Montreux Christmas Market 2026: Hours and Flying Santa

A market on the quays, the Grand-Rue and Market Square

Montreux quays, Grand-Rue and Market Square

Free entry 35 days, official dates Station about 200 m away 20 Nov to 24 Dec 2026

The heart of the market sits between the quays, the Grand-Rue and Market Square, facing the lake and the Vaud and Savoy Alps. According to the organiser, the market has “more than 150” chalets. Montreux Noël has been part of the Riviera Noël brand since 2024, which also covers the Vevey and Villeneuve markets. The Montreux Riviera tourist office announces “more than 170” chalets: that figure probably covers Riviera Noël as a whole. We keep the first number, for Montreux alone.

Entry to the quays and access to the chalets are free. To make a day of it, a day-long Viator excursion, about ten hours according to its listing, combines Montreux, Chaplin’s World and Chillon Castle. On the listing we checked on 23 October 2026, the meeting point is in front of the Keytours office, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure. We did not find the departure time: check it on the listing before you book. The listing also mentions a paddle steamer cruise, but only from June to September and only as an option; we don’t know which option matches the price we checked. Prices and dates were checked on 23 October 2026 (see the card below).

What you’ll find

• Crafts and Christmas gifts, in wooden chalets along the Grand-Rue and the quays.
• Fondue, raclette, mulled wine, crêpes, roasted chestnuts and bretzel, at the restaurants and the stalls.
• A paid Ferris wheel on Market Square: CHF 8 in 2025, 2026 price not confirmed.
• The Flying Santa Claus, free, which flies over the quays and the lake late in the afternoon.

Pixidia tip: the Flying Santa Claus flies between 4 pm and 7 pm. Late afternoon is the right window to see it, as long as you arrive before the first flight (see the section on the flying Santa Claus).

Day trip to Montreux, Chaplin’s World & Chillon Castle & apéritif About 10 hours per day, according to the listing. €177.75 per adult (based on 2 adults, checked 23 October 2026), departing on Saturdays 21 and 28 November and 5, 12 and 19 December 2026 · ★ 4.35 (186 reviews)

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Opening hours and payment: what changes on 24 December

The 2026 opening hours are published by the organiser. Stalls open at 11 am on weekdays and at 10 am on Saturday and Sunday. They close at 9 pm Monday to Wednesday, at 10 pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday, at 8 pm on Sunday, and at 5 pm on 24 December. Restaurants stay open until 11 pm, except on 24 December when they close at 5 pm. Takeaway sales stop an hour after the stalls close.

Source: montreuxnoel.com, official opening hours and the organiser’s news, checked on 23 October 2026. The last restaurant order is taken 30 minutes before closing.

A cashless market

Payment is by bank card, all cards except American Express, or by Twint. Cash is only accepted in restaurants and at the New Bretzel stand. A rechargeable card can be topped up by QR code at the info point. The cup deposit is CHF 2.00, refunded when you return the cup, according to the organiser’s FAQ, checked on 23 October 2026.

Flying Santa Claus: official times, day by day

One flight on weekdays, more at weekends

Free Flights 4 pm to 7 pm Extra flights at the end of December Cancelled in strong wind

The show is free and takes place late in the afternoon. According to the organiser’s FAQ, flights leave at 5 pm, 6 pm and 7 pm on weekdays, with an extra 4 pm flight at weekends. The official attraction page adds the late-December dates: an extra 4 pm flight on 22 and 23 December, then flights at 4 pm and 5 pm on 24 December.

What can cancel the flight

The organiser names only one cause of cancellation: storms or strong winds. No fallback is published. If the flight is cancelled, the market and the restaurants stay open. For the cruise, no wind rule is published: ask CGN before you go.

Warning: the organiser advises against the busiest weekends for animals, and third-party pages report more people on Saturdays and Sundays. Arrive early if you want a good spot on the quays.

Source: organiser’s FAQ and Flying Santa Claus attraction page, checked on 23 October 2026.

For a weekend visit, the easiest is to arrive before 4 pm and stay on the quays until the show ends. On weekdays, the first flight is at 5 pm, so an end-of-day visit is enough. On 24 December, the stalls and restaurants close at 5 pm, as does the last flight, which leaves less time to see the show and do your shopping the same afternoon.

The Flying Santa Claus cruise: the show seen from the lake

A cruise of about 45 minutes from Montreux

Adult CHF 49 About 45 minutes Departures 3:55 pm to 6:55 pm Food on board at extra cost

The organiser announced the cruise on 19 August 2026, with a view of the Flying Santa Claus show from the lake. According to the CGN page, checked on 23 October 2026, the boat leaves Montreux at 3:55 pm, 4:55 pm, 5:55 pm or 6:55 pm. It sails on Saturdays from 21 November to 19 December 2026, then every day from 21 to 23 December. Booking is online, on the CGN website or on the organiser’s.

Cruise or quays: how to choose

• The quays are free and enough to see the flight, with no ticket to buy.
• The cruise is paid, and lets you watch the show from the lake.
• Children under 6 travel free; food on board is still paid for.

Pixidia tip: leave yourself time to reach the pontoon before departure. The 45-minute duration is the one CGN publishes.

Source: CGN, Flying Santa cruises, checked on 23 October 2026. The Montreux Riviera tourist office page only gives “21 November to 23 December”, with no departure times or prices: we use the operator’s page.

Chillon, Vevey and Rochers-de-Naye: extending the weekend

Chillon Castle’s medieval market

6 days, late November and December 10 am to 5 pm 2026 price not checked Lakeside, between Montreux and Villeneuve

The castle hosts a medieval Christmas market on 28 and 29 November, 5 and 6 December and 12 and 13 December 2026, from 10 am to 5 pm, according to the castle’s page, checked on 23 October 2026. We did not find the 2026 entry price. The 2025 figures some sites repeat (CHF 19 adult, CHF 11 child) belong to a different year: don’t present them as current prices.

Pixidia tip: set aside half a day for Chillon, which is open 10 am to 5 pm on market days. We did not check the journey time between Chillon and Montreux: check it before you leave.

Vevey, another option to avoid the crowds

Vevey also hosts a market from 20 November to 24 December 2026, with an ice rink and Vaud food on Place du Marché, and Finnish chalets and kotas on Place Scanavin, according to the Montreux Riviera tourist office. We did not check train times between the two towns: look them up before you go.

If you’re extending your stay in Switzerland, our guides to the Basel Christmas market 2026 and to Zurich Bellevue cover two other markets from the same season.

The Santa Claus House at Rochers-de-Naye

The attraction sits at 2,042 metres above sea level, about 55 minutes from Montreux by rack railway. It is open from 20 November to 24 December 2026, and tickets have been on sale since 15 September 2026. The organiser advises buying in advance and does not recommend it for children under 3 because of the altitude, according to the official page, checked on 23 October 2026.

The ticket is a flat fee, and the official page publishes no 2026 price. The last price we found dates from 2025: CHF 49 for an adult and CHF 19 for a child, according to Tourisme Haute-Savoie, page dated 22 November 2025. Check the current price on mob.ch before you book. Don’t confuse this attraction with the Rochers-de-Naye excursion sold by Swiss Travel Centre: it’s a sightseeing trip priced in euros (€80 for an adult on the date we checked), not the Santa Claus ticket.

Getting there and parking

The train is the simplest option: Montreux station is about 200 metres from the market, according to the organiser’s transport page. A RailAway discount of up to 50% on the train journey is announced for 2026: the offer appears in the organiser’s news of 1 October 2026, and its conditions are on the offer page.

By car, two park-and-ride sites are listed: Chailly, with 149 spaces, and La Saussaz, with 140 spaces. The announced price is CHF 8, but the page gives neither the year of that price nor whether it applies per day or per vehicle: ask before you go. P+Rail gives 20% off parking, according to Montreux Riviera.

Bus lines VMCV 201 and 204 were free at weekends from 1 pm in 2025. We found no confirmation that the free ride applies in 2026.

Source: organiser’s transport page and Montreux Riviera, checked on 23 October 2026.

Budget: what a weekend really costs

The market costs nothing to visit: entry is free, and so is the Flying Santa Claus. Your budget goes on food, the cruise and paid attractions. Here are the items, with their status.

• Food and drink: a third-party guide (marches-de-noel.fr) estimates CHF 15 to 30 per person. It’s an estimate, not an official price.
• Cup deposit: CHF 2.00, refunded on return, according to the organiser.
• CGN cruise: CHF 49 for an adult, CHF 29 for ages 6 to 15.99, free under 6, according to CGN.
• Santa Claus House: no 2026 price published. The 2025 figure (CHF 49 adult, CHF 19 child) is a reference point only.
• Park and ride: CHF 8 announced, rate to be reconfirmed.
• Ferris wheel: CHF 8 in 2025, 2026 price not confirmed.

For a family of four, with two adults and two children aged 6 to 15 who take the cruise, the cruise alone costs CHF 156 (2 × 49 + 2 × 29). Add food at an indicative CHF 15 to 30 per person, and the train if you’re travelling from far away.

We don’t convert these amounts into euros: we did not find an exchange rate for this date. Check your bank’s rate before you travel.

Depending on your travel style

Families. The Flying Santa Claus is still free for everyone. The CGN cruise is paid for children aged 6 to 15 (CHF 29); under-6s travel free, with food on board to pay for. The Santa Claus House, at Rochers-de-Naye, is paid too.

Couples. Visit in the evening, when the stalls are still open: they close between 8 pm and 10 pm depending on the day, and restaurants at 11 pm, except on 24 December. The official page says nothing about small groups; restaurants take bookings for groups of 8 or more.

Tight budget. The market and the flight are free. The train is the main cost: a RailAway discount can lower the fare, and park and ride is announced at CHF 8. Bring a water bottle to avoid buying drinks, and remember the CHF 2.00 deposit on each cup.

First visit. Arrive by train, head down to the quays, then climb back up the Grand-Rue to reach Market Square before the first flight of the day.

Reduced mobility. The quays are flat and accessible to people with reduced mobility. Toilets are spread across the site, and baby-changing tables are available, according to the organiser’s FAQ.

With a dog. Dogs are welcome on a short lead. The organiser advises avoiding the busiest weekends, when crowds make the lead harder to keep.

A plan for one day

Here is a visit order that works with the official times. It assumes a morning train and an evening return.

1. 11 am: arrive at Montreux station, about 200 m from the market. Stalls open at 11 am on weekdays and at 10 am at weekends.
2. 11 am to 3 pm: wander between the chalets, then lunch at a restaurant (open from 11 am, last order 30 minutes before closing).
3. 4 pm: first Flying Santa Claus flight at weekends, and on 22 and 23 December. On weekdays, the first flight is at 5 pm.
4. 5:55 pm or 6:55 pm: if you have booked the CGN cruise, departure from Montreux. It lasts about 45 minutes.
5. 7 pm: last weekday Flying Santa Claus flight. Stalls close at 8 pm on Sunday, at 9 pm Monday to Wednesday, and at 10 pm Thursday to Saturday.

For the return, trains leave from Montreux station, about 200 m from the market. If you’re heading to the medieval market at Chillon, set aside half a day: it’s a separate site with its own hours (10 am to 5 pm).

What other guides don’t tell you

We compared the content that answer engines cite on this market with the pages of the organiser and of the operator CGN. Six points are missing or wrong in those guides.

• The late-December flights. Guides give 5 pm, 6 pm and 7 pm. The organiser adds a 4 pm flight on 22 and 23 December, then flights at 4 pm and 5 pm on 24 December, according to the attraction page (checked on 23 October 2026).
• 24 December closes early. Stalls and restaurants close at 5 pm that day, according to montreuxnoel.com (checked on 23 October 2026). Some guides give a single closing time for the whole market.
• A market without cash. Card or Twint only, with cash accepted only in restaurants and at the New Bretzel stand, according to the organiser’s FAQ (checked on 23 October 2026).
• The CGN cruise has its own price. CHF 49 for an adult and CHF 29 for a child, with departures from 3:55 pm to 6:55 pm, according to CGN (checked on 23 October 2026). Most guides don’t list it, or list it without prices or dates.
• The Santa Claus House has no published 2026 price. The 2025 figures are circulating as current prices. According to the official page (checked on 23 October 2026), the ticket is a flat fee and tickets have been on sale since 15 September 2026.
• The 652,000 visitor figure doesn’t cover Montreux alone. It covers Riviera Noël in 2025 (Montreux, Vevey and Villeneuve, over 35 days), according to the ATS news agency report of 24 December 2025, checked on 23 October 2026.