided visit (€2), then wander the Saint-Leu quarter. Late in the afternoon, head back to the market.

The Saint-Leu quarter, between canals and terraces

Guidebooks often cite the Saint-Leu quarter for its canals, bars and restaurants. The listings checked are undated and don’t name any venue reliably: choose on the spot, based on the opening hours displayed. No City programme for this quarter turned up in the research.

Two days: the city, then the market

The second day can go to a guided tour of Amiens. The 48-hour Amiens Pass includes the Discover Amiens guided tour, whose time slots still need confirming with the tourist office. Return by train late in the afternoon, ideally before the last train, whose December times still need checking. If you are comparing markets, our guides to the Metz Christmas Market 2026 and to the Alsace villages 2026 cover other ways of visiting.

The hortillonnages: no boat trips in December, according to the information found

The hortillonnages, market-garden marshes crossed by canals, are explored by boat. The guide consulted gives a season from 1 April to 31 October, with an adult trip of about €11, undated. No December trip appears in the information found. To see them, plan another time of year and check conditions with the operator, Les Hortillonnages d’Amiens.

A day trip from Paris

A same-day return is possible, with 1 h 06 to 1 h 30 of travel each way. For the cathedral, the belfry and the market, allow at least half a day. For a Paris stop, our guide to the Champs-Élysées Christmas lights 2026 covers the switch-on.

8. Accessibility, families and pets

Accessibility

The official Somme Tourisme listing says the market is not accessible to wheelchair users, and that the chalets are not accessible to people with reduced mobility. Some commercial guides describe an adapted route: we go with the official version. The cathedral has not been checked on this point: contact the site before your visit.

Families

The Father Christmas Village and the skating rink appear in the City’s tender notice. Fairground rides and the little train mentioned by some guides are not confirmed for 2026. Under-26s enter the cathedral towers free, and under-12s go up the belfry free.

With a pet

No public rule on dogs or other animals turned up at the time of checking. Don’t assume they are allowed: ask the organiser before you go.

What other guides don’t tell you

A few points where guides are out of date or wrong, checked against official or primary sources on 25 October 2026.

• The cathedral towers cost €7 and €5. Older guides give €5 and €3.50. The official site gives €7 at full price, €5 at the reduced rate, and free entry for under-26s. Cathedral official site (checked on 25 October 2026).
• The market is not wheelchair accessible. Some commercial guides describe an adapted route, while the official listing says the opposite. Somme Tourisme, Amiens Christmas market listing (checked on 25 October 2026).
• The Amiens Pass has changed price. An old city pass at €20 or €28, with 2024 conditions, is still cited. The Amiens Cœur de Somme Pass costs €25, €32 and €39 for 24, 48 and 72 hours. Amiens Cœur de Somme Pass (checked on 25 October 2026).