The Athens Christmas markets cover four kinds of site, from the ticketed Christmas Factory in Gazi to free stalls in Pedion Areos park. The big fair opens in late November and runs into the first week of January, and Line 3 stops about 50 metres from its entrance.
Guided food walks and craft classes fill the hours between the stalls. If you are still deciding where to spend December, the Greece Tours homepage shows the same kind of tours in other cities.
What are the Athens Christmas markets?
Four kinds of site make up the Athens Christmas markets. They are the Christmas Factory at Technopolis in Gazi, Syntagma Square, open stalls near Omonoia Square and neighbourhood bazaars. The Christmas Factory runs on tickets.
Among the Athens Christmas markets, the Christmas Factory has its own site inside Technopolis, a former gasworks in Gazi. A travel blog describes it as a village that returns every year to a space built for it. Wikipedia calls Technopolis a major cultural venue of the City of Athens.
A city visitor guide calls the Christmas Factory fun, especially for families with small children. Entry runs on tickets. Its own website lists general admission and a family package. Other tickets cover the ice rink, a theatre show and group visits.
A market guide adds that children under three and visitors with disabilities enter free. The venue website and the market guide both put the run between late November and 6 January.
A city visitor guide starts the wider festive season on 6 December, Saint Nicholas Day. It ends at Epiphany on 6 January.
The other Athens Christmas markets sit on public ground. Wikipedia calls Syntagma the central square of Athens, in front of the old royal palace that houses the Greek Parliament. It describes Pedio tou Areos as a state-owned public park of 27.7 hectares.
A guide from a ticket seller lists a lit fir tree and a music and light show at Syntagma. A travel site says the park and Omonoia Square become Christmas parks with open markets for handcrafted gifts.
Bazaars are the fourth kind of site among the Athens Christmas markets. A city visitor guide says bazaars and markets pop up around the city. A hotel blog says Christmas villages do the same, with food, music and local crafts.
- Christmas Factory – Technopolis, 100 Peiraios Street, Gazi – a ticketed family market with workshops, shows and rides.
- Syntagma Square – the central square of Athens – a lit tree, light displays and a music and light show.
- Pedio tou Areos and Omonoia Square – open stalls with handcrafted gifts, plus skating and daily cultural events.
- Neighbourhood bazaars – across the city – handmade items, food stalls and local gifts.
For the lights, the carols and the rest of the season, read Athens at Christmas.
Where do the Athens Christmas markets stand, and how do you reach each one?
Line 3 serves two of the Athens Christmas markets. Kerameikos station sits about 50 metres from the Christmas Factory entrance, and Syntagma station lies under Syntagma Square. Monastiraki station sits between them.
The Christmas Factory address is 100 Peiraios Street in Gazi, according to its own website. The site names Kerameikos station on Line 3, the blue line. The Wikipedia article on Gazi also calls the station adjacent to Technopolis. It places the venue next to Kerameikos and close to the Acropolis.
The Wikipedia article on Technopolis names two stations for the venue, Kerameikos on Line 3 and Thiseio. Thiseio is a Line 1 station named after the nearby Temple of Hephaestus. Wikipedia adds that footpaths along Ermou connect Gazi with Thiseio.
Buses reach the Athens Christmas markets in Gazi too. The Christmas Factory website lists buses 049, 815, 838, 914, B18 and C18, plus trolley line 21. Both stop at Fotaerio on Peiraios Street. The site describes the venue as accessible, with ramps and level routes for wheelchair users.
Wikipedia lists Kerameikos station as accessible. It sits on Line 3 between Eleonas and Monastiraki. It opened as part of the Line 3 extension to Egaleo.
Reaching the Athens Christmas markets in the centre starts at Syntagma station. Wikipedia calls it the busiest station in the Athens transport system. It is also the transfer point between Line 3, Line 2 and the Athens Tram.
Wikipedia places the station beneath the marble steps on the east side of the square. Its stairs emerge between two outdoor cafes. The station also holds a large archaeological exhibition. Bus X95 and Line 3 both link the square with the airport.
Wikipedia lists Plaka, Monastiraki and Psiri among the districts within walking distance of the square. It adds that the Presidential Guard changes every hour in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Two sites carry the open stalls among the Athens Christmas markets: Omonoia Square and Pedio tou Areos. Omonia station lies below the square and links Line 1 with Line 2, says Wikipedia.
The article on Pedio tou Areos places the park roughly 1 km from Omonoia Square, towards the north-east. Four streets bound it: Mavromateon, Evelpidon, Pringiponisson and Alexandras Avenue.
For line colours, tickets and opening hours, use the Athens metro guide.
What does each of the Athens Christmas markets offer?
The Christmas Factory offers shops, workshops, shows, rides, food stalls and an ice rink. Syntagma Square offers a lit tree and a light show. The other Athens Christmas markets add handcrafted gifts, skating and food stalls.
Food at the Athens Christmas markets starts with the Christmas Factory stalls. A market guide lists souvlaki, pizza and waffles, then chocolates, hot chocolate and warm wine. The same guide says the shops sell toys, handcrafted gifts, traditional decorations and Greek sweets.
The Christmas Factory website lists interactive workshops, each paired with a country, and a passport that links them. Its performances include stilt walkers, bubble shows, puppet theatre, Karagiozis and magic. The programme changes every day.
The market guide also lists letter-writing to Santa, storytelling, pastry-making, a cinema and a kids area. A guide from a ticket seller describes workshops with Santa and his elves, a dance floor and an elf band.
Two guides name a Ferris wheel, and the market guide adds a carousel. A city visitor guide mentions a bazaar that sells handicrafts and gifts, plus themed playgrounds and rides for young children.
The ice rink appears in four sources: the venue website, a market guide, a travel site and a ticket seller. The market guide places the rink in the historic industrial setting of the old gasworks. Wikipedia gives the Technopolis grounds as about 30,000 square metres. It adds that exhibitions, seminars and music concerts also take place there.
At Syntagma, the offer among the Athens Christmas markets is the lit tree and a music and light show. A city visitor guide says the main tree is lit in a ceremony. A travel blog adds carol singers, street performers and the smell of roasted chestnuts and mulled wine.
A travel site says the stalls at Pedio tou Areos and Omonoia sell handcrafted gifts. It adds skating and cultural events every day. Wikipedia says 21 marble busts of Greek Revolution heroes stand in the park.
Neighbourhood bazaars round out the Athens Christmas markets. A hotel blog says they focus on atmosphere rather than large-scale shopping. It lists sweets, festive drinks, handmade crafts and music.
After the stalls, Gazi in Athens covers the restaurants and bars around the gasworks.
When do the Athens Christmas markets open and close?
The Athens Christmas markets run from late November to January 6 or 7. The Technopolis fair opens at 4 pm from Monday to Thursday until December 22. From December 23 it opens at 10 am every day.
The website of the Christmas Factory posts a Dates and Hours page with two periods. The first runs from opening day to December 22. The second runs from December 23 to January 6. That split sets the hours at the biggest of the Athens Christmas markets.
In the first period the doors open at 4 pm from Monday to Thursday and close at 10 pm. Friday closes at 11 pm. Saturday runs from 10 am to 11 pm, and Sunday from 10 am to 10 pm.
From December 23 the fair opens at 10 am every day. Plan a morning start for the Athens Christmas markets in that second period. Friday and Saturday keep the 11 pm close. Monday to Thursday and Sunday close at 10 pm.
The table lists three exceptions. Opening day runs from 5 pm to 11 pm. December 31 runs from 10 am to 7 pm. January 1 runs from noon to 11 pm.
Every other day from December 23 to January 6 has regular hours. That includes December 25 and 26, so the fair stays open on both days.
Other Athens Christmas markets keep their own hours. The Region of Attica runs a Christmas village at Pedion Areos park, listed on its tourism site. It runs from late November to January 7. Weekdays open at 4:30 pm and close at 10 pm. Weekends run from 10 am to 10 pm. Entrance is free.
Wikipedia calls Technopolis a venue of the City of Athens. The official visitor guide publishes a new page for the Christmas Factory every season. It says the City of Athens announces the festive programme. It names December 1 to January 7 as the festive season.
Dates for the Athens Christmas markets shift between seasons. Listings give the Christmas Factory opening day as November 21, 22 and 25 in different seasons. Read the posted dates before you book.
The same visitor guide lists December 25 and 26, January 1 and January 6 as public holidays. For what shuts on those days, read Athens public holidays.
How do you plan a December day around the Athens Christmas markets?
Use three blocks: a sight in the morning, a market in the afternoon, lights in the evening. This order suits the Athens Christmas markets, because sunset falls just after 5 pm. The main fairs close at 10 pm or 11 pm.
Start with a sight that opens early. An Athens travel guide says the Acropolis opens at 8 am every day in winter. Last entry is at 4:40 pm, and the site closes at 5 pm.
The guide lists December 25, December 26 and January 1 as closed days. A hotel blog gives the same three dates for archaeological sites. The official visitor guide adds that December brings fewer tourists and shorter lines at attractions.
A day-length table for Athens gives sunrise at 7:37 am and sunset at 5:08 pm on December 21. It gives dusk at 5:38 pm. The Wikipedia article on Athens lists a December average high of 14.4°C and a low of 8.7°C. Both figures are for the downtown station.
Time the market for 4 pm. A weekday at the Athens Christmas markets starts then. The Christmas Factory opens at 4 pm, and the Pedion Areos village at 4:30 pm. At weekends both open at 10 am.
A market directory suggests 2 to 3 hours at the Christmas Factory. It advises arriving early on weekends to avoid crowds. The official visitor guide says almost all shops close on Sundays, so a Sunday suits a day built around fairs.
Keep the evening for the lights. The day-length table puts sunset between 5:05 pm and 5:15 pm all through December. From Monday to Thursday the Christmas Factory and the Pedion Areos village both close at 10 pm.
Use the metro to join the three blocks. The metro operator lists a Line 1 train every 6 minutes from 3 pm to 6 pm on weekdays. That window covers the weekday opening of the Athens Christmas markets.
From 6 pm to 10:30 pm the gap is 7.5 minutes. The ride from Thissio to Monastiraki takes 2 minutes, and Monastiraki to Omonia takes 2 more. Wikipedia names Monastiraki, Omonia and Syntagma among the five stations where lines meet.
A morning on foot suits the first block. The Athens walking tour page lays out the classic route.
Which smaller Athens Christmas markets and fairs run outside the centre?
Smaller Athens Christmas markets sit in neighbourhood squares, a municipal hall in Kypseli, school bazaars and Piraeus. They sell handmade gifts and food. They add activities for children. The official visitor guide and a city magazine list them.
The official visitor guide lists ten Christmas villages in squares across Athens for one season. Examples are Messolonghi Square in Pangrati, Heldreich Square in Neos Kosmos and Nathanael Square in Agios Eleftherios.
Entry is free. The villages run from December 23 to January 6. Daily hours are 11:30 am to 2 pm and 3 pm to 8 pm. The listing names Santa and his elves, stilt walkers, jugglers, puppets and magicians. It adds sweet treats and workshops for children.
Kypseli Municipal Market hosts small fairs in December. Together they add a neighbourhood stop to the Athens Christmas markets. Wikipedia places Kypseli in central Athens, with Pedion Areos park on its southern edge. The hall stands at 42 Fokionos Negri Street, and it is wheelchair accessible.
The visitor guide lists a charity bazaar of handmade decorations. It also lists a four-day market of independent creators and a market of local products. A Christmas Eve market adds workshops for children and festive music.
A guide to Christmas bazaars from a city magazine lists fairs at schools and charities. One is a German-Hellenic bazaar at a school in Marousi, with sausages, mulled wine, used books and toys. It runs for two days in early December.
Another is a school bazaar in Psychiko that funds a scholarship programme. A third sits in the municipal inter-school centre in Glyfada, with homemade sweets, books and a lottery. The guide says these bazaars support charities, small businesses and artisans from around Greece.
Piraeus holds a municipal fair apart from the central Athens Christmas markets. The Region of Attica tourism site lists the Elf Village at Korai Square. It has carousels, a Christmas train and games.
Wikipedia says Metro Lines 1 and 3 serve Piraeus. The metro operator puts Monastiraki 17 minutes away on Line 1.
For the rest of a cold-season stay beyond the Athens Christmas markets, read Athens in winter.
Which guided walks go with the Athens Christmas markets?
Four guided walks fit a day around the Athens Christmas markets. They are a lights walk, a Psyrri and Monastiraki food tour, and two food walks with market visits. All four list free cancellation.
- Lights walk: 3 hours in English or Greek, wheelchair accessible, listed with hot chocolate.
- Festive food tour through Psyrri and Monastiraki: 2.5 hours in a small group, with a private option. It runs in English, French, Spanish, German and Italian. Rated 4.9 from 15 reviews.
- Classic food tour with a local drink and a market visit: 4 hours, in English, and a private option is listed. Rated 5 from 122 reviews.
- Small group food discovery walk: 3 hours 30 minutes in English or French. It lists specialty food shops, open-air markets and one of the oldest bakeries in Athens. Rated 4.9 from 722 reviews.
Wikipedia calls Psyri a gentrified neighbourhood with restaurants, bars and live music tavernas. It describes Monastiraki as an old town district of flea markets and one of the main shopping areas. One route through both gives you shop streets and eating places. That makes the walks a stand-in for a market stop at the Athens Christmas markets.
The same article counts Psyri among the oldest quarters of Athens and names Heroes Square as its central square. It lists clothing boutiques, souvenir shops and specialty stores in Monastiraki. It names Pandrossou Street and Adrianou Street as the main streets there. Monastiraki Square is named for the Church of the Pantanassa.
The discovery walk lists children aged 6 to 17 and a separate category for ages 5 and younger. Three of the four walks list a private option. A longer look at the central market route sits on our Athens food market tour page.
Which tastings and craft workshops fit a day at the Athens Christmas markets?
Two tasting tours, two cooking classes and four craft workshops pair with the Athens Christmas markets on one day. All eight list free cancellation, and both tasting tours carry a bestseller label.
The street food tasting runs 3 hours in English and is wheelchair accessible. It lists beer or wine alongside the street food, plus desserts and a visit to the main shopping district. Use it as a food stop between two visits to the Athens Christmas markets.
The full-meal food tour runs 4 hours in English. It lists a guided walk through Varvakios Agora with tastings. The stops include mezze, souvlaki pita bread, gyros and pastries from local bakeries. Specialty food stores add wine and olive oil, and a downtown taverna serves a meal.
Two cooking classes add a seated meal. One runs 3 hours 30 minutes in English, is wheelchair accessible and is listed with a meal and drinks. It is rated 4.9 from 233 reviews. The Kerameikos stone house class runs 3.5 hours in English and lists 6 dishes. It is rated 5 from 206 reviews.
Wikipedia places Kerameikos northwest of the Acropolis. The Kerameikos class lists children aged 12 and younger.
The meal-and-drinks class needs booking at least 1 hour ahead, and the Kerameikos class at least 10 hours ahead. Book one class per day and keep the other hours for the Athens Christmas markets.
Four craft workshops give you something to make by hand. Pick one as a quiet break between market visits.
- Leather sandals workshop: 3 hours in English or Greek. You make your own pair, in a small group or as a private session. Rated 5.
- Ancient sculptor class: 2 hours in Greek or English. You craft your own Greek piece. Rated 5 from 99 reviews.
- Mosaic art workshop in Gazi: 2 hours in English or Greek, in a small group or as a private session. Rated 4.9 from 55 reviews.
- Silk workshop: 2 hours in English or Greek, in a small group, wheelchair accessible. You paint a Greek-inspired scarf and keep it. Rated 4.9 from 121 reviews.
For a clay class instead, our Athens pottery class page lists the options.
How do you pick a walk or class to go with the Athens Christmas markets?
Five checks decide the pick: district, timing, children, craft or food, and walking distance. Run them in that order. Book the walk or class that passes all five for your day at the Athens Christmas markets.
- District: Wikipedia says Gazi sits next to Kerameikos. The mosaic workshop is in Gazi, and the stone house class carries the Kerameikos name, so the two sit in neighbouring districts.
- Timing: the mosaic, silk and sculptor classes need booking at least 2 hours ahead. The sandal workshop needs at least 10 hours.
- Children: the festive food tour takes children aged 4 to 12, and infants aged 3 and younger join free. The classic market tour does not permit ages 5 and younger.
- Craft or food: the food tours carry the larger review counts, 4,201 for the street food tasting and 3,675 for the full-meal tour, against 170 for the sandal workshop.
- Walking distance: Wikipedia places Psyri directly north of Monastiraki, so one festive walk covers two neighbouring districts.
Choose one anchor for the day, either a walk or a class. If two options tie, take the one with the shorter booking notice. It is easier to add once your plans settle.
Match the district to a market next. A market directory puts the Christmas Factory at Technopolis in Gazi. A Gazi workshop sits in the same district as that fair. Check the other Athens Christmas markets on your list against the same districts.
A class of 2 hours fits beside a visit to the Technopolis fair.
What do visitors ask about Athens Christmas markets?
Five questions come up before a day at the Athens Christmas markets: cost, the metro, bad weather, children and food. The answers give one sourced fact each, with the source type named.
Are the Athens Christmas markets free?
Entry to the Athens Christmas markets differs by site. A market directory lists paid admission at the Technopolis fair, with 10 free workshops inside. A travel magazine lists one made-in-Greece fair with free entry.
Can you reach them by metro?
Yes, for the walking districts. Monastiraki station sits on Monastiraki Square and serves Line 1 and Line 3. Wikipedia lists it as one of five interchange stations on the Athens Metro. The festive food tour covers this district.
What happens to a guided walk if the weather turns bad?
Each of the six walk and tasting listings carries a free cancellation label. Five state a booking cutoff, from 1 hour to 12 hours before the start. That leaves time to check the forecast first.
Can children join the craft workshops?
Yes. The mosaic workshop lists ages 13 to 17 and children 12 and younger. The silk workshop lists children 12 and younger, and the sandal workshop lists children 18 and younger. A class fits between two visits to the Athens Christmas markets.
Do the walks include food?
Yes, the food walks do. The small group discovery walk lists 8 to 10 tastings, a local breakfast and a Greek coffee. Book a food walk before an afternoon at the Athens Christmas markets.