Christmas is all about fun, joy, spending time with loved ones, and eating the best cuisines mommy dearest can make on the day! Everything about this festival is fascinating from the comforting scent of the pines to the beckoning aroma of baked cookies! During Christmas, people decorate their houses with shiny stars, trinkets, and the infamous Christmas Tree! You will find all the essential Christmas goods, decor items, ingredients for cooking and so much more in the Christmas markets. They have all the needed materials to make the festive season more magical!
Here we have a list of 9 Christmas markets that bring you everything from ornaments to gifts and sweets to toys. Explore these splendid places with your shopping baskets and we are sure you won’t be disappointed with what you find.
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9 Best Christmas Markets To Get Your Festive Essentials
1 – Shillong Christmas Bazaar – Meghalaya
Police Bazaar is one of the main Christmas markets in Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya! This is a flea market that is a must-visit for anyone who is planning to come to Shillong. During the Christmas season, the frenzy increases by several folds. People come here to collect Christmas items that include apparel, jewellery, decor items, food, and souvenirs. The whole bazaar shines brightly with lights, trinkets, Christmas pines, and live music during the festive season. The government goes out of its way to make the occasion special for the locals and the tourists who visit from other places. Police Bazaar is famous for festive special clothing from various international brands, jewellery and ornaments to match the clothing, local handicrafts, electronics, bakery items, decoration specials, and Christmas souvenirs that you can take back home! During this time, the Police Bazaar displays the true essence of celebrating Christmas with a cultural touch of Meghalaya!
Location – Police Bazar, Shillong, Meghalaya, 793001
Timings – 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM – Visit in the evening for the best fun!
2 – Delhi Haat – New Delhi
Delhi Haat is one of the best places to visit for Christmas markets. The shopping scene in Dilli Haat is well-known to everyone in the country. People come here to take back home goodies that are perfect steal deals for those on a budget. During the Christmas season, you will see several stalls selling decor items like jingle bells, wall hangings, Christmas trees, hangings for the trees, gifts to present to your loved ones, handicrafts, and apparel you can wear on the festive day. Note that this is a flea market and you get stuff at very low prices. The shopkeepers try to give you items at a very good price and do not encourage bargaining. But for those talented souls who are good at saving a buck or two, you can try your luck to reduce the numbers further! The gastronomic experience that Delhi Haat offers during the Christmas season is the best! When you visit these Christmas markets, try to taste Delhi’s famous cuisines along with the sweet delicacies that are famous during the festival – Banana cake, Plum cakes, and Jalebis. End your trip after devouring Chaat and Samosa!
Location – INA Market, Dilli Haat, Kidwai Nagar West, Kidwai Nagar, Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi 110023
Timings – 10:30 AM to 10:00 PM
3 – Arpora Midnight Market – Goa
Arpora Market is one of the most sought-after Christmas markets in Goa. This is where you will find all your festive necessities at a very reasonable price. Also, the variety of things is astonishing! You will find everything from apparel to decor items that can make your Christmas shine more brightly. This is a predominantly flea market that opens every Saturday night. It is also a famous tourist attraction in the coastal place. However, note that the Arpora Market is not open during the monsoon months. Once those showers subside and the chilly winters take over, the market starts displaying things needed for Christmas celebrations. There are also food stalls and bakeries from where you can buy delicious confectionaries to treat your loved ones on the eve! The night bazaar is also famous for its live music, vibrant atmosphere, and handicraft shops that display the main Christmas decor items that are native to Goa! You will see a glimpse of the Portuguese influence on the state and how certain things in their culture are still being passed on to the next generation.
Location – HQ98+4CW, Arpora, Goa 403519
Timings – 4:00 PM to the Wee Hours.
4 – Park Street – Kolkata
Park Street is bustling with excitement and positive energy during the Christmas season! This is where you can see most of the Christmas exhilaration in Kolkata city, especially during the week that precedes the festival. Park Street has some of the most fascinating Christmas markets that will keep you captivated. Most people come here for the food stalls that sell everything from local cuisines to Tibetan delicacies. There are stalls where you can buy sizzling hot food and devour it and also shops that sell confectionaries for the Christmas celebrations on the main day. One thing to look forward to is the Park Street Festival which extends the Christmas happiness even after the 25th of December. The festival will last from 26th to 30th December, so you can also get some goods for your New Year celebrations as well. The streets will remain to be illuminated till the 1st of January 2024. Do not go back home without purchasing the infamous Chinese Bakery delicacies that will be available in the Park Street Christmas markets.
Location – Roads of Chowringhee, Allen Park, Park Street.
Timings – 10:30 AM to 9:00 PM
5 – Fort Kochi Carnival – Kochi
The Kochi Carnival or the Cochin Carnival has been around for a long time now but people never get enough of it. The extravaganza and glamour are so good that no one wants this celebration to end any time soon. Before anyone could realise it, the Kochi carnival became a part of the local cultural heritage and has some of the best Christmas markets to get your trinkets and decors! Some shops sell pines of all sizes, decor items, bakery items, wall decorations, apparel, ornaments and souvenirs. You can pick the ones you like the best. But the greatest part of the Carnival is the display of bike races, sports like wrestling, tug of war, boxing, cycling, and running marathons. If you go to Kochi Beach, you will also see people engaging in sports like kayaking, swimming and beach volleyball. This is a time to honour the happiness of people and bring more merriment into our lives!
Location – Fort Kochi, Kerala, 682001
Timings – 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Planning a trip to Kerala? You May Also Like To Read: 11 BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN KERALA IN DECEMBER FOR A CAPTIVATING TRAVEL EXPERIENCE
6 – Hill Road – Bandra
According to the local census in Mumbai, most of the catholic Christians reside in the Bandra region of the city. So, it is not uncommon that you will find the most gorgeous Christmas markets on Hill Road in Bandra. These stalls are specially put up during the festive season and people can buy the needed decorative papers, wall hanging, tree essentials, food and apparel. Seeing how Hill Road is known to be one of the main shopping spots in Mumbai, you can expect to see a lot of options and will need to bargain to get the best deals. Well, Mumbai locals have no problem with that now, do they? Bargaining is a survival skill that they master very early in age! However, if you are coming from a different city, it is easy to catch up and get an idea of the prices after you take a complete tour of the Christmas markets. The main attractions here are the candle stalls, DIY art and craft items for children, Secret Santa gifts and more! The communities come together to fund some of the stalls in the region to increase the joy of celebration by several folds.
Location – Hill Road, Bandra West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400050
Timings – The best time to shop would be 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM
7 – Mission Street – Pondicherry
Mission Street in Pondicherry is also famously known as the Mahatma Gandhi Road or the MG Road. This is where most of the shopping happens and tourists never go back without exploring the place. It is very close to Rock Beach and offers a diverse array of shops selling a lot of interesting things! During the Christmas season, the atmosphere is more vibrant with a lot of stalls selling the festive necessities. The local churches also have some mini stalls from where you can fetch religious items and Christmas cards. The Mission Street market is known for its candle shops, Christmas gifts, special Pine trees, decor items, hangings, souvenirs, and sweet treats. There are bookstores from where you can get normal and customised Christmas greetings to share with your loved ones. Pondicherry is not a vast area and most of the important places are close-knit. While you explore the Christmas markets, also visit the local churches and the food stalls near the beach.
While you are here, book your affordable stay at Hotels in Pondicherry to stay close to the main tourist places, Christmas Markets, and happening restaurants that illuminate during the Christmas season.
Location – 98, Mission Street, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, 605001
Timings – 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM
8 – St. Paul Cathedral Area – Kolkata
St. Paul Cathedral is one of the main tourist attractions in Kolkata because of its eye-catching architecture and appreciable history. In the Christmas season, the streets near the Cathedral will be occupied by stalls that sell festive items. This is the go-to place for everything you need to celebrate the occasion at home with your loved ones. While you are here, you can expect to hear soothing Christmas carols on the street and can also attend special prayers in the church. The markets are bustling with enthusiastic crowds who want to get their hands on the best goods! The ones who show up early will take home the best pieces. Hurry up, already!
Location – 1A, Cathedral Rd, Maidan, New Market Area, Kolkata, West Bengal 700071
Timings – 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM (timings may vary depending upon the local rules every year).
9 – Colaba Causeway – Mumbai
Colaba Causeway can prove to be your one-stop destination for having an extravagant Christmas celebration. Usually, this is the place where working-class people and college-going youngsters gather to buy different things from the flea market and enjoy the local food. During the Christmas festival, you will see the crowd here increasing by at least two-fold and the number of stalls also increases! From Santa costumes to face masks for kids, apparel for parties to ornaments to match the attires, everything is available at the Christmas markets in Colaba Causeway. The best deal prices add to the festive excitement and there is not much to bargain at Colaba. The shopkeepers give you things at the lowest price possible and you can save time on tedious bargaining. We find the Christmas tree decor items and fun children’s toys very fascinating in this market area. The festive lights and sound systems come at throwaway prices at this place.
Location – Army Area, Bakery Lane, Nofra, Navy Nagar, Colaba, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400005
Timings – 12:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Christmas marks the end of an eventful year and people anticipate the beginning of a new journey with more happiness in the coming year. This is the best time to thank the Almighty for his grace and blessings. And also, to buy the best goods from the local Christmas Markets! Don’t miss out on your chance to find the best festive essentials in these top-notch places. Merry Christmas, folks!