Gdańsk in December 2026: Christmas Market, Weather, Daylight and What Closes

December in Gdańsk is two different months. Until the 23rd the Main Town is busy every evening with one of the best-rated Christmas markets in Europe. From Christmas Eve the city goes quiet, shops close for three days and the streets belong to people walking off dinner. The weather is grey and cold rather than arctic, and the days are short: the sun sets before half past three. This guide gives the 2026 dates that are already confirmed, the closures that catch visitors out and the day trips that still work when daylight is scarce.

What is on in Gdańsk in December 2026?

The short answer is the Christmas market, and then a very quiet city. The Gdańsk Christmas Market (Jarmark Bożonarodzeniowy) runs from 20 November to 23 December 2026, dates published by the organiser, Międzynarodowe Targi Gdańskie. Stalls open 12:00 to 20:00 from Sunday to Thursday and 12:00 to 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Entry is free.

For 2026 the market is spread over six locations: Targ Węglowy (the main square by the Highland Gate), the start of the Royal Way up to the Golden Gate, three sections of ul. Bogusławskiego along the Shakespeare Theatre, the Forum Gdańsk courtyard, ul. Tkacka and the Armoury of Art and Crafts. The city also trimmed the stalls on ul. Świętego Ducha after meeting residents. Our Christmas market guide covers the food, the gifts and the best evenings to go.

Two more dates to know: 6 December is St Nicholas' Day (Mikołajki) and the first of three trading Sundays, and 24 to 26 December are public holidays when the city shuts down more completely than visitors expect.

What is the weather like in Gdańsk in December?

Cold, damp and grey rather than deep-frozen. The Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) climate normals for 1991 to 2020 give Gdańsk a December average high of 3.1°C and an average low of -1.6°C, with about 36 mm of precipitation spread over around 18 days. That is a lot of days with something falling, but usually not much of it: drizzle, sleet or light snow. December averages only about 32 hours of sunshine in the whole month, the lowest of the year.

Snow is possible and the Main Town looks wonderful under it, but a white Christmas is not guaranteed on the coast. Wind off the Baltic makes it feel colder. Pack a waterproof coat, hat, gloves and shoes with grip for the slippery stone pavements. Our Gdańsk weather by month page has the full year.

How many hours of daylight are there?

Very few. Gdańsk sits at 54 degrees north, and in December the sun is up for only about seven and a half hours.

Plan around it: day trips in the morning, museums in the early afternoon, the market and the lit-up waterfront after 16:00.

What is closed over Christmas?

More than in most Western European cities. Since 2025, Christmas Eve (24 December) is a public holiday in Poland and shops are closed, which is new and catches out even Polish visitors. In exchange, there are three trading Sundays before Christmas: 6, 13 and 20 December 2026. Shops are also closed on 25 and 26 December and on 1 January. Petrol stations and some small convenience shops keep limited hours; do not count on a supermarket.

Christmas Eve is the main family celebration in Poland, with the evening meal (Wigilia) at home, so expect many restaurants to close early on the 24th and on the 25th. Hotel restaurants are the safest bet; book ahead.

Museum closures, from each museum's own published 2026 calendar:

• Museum of Gdańsk (Main Town Hall, Artus Court, Uphagen House, Amber Museum and other branches): closed 24, 25, 26 and 31 December and 1 and 6 January. Artus Court is also closed from 30 November to 2 December. The usual weekly pattern still applies: free on Mondays, closed on Tuesdays.
• Museum of the Second World War: closed 24, 25, 26 and 31 December, and on Mondays as usual. Free on Tuesdays, when it closes at 16:00.
• European Solidarity Centre: building closed 24, 25 and 26 December, 1 January and 6 January.
• Oliwa Cathedral organ recitals: in November and December the 20-minute recitals are at 12:00 from Monday to Saturday and 15:00 on Sundays, but there are none from 23 December to 1 January.

Between Christmas and New Year the museums reopen and are close to empty.

What happens on New Year's Eve?

New Year's Eve (Sylwester) is a big night out in Poland, celebrated in restaurants, clubs and at house parties. When we checked on 22 October 2026, the city had not announced a public open-air event for 31 December 2026, so we cannot tell you whether there will be a free concert or where. Check the city's official tourism site, visitgdansk.com, from early December.

Restaurants with New Year's Eve menus book out early. 31 December is a closed day at the Museum of Gdańsk and the WWII Museum, Malbork opens only its grounds (9:00 to 14:30), and 1 January is a public holiday with shops shut.

If you plan to cross the city after midnight, arrange your ride home before you go out. Taxis are busy and pricier at that hour; use a licensed taxi company's app or phone line, or pre-book a transfer. Our Gdańsk safety guide explains how to spot a licensed taxi.

Which day trips work in winter?

Malbork Castle is open all winter and is our first choice. In the winter season, which runs from 1 October 2026 to 25 April 2027, the Historic Castle Route is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 to 16:00, with last entry at 12:45. On Mondays only the Castle Grounds Route is open, and it is free. The castle is closed on 24 and 25 December, opens with reduced hours on 26 December and opens only the grounds on 31 December. Fast trains from Gdańsk Główny take well under an hour; our Gdańsk to Malbork guide compares the options.

Sopot is twenty minutes away on the SKM commuter train, and the pier and the empty winter beach are worth an hour in any weather; see our Sopot day trip guide. Toruń, the home of Polish gingerbread, is a full day and suits December well. The Stutthof memorial museum is free to enter but check its winter opening hours before travelling; our Stutthof guide explains the trip. Leave Hel and the Łeba dunes for summer.

How do I get from the airport in December?

Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport is about 12 km west of the Main Town. Your options:

• Bus 210 runs from opposite the terminal to Dworzec Główny (the main station) in about 40 minutes. A single ticket is 4.80 zł (2.40 zł reduced), from the machine at the stop or the ZTM apps.
• Night bus N3 runs roughly 23:00 to 04:00, about 50 minutes to Dworzec Główny.
• The train from the airport station in front of the terminal; for Gdańsk Główny you change at Gdańsk Wrzeszcz onto the SKM, platform 3.
• A pre-booked private transfer, which makes sense for families, late landings and market weekends.

Our airport to city centre guide has every option in detail, and Gdańsk in winter covers January and February too.

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