Amsterdam Christmas Market Guide: 6 Markets for 2026

Essentially Amsterdam · September 29, 2026

Amsterdam’s Christmas market season in 2026 runs from late November to early January, but most of the best markets last only a day or a weekend.

Miss the date and you wait a full year.

For a first visit, go to Christmas Village at Museumplein if you want the classic open-air feel, or book Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs at RAI Amsterdam if you want a big, ticketed winter park that runs over the holidays. For locally made gifts, the one-day maker markets in Westerpark, Watergraafsmeer and Amsterdam-West are stronger picks.

Organisers have published confirmed 2026 dates for five of the six markets below.

Where a date is not yet announced, it is clearly labelled.

Quick picks:

Best classic atmosphere: Christmas Village at Museumplein
Best for families and long holiday days: Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs
Best for handmade gifts: The Maker Market
Best day trip: Haarlem Christmas Market

1) Christmas Village Amsterdam at Museumplein

Christmas Village is the closest thing Amsterdam has to a German-style Christmas market.

It sits on Museumplein, between the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk.

That makes it easy to pair with a museum visit.

Expect wooden chalets selling gifts and decorations, plus food stalls with mulled wine (glühwein), hot chocolate, poffertjes and other winter snacks.

In past editions the market has sat beside a seasonal ice rink, which draws crowds on weekend evenings.

Dates for Christmas Village 2026 have not been announced yet.

The Ice Rink at Museumplein is listed from 24 November 2026 to 16 January 2027, with tickets sold separately.

A few practical points:

Trams 2 and 12 stop right by the square.
Weekday afternoons are calmer than Friday and Saturday nights.
The museums close in the early evening, so plan your market time for after your visit when the lights come on.

2) Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs at RAI Amsterdam

Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs is a large indoor and outdoor winter park at RAI Amsterdam, open during the Christmas holidays.

The official Winterparadijs site lists it from 17 December to 2 January.

It feels more like a winter fair than a craft market.

You’ll find an indoor skating rink, an outdoor rink, a Ferris wheel, a 40-metre swing ride, a light trail, a snow garden, a music stage, an après-ski village and a food court.

Stalls selling gifts play a small role.

Entry works with timed arrival slots.

Per the ticket rules and prices:

One ticket covers one day, the music programme and all activities except prize-winning fair games.
Children up to 2 enter free; kids tickets for ages 3 to 12 cost €3 less, but only for slots before 14:00.
Prices are dynamic, so early slots are cheapest and quietest.
You can’t leave and come back on the same ticket.
Attractions close at 22:00, and the entrance gate shuts an hour before closing.

3) Funky Xmas Market at Westergas

Funky Xmas Market is the December edition of Sunday Market, a monthly art, fashion and design market at Cultural Park Westergas.

Designers and artists sell their own work straight to you.

The 2026 edition is listed for Sunday 20 December, 12:00 to 18:00, with free entrance.

The listing notes that times are subject to change.

Beyond gifts, you get live music, Christmas snacks, mulled wine and hot chocolate.

The setting helps: Westergas is a former gasworks inside Westerpark, with old brick buildings, cafés and plenty of room to walk.

The Sunday Market organisers describe their stock as handmade ceramics, vintage clothing, original art and sustainable fashion.

That makes this a strong stop if you want one-off presents over mass-produced decorations.

Getting there is easy by bike through Westerpark.

Trams and buses stop along Haarlemmerweg and the Van Limburg Stirumstraat side of the park.

4) Pure Markt at Park Frankendael

Pure Markt is a food-led Sunday market that returns to Park Frankendael in Watergraafsmeer just before Christmas.

The Pure Markt agenda for 2026 lists Sunday 20 December, 11:00 to 17:00, with an earlier edition on 29 November.

The organisers say the market is about 70% food and 30% non-food.

Think small producers of cheese, bread, wine, oysters and cake, plus soap, crafts and other gifts.

Many traders explain where their ingredients come from and how products are made.

It’s the most relaxed option on this list.

Stalls line the paved path through the park, with picnic spots and playgrounds nearby.

Restaurant De Kas and Huize Frankendael are both in the park.

Useful details from the Park Frankendael location page:

Entrance at the corner of Middenweg and Kamerlingh Onneslaan
Free parking on Sundays
Dogs allowed on a lead
Toilets on site

5) The Maker Market at De Hallen

The Maker Market is Amsterdam’s best bet for handmade gifts from people who make them.

Its regular home is De Passage, the covered hall inside De Hallen, a former 1902 tram depot in Amsterdam-West.

On the organiser’s Amsterdam page, the market runs the last weekend of every month with free entry and around 40 makers per edition.

There are no resellers, and you’ll find jewellery, ceramics, prints, clothing, candles and skincare.

December is different.

The organiser lists its Christmas edition on 19 and 20 December 2026 at Centrale Markthal, with about 150 makers a day, workshops and kids’ activities.

Hours are Saturday 11:00 to 20:00 and Sunday 11:00 to 17:00.

De Hallen’s own agenda also shows a Maker Market on 19 and 20 December in De Passage, 11:00 to 17:00.

Most makers take card, but a few are cash-only, so carry a little cash.

De Hallen is reachable by tram 17 or 7, or bus 18.

6) Haarlem Christmas Market

Haarlem Christmas Market is the largest option within easy reach of Amsterdam.

Visit Haarlem lists the 2026 market from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 December, with almost 350 stalls across 12 spots in the old city centre.

Opening hours:

Friday 11 December: 10:30 to 20:00
Saturday 12 December: 10:30 to 20:00
Sunday 13 December: 10:30 to 19:00

Entry is free.

The route winds from the Kruisstraat through the Grote Markt and on to the Grote Houtstraat, with Christmas chalets, pagoda tents and stalls selling decorations, jewellery, gifts and food.

Weekends bring a full entertainment programme with choirs and indoor and outdoor shows.

Friday is the calmer day if you want space to browse.

There is also a family attraction on the Grote Markt.

The trip is simple: direct trains run from Amsterdam to Haarlem, and the market starts about a 10-minute walk from the station.

City parking garages fill fast, so the train beats driving.

How to Plan Your Market Visits

Most of these markets happen on a single weekend in December, so your planning starts with the calendar.

The table below puts the key facts side by side.

Market	Location	2026 dates	Entry	Best for
Christmas Village	Museumplein	Not yet announced	Market free in past years; ice rink ticketed	Classic atmosphere
Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs	RAI Amsterdam	17 Dec to 2 Jan	Timed ticket	Families, rides
Funky Xmas Market	Westergas	20 Dec	Free	Design gifts
Pure Markt	Park Frankendael	20 Dec	Open park market	Food gifts
The Maker Market	Centrale Markthal / De Hallen	19 and 20 Dec	Free	Handmade gifts
Haarlem Christmas Market	Haarlem centre	11 to 13 Dec	Free	Day trip

Which 2026 dates and opening hours have organisers confirmed?

Five markets have published 2026 dates.

In date order:

Haarlem Christmas Market: 11 to 13 December, from 10:30 each day
Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs: 17 December to 2 January
The Maker Market: 19 and 20 December (Saturday until 20:00 at Centrale Markthal)
Funky Xmas Market: 20 December, 12:00 to 18:00
Pure Markt: 20 December, 11:00 to 17:00

Christmas Village at Museumplein has not announced its 2026 dates.

Only the neighbouring ice rink has a listed run so far.

Notice the clash on Sunday 20 December.

Funky Xmas Market, Pure Markt and The Maker Market all fall on that day.

If you want all three, split them: do The Maker Market on Saturday evening, then pick one of the other two for Sunday.

Which markets are free, and which activities require tickets?

Four of the six charge nothing to walk in.

Funky Xmas Market, The Maker Market and Haarlem Christmas Market all list free entry.

Pure Markt is an open-air market in a public park.

Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs is the exception.

You buy a ticket for a set arrival slot, and prices rise later in the day.

The ticket includes most rides and the music programme.

At every market, food, drinks and gifts cost extra.

At Museumplein, skating is ticketed separately from the market stalls.

How can you combine markets with a neighbourhood outing or a trip to Haarlem?

Each market sits in a neighbourhood worth a few extra hours.

Some easy pairings:

Museumplein: a morning at the Rijksmuseum or Van Gogh Museum, then the market at dusk.
Westergas: a walk through Westerpark, then coffee or dinner in the Westergas cafés.
De Hallen: lunch at the Foodhallen and a film at the Filmhallen under the same roof.
Park Frankendael: pair the market with a Sunday lunch at De Kas.
Haarlem: go on Friday, then visit the Grote Kerk on the Grote Markt.

For concerts, light shows and other festive events on the same days, the Essentially Amsterdam What’s On calendar is updated daily.

The Amsterdam Light Festival is listed from 26 November 2026 to 17 January 2027, which makes an easy evening add-on to any city market trip.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Amsterdam Christmas market is best for a first visit?

Christmas Village at Museumplein gives you the classic look of chalets, lights and mulled wine in a central spot.

If its 2026 dates don’t suit you, Haarlem Christmas Market offers a bigger traditional market just a short train ride away.

Is the Museumplein Christmas market free to enter?

In past editions, walking around the Christmas Village stalls has been free, while skating on the ice rink needs a ticket.

The organisers have not yet announced 2026 details, so ticket terms for this year are still to come.

Is Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs a traditional Christmas market?

No, it is closer to a winter theme park.

You get skating rinks, fairground rides, a light trail, an après-ski village and live music, all behind a timed ticket.

Where can I shop for locally made gifts in Amsterdam?

The Maker Market is the strongest choice, with makers selling only their own work.

Funky Xmas Market at Westergas is a good second, and Pure Markt suits you if you want food gifts from small producers.

Which of these markets are open on Christmas Day?

Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs is the only market here whose run spans 25 December, since it lasts from 17 December to 2 January.

The one-day and weekend markets all finish by 20 December, and Christmas Village has not yet published its 2026 schedule.