Where to stay for the Edinburgh Christmas market

Market dates and 6 small hotels near the Christmas market, checked 18 October 2026

Stay in the Old Town or the New Town; both are a short walk from the market. Market Street Hotel and The Scotsman are about 300 m from East Princes Street Gardens, and Tigerlily is on George Street, home of the Christmas ice rink. Edinburgh's Christmas runs from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027.

Pick your market weekend

Prices open on Booking.com for the weekend you pick: Friday to Sunday, two adults. You can change dates there.

The main market

Edinburgh Christmas Market

Free to enter, with around 70 stalls of gifts, crafts and local and international food. The 46 m LNER Big Wheel and the 80 m Starflyer stand in the same gardens.

Where
East Princes Street Gardens, below the Scott Monument
When
14 November 2026 – 3 January 2027

From: edinburgh.org: Edinburgh's Christmas

Where to stay

6 small hotels near the Christmas market

Nearest first, by straight-line distance from the Christmas market. Rooms, buildings and lift access come from each hotel's own website.

Market Street Hotel

300 m from the Christmas market

Market Street Hotel

4-star

  • A contemporary design hotel on Market Street in the Old Town
  • Lift not stated by the hotel; ask before booking if stairs are a problem.
  • Best for: Design lovers who want to be closest to the market

Market Street Hotel calls itself Scotland's original design hotel, with contemporary rooms in the Old Town. Its top-floor Nor' Loft lounge looks out over the city skyline.

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The Scotsman Hotel

300 m from the Christmas market

The Scotsman Hotel

4-starGuest rating 8.9/10

  • The former headquarters of The Scotsman newspaper on North Bridge
  • Lift not stated by the hotel; ask before booking if stairs are a problem.
  • Best for: Views over the castle and the Scott Monument

The Scotsman Hotel fills the Baroque building put up as the newspaper's headquarters, ten floors on North Bridge between the Old and New Towns. The hotel highlights views of the castle, Calton Hill and the Scott Monument, and has a small art deco cinema.

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Hotel Du Vin Edinburgh

700 m from the Christmas market

Hotel du Vin Edinburgh

4-starGuest rating 8.8/10

  • A 1743 building in the Old Town that was once a poorhouse and an asylum
  • 47 rooms
  • Lift not stated by the hotel; ask before booking if stairs are a problem.
  • Best for: Couples: roll-top baths and a whisky snug

Hotel du Vin occupies a building from 1743 that has been a poorhouse, an asylum and a science lab. The hotel describes sleigh beds, monsoon showers and roll-top baths in its 47 rooms and suites, plus a bistro and a whisky snug.

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Tigerlily Hotel

800 m from the Christmas market

Tigerlily

4-starGuest rating 9.3/10

  • Above a bar and restaurant on George Street, where the Christmas ice rink is
  • 10 rooms
  • Lift not stated by the hotel; ask before booking if stairs are a problem.
  • Best for: Night owls: the bar and restaurant are downstairs

Tigerlily is a bar, restaurant and ten-room boutique hotel on George Street in the New Town. Rooms mix rustic and minimalist styling, with Smeg fridges and GHD straighteners.

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The Rutland Hotel & Apartments

950 m from the Christmas market

The Rutland Hotel

4-star

  • An Edwardian building in the West End, a short walk from the castle
  • Lift not stated by the hotel; ask before booking if stairs are a problem.
  • Best for: Families and groups: it also has apartments

The Rutland is in an Edwardian building in the West End, with boutique rooms, apartments, the Kyloe steak restaurant and The Huxley. The hotel highlights castle views.

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The Bonham Hotel

1.4 km from the Christmas market

The Bonham Hotel

5-starGuest rating 8.9/10

  • Original townhouses on a quiet, leafy crescent in the West End
  • Lift not stated by the hotel; ask before booking if stairs are a problem.
  • Best for: A quiet base away from the crowds

The Bonham fills the original houses on a quiet crescent in the West End, a listed building that has been fully refurbished. Many rooms look over Drumsheugh Gardens or towards the Firth of Forth.

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Checked 18 October 2026 on: Market Street Hotel · Booking.com: Market Street Hotel · The Scotsman Hotel · Hotel du Vin Edinburgh · Tigerlily · edinburgh.org: Edinburgh's Christmas · The Rutland Hotel · The Bonham

More Christmas markets in Edinburgh

Festive Family Funfair

14 November 2026 – 3 January 2027

West Princes Street Gardens

Rides and attractions with festive food and drink stalls, Santa's Stories, and family events at the Ross Bandstand.

Ice Rink and Polar Ice Bar

14 November 2026 – 3 January 2027

George Street, New Town

An undercover ice rink with toddler, relaxed and adults-only sessions, next to a pop-up bar sculpted from ice and kept at –10°C.

From: edinburgh.org: Edinburgh's Christmas

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the Edinburgh Christmas markets

Edinburgh's Christmas runs from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. The traditional market is in East Princes Street Gardens and is free to enter.
The Old Town and the New Town are both a short walk from the gardens. Market Street Hotel and The Scotsman are about 300 m away, and George Street, where the ice rink is, runs through the New Town.
The programme runs until 3 January 2027, so it spans New Year. Check the organiser's website for opening times on 24–26 and 31 December before you go.
The 46 m LNER Big Wheel and the 80 m Starflyer in East Princes Street Gardens, a family funfair in West Princes Street Gardens, and an undercover ice rink and the Polar Ice Bar on George Street.
The hotels here are small: the ones that publish a count have 10 to 47 rooms. For a December weekend, book as soon as your dates are fixed, and use the weekend picker above to compare prices for the same dates.
All 17 boutique hotels in Edinburgh More Christmas-market cities (9)