Everything to Expect at the Two Biggest Montreal Christmas Markets
You have no shortage of Christmas markets to choose from if you’re visiting Montreal during the holiday season, but there are two that rise above the rest. These two Montreal Christmas markets are the Great Montreal Christmas Market and the Montreal Christmas Village.
Many people consider these two Montreal Christmas markets to be the best in the city. In fact, the Great Montreal Christmas Market is often ranked as one of the best in Canada. With that said, these markets have a lot of hype behind them. Do they deserve it, or are they just touristy gimmicks?
We visited these Montreal Christmas markets in 2025 as the holiday season was getting underway. Here are my thoughts, ranging from what you can expect to what I liked and didn’t like about each market.
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The Great Montreal Christmas Market
The Great Montreal Christmas Market is the biggest and most popular Montreal Christmas market. Entering the market, you’re greeted to a festive seasonal atmosphere, with everything you need to get you in the holiday spirit.
Delightfully decorated vendor stalls are lined along the edges of the market selling a range of goods, including all sorts of French Canadian treats. Some of the things you can try are Montreal-style smoked meat sandwiches, baguettes filled with fondue cheese, raclette sandwiches, poutine and even Quebec syrup frozen into popsicles.
Of course, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are plentiful to keep the holiday cheer up. The most notable is that Christmas market staple: Glühwein. If your cup gets empty, you won’t have far to go for a refill since nearly every stand seems to be selling some. Besides that, another popular option is hot chocolate that merrymakers can get spiked with Canadian whisky if they want an extra kick.
As far as entertainment, the Great Montreal Christmas Market has you covered here, too. The market has a large stage which features various shows, performers and musicians. You may also find musicians performing in odd spots as you make your way around the market. When we were there, a handful of people were fiddling in a small stand set up near the main stage.
The Great Montreal Christmas Market has two drawbacks, though. First, it can be incredibly crowded. Of course, with a popular market like this one, you can expect big crowds, but the designers of the market made a poor design choice that makes the crowd difficult to manage.
The person who designed the market’s layout placed a narrow bottleneck separating its front and back halves. This feature makes it very difficult to get around when the Great Montreal Christmas Market has a high volume of visitors. It really detracts from the festive atmosphere when you’re struggling to keep up with your friends and family while trying to avoid stepping on other people’s toes.
Fortunately, that problem is somewhat easily fixed. After you’ve walked around the Great Montreal Christmas Market to see all there is to see, if you can find a spot to sit (or at least a spot to set your things down), the market becomes much more enjoyable. You have many options for this as the market is filled with seats around firepits, benches or even just the odd wall off to the side. These are great opportunities to sit, relax and let the Christmas magic fill your senses.
Another fun way to escape the crowds (and the cold) is to check out the Great Montreal Christmas Market’s indoor bar. The bar has plenty of seating and is popping at the seams with Christmas kitsch. It also has a drink menu that you won’t find at other parts of the market. What’s more, it wasn’t nearly as crowded as I expected, at least at the time we visited.
My other complaint about this Montreal Christmas market is harder to remedy as a visitor. The vendors were mostly selling cheap and/or generic clothes and trinkets. I found a handful of stalls selling more unique things that seemed either somewhat artisanal or that I wouldn’t find in America, but by and large, the stalls were pretty run-of-the-mill and uninteresting.
I didn’t let this fact ruin my experience, but it was a bit disappointing. It would have been nice to see some more artisanal, locally produced goods after we traveled all the way to Montreal specifically for these markets.
Don’t expect to find any bathrooms in the market itself to refresh yourself after all that Glühwein. You can find one in the nearby underground mall. This is also a good way to warm up from the cold.
The Montreal Christmas Village
The Montreal Christmas Village is the other large Christmas market in Montreal. They have a couple similarities with one another, but the Montreal Christmas Village is unique and worth a visit.
The Montreal Christmas Village feels different from the Great Christmas Market almost immediately. It’s smaller and feels less grandiose, offering guests a more intimate setting. This market is also much more of a Christmas market for people looking to shop instead of the more party-like atmosphere of the Great Montreal Christmas Market.
That’s not to say you can’t still have a good time at the Montreal Christmas Village. In a way, I actually liked it a bit more than the Great Montreal Christmas Market. Because it was smaller and less crowded, it was more relaxing and easier to navigate. It was also easier to window-shop at the different vendors, which was nice when we were trying to find Christmas decorations.
It does still feel nice and Christmasy, though. The vendors are all decorated with rustic, wintry themes and the festival has different spots with Christmas decor. Pere Noel (the French version of Santa Clause) made his rounds while we were there, and because of the smaller crowds, we didn’t have to wait long for a photo with him. The Christmas village also has a small stage for shows, but nothing was going on while we were there.
Similarly, the Montreal Christmas Village has a whole space filled with Christmas decorations and a big red couch for you to get your family photo. This space was also at the Great Montreal Christmas Market, but it was hard to get into without waiting in a long line.
One other nice thing about the Montreal Christmas Village is that it’s slightly cheaper than the Great Montreal Christmas Market. I didn’t compare every single item, but at least all the drinks I noticed were €2 less than they were at the Great Montreal Christmas Market.
Like the Great Montreal Christmas Market, you won’t find a bathroom here, but you don’t have to go as far to find one. Bathrooms can be found on the second floor of the adjacent Atwater Market.
Other Montreal Christmas Markets
If you want something a bit different from these two Montreal Christmas markets, you have lots of options depending on the time of your visit. While the Great Montreal Christmas Market and the Montreal Christmas Village run throughout the holiday season, most of Montreal’s smaller markets are open only on select dates.
One of the nice things about these markets is they cater to more niche audiences. The two big Montreal Christmas markets were fun, but if you’re looking for specific vibes or types of vendors, you should time your visit with one of the smaller markets. Because of this, crowds also tend to be smaller at these markets, making them easier to manage.
These Montreal Christmas markets will also likely be less busy than the bigger markets, which is nice if you prefer a more relaxed atmosphere. Another benefit is you’ll see more artisanal products. The small market outside of the Jean-Talon Market was almost exclusively small or local vendors. That was a far cry from the two big markets.
You can click this link for a list of many of Montreal’s Christmas markets.
Would I Revisit These Montreal Christmas Markets?
If I found myself in Montreal at Christmas, I would visit them again. I wouldn’t go out of my way to revisit them, though.
I enjoyed each market, but they both felt a bit generic. Part of that is down to how the food and drinks are handled. Both markets used the same vendors who were selling all the same things. Similarly, many of the stands selling other goods were selling things you could find anywhere. These two things just made these Montreal Christmas markets feel a touch soulless.
It’s important to note that my opinion comes with a pretty big caveat. The first major Christmas markets I visited were in Bavaria, Germany. These markets are considered by many to be the most authentic and best in the world. Even though I tried not to, it was hard not to compare these Montreal Christmas markets to them. While I would plan a trip just to revisit those markets in Germany, I can’t say the same for the Great Montreal Christmas Market or the Montreal Christmas Village.
Frequently Asked Questions About Montreal’s Christmas Markets
Is Montreal worth visiting at Christmas?
Absolutely! When we told people we were visiting Montreal in December, all we heard was how cold it was going to be, but as long as you prepare accordingly, that shouldn’t ruin your trip. Montreal was beautifully decorated for the season, especially in the snow. Between that and the markets, I wouldn’t skip it just because of some cold weather.
How long should you plan a visit for Montreal’s Christmas markets?
You could do the Great Montreal Christmas Market and the Montreal Christmas Village in one day if you’re pressed for time. I recommend spreading it out over two days, especially if you plan to visit any of Montreal’s other attractions. While each market is fun and unique, it may be hard to stay excited if you do them back-to-back in one day.
Are Montreal’s Christmas markets expensive?
They’re certainly not cheap, but they could be worse. Compared to the markets we visited in Germany, they were much more expensive. However, compared to similar offerings in America, they weren’t as expensive as I expected. The Montreal Christmas Village was a bit cheaper than the Great Christmas Market, presumably because it’s not as popular of an attraction.
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