# York Christmas Market (St Nicholas Fair) 2026 > York Christmas Market (St Nicholas Fair) runs 12 November to 21 December 2026 in York. Closed Tuesdays. Opening times, where it is and entry cost, checked against the official tourism board on 11 October 2026. Source: https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/york/ York, [North Yorkshire](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/areas/north-yorkshire/) Runs Thursday 12 November to Monday 21 December 2026 | Dates | Thursday 12 November to Monday 21 December 2026 (35 open days) | | --- | --- | | Days Closed | Closed Tuesdays | | Opening Times | Wednesday to Monday: **10.30am to 7pm** Shut every Tuesday. Closes at 17:00 on the last day, Monday 21 December. | | Where | Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square in the city centre YO1 8RY [Open in Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=53.959,-1.0806) | | Entry | Free to enter | | Organiser | Make It York (Visit York). [Official page](https://visityork.org/christmas/york-christmas-market) | ## Checked Against the Source These dates and times come from the official tourism board's own page, not from another guide. - [Visit York (Make It York)](https://visityork.org/christmas/york-christmas-market), checked 11 October 2026 Organisers sometimes change hours or close early in bad weather. On the day, check the [official page](https://visityork.org/christmas/york-christmas-market). Spotted something out of date? [Tell us](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/contact/). ## York Christmas Market: Quick Answers ### When does York Christmas Market start in 2026? It opens on Thursday 12 November 2026. ### When does York Christmas Market end? The last day is Monday 21 December 2026. ### What time does York Christmas Market open and close? Wednesday to Monday 10.30am to 7pm. Shut every Tuesday. Closes at 17:00 on the last day, Monday 21 December. ### Is York Christmas Market open every day? No. Closed Tuesdays. ### Is York Christmas Market free to enter? Yes. ### Where is York Christmas Market? Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square in the city centre, York YO1 8RY. ## About York Christmas Market (St Nicholas Fair) Wooden chalets along Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square in the centre of York, open six days a week. The organiser says more than 80% of the traders are from Yorkshire. [Add the Dates to Your Calendar](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/york/dates.ics) ## Where Is York Christmas Market? Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square in the city centre, York YO1 8RY. The other dots are nearby markets. ![Shoppers walk past wooden stalls hung with garlands and lights at dusk, under trees wrapped in white fairy lights.](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/assets/photos/york-st-nicholas-fair-parliament-street-960.webp) *Stalls on Parliament Street during York Christmas Market (St Nicholas Fair), November 2023. Photo: [Malcolmxl5](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:York_Christmas_Market_2023_01.jpg), CC BY-SA 4.0.* ## Getting There and Parking ### By Train York station, on Station Road, is the only station in the city and is managed by LNER. It is on the East Coast Main Line, with direct trains from London King's Cross (about 1 hour 50 minutes by LNER), Edinburgh, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds. Parliament Street is about half a mile from the station in a straight line (worked out from the coordinates, not a walking distance); the walk crosses the river at Lendal Bridge. National Rail's page says the station has step-free access and accessible toilets. Source: [National Rail](https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/york/), checked 11 October 2026; [Visit York (Make It York)](https://visityork.org/visitor-information/travel-information), checked 11 October 2026. ### Park and Ride York has six park and ride sites, all run by First Bus York for the council. Parking is free if you use the bus, and a standard return into the centre is £4.00 (read October 2026), with up to three children aged 16 or under free with a paying adult. A group ticket for up to five people is £13.00. From Monday to Saturday the first buses leave at about 05:30 (07:30 on Sundays) and the last bus back from the centre is at about 22:30, though times differ by route. The buses are low-floor and take wheelchairs. Overnight parking is not allowed, and the organiser recommends park and ride for the market. | Site | Postcode | Bus | | --- | --- | --- | | Askham Bar | YO24 1LW | Service 3 | | Designer Outlet | YO19 4TA | Service 7 | | Grimston Bar | YO19 5LA | Service 8 | | Monks Cross | YO32 9JU | Service 9 | | Poppleton Bar | YO26 6QF | Service 59 | | Rawcliffe Bar | YO30 5XZ | Service 2 and 2A | Source: [iTravel York (City of York Council)](https://www.itravelyork.info/park-ride), [page 2](https://www.itravelyork.info/park-ride/fares-passes-3), [page 3](https://www.itravelyork.info/park-ride/askham-bar-1), checked 11 October 2026; [Visit York (Make It York)](https://visityork.org/christmas/accessibility), checked 11 October 2026. ### Parking The council car parks closest to Parliament Street are Coppergate Centre on Piccadilly and Castle on Tower Street, with Foss Bank and Monk Bar a little further out on the north-east side. All charge the same hourly rate: £5.00 for up to an hour from Sunday to Thursday and £5.50 on Fridays, Saturdays and event days (read October 2026). Coppergate Centre is locked at 7pm, when the market closes, and Foss Bank at 8pm, with a £50 release fee after that. Blue Badge holders can park free in any bay in these car parks. Shopmobility is on the second floor of Coppergate Centre. | Car Park | Postcode | Spaces | Price | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Coppergate Centre | YO1 9NX | 248, plus 18 Blue Badge and 10 Shopmobility | £5.00 up to 1 hour, £5.50 Friday, Saturday and events (October 2026). Open 8am to 7pm | | Castle | YO1 9SA | 268, plus 30 Blue Badge | £5.00 up to 1 hour, £5.50 Friday, Saturday and events (October 2026). Open 24 hours | | Foss Bank | YO31 7PL | 316, plus 4 Blue Badge | £5.00 up to 1 hour; all day £23.20, or £25.00 Friday, Saturday and events (October 2026). Locked at 8pm | | Monk Bar | YO31 7QR | 206, plus 19 Blue Badge | £5.00 up to 1 hour, £5.50 Friday, Saturday and events (October 2026). Open 24 hours | Source: [City of York Council](https://www.york.gov.uk/directory-record/428/coppergate-centre-car-park), [page 2](https://www.york.gov.uk/directory-record/399/castle-car-park), [page 3](https://www.york.gov.uk/directory-record/405/foss-bank-car-park), [page 4](https://www.york.gov.uk/directory-record/421/monk-bar-car-park), checked 11 October 2026. ### Accessibility All the stalls are on the pedestrian area of Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square. They are either counter service or have a temporary ramp, and dropped kerbs are kept clear, though the organiser warns that some paving is uneven because of tree roots. The nearest toilets, including an accessible toilet (RADAR key) and a Changing Places, are on Silver Street, about 40 metres away. St Sampson's Centre next door is a "Quiet Oasis" during the market. Shopmobility York, in the Piccadilly car park, hires scooters, powerchairs and wheelchairs and is opening on Sundays for the market. There is a first aid point at the Pavement end of Parliament Street. Source: [Visit York (Make It York)](https://visityork.org/christmas/accessibility), checked 11 October 2026. ### Quiet Times to Visit The organiser says the market is busy at peak times, especially weekends, and that this can be overwhelming for some visitors. To help, there is no music from 10:30am to 12 noon every day the market is open. For a calmer visit, go on a weekday and early: Visit York tells coach groups that weekdays in the festive period are quieter than Saturdays and Sundays. The market is shut on Tuesdays, so the quiet weekdays are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Source: [Visit York (Make It York)](https://visityork.org/christmas/accessibility), [page 2](https://visityork.org/visitor-information/coach-and-parking-information), checked 11 October 2026. ### What Else Is On York Minster's Christmas Tree Festival runs from Saturday 28 November 2026 to Tuesday 5 January 2027, with around 100 decorated trees inside the Minster. It opens at 10am on the first day with a light switch-on, and entry is included with general admission to the Minster. Visit York also lists a York Christmas Walking Tour on dates from 20 November to 24 December 2026. On Tuesdays, when the market is shut, the shops and attractions are open as usual. Visit York's Christmas events calendar was still being filled in when we checked. **Making a day of it?** Walking tours, day trips and other things to do in York can be booked ahead. [Tours and things to do in York on Viator](https://www.viator.com/York/d5446-ttd?pid=P00325279&mcid=42383&medium=link&campaign=bcm-york) [affiliate link](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/affiliate-disclosure/) Source: [Visit York (Make It York), listing for York Minster](https://visityork.org/events/christmas-tree-festival-3), checked 11 October 2026; [Visit York (Make It York)](https://visityork.org/events/category/christmas), [page 2](https://visityork.org/christmas/york-christmas-market), checked 11 October 2026. ### Where to Stay The market is in the middle of the walled city, and York is small enough that anywhere inside the walls is within ten minutes on foot. Micklegate and the streets around the station are a little further but still an easy walk across the river. Bootham, Gillygate and the roads just outside the walls to the north are also close. Staying near a park and ride site and taking the bus in is a workable alternative on busy weekends. **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 York Christmas Market open on Tuesdays?** No. In 2026 it is closed every Tuesday for a weekly rest day. It is open Wednesday to Monday, 10.30am to 7pm, from 12 November to 21 December, closing at 5pm on the last day. **Do you need tickets for York Christmas Market?** No. The stalls are on the open pedestrian streets of Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square and the organiser lists no entry charge. **When is York Christmas Market quietest?** The organiser says weekends are the peak. Weekdays are quieter, and there is no music from 10.30am to 12 noon every day. **How far is York Christmas Market from the station?** About half a mile in a straight line from York station to Parliament Street. The walk goes over the river into the city centre. **How much is the park and ride for York Christmas Market?** Parking is free at all six sites and a standard return on the bus is £4.00 (October 2026), with up to three children aged 16 or under free with a paying adult. The last bus back from the centre is at about 22:30. ## Have You Been to York Christmas Market (St Nicholas Fair)? Tell other visitors whether it was worth the trip. One vote per market, no account needed. ## Other Christmas Markets Nearby [Knaresborough Christmas Market Knaresborough, North Yorkshire 5 to 6 Dec 2026 16 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/knaresborough/) [Malton Christmas Market Malton, North Yorkshire 2026 dates not yet announced 17 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/malton/) [Ampleforth Abbey Christmas Craft Market Ampleforth, North Yorkshire 28 to 29 Nov 2026 17 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/ampleforth-abbey/) [Harewood Christmas Market Harewood, West Yorkshire 6 to 29 Nov 2026 Open 6 to 8 Nov and 27 to 29 Nov only 19 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/harewood/) [Harrogate Christmas Market Harrogate, North Yorkshire 4 to 19 Dec 2026 Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only 19 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/harrogate/) See all [Christmas markets near York](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/near/york/). More in [Yorkshire](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/regions/yorkshire/), or see [every market's 2026 dates](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/dates/).