Best Time to Visit Paris at Christmas to Avoid Crowds: The First Three Weeks of December

PRAGUE - EntSun -- Travellers who want to see Paris at Christmas without the biggest crowds should go in the first three weeks of December rather than between Christmas and New Year, according to two years of booking data from Smiler, a platform that connects travellers with local professional photographers.

Between 1 and 20 December, the number of holiday photoshoots in Paris stays about 20 percent below the city's average day, even though the Christmas lights and window displays are already up. The picture changes completely after Christmas. In the week from 25 to 31 December, Paris runs at 2.1 times its average day, and on 30 December at 3.4 times, making it the busiest date of the year in the city.

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The late-December rush is bigger than anything Paris sees in summer. The holiday week is almost twice as busy as an average summer day, and Christmas Day sees 1.7 times as many photoshoots as an average day in July. Bastille Day, 14 July, does not even reach the July average.

For visitors, timing within the day also matters. Paris sunsets in December come just before 5 pm. One in five December photoshoots in the city starts at dusk or later, when the illuminations are on, while the typical shoot starts around noon. Starting about an hour before sunset gives both daylight and Christmas lights in a single outing.

"If you can choose your dates, the first three weeks of December in Paris are the sweet spot," said Tomáš Dekan, CEO of Smiler. "The city already looks like Christmas, but the big rush only starts after the 25th."

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The full report, including a day-by-day view of the season and figures for other cities, is available here.

Methodology
The analysis covers photoshoots booked through Smiler and its partner channels in Paris that took place between January 2024 and December 2025, excluding cancelled, unpaid and test bookings, by local date and time of each shoot, compared with the city's own average day. It measures demand for photoshoots, not total visitor numbers. Absolute volumes are not disclosed.

About Smiler
Smiler connects travellers with local professional photographers in cities across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australia. The company is based in Prague.

Media contact
Alica Zoldak · press@smiler.co · https://smiler.co