Dates and opening hours for 2026
The market opens on the evening of 20 November with the lights going on at the main tree, and closes on the evening of 6 January 2027, which makes it the longest season of the three Baltic markets.
On the first Sunday of Advent, 29 November, the Mayor and the Dean of Tallinn Cathedral light the Advent candle, and Santa's house on the square opens that day. From then on he receives children daily from 12:00 to 18:00. Friday, Saturday and Sunday bring a stage programme of choirs, folk dance and music, and New Year's Eve is celebrated on the square itself.
The market's own page lists the same daily hours through Christmas with no closed days. Expect some stalls to close early on 24 December, when Estonians go home to eat, and check the official site in the week before you travel.
Where it is and how to get there
Town Hall Square, Raekoja plats, is the centre of Tallinn's Old Town, below the Gothic town hall. Any hotel inside the old walls is a few minutes' walk away. From the Viru Gate, where most taxis drop you, it is about five minutes on foot up Viru street.
From the airport, a taxi takes about fifteen minutes. Tram 4 runs from the terminal to the edge of the Old Town in about twenty minutes, and from there it is a short walk. From the ferry terminals the walk is around twenty minutes, mostly on pavement.
Inside the walls the streets are cobbled and, in a cold December, often icy. Shoes with a real grip matter more than a heavy coat.
What to eat and drink
The drink is glögg, Estonian mulled wine, in dozens of versions with and without alcohol: cranberry and cherry, Setomaa raspberry and blackcurrant, pumpkin, and a spiced wine made to a medieval recipe. Ask for the non-alcoholic one and you will not be the only person who did.
The food is Estonian Christmas food. Sauerkraut, blood sausage and Christmas roasts, elk sausages, slow-cooked pork belly, then cinnamon and cardamom buns, gingerbread and pancakes for afterwards. Estonian public broadcaster ERR priced a hot meal at the market at €14 to €18 last season, plus the €2 plate deposit.
The deposit is the one thing to know in advance. Every mug and plate is reusable. Keep it, hand it back at any stall, and the €2 comes back to you. Cards are taken at most stalls, as almost everywhere in Estonia.
Weather, daylight and what to wear
December in Tallinn sits around freezing: a typical day is a degree or two above zero, a night a few degrees below, and colder snaps to minus ten are normal. Wind off the sea makes it feel colder than the number.
Daylight is short. On the shortest day the sun rises around 9:20 and sets around 15:20, a little over six hours. That suits a market, which looks its best after dark, but it means sightseeing belongs in the late morning and early afternoon.
Wear layers, a hat that covers your ears, gloves you can hold a mug in, and shoes with grip. Warm up indoors between rounds: the cafes around the square are full of people doing exactly that.
Beyond the square
Walk up to Toompea, the upper town, for the viewing platforms at Kohtuotsa and Patkuli. Under snow, the red roofs and spires of the lower town are the view on every Tallinn postcard, and it takes ten minutes from the market.
Tallinn shares its claim to the first public Christmas tree with Riga: Tallinn dates its tree on Town Hall Square to 1441, Riga its own to 1510. It makes a good argument over a second glögg, and it is the reason a combined trip is worth considering.
For a day out of the city, Lahemaa National Park is about an hour east: manor houses, fishing villages and bog boardwalks that are at their quietest in winter. In December the day is short, so a car with a driver makes sense where a bus timetable would not.
Seeing it with us
Our Christmas in Tallinn trip puts you in an Old Town hotel within walking distance of the square, so the market is somewhere you drop into each evening rather than a single visit. A local guide walks the Old Town with you in the daylight hours, and the five days also take in Tartu and an Estonian smoke sauna.
If you would rather see all three capitals in one December, the Baltic Christmas route links Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn by private car while all three markets are open.
| Dates | 20 Nov 2026 to 6 Jan 2027 | Opening ceremony 20 Nov, 18:00 |
|---|---|---|
| Stalls, every day | 10:00 to 20:00 | |
| Hot drinks, Sun to Thu | until 22:00 | |
| Hot drinks, Fri and Sat | until 23:00 | |
| Santa's house | 12:00 to 18:00 daily | From 29 Nov |
| Entry | Free | €2 deposit on mugs and plates, refunded |
- When does the Tallinn Christmas market open in 2026?
- On Friday 20 November 2026, with the lights going on at 18:00. It runs until Wednesday 6 January 2027 on Town Hall Square.
- Is the Tallinn Christmas market free?
- Yes, entry is free. You pay for what you eat and drink, plus a €2 deposit on each reusable mug or plate, which you get back when you return it.
- Is the market open on 24 and 25 December?
- The market lists daily hours with no Christmas closure. Expect some stalls to close early on Christmas Eve, and check the official site that week before you plan an evening around it.
- How long do you need at the market?
- An hour or two is enough to walk every stall, eat and drink. It is at its best after dark, from about 16:00 in December, so it fits neatly at the end of a sightseeing day.
- Can I pay by card?
- At most stalls, yes. Estonia is one of the most card-friendly countries in Europe. A few euros in coins are still useful for the smallest stalls and the toilets.
Make this part of your Estonia trip.
Tell us your dates, interests and the pace you have in mind. We will suggest how this could fit your route.
