Dates last checked 3 October 2026 · source · Always confirm with the organiser before travelling.

Vilnius’s Christmas market sets up on Cathedral Square, the wide open space in front of the white neoclassical cathedral and its free-standing bell tower. The square’s centrepiece is the city’s Christmas tree. Vilnius designs it afresh every year, keeps the design secret until the lighting, and according to the city it has been named the most beautiful in Europe four years in a row.

Dates for 2026

Go Vilnius, the city’s official tourism agency, has announced that the season opens with the tree lighting on Saturday 28 November 2026. The Christmas market on Cathedral Square runs from 28 November to Sunday 27 December. Daily opening hours haven’t been published yet.

What to expect

The city says the market will have 48 wooden huts laid out as a promenade, with local makers selling crafts and seasonal food. Other dates in the city’s 2026 programme:

Christmas train: 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027
Charity market on Town Hall Square: 28 November
Christmas Run: 5 December
Design Square: 15–20 December

Getting there

Cathedral Square sits at the northern end of the old town, which is compact and walkable. Vilnius Airport is around 6km south of the centre, with buses and trains into the city. The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Make a day of it

Climb Gediminas Hill, behind the cathedral, for a view over the old town’s baroque rooftops. Walk Pilies and Didžioji streets down to Town Hall Square, then on to the Gate of Dawn. In the arty Užupis district, across the little Vilnia river, the residents have declared their own tongue-in-cheek republic.

Tallinn’s market in Estonia is also listed; see our Estonia listings.

Whatever the forecast, you will be standing still outdoors in the cold for longer than you expect — see our guide to what to wear, and use What’s open? to see which markets are trading on the days you travel.