Not all Christmas markets are created equal. While some are cosy labyrinths full of brilliant food and festivities, others feel overcrowded, over-commercial and generally overrated. Ideally, you want to know before going to a Christmas market whether it will be worth the trip or not. That’s where Which? comes in.
The consumer advice company has listed the nine best Christmas markets in the UK for 2025, based on a survey of more than 4,000 people. The survey ranked city markets according to things like food and cultural sights – both things that can help lift a festive fair from good to great.
First up on Which?’s list (though it’s not ranked in any particular order) is Bath Christmas Market, which turns 25 this year. More than 200 chalets will pop up in Bath’s historic city centre offering everything from garden sculptures to knitwear to gifts for pets. Obviously, there’ll be loads of grub from local businesses to dig into too, including including foraged jams and festive baked goods.
Bath’s market also features on Time Out’s pick of the UK greatest markets. With its UNESCO-protected Regency and Georgian architecture, we reckon it’s one of the most picturesque festive fairs in Europe.
Another Time Out favourite that also made it onto Which?’s list was Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market. It sees around 100 Alpine-style stalls set up outside of the city’s stunning cathedral (the longest medieval cathedral in the world) selling all kinds of edible and non-edible goodies. If you’re after truly unique artisan gifts, this is one of your best bets – new for 2025 are a wooden toymaker, a clothing seller specialising in yak wool and award-winning cheesemakers The Book & Bucket Cheese Company.
Edinburgh Christmas Market also made the cut. Which? said: ‘You could argue that nowhere embraces the festive season quite so wholeheartedly as Edinburgh, with the smell of mulled wine (and the sound of delighted screams from fairground rides) present from the East to the West of the city centre, giving it a uniquely Christmassy feel.’
Other places boasting the best Christmas markets in the country, according to Which?, include York with its charming St Nicholas Fair, Liverpool with its ‘80’s Christmas pop, fairground rides and down-to-earth menus’ and Belfast with its huge array of foodie offerings (ostrich, wild boar or crocodile burgers, anyone?).
The UK’s best Christmas markets, according to Which?
- Bath
- Chester
- Durham
- Winchester
- Wells
- Liverpool
- Edinburgh
- York
- Belfast
You can find Which?’s list in full here.
Discover the Time Out’s roundup of the best Christmas markets in the UK here.
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