Munich Christmas Markets 2026

Munich Christmas Markets 2026

Shop for Bavarian Christmas decorations beneath the town hall, drink hot punch at a medieval market and finish the evening at Pink Christmas in Munich’s gay district.

• Stay in The Platz Hotel with a superb location in the Old Town, rated “Fabulous” by guests featuring stylish rooms, a modern gym and “outstanding” breakfasts.

The Event

• Next Edition: Monday, November 16, 2026–  Thursday, December 24, 2026
• From the grand stalls of Marienplatz to the pink lights of Munich’s gay Christmas market, explore a city made for a festive winter escape.
• Shop for Bavarian Christmas decorations beneath the town hall, drink hot punch at a medieval market and finish the evening at Pink Christmas in Munich’s gay district.
• Plan two or three nights to mix the Old Town classics with a neighbourhood market and Tollwood’s winter festival.
• Among the markets below, the Residenz opens first; most central markets follow later that week. For the widest choice, we recommend a stay between late November and mid-December.
• Several markets close on Sunday 22nd November for Totensonntag, Germany’s day of remembrance for the dead. Check the individual dates below before booking an opening-weekend trip.
• Stay at Hotel Deutsche Eiche on Reichenbachstraße, between the Viktualienmarkt and Gärtnerplatz. Its gay history, Bavarian restaurant and separately charged men’s bathhouse make it a practical base for markets by day and the scene after dark.

Our take – the best order for the markets

Start at the Residenz in the afternoon, cross to the medieval market for food, then head south to Marienplatz as the lights come on. Continue along Sendlinger Straße to the gate and finish at Pink Christmas, close to the gay bars. Split the route over two evenings for a more leisurely visit.

Stay at Hotel MIO by AMANO on Sendlinger Straße for a convenient base between the Old Town markets and the gay district.

Marienplatz Christkindlmarkt

• The Munich Christkindlmarkt delivers the classic city Christmas scene: wooden stalls beneath the neo-Gothic Neues Rathaus, a large Christmas tree and Bavarian decorations to take home.
• Browse during the day for ornaments and craft gifts, then return after dark for the illuminated town hall. The Kripperlmarkt beside St Peter’s Church specialises in nativity figures and miniature scenery, making it a worthwhile detour from the main square.
• For a very different Christmas spectacle, the Krampus run takes place on Sunday 13th December, 3 pm-5 pm. Masked figures in shaggy costumes parade through the Old Town; expect crowds and a noisy afternoon.

Dates	Fri 20th Nov – Thu 24th Dec 2026; closed Sun 22nd Nov.
Location	Marienplatz and Rindermarkt; nativity stalls beside St Peter’s Church.
Opening hours	Mon-Sat 10 am-9 pm; Sun 10 am-8 pm; Christmas Eve 10 am-2 pm.
Stay nearby	Platzl Hotel – an Old Town base east of the square, convenient for returning after shopping.

Residenz Christmas Village

• Christmas Village at the Residenz fills the Kaiserhof courtyard of Munich’s former royal palace. The enclosed setting gives this market a different feel from the open squares, with craft stalls and food gathered inside the palace walls.
• Look for handmade gifts before stopping for something hot to eat. The fairytale displays give it particular appeal for visitors travelling with children, but the courtyard setting earns it a place on an adults’ itinerary too.
• Pair it with the medieval market nearby. An afternoon visit gives you time to see both before heading down towards Marienplatz.

Dates	Mon 16th Nov – Tue 22nd Dec 2026; closed Sun 22nd Nov.
Location	Kaiserhof courtyard, Munich Residenz; entrance from Residenzstraße near Odeonsplatz.
Opening hours	Daily 11 am-9 pm; Tue 22nd Dec 11 am-8 pm.
Stay nearby	Platzl Hotel – stay in the northern Old Town for a walk through the centre to the palace.

Medieval Market at Wittelsbacherplatz

• Munich Medieval Christmas Market swaps conventional Christmas huts for historical stalls and costumed traders. Crafts and food cooked over open fires make it one of the most distinctive stops in the centre.
• Come hungry: this is a good place to make lunch or an early supper part of the visit. Watch the craft demonstrations and look for gifts with a different character from the decorations around Marienplatz.
• The organiser lists cultural entertainment on Advent weekends. Choose a weekday for a more leisurely browse, or a weekend if the performances are your priority.

Dates	Fri 20th Nov – Wed 23rd Dec 2026; closed Sun 22nd Nov.
Location	Wittelsbacherplatz, Brienner Straße 6-10, near Odeonsplatz.
Opening hours	Daily 11 am-9 pm.
Stay nearby	Platzl Hotel – a central Old Town option for combining Wittelsbacherplatz with the Residenz and Marienplatz.

Pink Christmas at Stephansplatz

• Pink Christmas is the gay seasonal meeting point: a small square dressed in pink lights, with gift stalls, hot drinks and a prosecco bar. Come for the social atmosphere before heading into the nearby bars.
• DJ James Munich plays from 6 pm Monday-Saturday. The published headline programme comprises six shows, with Catherrine Leclery, Gene Pascale and Gloria Gray; see our Pink Christmas Munich guide for the dedicated market coverage.
• Leave this stop until the evening. It works particularly well after Sendlinger Tor, with dinner and the gay bars close by.

Dates	Fri 20th Nov – Sun 20th Dec 2026; closed Sun 22nd Nov.
Location	Stephansplatz, south of Sendlinger Tor, in the Glockenbach district.
Opening hours	Mon-Fri 4 pm-10 pm; Sat-Sun 2 pm-10 pm.
Stay nearby	Hotel MIO by AMANO – on Sendlinger Straße, on the Old Town side of the gate and convenient for continuing to Stephansplatz.

Sendlinger Tor Christmas Market

• Sendlinger Tor Christmas Market sits beneath one of Munich’s surviving medieval gates. It is compact enough to browse without committing a whole afternoon, with ceramics, candles, knitwear and small gifts.
• Stop for roasted almonds, bratwurst or a hot drink on the way from the Old Town to Pink Christmas. The gate provides an attractive backdrop, and the location makes this a useful meeting point for friends staying in different districts.

Dates	Fri 20th Nov – Tue 22nd Dec 2026; closed Sun 22nd Nov.
Location	Sendlinger-Tor-Platz, beside the historic city gate.
Opening hours	Daily 10:30 am-9 pm.
Stay nearby	Hotel MIO by AMANO – just inside the Old Town gate, handy for dropping off purchases.

Tollwood Winter Festival

• Tollwood turns Theresienwiese into a winter festival of international organic food, craft shopping, live music and performances. It deserves its own evening, particularly if you want a wider choice of food than the traditional sausage-and-punch circuit.
• Browse the Market of Ideas, then stay for music or a performance. Entry to the festival grounds is free; selected productions and activities carry a charge. The atmosphere is mixed and the scale is much larger than Pink Christmas.
• The market ends before Christmas. The separate New Year’s Eve party does not mean the stalls remain open throughout the holiday week.

Dates	Tue 24th Nov – Wed 23rd Dec 2026. Separate New Year’s Eve party: Thu 31st Dec.
Location	Theresienwiese, west of the Old Town; use Theresienwiese U-Bahn station.
Opening hours	Market opens Mon-Fri 2 pm, Sat-Sun 11 am; closes Sun-Mon 10:30 pm, Tue-Sat 11:30 pm. Wed 23rd Dec closes 10 pm.
Stay nearby	Augustin Hotel – on the west side of Theresienwiese, a practical choice if Tollwood is your main attraction.

Schwabing Christmas Market

• Schwabing Christmas Market at Münchner Freiheit puts artists and makers at the centre of the visit. Choose it for original gifts, the art tent and a neighbourhood outing away from the Old Town circuit.
• Spend time looking through the stalls rather than treating it as another quick glühwein stop. Combine the market with lunch in Schwabing, then take the U-Bahn back towards Marienplatz or Sendlinger Tor for the evening.

Dates	Wed 25th Nov – Thu 24th Dec 2026.
Location	Münchner Freiheit, Schwabing; U3/U6 to Münchner Freiheit.
Opening hours	Mon-Fri noon-8:30 pm; Sat-Sun 11 am-8:30 pm; food until 9 pm. Christmas Eve 11 am-2 pm.
Stay nearby	Schwabinger Wahrheit by Geisel – on Hohenzollernstraße, close to Münchner Freiheit and the neighbourhood’s restaurants.

A suggested Christmas weekend

• Friday – Settle in, browse Marienplatz and the nativity stalls, then walk down Sendlinger Straße. Make Pink Christmas your evening meeting point before dinner in the gay district.
• Saturday – Visit the Residenz and medieval market in the afternoon. Keep the evening for Tollwood, with supper at the food stalls and time for its music programme.
• Sunday – Head north to Schwabing for gifts and lunch. Return to Pink Christmas for the 7 pm Gene Pascale show on 29th November or 6th, 13th or 20th December. These suggestions apply once all the featured markets have opened.

Where to Stay

Choose the Old Town for the easiest market walks. Sendlinger Tor puts you between shopping streets and gay nightlife; Schwabing suits visitors who prefer a neighbourhood base with direct U-Bahn access.

• Platzl Hotel – Bavarian hotel near Marienplatz and the Hofbräuhaus, with soundproofed rooms and a spa. A good fit for a traditional Munich weekend.
• CORTIINA Hotel – Modern rooms and a wine bar on Ledererstraße, handy for Old Town shopping, restaurants and Marienplatz.
• Hotel MIO by AMANO – Central hotel on Sendlinger Straße, close to the gate market and well placed for evenings in the gay district.
• Hotel Blauer Bock – Historic building on Sebastiansplatz beside Viktualienmarkt, useful for food lovers who want central markets and Gärtnerplatz within reach.
• Check out the 10 best hotels in Munich.

Gay Munich – After the Markets

The gay scene is concentrated around Müllerstraße, Hans-Sachs-Straße and the streets between Sendlinger Tor and Gärtnerplatz. After Pink Christmas, choose a relaxed meal, a community café or a men’s bar according to the evening you have in mind.

• Café NiL – Hans-Sachs-Straße 2. An established gay café-bar serving food, useful for a seated meal and an unhurried first drink. Its published daily hours are 3 pm-3 am the following morning.
• Deutsche Eiche – Reichenbachstraße 13. A long-standing gay meeting place with a Bavarian restaurant. Choose it for dinner and drinks in a historic setting, close to Gärtnerplatz.
• Café im Sub – Müllerstraße 14. The café-bar at Munich’s gay community centre offers a more conversational setting and a way into local community life. Check its current café programme before visiting.
• plussecco – Theklastraße 1. The former Prosecco bar now presents itself as a mixed venue for drinks, music and culture. Check the current listings for music, comedy and performance evenings.
• Ochsengarten – Müllerstraße 47. A long-running men’s leather and fetish bar for a later drink. Its own site welcomes jeans, leather, uniform and rubber; check the night’s entry policy and programme.
• CAMP – Reisingerstraße 15. A men-only bar with a separate cruising area and themed nights. Choose it for an adult night out and check the current programme for admission and opening times.