Paris is humming with holiday energy this week, so let’s dive straight into some of the best things listeners can do in the city over the next few days.

According to Sortir à Paris, a perfect starting point today is the Eiffel Tower Christmas Village on Quai Jacques Chirac, running through early January. Beneath the Iron Lady, you’ll find wooden chalets packed with artisan gifts, regional cheeses, hot wine, and sweets, all with that postcard view of the tower sparkling above.

From there, lace up your skates at the Grand Palais des Glaces. Sortir à Paris reports that the legendary indoor ice rink is back, stretching under the vast glass roof, with a giant Eiffel Tower installation in the center, a terrace, and hot chocolate on tap. It’s open throughout the week, so listeners can go for a daytime glide or an evening spin beneath the lights.

If you love markets, this is your week. Sortir à Paris highlights the huge La Défense Christmas Market on the Parvis, celebrating its 30th edition with more than 300 chalets, its own ice rink, daily visits from Santa, and plenty of live entertainment. In the heart of the city, there’s also the Saint‑Germain‑des‑Prés market, with beautifully decorated stalls at the foot of the church, and the Notre‑Dame Christmas Market in Square René Viviani, focused on French crafts and regional gastronomy. Add the Tuileries Garden Christmas Market, which Sortir à Paris describes as a gourmet funfair with rides, an ice rink, and food stands, and you’ve got an entire evening’s stroll mapped out.

For something magical after dark, Sortir à Paris recommends Luminous Odyssey at Parc Floral, a nighttime trail of monumental lanterns, a drone show, and even an artificial Northern Lights experience. Over at the Jardin des Plantes, the En voie d’illumination: Lumières de la nature festival offers another luminous walk among glowing animal and nature installations.

Art lovers can head to the Grand Palais for a double exhibition of contemporary French stars Eva Jospin and Claire Tabouret, highlighted by Sortir à Paris as one of the must‑see cultural events of the season. And for a touch of Olympic nostalgia, the Musée des Arts et Métiers is unveiling Zeus, the monumental metal horse from the Paris 2024 opening ceremony, on display on the forecourt and inside the museum starting this week.

Finally, don’t forget to simply wander: NEWS9 and Paris lifestyle sites note that the Champs‑Élysées, Bercy Village, and the façades of Galeries Lafayette and Dior on Avenue Montaigne are glowing with some of the most extravagant Christmas lights and trees in the city this year. It’s the easiest free show in town.

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