Chester
Chester Christmas Market 2026: dates, what's on and where to stay
Wooden chalets in front of the Gothic town hall, the cathedral round the corner and two miles of city walls to walk off the mince pies. Here are the 2026 dates, the evening parades worth timing your visit around and the hotels within walking distance.
Picolo Editorial
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In short: Chester Christmas Market 2026
Dates: 18 November to 22 December 2026.
Where: Town Hall Square and Northgate Street, in front of the town hall and a short walk from the cathedral.
Opening hours: in 2025 the market opened from 10.30am to 6.30pm Sunday to Wednesday and until 8pm Thursday to Saturday. Check the 2026 times before you go.
Entry: free.
Our first choice: Check availability and prices at The Chester Grosvenor
Chester is one of the easiest Christmas markets in England to combine with a proper weekend away. The market itself is compact, with around 80 traders. But the city around it does the rest: the Rows, the Roman and medieval walls and the cathedral are all within a few minutes' walk.
What's on in Chester at Christmas
The market is the centrepiece, but Chester also holds a series of evening parades through the city centre in the run-up to Christmas. In 2026 the 12 Days of Christmas Parade is on 19 November and the Lantern Parade on 26 November. If you can, time a Thursday evening visit around one of them.
Between stalls, walk a stretch of the city walls, the most complete circuit of city walls in Britain at about two miles. Go up at the Eastgate, where the clock above the gate is one of the most photographed sights in the city, and look down on the shoppers below.
The Rows, the two-storey galleried shopping streets in the centre, are covered, which makes them the best place to escape a shower. The cathedral is next to Town Hall Square and often holds Christmas concerts in December.
Getting there
Chester is about two hours by direct train from London Euston, about an hour from Manchester and about 45 minutes from Liverpool. From Chester station it is about a 15-minute walk to Town Hall Square.
If you are driving, use the Park and Ride rather than trying to park in the centre, which gets very busy on Saturdays in December.
With an extra day, North Wales is close: Llandudno and Conwy, with its medieval castle, are about an hour away by train.
Where to stay for the Chester Christmas Market
The Chester Grosvenor
The Chester Grosvenor is the city's grand hotel, on Eastgate Street beside the Eastgate clock and a few minutes' walk from Town Hall Square. Guests praise the breakfast and the friendly staff and rate it 9.2 out of 10 across 1,000 reviews on Hotels.com.
Check availability and prices at The Chester Grosvenor
Hotel Indigo Chester
Hotel Indigo is on Grosvenor Park Road, just outside the city walls and about a ten-minute walk from the market. It has the highest guest rating of the three, 9.4 out of 10 across more than 1,000 reviews, and a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Check availability and prices at Hotel Indigo Chester
Oddfellows Chester
Oddfellows is in a Georgian townhouse on Lower Bridge Street, within the walls and a short walk from the Rows. It has a garden restaurant, two bars and a terrace, and guests rate it 9.0 out of 10 across more than 800 reviews.
The lounge at Hotel Indigo, about a ten-minute walk from the Christmas market
Oddfellows, a Georgian townhouse within Chester's city walls
Our recommendation
The Chester Grosvenor: by the Eastgate clock
The Chester Grosvenor is on Eastgate Street, beside the clock and a few minutes' walk from the Christmas market on Town Hall Square. It is the most traditional of Chester's hotels, and the obvious choice for a Christmas weekend when you want to walk everywhere.
What Picolo would choose
What Picolo would choose: The Chester Grosvenor to be in the middle of everything, Hotel Indigo for the highest guest rating, and Oddfellows for a smaller hotel with more character.
Why: The Chester Grosvenor is a few minutes from the market, the Rows and the walls, and guests rate it 9.2 out of 10.
The trade-off: The Chester Grosvenor is the most expensive of the three. Hotel Indigo has a higher rating but is just outside the walls, about ten minutes' walk from the market.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Chester Christmas Market in 2026?
Chester Christmas Market runs from 18 November to 22 December 2026, according to Visit Chester. In 2025 it opened from 10.30am to 6.30pm Sunday to Wednesday and until 8pm Thursday to Saturday, so expect similar hours. Check the official site for the final 2026 times before you travel.
Where is the Christmas market in Chester?
The market is on Town Hall Square and Northgate Street, in front of Chester's Gothic town hall and a short walk from the cathedral. It is inside the city walls, about a 15-minute walk from Chester railway station and a few minutes from the Rows and the Eastgate clock.
Is Chester Christmas Market worth a weekend?
Yes, if you treat the market as one part of the weekend. The market is compact, with around 80 traders, but Chester's walls, the Rows, the cathedral and the evening parades fill two days easily. A day trip from Manchester or Liverpool is also realistic, as the train takes about an hour or less.
How do you get to Chester by train?
There are direct trains from London Euston, which take about two hours. From Manchester the journey takes about an hour, and from Liverpool about 45 minutes. From Chester station it is about a 15-minute walk to Town Hall Square, or a short bus ride into the centre.
When should you book a hotel for the Chester Christmas Market?
Book as soon as you have your dates. Chester has a limited number of hotels inside the walls, and Saturdays in late November and December go first, especially on parade evenings. Sunday to Thursday nights are usually easier to find. Choose a rate with free cancellation if your plans may change.
Sources
The 2026 dates and parade dates come from Visit Chester. The location and number of traders come from JustPark's 2026 UK Christmas market guide. The 2025 opening hours come from Cheshire West and Chester Council. Hotel ratings and facilities come from Hotels.com. Last checked: 2 November 2026.
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Picolo Editorial