The 15 Best Christmas Trips in France

1.Tootbus Open-Top Christmas Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,365 reviews · 1h 30m · from $46Our pick

Ride through Paris at night on a 90-minute Tootbus Christmas tour from Boulevard des Capucines to Boulevard Haussmann. You’ll see the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Opera, and department stores with multilingual audio, Christmas songs, Wi-Fi, and a self-guided walking app.

“Great way to see Paris decorated for the holidays! We really enjoyed the ride. It is cold, so definitely bring warm clothes and gloves. One should be at the meeting point one hour before so you can pick where you wish to stay on the bus. Definitely worth it…”

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2.Bastille Day Special Evening Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 83 reviews · 2 hours · from $224

Board at Port de Solférino for a two-hour Bastille Day dinner cruise with a three-course French meal, Champagne, wine, water, and coffee. You’ll pass the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, bridges, and illuminated Paris, with a chance to watch the national fireworks from the Seine.

“Terrible experience, awful food and different from what was advertised when purchasing the tickets. We bought the dinner option with veal and were served duck liver pâté and a piece of guinea fowl, and the portions were tiny for the very expensive price we paid. The only good thing was the super attentive waiters, because the guy who checked the table reservations was also rude. I do not recommend this boat; you can find better and cheaper boat tours.”

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3.Paris Tootbus Festive Christmas Lights Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 83 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $46

Ride through central Paris for 90 minutes on an English-language Tootbus Christmas lights tour. You’ll pass Place Vendôme, the Louvre, Champs-Elysées, Arc de Triomphe, and Eiffel Tower, finishing near the department-store windows on Boulevard Haussmann. Dress warmly and expect city traffic.

“It was nice to do a drive to see the Christmas lights, but having said that, Paris doesn’t have a lot of Christmas lights. Also, it would have been nice if they had played Christmas music during the tour. We’re glad we did it once, but would not do it again.”

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4.Enchanting Christmas Experience From Colmar

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 82 reviews · 8 hours · from $153

Leave Colmar at 10:00am in a small group of up to seven, visit Kaysersberg, Riquewihr, and Eguisheim, and taste Alsace wines at a Ribeauvillé cellar. English or French speaking guides such as Christian, Didier, and Yvan provide local context, hotel pickup, and comfortable transport.

“It was a magical trip indeed! Didier our guide and driver was excellent and very kind to take pictures of us. I highly recommend this trip for Christmas.”

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5.Christmas Market Tour from Colmar

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 64 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $162

Spend about nine hours visiting Eguisheim, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, and Ribeauvillé from Colmar. English-speaking guides such as Christian, Yvan, and Christopher handle the winter driving, market drop-offs, local stories, and a wine cellar tasting. Lunch is not included, and the route can change with market dates.

“Kristian was a super guide! Knowledgeable, courteous, helpful. The villages were lovely and wine tasting very nice. Lunch was particularly good.”

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6.Private Christmas Lights Tour by Citroën 2CV

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 62 reviews · 2 hours

Ride through Paris at night in a private vintage Citroën 2CV for two hours. Your English or French-speaking driver, including guides such as Brice, François, Doug, and William, shares city stories, adapts the route, and stops for photos. Pickup and drop-off cover Paris arrondissements 1 through 20.

“We had a lovely time! Our tour guide was so great and the Christmas lights were gorgeous!”

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7.Alsace Christmas Markets Day Tour from Strasbourg

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 48 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $180

Travel from Strasbourg in a small minivan to Colmar and one changing Alsace village market. Expect a short guided walk, free time for food and shopping, and guides such as Camille, Lea, Magalie, and Thierry sharing local stories. Markets vary by date, and crowds can be heavy.

“Our guide Thierry shared many stories and history about the Alsace region. He drove us to colmar first where he took us through the town and gave us 1.5 hrs to explore. Colmar was every bit as charming and storybook like you would imagine. Then we made a pit stop on some scenic route to view the valley and wine country. Did a small pit stop at turkheim, which was a bit underwhelming. Most things were closed and few stalls in a very small area. Lastly we drove to obernai Christmas market which was a little gem and we truly loved the whole experience. Overall, it was nice to be…”

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8.Paris Christmas Illuminations and Local Festivities Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 43 reviews · from $355Top rated

Join guide Milan Melet for a 3 to 4 hour private Christmas tour through Paris by chauffeured vehicle and on foot. Visit Galeries Lafayette, the Tuileries market, Place Vendôme, and the Champs-Elysées, with a Ferris wheel ride, seasonal treats, and hotel pickup included.

“Our guide, Milan, was well versed in French history and local Paris venues. His enthusiasm lifted the four of us and greatly added to our appreciation of our surroundings. Three cheers for Viator and Milan!”

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9.Christmas Markets Walking Tour with Mulled Wine

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 36 reviews · 2 hours · from $41

Spend two hours with a bilingual guide such as Arno exploring Strasbourg’s illuminated Christmas markets and decorated squares. Sample Alsatian specialties, browse artisan stalls, and finish with mulled wine or hot juice. Groups are limited to 10, with French, English, and Spanish available.

“Très beau moment convivial avec un guide attentionné et la découverte d’une famille australienne au travers des 7 marchés de Noel visités. Vraiment plaisant de découvrir Strasbourg sous cet angle”

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10.Christmas across the 3 borders

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 33 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $162

Travel from Colmar to three Christmas markets in Germany, Switzerland, and France in one day. Guides such as Didier, Yvan, Christian, and Christopher lead the trip, with free time for shopping, lunch, and exploring. Expect a small group, comfortable minibus transport, and a short visit to Eguisheim.

“Overall experience was excellent..Mr Didier was a good travel guide..He was on time , friendly and very accommodating..I will definitely recommend Viator and use them again on future travel destinations. Thank you”

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11.Strasbourg 7-Hour Christmas Markets Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 29 reviews · 7 hours · from $176

Spend seven festive hours with an English-speaking driver-guide, visiting Colmar’s five Christmas markets and one Alsace village market. The group is limited to eight, with stops in Obernai, Bergheim, or Riquewihr depending on the date. Guide Leticia has earned praise for her fun, informative approach.

“The guide, Leticia was so much fun and very informative, a fount of knowledge.”

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12.Christmas Markets Across 3 Borders

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 24 reviews · 8 hours · from $159

Travel from Colmar in an air-conditioned minivan with a French or English-speaking guide, visiting Basel in Switzerland, Freiburg in Germany, and Eguisheim in France. You get free time at each stop, with Didier or Ivan sometimes guiding the day, but this is mainly a comfortable transfer between Christmas markets rather than a full walking tour.

“Our experience with Didier was a wonderful Christmas market outing. The Équisheim village was our absolute favorite—so charming and fairytale-esque—and we wish we had more time there compared to the other markets in Freiburg and Basel. Didier was very kind and provided brief explanations of each stop, what to expect, and what to see. Just to note, it wasn’t really a guided tour but more of a drive to different locations with short overviews. Our only complaint is that the van had a noticeable cigarette smell, which took away a bit from an otherwise great experience.”

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13.Bateaux Mouches New Year’s Eve Special Dinner Cruise in Paris

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 22 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $577

Board Bateaux Mouches at Port de la Conférence for a five-hour New Year’s Eve celebration. Cruise past Paris landmarks during a four-course dinner, then stay aboard for music and dancing until 2am. Champagne, wine, soft drinks, vegetarian choices, Wi-Fi, and an open upper deck are included.

“A recepção é ótima pois tem uma estrutura adequada posta tipo de festa reveion Tanto a música quanto a comida estavam preparadas com muito carinho para os convidados O percurso do barco durou em torno de 2h00 e foi muito bacana o reveillon e a virada de ano foi com o bote parado na frente da torre Eiffel”

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14.Immersive Christmas cellar visit and Alsace wine tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $22Best value

At Vins Zeyssolff in Gertwiller, guides such as Marie and Dorian lead a 90-minute visit through an 1850 family cellar. Taste up to seven Alsace wines, watch a 180-degree film projected on old oak barrels, and leave with mulled wine, cookies, and kougelhopf.

“Very unique wine tour and we got to try 7 of their wines. Lots of information provided about the area. Would definitely recommend this. Note that you do need to arrange your own transportation to the winery. Train station is about a 10min walk.”

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15.Paris Christmas Lights Small Group Walking Tour with Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $78

Walk through Paris with a local guide such as Walid, Lou, Juliette, or Emily, stopping at Rue Montorgueil, Galerie Vivienne, the Tuileries market, Place Vendôme, and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. Your group has six people or fewer, with hot chocolate or mulled wine included.

“Very interesting your. Walked to holiday markets and saw Christmas lights and learned some history. I would remind this tour”

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