Where to See the Christmas Lights in Paris

Are you planning a trip to Paris for Christmas? One of the best ways to celebrate Christmas in Paris is to see the lights that fill the most emblematic places of the city. From grand avenues like the Champs Elysees to quieter neighborhoods on the outskirts.

Usually, the lights are turned on from late November to early January, so you have plenty of time to go to Paris and experience a special Christmas, visiting tourist sites that at this time look even more impressive. Because when night falls in Paris, Christmas makes its appearance in the form of thousands and thousands of light bulbs that will accompany you on your trip.

Every night the Eiffel Tower is illuminated, but from November to January the lights of approximately 20000 bulbs become even more special, as the most famous tower in the world is not the only one that shines, but the whole path leading to it is full of lights that create a festive atmosphere.

Thousands of lights flank the path for visitors arriving on the Tower's esplanade. When you book your ticket to the Eiffel Tower, in addition to the spectacle of lights and colors, you will be greeted by a small restaurant in a transparent dome that every Christmas is placed on the second floor. Need a stop before continuing to admire the Parisian Christmas? Here you can have a hot (and sweet!) drink.

Go ice skating under the lights of the Eiffel Tower

If instead of resting you feel like a little more movement, why not go ice skating? That's right, during the Christmas season an ice rink is installed around the Eiffel Tower where you can skate surrounded by a light show that makes this plan even more brilliant.

Also, if you travel with children to Paris, this visit has a surprise that will delight them ... And I have been told that Santa Claus walks around the Eiffel Tower during the most special weeks of the year. Are you not going to go see him? Remember that, although you don't need a ticket to walk around, if you want to climb the Eiffel Tower you do.

In addition to the Champs Elysees is always one of the great Christmas markets in Paris that you can not miss, at night hundreds of lights and animations fill with magic the busiest avenue of Paris. Undoubtedly, it is very exciting to walk more than 2 kilometers between trees laden with luminous garlands.

Although the walk is a bit long, I recommend you take it easy and stop at the market stalls while you see how the Arc de Triomphe is getting bigger and bigger as you move towards it.

If you do not like crowds, it will be difficult to avoid them, because going to see the lights on the Champs Elysees is one of the main Christmas plans in Paris, especially on the day of its ignition. However, I remind you that the lights are kept on from late November to early January, so you can go on those dates, admire them more calmly and, why not, extend the Christmas spirit a little longer.

Place Vendome, from November to January is also filled with golden lights to celebrate Christmas. Therefore, this is a must-see if you want to experience Christmas in Paris.

Beyond the garlands of lights that adorn the facades, the lighting of the Place Vendome stands out for its decorations, especially the giant fir trees that during the day are green but at night seem snowy by the amount of white and blue lights that cover them.

My advice is to go to see these lights at the end of the day, when all you feel like doing is resting for a while. Of course, the tiredness will soon be gone because the refinement, glitz and glamor of this square will wake anyone up. You can also book a private tour of Paris that will take you through this and other locations where the lights speak for themselves.

Christmas is added to one of the most luxurious avenues in Paris since the end of November. In addition to the general lighting of all Parisian streets, in this area it is the lights of the shop windows that leave everyone who passes by with their mouths open.

Even if you are not going to buy anything in the boutiques that are there (such as Chanel or Louis Vuitton), my advice is that you should take a walk while admiring each display, they are worth it! Do not think that just seeing one of the windows is enough, because each fashion brand designs with care and according to their own personality each store.

One of the great advantages of the lights of the Avenue Montaigne is that you do not have to wait for the night to see them, because during the day they also dazzle and give life to the cold winter days of Paris. In addition, you can also get to know them by taking the Paris sightseeing bus if you do not want to walk so much.

If you're walking among the hanging lights of the Avenue des Champs Elysées, you may come to the Place de la Concorde, where the lighting is just as spectacular, creating a Christmas atmosphere that will enchant even the most skeptical. But if there is something that has become a must-see when Christmas comes to Paris is the Ferris wheel that is placed in the Plaza.

Apart from the lights, the best thing about this Ferris wheel is the views it offers, which have nothing to envy to the best viewpoints in Paris. Can you imagine being able to see from above the center of Paris illuminated at Christmas? Go up and stay with your mouth open, because I promise you that the panoramic view is incredible.

• Price: approximately 12€, although they have discounts for children.
• Recommendation: when you come down you adults can take the opportunity to take a comforting mulled wine in one of the stalls around while you continue contemplating the lights. It's delicious!

Although the Notre Dame cathedral is not specially lit during the Christmas season, the big tree in front of it is enough to light up the whole square. Have you ever seen it? Well now you have one more plan to add to your list.

In addition to the lights, the tree is decorated with great care, making it even more imposing and beautiful. The combination of the natural green of the tree and the blue of its lights are the ideal complements to Notre Dame.

• Tip: take at least half an hour to sit on a bench nearby to admire the tree and the light it gives off against the starry sky of Paris.

Do you know this district of the 6th arrondissement of Paris? In its brasseries and cafes have met some of the great intellectuals and artists of history, but also at Christmas all its streets are filled with lights. In particular, I recommend you to go to Boulevard Saint Germain and Place Saint Germain des Prés, where all the luminous decorations are concentrated.

Although many people go to Saint-Germain-des-Prés just to see the Christmas market or have a drink in its traditional cafes, many people are surprised when they find a light show.

Saint-Germain-des-Prés does not have the most powerful lights in Paris, but I can assure you that they have something special. In addition, being a less touristy area, you can enjoy Christmas in a more relaxed way. And I recommend you to discover its lights while you know all its streets on a tour of Saint-Germain-des-Prés to take advantage of being there and get to know it thoroughly.

Do you want to live the experience of entering a Christmas story? Make a note of this recommendation: the Boulevard Haussman. In this area is where the most famous department stores in Paris are located, so in addition to the lights, expect to find shop windows full of decorations and even automatons that welcome Christmas.

I can assure you that all the big stores will draw attention with their lights, colors and Christmas windows, but if there is one place you will want to head to that is the Galeries Lafayette and its illuminated facade. You will have heard of them because during the year the architecture of the building is already quite impressive, but during Christmas it is even more so.

If you don't believe me, watch this video and wait until you see live the 25-meter tree that presides over the hall of the Galleries during the festive season. But beyond the tree, you'll see how the shop windows of all the Galleries' stores follow a common style and design to maintain harmony and bring the magic of Christmas to every corner.

When you arrive at Bercy Village you will feel your imagination run wild. The decorations take on a thousand and one shapes (animals, spheres, trees...) and all of them are illuminated. The result? A landscape of lights that turn this outdoor shopping center into a kind of Christmas village created by some of the best French designers.

Bercy Village is a historic place, so in addition to seeing the lights you can sit on one of its terraces to observe its construction in white stone, wood, steel and glass while you take a good glass of wine, because in this small village you will see that wineries abound.

Being in the XXII district and not as popular as other neighborhoods, Bercy is a good place to enjoy the lights of Paris without so many people but with the same illusion and Christmas spirit.

Are you going to the Louvre Museum on your trip to Paris? I recommend that you go at the last minute or even take advantage of the day they open at night, so that when you leave you find the great Tuileries Garden dressed for Christmas and with lights that illuminate the whole place.

In the center of Paris, extends the magnificent garden of the Louvre that at Christmas in addition to hosting a beautiful market, is also full of large illuminated structures.

In addition, while you walk among the luminous decorations and discovering the thousand forms they have, you can do some Christmas shopping at the market stalls. Do you have already written down all the stops to see the Christmas lights in Paris? I promise you that you will be dazzled in a good way and that you will live a magical Christmas.