The Christmas markets of Arco and Riva: advent without the crush
Two markets six kilometres apart, forty wooden chalets under the palms of Arco and a food village in the squares of Riva. Dates, hours, what to eat, and how to move between them without a car.
Yes, the upper lake has two Christmas markets, six kilometres apart. Arco opens November 13, 2026 – January 6, 2027; Riva del Garda, whose market is called Di Gusto in Gusto, opens November 14, 2026 – January 6, 2027.
They are the opposite of the great alpine markets. Here you walk among palms and olive trees, at fifteen degrees on a good December day, and in the evening you walk home.
Arco: forty chalets beneath the castle.
The old town of Arco fills with some forty wooden chalets spread across the two main squares, with lights, a rebuilt farmstead, a little train, workshops and street performers. Above it all, the castle lit up.
Opening follows the calendar: Friday and Sunday 10 to 19, Saturday 10 to 20, with continuous opening over the holidays. On 7 December it runs late into the evening.
Riva: the food village.
Di Gusto in Gusto takes over the squares of the old town in Riva, a short walk from the harbour. It is a market built around food: Trentino wines, alpine pasture cheeses, cured meats, cakes, and produce from the valleys around here.
In November it opens mainly at weekends; from early December, almost daily. It always ends the same way — glass in hand, looking at the black water.
From one to the other without a car.
Trentino trasporti line 332 connects the Riva and Arco bus stations in about ten minutes, running frequently into the evening. Buy the ticket before boarding — or skip it entirely: with the Trentino Guest Card, public transport across the province of Trento is included.
If you would rather use your own legs, there is the Sarca cycle route: seven flat kilometres along the river, half an hour by bike or an hour and a half on foot. In winter, with dry cold air and white mountains at the end of it, it makes a fine walk.
What else is around.
December on the upper lake is the season of short, clear days. Mornings are for walking — the Ponale and Monte Brione stay open all winter — and the afternoon takes you down to the markets.
The rest of the calendar in these weeks holds concerts, nativity scenes and lights in the villages around the lake.
Sleeping in the centre.
The Riva market is in the squares of the old town, walking distance from via Negrelli. That means going out after dinner, wandering, coming back when you feel like it — and never thinking about where the car is.
Common questions.
Are there Christmas markets on Lake Garda?
Yes, two in the northern Trentino part of the lake: Arco, with some forty wooden chalets in the old town beneath the castle, and Di Gusto in Gusto in the squares of Riva del Garda, built around Trentino produce.
When do the Christmas markets in Arco and Riva del Garda open?
Arco runs from 13 November 2026 to 6 January 2027; Riva del Garda from 14 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. In November they open mainly at weekends, and almost daily from December.
What are the opening hours of the Arco Christmas market?
Generally Friday and Sunday from 10 to 19 and Saturday from 10 to 20, with continuous opening over the holiday period. On 7 December it stays open late into the evening.
How do you get from Riva del Garda to Arco for the markets?
Trentino trasporti line 332 links the two bus stations in about ten minutes; buy the ticket before boarding, or travel free with the Trentino Guest Card. Alternatively take the cycle route along the river Sarca: seven flat kilometres, half an hour by bike.
