# Canterbury Christmas Market 2026 > Canterbury Christmas Market runs 12 November to 24 December 2026 in Canterbury. Opening times, where it is and entry cost, checked against the organiser on 11 October 2026. Source: https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/canterbury/ Canterbury, [Kent](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/areas/kent/) Runs Thursday 12 November to Thursday 24 December 2026 | Dates | Thursday 12 November to Thursday 24 December 2026 (43 open days) | | --- | --- | | Days Closed | None listed: open every day of its run | | Opening Times | Monday to Friday: **10am to 6pm** Saturday: **9am to 7pm** Sunday: **10am to 5pm** Closes at 16:00 on Christmas Eve. Late opening nights to be announced by the organiser. | | Where | Wooden huts in Whitefriars, St George's Street and the Canterbury Cathedral Precincts CT1 2TF [Open in Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=51.2777,1.0825) | | Entry | Free to enter | | Organiser | Rockhopper Events Ltd. [Official page](https://canterburychristmasmarket.co.uk/) | ## Checked Against the Source These dates and times come from the organiser's own page, not from another guide. - [Canterbury Christmas Market (Rockhopper Events Ltd)](https://canterburychristmasmarket.co.uk/travel-local-information/), checked 11 October 2026 - [Canterbury Christmas Market (Rockhopper Events Ltd)](https://canterburychristmasmarket.co.uk/), checked 11 October 2026 Organisers sometimes change hours or close early in bad weather. On the day, check the [official page](https://canterburychristmasmarket.co.uk/). Spotted something out of date? [Tell us](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/contact/). ## Canterbury Christmas Market: Quick Answers ### When does Canterbury Christmas Market start in 2026? It opens on Thursday 12 November 2026. ### When does Canterbury Christmas Market end? The last day is Thursday 24 December 2026. ### What time does Canterbury Christmas Market open and close? Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm; Saturday 9am to 7pm; Sunday 10am to 5pm. Closes at 16:00 on Christmas Eve. Late opening nights to be announced by the organiser. ### Is Canterbury Christmas Market open every day? Yes. The organiser lists no closed days between 12 Nov and 24 Dec. ### Is Canterbury Christmas Market free to enter? Yes. ### Where is Canterbury Christmas Market? Wooden huts in Whitefriars, St George's Street and the Canterbury Cathedral Precincts, Canterbury CT1 2TF. ## About Canterbury Christmas Market Daily market of more than 120 wooden huts across three linked areas of the city centre, including the Cathedral Precincts. Free to walk round; Santa's grotto and some activities are ticketed. [Add the Dates to Your Calendar](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/canterbury/dates.ics) ## Where Is Canterbury Christmas Market? Wooden huts in Whitefriars, St George's Street and the Canterbury Cathedral Precincts, Canterbury CT1 2TF. The other dots are nearby markets. ## Santa's Grotto at Canterbury Christmas Market | Called | Santa's Grotto with talking letterbox | | --- | --- | | When | selected dates from 28 November | | Where | On St George's Street beside the big Christmas tree, opposite McDonald's | | Price | From £13 a child. The page gives the price as from £13; every child gets a gift chosen for their age; adults coming with a child do not pay, with no more than two adults per booking | | Booking | Booking advised. [Organiser's booking page](https://canterburychristmasmarket.co.uk/product/santas-grotto-with-talking-letterbox/) | Children check in with the elves, write a letter and post it in a talking letterbox, then meet Father Christmas in groups of up to six; arrive five minutes early, and walk-ins are taken only when there is space. Source: [Canterbury Christmas Market (Rockhopper Events Ltd)](https://canterburychristmasmarket.co.uk/product/santas-grotto-with-talking-letterbox/), checked 12 October 2026. [All markets with a grotto](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/santas-grotto/). ## Getting There and Parking ### By Train Canterbury has two stations, both managed by Southeastern and both with step-free access to all platforms. Canterbury East is the nearer to the Whitefriars and St George's Street stalls, a little under half a mile away in a straight line; Canterbury West is about half a mile away on the far side of the centre (both our estimates from map coordinates, as the organiser gives no figure). The organiser says the three market areas are all inside the city walls and only minutes apart on foot, so either station works. Source: [National Rail](https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/canterbury-east/), [page 2](https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/canterbury-west/), checked 11 October 2026; [Canterbury Christmas Market (Rockhopper Events Ltd)](https://canterburychristmasmarket.co.uk/travel-local-information/), checked 11 October 2026. ### Park and Ride Canterbury City Council runs three park and ride sites, open every day including Sundays. It costs £4 a day per car with up to six passengers (October 2026). The car parks are open round the clock but the buses are not: on Sundays the timetable ends between 5pm and 5.30pm, about when the market closes, so check your return. After the last park and ride bus the council points to ordinary Stagecoach services from New Dover Road and Sturry Road. The council has not published any extra Christmas services that we could find. | Site | Postcode | Monday to Saturday | Sunday | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | New Dover Road | CT1 3EL | Every 8 minutes, 7am to 7.10pm | Every 10 minutes, 9.45am to 5pm | | Sturry Road | CT1 1AD | Every 15 minutes, 7.40am to 6.10pm | Every 15 minutes, 10.05am to 5.20pm | | Wincheap | CT1 3TQ | Every 8 minutes, 7am to 7.20pm | Every 10 minutes, 9.45am to 5.30pm | Source: [Canterbury City Council](https://www.canterbury.gov.uk/parking-and-roads/park-and-ride), [page 2](https://www.canterbury.gov.uk/parking-and-roads/find-somewhere-park), checked 11 October 2026. ### Parking The organiser names Whitefriars multi-storey and Watling Street as the car parks nearest the stalls, and warns that roads and car parks get extremely busy in the festive season. Both are in the council's dearest band at £3.80 an hour, with a two-hour minimum on Saturdays and a £30 daily cap. Queningate, beside the Cathedral Precincts, costs the same. Holmans Meadow, a few minutes further out, is £1.90 an hour capped at £15. Charges apply 7.30am to 9pm. All prices were read in October 2026. The council lists disabled bays at each. | Car Park | Postcode | Price | Disabled bays | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Whitefriars multi-storey | CT1 2UA | £3.80 an hour, £30 a day maximum (October 2026) | Yes, number not given | | Watling Street | CT1 2UD | £3.80 an hour, £30 a day maximum (October 2026) | 11 | | Queningate | CT1 2HJ | £3.80 an hour, £30 a day maximum (October 2026) | 4 | | Holmans Meadow | CT1 3JB | £1.90 an hour, £15 a day maximum (October 2026) | 6 | Source: [Canterbury City Council](https://www.canterbury.gov.uk/parking-and-roads/find-somewhere-park), checked 11 October 2026; [Canterbury Christmas Market (Rockhopper Events Ltd)](https://canterburychristmasmarket.co.uk/faq/), [page 2](https://canterburychristmasmarket.co.uk/travel-local-information/), checked 11 October 2026. ### Accessibility The organiser says most of the market is on even ground. The exceptions are the Cathedral Precincts, where the surface is uneven, and the route between the Precincts and St George's Street, which is cobbled. Toilets and baby changing are in the Cathedral Precincts near the car park and on Canterbury Lane for the St George's section. The grotto is on level ground with a small lip at the door, and the VR rides need three small steps. The council says park and ride buses kneel to the kerb or have a ramp, with spaces for wheelchairs. Source: [Canterbury Christmas Market (Rockhopper Events Ltd)](https://canterburychristmasmarket.co.uk/faq/), checked 11 October 2026; [Canterbury City Council](https://www.canterbury.gov.uk/parking-and-roads/park-and-ride), checked 11 October 2026. ### Quiet Times to Visit The organiser says weekends get very busy and recommends booking ahead for the grotto, Breakfast with Santa and the VR rides if you are coming on a Saturday or Sunday. It gives no quieter hours, but the plain reading is that a weekday is the easier visit. On Saturdays the stalls open an hour earlier, at 9am. Source: [Canterbury Christmas Market (Rockhopper Events Ltd)](https://canterburychristmasmarket.co.uk/faq/), checked 11 October 2026. ### What Else Is On The organiser's 2026 programme lists the city's Christmas light switch-on on Friday 13 November 2026, the day after the market opens, with live music in Whitefriars and on the High Street at 4pm and 6pm. Santa's Grotto on St George's Street opens on 28 November 2026. More live music is listed on Saturdays through November and into December, and the organiser says events are added as they are confirmed. **Making a day of it?** Walking tours, day trips and other things to do in Canterbury can be booked ahead. [Tours and things to do in Canterbury on Viator](https://www.viator.com/Canterbury/d24670-ttd?pid=P00325279&mcid=42383&medium=link&campaign=bcm-canterbury) [affiliate link](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/affiliate-disclosure/) Source: [Canterbury Christmas Market (Rockhopper Events Ltd)](https://canterburychristmasmarket.co.uk/whats-on/), checked 11 October 2026. ### Where to Stay Everything inside the city walls is within about ten minutes' walk of the stalls, so anywhere in the old centre works: around the High Street and the cathedral, the St Dunstan's side near Canterbury West station, or the streets around Canterbury East. The roads just outside the walls, such as New Dover Road and Wincheap, are still walkable at fifteen to twenty minutes. **Staying the night?** See hotels and rooms near the stalls on a map, priced for Saturday 14 November. Map by Stay22. [affiliate](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/affiliate-disclosure/) **Making a weekend of it?** A cottage within reach of the market gives you an early start before the day trippers arrive. [Holiday cottages from Sykes](https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/) ## Questions People Ask **Is Canterbury Christmas Market free?** Yes. The organiser says the market is free and no tickets are needed. Santa's Grotto, Breakfast with Santa and the VR rides are bookable and charged. **What are the opening times of Canterbury Christmas Market in 2026?** Daily from 12 November to 24 December 2026: Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 7pm, Sunday 10am to 5pm. It closes at 4pm on Christmas Eve. **Where exactly is Canterbury Christmas Market?** In three areas inside the city walls: Whitefriars and the Marlowe Arcade, St George's Street, and the Cathedral Precincts. The organiser's sat nav postcode is CT1 2TF. **Which station is nearest to Canterbury Christmas Market?** Canterbury East is slightly nearer to Whitefriars and St George's Street; Canterbury West is about half a mile away in a straight line. Both are managed by Southeastern. **Does the Canterbury park and ride run on Sundays?** Yes, from all three sites, but the last buses are between 5pm and 5.30pm. It costs £4 a day per car (October 2026). ## Have You Been to Canterbury Christmas Market? Tell other visitors whether it was worth the trip. One vote per market, no account needed. ## Other Christmas Markets Nearby [Folkestone Harbour Arm Festive Marketplace Folkestone, Kent 13 Nov to 24 Dec 2026 Open 13 to 15 Nov, 20 to 22 Nov, 27 to 29 Nov, 4 to 6 Dec, 11 to 13 Dec and 18 to 24 Dec only 15 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/folkestone/) [Leeds Castle Christmas Market Maidstone, Kent 2026 dates not yet announced 20 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/leeds-castle/) [Kent Festive Gift and Food Show Detling, Kent 20 to 22 Nov 2026 21 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/kent-festive-show/) [Tenterden Christmas Market Tenterden, Kent 19 to 22 Nov 2026 22 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/tenterden/) [Rochester Dickensian Christmas Festival Rochester, Kent 5 to 6 Dec 2026 26 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/rochester-dickensian/) See all [Christmas markets near Canterbury](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/near/canterbury/). More in [South East](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/regions/south-east/), or see [every market's 2026 dates](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/dates/).