The Best Christmas Markets on the French Riviera

Who says the South of France is only for summertime? We certainly don’t think so, and we could find a good reason to visit the Côte d’Azur at any time of the year. But the Christmas season is an excellent choice, and one of our favorites.

For one, the South of France is notably warmer than the rest of Europe in the cold seasons. It won’t be beach weather, but you don’t need to bundle up nearly as much as you would for other parts of the continent.

For two, it’s a lot cheaper on the Riviera outside of the peak summer season. While a lot of the seasonal flight routes halt after September and October, it’s still easy to fly in and out of Nice, and hotels and Airbnb’s drop in price exponentially.

And for three, Christmas markets! The famous European tradition of holiday villages extends to the South of France, and the region has some of our all-time favorites. Beautiful decorations, hot wine, and local treats await anyone willing to make a winter trip to the seaside. 

Our Favorite Côte d’Azur Christmas Markets

The following five Christmas markets are the main ones in the south of France, generally open from early to mid-December to around New Year’s Day. Some of the smaller towns and villages also have markets that may only be open for a weekend or two, so be sure to check what other French Riviera destinations are worth hitting while you’re there – it’s easy to get around!

Nice

The capital of and gateway to the French Riviera is home to a spectacular Christmas market. Noël à Nice takes place in the Albert 1er Gardens and the Promenade du Paillon. Being in the heart of town, this is very convenient, but also scenic – the famous Promenade des Anglais and its Mediterranean pebble beach is just steps away.

The market’s food, drink, and other shopping are all in the gardens, immediately beside the big Ferris wheel (which you can ride for a great view!). The Nice market offers particularly great food, with French favorites like raclette and tartiflette. There’s also international food like Canadian poutine and Scandinavian salmon.

Don’t miss the chance to try socca, a typical Niçois food that’s simple and delicious. Obviously, you’ll want to pair it with a hot wine or hot chocolate. 

On the opposite side of the Ferris wheel is the Promenade du Paillon – a large open space with a reflective pool. There’s usually a fantastic lights display here, which goes perfectly with the reflective pool. The old town, or Vielle Ville, is just steps away from all this, and will have its own lovely decorations to wander around.

Nice should be a do-not-miss on a South of France Christmas markets trip, but know that it gets extremely busy – especially on opening night and most weekends. It can be hard to find a place to stop and enjoy your hot wine on those nights.

Where to Stay: The Le Méridien Nice is one of the nicest hotels in the city, and happens to be across the street from the Christmas market (and the sea) – you can get a luxurious room with a view of both.

Monaco

We always say that no trip to the French Riviera is complete without a day in Monaco. Christmas time is definitely no exception, because as you may imagine, the playground of the rich and famous goes all-out for the festive season.

The main Christmas market takes place on the Quai Albert 1er, which is the space immediately behind the famous superyacht berths of Port Hercule. Obviously, that’s a wonderful backdrop for any event. Even on busy nights, you can find a table and chair in the market that faces the beautiful scenery for enjoying a glass of hot wine.

The Monégasque market chooses a theme each year that the decorations follow, so it’s always worth returning to, even for frequent visitors. This market also has a great selection of rides and games for children on the Monaco-Ville end of the strip, and very high-quality French and international foods to choose from.

You cannot miss the decorations near the famous Monte Carlo Casino either. It’s not a very far walk or bus ride. Again, it changes each year, but it’s always amazing, and there are usually a few chalets up there with food, drink, or souvenirs for sale.

Monaco-Ville and its decorations are also worth the walk up the steps to the castle. Monaco is extremely easy to visit by train for the day from anywhere else on the Riviera, and there is also an abundance of (expensive) parking garages. But if you stay the night, you can choose from some of the most prestigious hotels in the world.

Where to Stay: While it won’t be immediately near the main market, Hôtel Hermitage and Hôtel de Paris are famous luxury properties beside the casino with stunning views.

Antibes

Our very biased opinion is that Antibes has the best everything on the French Riviera – including its Christmas market. While the market opens rather late, usually mid-December, the beautiful, seaside old town is decorated festively long before that.

The Marché de Noël takes place on the Esplanade du Pré des Pêcheurs, better known as the big event space in front of the port and the Ferris wheel. It’s not the biggest Christmas market, but it has more than enough châlets selling all kinds of food and drink, plus local products and souvenirs. 

Our products of choice are the wood-fired socca, the local honey-infused hot wine, and the gourmet burgers and hot dogs at Le Châlet Gourmand. If you think that last one doesn’t sound very European, know that they load up those products with things like foie gras and raclette cheese, and serve them on pretzel buns.

For dessert, you can find traditional Hungarian “chimney cakes” (kürtős), or go with traditional comfort food like churros and donuts. A popular hot wine alternative is “Christmas beer” brewed in Antibes.

Besides all of the tasty treats, you can see the city from above on the Grand Roue (Ferris wheel) or from the sea on the rampart walls that extend over the water. Don’t miss the chance to stroll through the old town and see the charm that made us fall in love with this place.

Where to Stay: Like all of these towns, Antibes can easily be reached by train from wherever you stay – but if you want to make our former home your spot, we would go with Hôtel & Spa La Villa Port d’Antibes. It’s steps from the market and everything else.

Cannes

The cosmopolitan seaside town of Cannes is one of the best-known of the Riviera, and it was only minutes from our house, which made it a frequent destination – including during Christmas season. It was only recently that Cannes became one of our favorite Christmas markets, and they really stepped it up as of a few years ago.

The market takes place in the main square across the street from the port, next to New-York New-York and the Hôtel Splendid. There are a lot of châlets, and they serve particularly unique and tasty food. You can find sweet and savory crêpes, pasta alla ruota (mixed inside of a wheel of cheese), and fancy foie gras dishes.

They’ve got some pretty amazing desserts, like crème brûlée in a homemade waffle cone. We also found hot (alcoholic) cider here, which was a lovely alternative to the usual hot wine – which, to be clear, is always a good option.

Across the street, on the port side, they usually set up a whole park of rides and games for children. The whole town is beautifully decorated, so it’s definitely worth a stroll down the rue d’Antibes and the Boulevard de la Croisette – especially if you’re in the mood for luxury shopping. Or, you can stand on the steps of the Palais des Festivals where stars walk the red carpet at the famous film festival, and at least pretend to be a part of the 1%.

Where to Stay: The aforementioned Hôtel Splendid is a perfect option for the Christmas market and general Cannes sightseeing. If you have a higher budget and want to stay where the stars stay, the Carlton Cannes and the JW Marriott Cannes are the best.

Menton

Last but definitely not least is the last Riviera town before you hit Italy: Menton. It’s known for its lemon theme, which it takes very seriously, with a yellow-colored old town and a huge annual festival that celebrates the citrus fruit. 

Aside from having one of the most picturesque old towns, some of the best beaches, and a few of the most unique experiences on the Riviera, Menton boasts a great yet underrated Christmas market. It can be found at the Esplanade de Francis Palmero, which is immediately west of the port. 

The small market has typical Menton lemon products, like limoncello and local beer, along with desserts. As with the other South of France markets, we like to get socca here. Whatever we are in the mood for, we take it out of the market and across the street to the big park on the seaside, which is perfect for enjoying your food and drink with a view.

A few minutes’ stroll to the center of town will bring you to the Jardin Biovès, which is where big events like the Lemon Festival take place. For Christmas, they set up all kinds of decorations in this vast space. Menton does an exceptional job with celebrations, and you really shouldn’t miss this easy stop.

Where to Stay: The Hôtel Royal Westminster is one of the most iconic properties in Menton and sits seafront in between the Christmas market and the city center.

Final Tips for South of France Christmas Markets

These five places are already some of the most special spots on the French Riviera, and we know from experience that their Christmas markets do not disappoint. A winter trip to the South of France is great on its own, or as an addition to other destinations in Europe.

For example, tack on a few days to your trip to Paris, which is only five hours away via fast train or one hour by plane. Some people even come down just for the day! If you’re in Italy, it only takes a single train from Milan to reach the border town across from Menton, connected by local trains.

Once in the South of France, you can really stay anywhere you’d like. It’s not more than an hour to any seaside town between Menton and Cannes by train, and we even did a guide to visiting the Riviera by rail to show how easy it is.