Christmas in Marseille: What to Do and What's Open Christmas Day

Over the holidays, Marseille slows down and starts to smell of orange blossom. People line up for pompe à l'huile, the olive oil bread of Provençal Christmas, nativity scenes go up in the churches, and in the evening the Vieux-Port (Old Port) fills with families under the Christmas lights. For a visitor, Christmas in Marseille is a wonderful time… as long as you know that on December 25, a lot of doors stay shut.

Here's our game plan from December 24 to January 1: what's open, what isn't, and our ideas with or without kids.

Before December 24: a city in holiday mode

The days leading up to Christmas are the liveliest. The santons fair has its stalls on the Quai du Port, the Christmas market is in full swing at the bottom of La Canebière, and the bakeries are busy with the 13 desserts of Provençal Christmas Eve. It's the best time to:

• pick out santons, the little clay nativity figurines, for your own nativity scene or as gifts;
• buy navettes, boat-shaped orange-blossom cookies, at the Four des Navettes near the Abbaye Saint-Victor, and a pompe à l'huile for the evening;
• find made-in-Marseille gifts: soap, olive oil, santons, navettes;
• see the nativity scenes in the churches, often set up from the start of December.

If you can, come on a weekday or in the morning: on the last Saturday before Christmas, downtown is packed.

December 24: the gros souper and midnight Mass

In Provence, Christmas Eve has its own rituals. Traditionally, families sit down to the "gros souper," the big supper, which despite its name is a lean, meatless meal, eaten together before midnight Mass. Then come the thirteen desserts. The table is set with three tablecloths and three candles, and in the center sits the Saint Barbara wheat, sown on December 4: if it has sprouted well, the year ahead will be a good one.

For a visitor, the 24th is mostly about being out and about, and at the table:

• During the day, shops and markets are open, but many close earlier than usual in the late afternoon.
• In the evening, book your restaurant well in advance: many close, and those that open often serve a set holiday menu.
• Midnight Mass is celebrated in several churches across the city, including Notre-Dame de la Garde and La Major cathedral. It doesn't always start at midnight on the dot, so check the times with the parishes. Even if you're not religious, Christmas under la Bonne Mère, as locals call Notre-Dame de la Garde, is a powerful moment; just be respectful of the worshippers.

What's open on Christmas Day in Marseille, and what's closed

December 25 is a public holiday (a "jour férié"), one of the most widely observed of the year. An honest heads-up if you're coming from the US: Christmas Day in France is far quieter than you might expect. It's a family day, there's no big retail opening, and most businesses simply close. Expect closed doors almost everywhere, but not boredom.

Usually closed: most shops, many neighborhood restaurants and many museums. The MUCEM, for example, is closed on December 25 (and every Tuesday). Check each place before you head out.

Usually open or accessible:

• churches, including Notre-Dame de la Garde, with Masses in the morning;
• everything outdoors and free: the Old Port, Le Panier, the Corniche, the Vallon des Auffes, the Pharo gardens, the trails of the Calanques;
• a few restaurants and cafés in the touristy areas, often by reservation only;
• some bakeries, in the morning.

Public transit runs on a reduced holiday schedule: check the timetables of the RTM, Marseille's transit operator, before counting on a bus.

Our idea for the 25th: a long sunny walk from the Old Port to the Vallon des Auffes along the Corniche, with the Marseille audio guide in your ears. The landmarks may be closed, but their stories never are. For other holidays, our article on public holidays and Sundays in Marseille has all the details.

Marseille between Christmas and New Year: the sweet spot

This is our favorite stretch. From December 26 to 30, almost everything reopens, lots of locals are with family or off in the mountains, and the city takes on a laid-back vacation feel. A few ideas:

• Museums and Cosquer Méditerranée, booked in advance: on rainy days, everyone has the same idea.
• A day trip: Aix-en-Provence and its fountains, Cassis and its harbor, or the villages of Provence. Our article on day trips from Marseille gives the travel times.
• A hike in the Calanques on a calm day: winter is the best season for hiking, without the heat or the crowds.
• The Château d'If, if the sea allows: crossings are cut back in bad weather.
• A pastorale, the Provençal Christmas play performed in Provençal and French, staged from December to January in Marseille and in nearby villages such as Allauch. The schedule is on the tourist office website.
• One last stroll through the santons fair, open until January 3, 2027, according to the announced program.

Christmas in Marseille with kids

• The little tourist train up to Notre-Dame de la Garde from the Old Port: kids love it, and the climb on foot is tough on little legs.
• The ferry boat that crosses the Old Port in a few minutes: a real boat ride that kids love.
• The Palais Longchamp: the cascade, the park to run around in and the natural history museum.
• The santons fair: the little figurines fascinate kids, and each one can pick their own for the nativity scene.
• The audio guide as a treasure hunt: give them the mission of finding what the card tells you to look for, like your reflection under the Ombrière or the model boats hanging inside la Bonne Mère. One minute is exactly the right length for a kid. The first four landmarks are free, listen here.

More ideas in our article Marseille with kids.

December 31 and January 1

There hasn't been an official fireworks show on the Old Port for New Year's Eve in years, and restaurants need to be booked very early for the night of the 31st. It's all covered in our article on New Year's Eve in Marseille.

January 1 looks a lot like December 25: public holiday, shops closed, a city in slow motion. It's the perfect day for a long walk in the fresh air, from the Plage des Catalans to the Vallon des Auffes, or for climbing up to la Bonne Mère to start the year with the best view in town.