The Florence Christmas market 2026 opens in Piazza Santa Croce on Saturday 14 November and runs until Sunday 20 December. Entry is free, there is no ticket to book, and the stalls open from 10 am every day.
The City of Florence's official tourism site lists closing time as 10 pm from Monday to Thursday and 11 pm from Friday to Sunday. Below: when to go, what else is on and where to stay.
Florence Christmas market 2026: dates, hours and entry
The market is the city's traditional Weihnachtsmarkt, a German-style Christmas market set up in front of the marble façade of the Basilica of Santa Croce.
The official listing describes more than fifty stalls in wooden houses, selling food, drinks, crafts, decorations and gifts from sellers across Europe.
Opening days
Dates: from Saturday 14 November to Sunday 20 December 2026, so the market spans six weekends and closes the weekend before Christmas.
Opening hours
Hours: the event listing on FeelFlorence gives 10 am to 10 pm from Monday to Thursday and 10 am to 11 pm from Friday to Sunday.
The same page's FAQ says simply "every day from 10 am to 10 pm", so if you plan a late visit on a weekend, check the organiser's Facebook page (mercatodinatalefirenze) on the day.
Tickets and cost
Entry: free, with no booking. You pay only for what you eat, drink or buy at the stalls, and prices are set by each stallholder.
When to go: avoiding the busiest hours
Weekday mornings are the quietest time to walk the square. Shortly after the 10 am opening you can look at the stalls without queues, then step straight into the basilica, which opens at 9.30 am from Monday to Saturday.
Evenings are when the market looks its best, and when it is most crowded, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. A weekday late afternoon is a good compromise: visit the basilica until last admission at 5 pm, then come out as the lights come on.
Two dates worth knowing
Tuesday 8 December: the Feast of the Immaculate Conception is a public holiday in Italy, and in 2026 it makes a long weekend from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December. Expect it to be one of the busiest periods of the market's run.
The basilica follows its Sunday and holiday timetable that day, opening only from 2 pm.
Sunday 20 December: the market's last day falls on the Sunday before Christmas, one of the days when the Opera di Santa Croce offers free entry to the basilica, with no admission after 4.30 pm. It is a good day to combine both, if you can accept the crowds.
Combine the market with the Basilica of Santa Croce
The church behind the stalls holds the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo, and it is worth the hour.
The basilica opens Monday to Saturday from 9.30 am and on Sundays and religious holidays from 2 pm, with last admission at 5 pm. It is closed on Christmas Day. A full ticket costs €10 at the ticket office, and online booking adds a €1 fee per ticket.
The visitor entrance and ticket office are not on the square itself but on the north side of the church, in Largo Bargellini.
What else is on in Florence during the market
Broken at Palazzo Strozzi
Palazzo Strozzi's exhibition "Broken. The Power of the Fragment" runs until 24 January 2027. It is open daily from 10 am to 8 pm and until 11 pm on Thursdays, with last entry one hour before closing.
A dated full ticket costs €15, or €20 for an open-date ticket. A Thursday evening here pairs well with a late walk to Santa Croce.
Magnifico 1492 at Palazzo Pitti
From 3 December 2026, the Treasury of the Grand Dukes in Palazzo Pitti hosts "Magnifico 1492", an exhibition on the collection of Lorenzo the Magnificent.
Visit Tuscany's official listing gives a run into early 2027, but quotes two different closing dates, so check the Uffizi Galleries' site before you book.
The Florence Marathon weekend
The 42nd Firenze Marathon takes place on Sunday 29 November 2026, finishing in Piazza del Duomo, with the race expo on 27 and 28 November. The race is already sold out.
If you are not running, expect a busy weekend in the centre and check road closures before you plan a taxi or a car transfer that Sunday.
Getting to Piazza Santa Croce
Santa Croce is in the eastern part of the historic centre, and the easiest way to reach it is on foot. From Santa Maria Novella station it is a walk of roughly 20 to 25 minutes (our estimate).
From Florence airport, the T2 tram runs to Piazza dell'Unità beside Santa Maria Novella station. FeelFlorence gives a journey of about 20 minutes, with a tram roughly every five minutes. From there, continue on foot.
Do not drive into the centre. The historic core is a limited-traffic zone (ZTL) enforced by cameras, and the area around the market is largely pedestrian.
Where to stay for the Christmas market
For a market-focused trip, sleep in or near Santa Croce itself. You can walk back after the evening lights, and the Sant'Ambrogio market and Piazza dei Ciompi are a few minutes away for breakfast and morning shopping.
If you arrive by train or from the airport, the streets between Santa Maria Novella and the Duomo are more practical, and Santa Croce remains a pleasant walk.
Our selection of hotels in Florence lists properties with a Booking.com guest score of 8.0 or higher. For neighbourhoods, sights and day trips, see the Florence City Guide, and if you have three days, our Florence itinerary for 3 days already includes Santa Croce.
What the Christmas market means for hosts and local businesses
From mid-November, the market adds a reason to visit Florence before the Christmas holidays. Combined with the marathon and a long holiday weekend, it shapes when demand arrives.
The calendar to plan around
Three windows stand out. The marathon weekend runs from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November, with the expo on two days and a sold-out race.
The opening of "Magnifico 1492" at Palazzo Pitti on Thursday 3 December leads straight into the Immaculate Conception weekend, Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December.
Then come the market's last two weekends before it closes on 20 December.
For short lets and small hotels, those are the dates where a minimum stay or a later release of availability is easiest to justify. Midweek nights between them are where flexible offers make more sense.
Help guests use the late hours
The market stays open until 11 pm from Friday to Sunday, according to the official listing, and Palazzo Strozzi is open until 11 pm on Thursdays. Restaurants and bars around Santa Croce and Sant'Ambrogio can say clearly online whether they take late bookings on those nights.
A pre-arrival note with the market hours, the basilica's entrance in Largo Bargellini and the ZTL warning saves guests time and avoids fines.
Tourist tax and rules
Florence charges its imposta di soggiorno per person per night for up to seven consecutive nights, and children under 12 are exempt.
The City of Florence's page lists the rates in force since 1 February 2025 and links a new regulation in force from 1 November 2026, so check the current rate there before quoting guests.
Rules for new short lets in the historic centre have also tightened. Our guide to Florence short-term rental rules explains what owners can still do, and our page on living in Florence covers longer stays. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Florence Christmas market: frequently asked questions
When is the Christmas market in Florence in 2026?
From Saturday 14 November to Sunday 20 December 2026, in Piazza Santa Croce, according to the City of Florence's official tourism site.
Is the Florence Christmas market free?
Yes. Entry to the square and the market is free and needs no booking. Food, drinks and gifts are paid for at each stall.
What time does the Florence Christmas market close?
The official listing gives 10 pm from Monday to Thursday and 11 pm from Friday to Sunday, with opening at 10 am every day. Its FAQ mentions 10 pm every day, so check on the day if you plan a late weekend visit.
Programmes can change: check the organiser's page before you go.
Official sources, checked on 6 November 2026: FeelFlorence, Christmas Market in Piazza Santa Croce, Opera di Santa Croce, organise your visit, Palazzo Strozzi, tickets and opening hours, Visit Tuscany, Magnifico 1492, Firenze Marathon, FeelFlorence, events, FeelFlorence, arriving by plane and City of Florence, tourist tax.
Photo credits: cover by Henrique Ferreira and the street scene by Taylor Smith, both via Unsplash.
