Christmas in Tuscany runs from mid-November to January 6. In 2026, Florence’s Christmas market in Piazza Santa Croce opens on November 14, Arezzo’s Città del Natale runs to January 6, 2027, Montepulciano’s Christmas village opens on November 21, and Siena’s Mercato nel Campo fills the main square on December 4 to 8. Christmas Eve brings giant bonfires on Monte Amiata.
Below we list the official 2026-27 dates for each town, what each event is really like, how to reach it from Florence, and how to fit two of them into one day. If you would rather not juggle trains and buses in December, our private day tours from Florence can be built around the markets you want to see.
At a glance: Christmas in Tuscany 2026
- Florence: Christmas market in Piazza Santa Croce, November 14 to December 20, 2026, free entry (Destination Florence).
- Arezzo: Città del Natale, November 14, 2026 to January 6, 2027; Tyrolean village in Piazza Grande until December 27 (Arezzo Città del Natale).
- Montepulciano: Christmas village, November 21, 2026 to January 6, 2027, on set days (Valdichiana Living).
- Siena: Mercato nel Campo, December 4 to 8, 2026 (Comune di Siena).
- Lucca: Lucca Magico Natale from November 22 (Turismo Lucca).
- Christmas Eve: the Fiaccole bonfires of Abbadia San Salvatore, Thursday, December 24, 2026 (Visit Tuscany).
When are the Christmas markets in Tuscany in 2026?
Most Tuscan Christmas markets open in the second half of November and close between December 20 and January 6. The big difference is the calendar: some run every day, others only on weekends until mid-December. This table uses the dates published by each organizer for the 2026-27 season.
| Event | Where | 2026-27 dates | Open | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weihnachtsmarkt | Piazza Santa Croce, Florence | Nov 14 to Dec 20 | Daily, 10am to 10pm (11pm Fri to Sun) | An evening stroll without leaving the city |
| Tyrolean village, Città del Natale | Piazza Grande, Arezzo | Nov 14 to Dec 27 (Città del Natale to Jan 6) | Thu to Sun until Dec 13, then daily Dec 17 to 27, 10am to 9pm | The biggest market atmosphere, easy by train |
| Natale a Montepulciano | Piazza Grande and old town, Montepulciano | Nov 21 to Jan 6 | Nov 21-22, 28-29; Dec 5-8, 12-13; daily Dec 19 to Jan 6, 10:30am to 7:30pm | Families, hill-town views, Vino Nobile country |
| Mercato nel Campo | Piazza del Campo, Siena | Dec 4 to 8 | 8am to 8pm | Local food and crafts in Siena’s main square |
| Siena Christmas markets | Piazza Matteotti, Piazza Gramsci, Viale XXV Aprile | Nov 29 to Jan 6 | 10am to 8pm | Shopping after the Mercato nel Campo has closed |
| Magical Christmas, Villa Reale di Marlia | Near Lucca | Dec 5-8, 12-13, 19-20 | 2pm to 8pm, ticketed | Illuminated historic gardens, children |
Sources: Destination Florence, Arezzo Città del Natale, Natale a Montepulciano, Comune di Siena program, Villa Reale di Marlia. Organizers can change times, so check the official page the week you travel.
How is Christmas in Florence?
Florence at Christmas is about lights, one German-style market and the city’s churches rather than a big festival. The main event is the Weihnachtsmarkt in Piazza Santa Croce, with more than fifty wooden stalls selling crafts and food from around Europe, open from November 14 to December 20, 2026, Monday to Thursday 10am to 10pm and Friday to Sunday 10am to 11pm, with free entry (Destination Florence).
Note the closing date: the Santa Croce market ends on December 20, so if you arrive for Christmas week you will find the lights but not the stalls. Visit Tuscany describes the yearly Florence Lights Up program, when videomapping is projected onto monuments such as Ponte Vecchio and Palazzo Vecchio from early December into January. If you plan to rent a car for the holidays, read our guide to the Florence ZTL first: the historic center is a limited traffic zone.
Which Christmas market in Tuscany is the biggest?
Arezzo’s is the one billed as the largest. The organizers describe the Tyrolean village in Piazza Grande as the biggest in Italy, with more than 40 chalets and exhibitors from Tyrol, Austria and Germany, open November 14 to December 27, 2026 (Arezzo Città del Natale). It is part of a wider Città del Natale that runs until January 6, 2027, with light installations in Piazza Grande, a Ferris wheel and an ice rink at the Prato park, and Santa’s house (Italia.it).
Plan your day around the opening days. Until December 13 the Piazza Grande market is open Thursday to Sunday only; from December 17 to 27 it opens every day, 10am to 9pm. Arezzo is also the easiest market town to reach without a car: Arezzo’s tourist office gives 35 to 40 minutes by high-speed train from Florence and 55 to 60 minutes by Regionale Veloce, with the station a short walk from the old town (Discover Arezzo).
Is Montepulciano worth visiting at Christmas?
Yes, especially with children or if you like wine. From November 21, 2026 to January 6, 2027, Montepulciano hosts what it calls the largest Christmas village in central Italy, with wooden stalls in Piazza Grande and the nearby streets and the Castle of Santa Claus in the fortress (Valdichiana Living). The market is free; the castle is ticketed.
It opens on set days only: November 21-22 and 28-29, December 5-8 and 12-13, then every day from December 19 to January 6, from 10:30am to 7:30pm, with afternoon opening only on Christmas Day. The castle is closed on December 25 (Natale a Montepulciano). The organizers also list a Christmas Terrace for a glass of wine, plus shuttle and parking information, on the official site. For the drive and the town itself, see our guide to Montepulciano from Florence.
Two markets in one day, door to door. Montepulciano and Siena, or Arezzo and a Chianti village, are hard to combine by public transport in winter. With a private driver from Florence you choose the towns and the pace, and we wait while you browse. Wine tastings, meals and entry tickets are not included. Ask for a Christmas day tour.
What is on in Siena and Lucca for Christmas?
Siena’s highlight is the Mercato nel Campo, a revival of the old market in Piazza del Campo with local food, certified products and crafts, held on December 4 to 8, 2026 (Comune di Siena). The city’s 2026-27 program also lists the lighting of the Christmas lights on November 28 at 5pm, Christmas markets in Piazza Matteotti, Piazza Gramsci and Viale XXV Aprile from November 29 to January 6, and a New Year’s Eve concert in Piazza del Campo on December 31 at 9pm (Siena Incanta program). Our Florence to Siena guide compares the bus, the train and the drive.
Lucca Magico Natale starts on November 22, with the Christmas market in Piazza Napoleone until January 6, nativity scenes in churches and palaces, and a Christmas forest in Piazza San Michele (Turismo Lucca). Just outside the city, Villa Reale di Marlia lights up its gardens for Magical Christmas on December 5-8, 12-13 and 19-20, from 2pm to 8pm; the adult ticket (ages 18 to 64) is €18 and includes the villa interiors (Villa Reale di Marlia).
What are the Christmas traditions in Tuscany?
The most striking Tuscan traditions happen on Christmas Eve and on Epiphany, January 6. These are the ones worth planning a trip around:
- The Fiaccole of Abbadia San Salvatore (December 24): huge stacks of wood are set alight in front of the abbey and around the old town on Monte Amiata. The pyre under the town hall porticoes is lit around 6pm, and around 9pm choirs walk through the districts, stopping at each fire (Visit Tuscany).
- Christmas Eve walk in Monteriggioni: a torchlit walk of about 2.5 miles (4 km) along the Via Francigena from the castle to Abbadia a Isola, setting off at 9pm and ending with mass in the abbey (Visit Tuscany).
- The panforte tournament in Pienza: teams toss the Sienese spiced cake across special tables between December 26 and January 4, according to Visit Tuscany.
- La Befana (January 6): the Christmas witch arrives from bell towers and palazzi in Florence, Siena, Volterra, Pisa, Pistoia and other towns. In Lucca, songs welcome her in the villages on the evening of January 5 and she reaches Piazza San Francesco the next day (Turismo Lucca).
How to see two Christmas markets in one day from Florence
Pick two towns that sit on the same route and check that both are open that day. This is how we would plan it:
- Choose the date first. Arezzo’s market opens only Thursday to Sunday until December 13, Montepulciano only on set days until December 19, and Siena’s Mercato nel Campo only on December 4 to 8. The weekend of December 5 and 6 is the one time all three are open.
- Pair towns by direction. Siena and Montepulciano are both south of Florence; Arezzo and a Chianti village make an eastern loop; Lucca and Villa Reale di Marlia go west.
- Arrive at the hill town in daylight. Walk Montepulciano or the Chianti village in the afternoon, then save the town with the light shows (Arezzo’s Piazza Grande or Siena’s lights) for after dark.
- Add one winery if you like wine. Montepulciano is Vino Nobile country and Chianti is on the way to many towns; book the visit ahead, as tastings are paid separately. Our guide to wine tours in Tuscany explains the main areas.
- Keep Christmas Eve and Christmas Day simple. Opening hours change on December 24 and 25, so plan one stop, not two.
Train, self-drive or private driver: which is best in December?
For a single market on the main rail line, take the train: Arezzo is a direct ride from Santa Maria Novella and the Florence market is in the city. A rental car gives freedom, but you will deal with the Florence ZTL, parking at busy market weekends and driving back on dark country roads. A private driver makes sense when you want two towns in one day, when the destination is a hill town off the rail line such as Montepulciano, or when you are a family or a group with a stroller and shopping bags.
Our chauffeurs drive Mercedes cars and vans for every group size: E-Class and S-Class for up to 3 passengers, V-Class for up to 7 and Sprinter for up to 8. We pick you up at your hotel in Florence, wait while you visit and bring you back after the evening lights. You can also see our Siena and San Gimignano tour and our Chianti wine tour, which both work well in winter.
Christmas in Tuscany FAQ
When do the Christmas markets in Tuscany open in 2026?
Florence and Arezzo open on November 14, 2026, Lucca on November 22 and Montepulciano on November 21. Siena’s Mercato nel Campo runs on December 4 to 8. Most markets close between December 20 (Florence) and January 6, 2027 (Arezzo’s wider program, Montepulciano and Lucca).
Is the Florence Christmas market open after Christmas?
No. The Weihnachtsmarkt in Piazza Santa Croce closes on December 20, 2026. After that you will still find Christmas lights in Florence, and Arezzo’s Tyrolean village stays open until December 27.
What is the biggest Christmas market in Tuscany?
Arezzo’s Tyrolean village in Piazza Grande, which its organizers describe as the largest in Italy, with more than 40 chalets. Montepulciano calls its Christmas village the largest in central Italy.
Can I visit a Tuscan Christmas market from Florence without a car?
Yes. Arezzo is the easiest: Arezzo’s tourist office gives 35 to 40 minutes by high-speed train and 55 to 60 minutes by Regionale Veloce from Florence. Siena and Lucca are also reachable by public transport. Hill towns like Montepulciano take longer and need a connection, so a car or a private driver saves time there.
What happens on Christmas Eve in Tuscany?
In Abbadia San Salvatore, on Monte Amiata, giant woodpiles are set alight around the old town on the evening of December 24, with choirs walking from fire to fire. In Monteriggioni there is a torchlit walk along the Via Francigena to Abbadia a Isola, ending with mass.
Are wine tastings included in a private Christmas tour from Florence?
No. Our price covers the car and the driver. Wine tastings, meals, castle tickets and other entry fees are paid separately, unless we agree otherwise in writing when you book.
Book a private driver from Florence
Tell us which towns you want to see, your dates and how many you are, and we will plan a Christmas day out from Florence with a private Mercedes and an English-speaking driver. Send a request through our booking form, call us on (+39) 333 857 8412 or email info@mundolimousine.com. Tastings, meals and entry tickets are not included unless we agree otherwise in writing.
