Start at La Samaritaine, Where the Windows Turn Into a Winter Garden
It's early evening on Rue de la Monnaie and the pavement outside La Samaritaine has thickened into a slow-moving river of people — couples with paper cups of vin chaud, children hoisted onto shoulders, the low hum of a dozen conversations in as many languages. Then the glass lights up. For 2026 the store's animated windows follow an enchanted winter garden theme, with luminous creatures moving among gigantic plants, unveiled on November 6 at 6pm and running through January 4 (dates to be confirmed). Stand at the corner of Rue de la Monnaie and Rue de Rivoli and let the crowd carry you past each pane; the figures are built by teams of artists, artisans and decorators who spend up to a year on a single store's display, and it shows in the smallest mechanical gesture.
La Samaritaine sits in the 1st arrondissement, a short walk from the river and from the lights along the Rue de Rivoli, which makes it an easy first stop on an evening that can stretch across the city.
Walk the Grands Magasins Circuit on Boulevard Haussmann
Two of the most elaborate displays in Paris face each other on the same wide boulevard, and you can see both in one loop. Start at Galeries Lafayette, 40 Boulevard Haussmann, where the 2026 windows run November 12 to December 31 and are designed by illustrator Jeanne Detallante, filled with elves, gifts and fantastical creatures. Then step inside and look up: a Christmas tree hangs suspended beneath the store's Art Nouveau stained-glass dome, which rises more than 140 feet, lit by 20,000 lights, with a glass walkway that takes you close enough to see the detailing and a sound and light show to hold you there.
- Time it right: crowds are densest around noon and in the late afternoon and evening. Come in the morning or mid-afternoon and you'll actually see the windows rather than the backs of other people's hats.
- Then cross to Printemps: at 64 Boulevard Haussmann, the windows from November 5 (5pm, to be confirmed) through December 31 follow a "Printemps Express" train journey, with passengers dressed in clothing made from recycled fabrics. Past displays here have set miniature worlds around high-end designer merchandise.
- Getting there: Métro Chaussée d'Antin–La Fayette puts you between both stores. The Paris Opera House and the lights of Faubourg Saint-Honoré are within a short walk if you want to extend the evening.
Cross to the Left Bank for the Oldest Windows in Paris
Le Bon Marché introduced Christmas windows to Paris in 1909, and it remains the only department store on the Left Bank. Its four windows line Rue de Sèvres in the 7th arrondissement, unveiled on November 7 at 4:30pm, with a 2026 theme of colourful creatures and magical Parisian scenes — and decorations carried through the interior of the store as well. Arrive by Métro Sèvres Babylone, and pair the visit with a walk through the Luxembourg Garden, which is a few minutes away and considerably quieter than the boulevards.
By the 1950s the competition between Paris's retailers had sharpened into the tradition you see now: five grands magasins — Galeries Lafayette, Printemps Haussmann, Le Bon Marché, BHV Marais and La Samaritaine — each committing to a distinct annual theme, together drawing an estimated 10 million spectators over the season.
Make an Evening of the Marais and Hôtel de Ville
BHV Marais, at 52 Rue de Rivoli in the 4th arrondissement, opens its windows on November 4 at 5pm and runs them through December 31, with music and animations and a 2026 Disney theme, "The magical world of Disney." The store stands directly across Rue de Rivoli from Hôtel de Ville, Paris City Hall, and a Christmas market sets up on the square opposite — which means you can move from animated windows to market stalls without crossing more than one street.
- Before or after: browse the Marais boutiques on the surrounding streets.
- Later: the jazz clubs on Rue des Lombards are a short walk away if you want the evening to keep going after the market closes.
- Métro: Hôtel de Ville.
Know the Rhythm of the Season
The displays are unveiled in early November, timed to coincide with the start of the city's holiday lights, and most run through the end of December — La Samaritaine is the outlier, staying lit into the first days of January. Because several 2026 dates are still marked to be confirmed, treat the schedule as a guide and check with each store before you build a day around a specific unveiling.
Practical shape for a visit: see the Right Bank pair on Boulevard Haussmann in the morning, take the Métro across to La Samaritaine and the Marais in the afternoon and early evening, and save Le Bon Marché for a quieter Left Bank morning alongside the Luxembourg Garden. Warm up with the seasonal food and drink that clusters around the Hôtel de Ville market and the surrounding streets — the vin chaud and market stalls are part of the ritual as much as the windows themselves.
Book your travel for early November if you want to catch an unveiling, or aim for a weekday in the weeks that follow, when the displays are fully lit and the pavements are marginally less packed. Paris does this every year, and it does it well; the only thing left is to pick your dates and start planning around it.