Dates and opening hours for 2026
The tree lighting is on Saturday 28 November 2026, at about 19:00, and is broadcast live on Lithuanian television. The market of wooden chalets on Cathedral Square opens the same day and closes on 27 December.
The festive season itself is longer than the market. The tree and the lights stay up until Three Kings' Day, 6 January, so a visit in the first days of January still has the tree, though not the stalls.
The city had not published 2026 hours by mid-October. The table on this page shows last season's, which are a sound guide: noon openings on weekdays, an hour earlier on Sundays, and late evenings at the weekend. We will update this page when the 2026 hours are out.
Where it is and how to get there
Cathedral Square, Katedros aikštė, sits at the northern edge of the Old Town, below Gediminas Castle hill. From the Old Town hotels it is a short walk, and from the railway station about twenty-five minutes on foot through the Old Town.
Town Hall Square, at the southern end of Pilies and Didžioji streets, has had a second, smaller market in recent seasons, last year in glass igloos, each with its own theme. Walking between the two takes ten to fifteen minutes along the Old Town's main street, and in 2025 a small Christmas train also ran between them.
The airport is about twenty minutes from the Old Town by taxi. Vilnius is the most compact of the three capitals for a market visit: everything worth seeing in December is within walking distance of the tree.
What to eat and drink
Try šakotis, the Lithuanian tree cake, baked on a spit until it hangs in points like icicles, and kūčiukai, the small poppy-seed biscuits eaten on Christmas Eve. For something hot, there are potato pancakes and grilled sausages, and often kibinai, the Karaim pasties from Trakai.
To drink, there is mulled wine, hot cider, and krupnikas, a spiced honey liqueur that is very good warmed and very strong. The Post Office's 2025 Christmas Markets Report priced a glass of mulled wine in Vilnius at about €5.
Most stalls take cards. Linen, amber and wooden toys are the gifts to look for, and the stalls are a better place to buy linen than the souvenir shops on Pilies street.
Weather, daylight and what to wear
Vilnius is inland and the coldest of the three capitals in December: daytime temperatures usually sit just below freezing, nights several degrees colder, and a cold spell can bring minus fifteen.
On the shortest day the sun rises around 9:00 and sets just before 16:00, about seven hours of light. The tree is at its best after dark, from around 16:30.
Wear proper winter boots, a hat and gloves, and plan indoor stops: the Palace of the Grand Dukes on Cathedral Square and the cafes on Pilies street are both a minute from the tree.
Beyond the square
Walk the length of the Old Town, the largest baroque old town in Northern Europe, from Cathedral Square to the Gate of Dawn, and cross into Užupis on the way. In December the streets are lit and quiet, and the churches hold Advent concerts.
Trakai island castle is half an hour west, and in a cold December the lake around it can freeze. It makes a short, easy day out, with a kibinai lunch by the water.
Lithuanian Christmas is at its fullest on Christmas Eve, Kūčios, with twelve meatless dishes at home. If you are in Vilnius on the 24th, book dinner well ahead, as many restaurants close early.
Seeing it with us
Our Christmas in Vilnius trip puts you in an Old Town hotel a few minutes from the tree, with a local guide for the baroque Old Town by day, Trakai island castle, and the Kaunas market on another evening.
If you want all three capitals, the Baltic Christmas route starts in Vilnius and drives north to Riga and Tallinn while all three markets are open, with the Hill of Crosses in the snow on the way.
| Tree lighting | Sat 28 Nov 2026, about 19:00 | |
|---|---|---|
| Market dates | 28 Nov to 27 Dec 2026 | |
| Mon to Wed (2025) | 12:00 to 20:00 | |
| Thursday (2025) | 12:00 to 21:00 | |
| Fri and Sat (2025) | 12:00 to 22:00 | |
| Sunday (2025) | 11:00 to 20:00 | |
| Entry | Free | The tree stays lit until 6 January |
- When is the Vilnius Christmas tree lit in 2026?
- On Saturday 28 November 2026, at about 19:00 on Cathedral Square. The ceremony is broadcast live, and the time can still move slightly.
- When does the Vilnius Christmas market close?
- On 27 December 2026. The tree and the city lights stay up until Three Kings' Day on 6 January.
- Is the market open on Christmas Eve?
- Last season it was, with shorter hours: 11:00 to 17:00 on 24 December and 12:00 to 21:00 on 25 December. Expect something similar in 2026 and check the city listings that week.
- Is there more than one Christmas market in Vilnius?
- Yes. The main one is on Cathedral Square around the tree. Town Hall Square has had a smaller one in recent seasons, a ten to fifteen minute walk away along the Old Town's main street.
- Is Vilnius colder than Riga and Tallinn in December?
- Usually, yes. It is inland, so days tend to stay just below freezing and nights are colder than on the coast. Proper winter boots make the difference.
Make this part of your Lithuania trip.
Tell us your dates, interests and the pace you have in mind. We will suggest how this could fit your route.
