2026 dates
- Dome Square (Doma laukums), the main market: expected from 27 November 2026 to 3 or 4 January 2027. When we checked in October 2026, the dates hadn't been officially confirmed, and listings disagreed on the closing day by one day.
- Esplanade Park: a smaller market usually runs in front of the Orthodox cathedral. Its 2026 dates weren't published yet.
Opening hours are usually from late morning until about 9pm on weekdays and later on Friday and Saturday evenings, with shorter hours around Christmas Day and New Year. Check the city's official event listing on riga.lv before you book.
Unlike most German markets, which close on 23 or 24 December, Riga's stays open over Christmas and New Year. That makes it one of the best markets for a trip between Christmas and New Year.
What to expect
Dome Square sits in the middle of Riga's medieval Old Town, beside the huge brick cathedral. The market fills it with wooden huts, a decorated tree and fire pits where people warm their hands. It's compact rather than grand, so you can walk round it in half an hour, but it's lovely after dark and rarely as packed as the big markets in Germany or Vienna.
Riga also claims the world's first decorated Christmas tree. The story goes that in 1510 the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild of merchants, decorated a tree in Town Hall Square and then burned it. A plaque in the square marks the spot, and a tree goes up there each year. Historians debate whether Riga or Tallinn was first, but it's a good excuse to visit both.
What to eat, drink and buy
The food is hearty and warming:
- Karstvīns, Latvian mulled wine, and hot drinks spiked with Riga Black Balsam, a dark herbal liqueur.
- Grey peas with bacon (pelēkie zirņi ar speķi), a Latvian Christmas classic.
- Piparkūkas, thin spiced gingerbread biscuits.
- Smoked fish, sausages and potato pancakes.
For gifts, look for knitted mittens with traditional Latvian patterns, amber jewellery, linen, woollen socks, beeswax candles and wooden toys. Prices are noticeably lower than at markets in Western Europe, and many stalls are run by the makers themselves.
How cold is Riga in December?
Cold. Average highs in December are around 0°C, and nights are usually a few degrees below freezing. Snow is common, though not guaranteed, and it gets dark at about 3.45pm in the middle of December, so the market is at its best in the long evenings.
Pack a warm coat, a hat, gloves and boots with good grip, as the Old Town's cobbles can be icy. Most sights, cafés and museums are close together, so it's easy to duck inside to warm up.
How many days do you need?
Two or three nights is ideal. Riga's Old Town is small, and the market only takes an evening or two.
A good plan for three nights:
- Day 1: arrive, walk the Old Town, and spend the evening at the Dome Square market.
- Day 2: the Central Market, housed in old Zeppelin hangars, in the morning. Then the Art Nouveau buildings on Alberta iela and the views from St Peter's Church tower. Back to the market or the Esplanade in the evening.
- Day 3: a day trip. Jūrmala, the long beach resort just west of the city, is beautiful in snow and has spa hotels. The Latvian Open-Air Ethnographic Museum shows traditional rural buildings in the forest, and often holds Christmas events.
With a fourth day, you could take the bus to Tallinn, about four and a half hours north, and see another medieval Christmas market.
Getting there
Riga has direct flights from several UK airports, including London, Manchester and others, with airlines such as airBaltic, Ryanair and Wizz Air. The flight takes about two and a half to three hours. Routes and timetables change by season, so check what flies from your nearest airport.
The airport is about 10km from the centre. Bus 22 runs into the city in around 30 minutes, and taxis and ride-hailing apps are cheap by UK standards. Latvia uses the euro and is two hours ahead of the UK.
Is Riga a good choice for a Christmas market trip?
Choose Riga if you want a good-value, atmospheric market that stays open into January, in a city that's easy to see in a long weekend. Choose somewhere else if you want huge markets with dozens of stalls, or a city famous for its grand Christmas decorations. For those, see Vienna or Prague at Christmas.
Other good-value markets include Budapest, Kraków and Tallinn. Our Budapest or Krakow at Christmas post compares two of them, and best Christmas markets in Europe has dates for all the big ones. For more festive trip ideas, see our Christmas holidays page and our Riga guide.
