Vienna Christmas Markets 2026: Dates and Hours

Runs 6 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, 62 days, the longest season in the city. Hours come in three published blocks: 10:00 to 21:00 until 23 December, 10:00 to 16:00 on Christmas Eve, then 10:00 to 19:00 daily to Epiphany. The operator lists more than 90 huts in the palace forecourt, free entry, and a skating rink from 25 December. U4 Schoenbrunn plus trams 10 and 60 stop at the gate.

Visitor note (Google Maps) "Nice Christmas market with lots of delicious food and great attractions."

Best for: Longest season

The flagship runs 13 November to 26 December 2026, daily 10:00 to 22:00, shortened to 18:30 on 24 December. Expect around 96 booths on the square in front of City Hall, with the first edition held in 1975. The Vienna Ice World keeps the site in use until 6 January 2027 and closes only on 31 December. Reach it on U2 Rathaus, or trams 1, 71 and D.

Visitor note (Google Maps) "A pre-Christmas highlight for every visitor to Vienna's city center."

Best for: Biggest market

Opens 6 November 2026, a week before Rathausplatz, and closes 26 December. Daily hours are 11:00 to 21:00, with 11:00 to 16:00 on 24 December and 11:00 to 19:00 on both 25 and 26 December. Around 43 stands sit directly under St. Stephen's Cathedral, which makes this the easiest late-season stop inside the Ring. Entry is free. In 2025 the same market ran only 8 November to 23 December.

Best for: Earliest central start

The Prater winter market runs 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, so it covers the whole gap between Christmas and New Year. Hours are 12:00 to 22:00 Monday to Friday and 11:00 to 22:00 at weekends and on public holidays. The operator lists 37 huts, mostly food and drink rather than crafts, and entry is free. The 1 January schedule is published as expected rather than confirmed.

Best for: Between Christmas and New Year

Runs 13 November to 23 December 2026, 41 days, through the lanes of Spittelberggasse, Schrankgasse and Gutenberggasse. Weekday opening is late: 14:00 to 21:30 Monday to Friday, 11:00 to 21:30 on Saturday and Sunday, so an early-afternoon arrival finds shuttered stalls. The Kulturverein Forum Spittelberg has organised it since 1993. Nearby WIPARK garages charge EUR 1.90 per hour, or EUR 3.90 flat between 18:00 and 02:00.

Visitor note (Google Maps) "Nice Christmas market, sometimes a bit cramped when it's busy"

Best for: Crafts, evenings only

The Freyung market runs 14 November to 23 December 2026, daily 10:00 to 21:00, the widest daily window among the craft markets. It starts a day after the main 13 November wave, a detail that catches out visitors arriving on the Friday. Trade listings trace the market's lineage to 1772. U3 Herrengasse and bus line 1A both stop within a couple of minutes' walk of the square.

Visitor note (Google Maps) "nice Christkindlmarkt - the stalls unfortunately have become a bit generic"

Best for: Widest daily window for crafts

Art Advent runs 13 November to 23 December 2026, daily 12:00 to 20:00, the narrowest daily window of the large markets. The divina art association requires stallholders to have conceived and produced their own goods, and the food offer is organic. In 2025 the market opened only on 21 November, so the 2026 start is eight days earlier. Entry is free and the Karlskirche stands directly behind the stalls.

Visitor note (Google Maps) "Very nice but unfortunately very crowded.... top handicrafts"

Best for: Maker-only stalls

Runs 13 November to 23 December 2026, 41 days, on one of the oldest squares in the first district. Hours split by day: 11:00 to 21:00 Monday to Thursday, 10:00 to 21:00 Friday to Sunday and on public holidays, with food served until 22:00. The 23 December close means it is no help for a trip between Christmas and New Year. Entry is free, and Freyung is a five-minute walk away.

Visitor note (Google Maps) "Nice rustic Christmas market with art, food and drinks."

Best for: Early weekend opening