Kaunas will light its Christmas tree on Town Hall Square (Rotušės aikštė) in the Old Town on Friday, 27 November 2026, at 18:00, so the most practical base is the Old Town itself or the start of Laisvės alėja, where you can walk to the lights and back. Two of our stays are 300–350 m from the square; the third is about 1 km away, at the junction of Laisvės alėja and Vilniaus gatvė. This guide covers why it pays to stay the night, which nights to book first, which stay suits whom, how to get here and how to spend the evening after the lighting. What happens at the market itself, and how it worked last season, is in our guide to Christmas in Kaunas 2026.
Why stay in the Old Town
The lighting is an evening event in late November. In mid-December the sun sets in Kaunas as early as 15:56, and by 27 November it is already dark well before 18:00, so the celebration happens in the dark and in the cold. Based on 1991–2020 averages, December nights in Kaunas are around −3 °C. Day-trippers usually face a choice: see the lighting and get home late, or leave before it starts. A night in the Old Town removes that choice.
The second reason is the crowd. Lighting night is the busiest evening of the season, and the square fills up long before 18:00. If you are staying a few hundred metres away, you can arrive at the last minute, nip back to warm up and go out again. Afterwards there is no queue for a taxi or a bus with thousands of other people.
The third is traffic. The 2026 restrictions have not been announced, but in previous years the Old Town was closed to cars on lighting day from morning to evening. In 2021, for example, traffic was restricted from 10:00 to 22:00, A. Jakšto, M. Valančiaus, M. Daukšos, Muitinės and several other streets were closed, and parking on Town Hall Square was not allowed. If you arrive early and leave the car at your accommodation, these restrictions barely affect you.
What to book early
Late November and December in Kaunas are not only about the market. On the evening the tree is lit, Jovani plays Žalgirio Arena at 20:00, and in December the arena has a big show almost every weekend. When events overlap, small central stays run out first on Friday and Saturday nights. These are the dates worth planning around.
| Date | What is on | Where | Booking tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 27 Nov, 18:00 | Christmas tree lighting (confirmed) | Town Hall Square | Book this first; two nights, 27–29 Nov, work best |
| Fri 27 Nov, 20:00 | Jovani: Arena Show 360 | Žalgirio Arena | Same evening, so twice the crowds in the centre |
| Mon 30 Nov, 20:00 | Pitbull | Žalgirio Arena | Stretch the weekend to Monday |
| Sat 5 Dec, 20:00 | L. Adomaitis and M. Pitrėnas with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra | Žalgirio Arena | Market weekend plus a concert |
| Sat 12 Dec, 20:00 | SEL 50 | Žalgirio Arena | One of the busiest December weekends |
| Sat 19 Dec, 20:00 | Marijonas Mikutavičius: 360 | Žalgirio Arena | Last weekend before Christmas |
| Thu 24 Dec | Christmas Eve, public holiday | Citywide | Last year the market closed at 18:00; book dinner ahead |
| Thu 31 Dec | New Year's Eve (2026 programme not yet announced) | Town Hall Square (last year) | The most sought-after night of the season |
Arena dates were checked with the ticket sellers; the full list is in our article on Žalgirio Arena concerts in November–December, and the last night of the year is covered in New Year's Eve in Kaunas. In the 2025 season, the ice rink and a second Christmas village on Vienybės (Unity) Square opened the evening after the lighting, so a two-night weekend let visitors see both. The municipality has not yet said whether 2026 will follow the same pattern.
Which stay suits whom
All three MyKaunas stays are in the Old Town or by Laisvės alėja, and all three have self check-in. They differ in distance to the tree, size and atmosphere.
| Stay | To Town Hall Square | Guests | What stands out | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picturesque Old Town Apartment | ≈ 300 m | up to 5 | Balcony over a cobbled Old Town street, 2 bedrooms, kitchen | Friends, families, a long weekend |
| Old Town Pearl Suite | ≈ 350 m | up to 4 | 84 m², panoramic windows, balcony over the centre and river, lift | Families, two couples, a special occasion |
| Underground Kingdom Boutique | ≈ 1 km | 2 per room, up to 8 together | 1908 brick vaults, quiet, private shower and WC | Couples; groups taking every room; arena events |
For two: Underground Kingdom Boutique
This small boutique hotel is set in the brick vaults of a 1908 building, below street level, where Laisvės alėja meets Vilniaus gatvė and Savanorių prospektas. The rooms have no windows, so street noise does not reach them, and after an evening in the cold at the market you sleep in real quiet. Each of the four rooms has its own shower and WC, and there is a shared candlelit lounge. The tree is about a kilometre away: straight down Vilniaus gatvė into the Old Town, or along Laisvės alėja, which the city plans to decorate for the season. Žalgirio Arena is just minutes away on foot too, so the lighting and a concert fit into one trip. The story of the building is in our article on the 1908 vaults at the crossroads.
For friends or a family: Picturesque Old Town Apartment
The 45 m² flat on M. Valančiaus gatvė has two separate bedrooms and a sofa bed in the living room, for up to 5 guests. Town Hall Square is about 300 m away and Kaunas Castle about 250 m. The balcony looks over a cobbled Old Town street. The kitchen has a dishwasher and an espresso machine, and there is a washing machine and a dryer, which helps when coats and boots need drying after a day outside. It is our closest stay to the tree: you can walk out to the square and back several times in one evening.
For a special occasion: Old Town Pearl Suite
This 84 m² apartment on Šv. Gertrūdos gatvė, on the edge of the Old Town near the castle, is in a new 2024 building with a lift. It has two bedrooms for up to 4 guests, a living room with panoramic windows, a balcony with a view over the city centre and the river, and both a bath and a shower. It is wheelchair accessible, which also suits families with a pushchair. The tree is about 350 m away. The minimum stay is two nights, which matches the lighting weekend.
Getting here
We have separate guides for each arrival route, so here is the short version. Bus 29 runs from Kaunas Airport to the centre, and a taxi takes about 20–25 minutes; details are in Kaunas Airport to the Old Town. If you fly into Vilnius, read Vilnius Airport to Kaunas. Arriving by train or intercity bus, see Kaunas station to the Old Town.
If you drive, arrive early. The lighting is on a Friday, so aim to be in Kaunas by midday, before the Old Town streets close, and check in from 15:00. Around Town Hall Square the Old Town paid zone applies, at €2 per hour around the clock (2026). In the green zone near Underground Kingdom you pay only on weekdays from 08:00 to 18:00, so Friday evening and the weekend are free there. All zones, prices and the free spaces across Vytautas the Great Bridge are in our Old Town parking guide.
The evening after the lighting, and a weekend plan
Staying in town means the evening does not end at 18:30. Here is one way to use the lighting weekend without watching the clock for a train.
- Friday, 15:00–17:30. Check in, drop your bags, add a layer. If you want to see the stage, be on Town Hall Square well before 18:00.
- Friday, after the lighting. Dinner in the Old Town; on this evening it is worth booking a table at popular places. Our guide to where to eat in Kaunas Old Town lists places by time of day. With your bed a few hundred metres away, there is no last bus to catch. For a longer night, try the Kaunas cellar bars.
- Saturday, daytime. The market is less crowded by day than on lighting night. Walk around Town Hall Square, Kaunas Castle and Santaka Park, then follow Vilniaus gatvė and Laisvės alėja to Vienybės Square. Last year it had an open-air ice rink and a second Christmas village.
- Saturday, evening. Laisvės alėja and Vilniaus gatvė are lit from mid-afternoon. If you have arena tickets, you can walk there from the centre and back without a taxi queue.
- Sunday. Check-out is until 11:00, which leaves time for a café or a museum before you head home. More ideas are in Kaunas Old Town in 48 hours.
If you are coming with children, last year the Christmas village ran free creative workshops for families at weekends. We keep the market guide updated with everything confirmed for the 2026 season.
Not everyone comes for one evening. In December a weekend in Kaunas can be a short winter break: a day of Old Town museums and cafés, an evening at the market or a concert, an unhurried breakfast in your own kitchen. The apartments have full kitchens, and the Underground Kingdom rooms have a kettle, tea and coffee. A longer stay also lets you see the market on a weekday evening, when the square is far quieter than at the weekend.
How to book direct, and why it costs less
All three stays are also listed on the big booking platforms, but they charge a commission that ends up in the price. When you book direct at mykaunas.com there is no commission, so the same night usually costs less than on Booking.com. The price shown is final: cleaning and city tax are included, with no extra booking fees.
- Self check-in from 15:00 in all three stays: no need to agree an arrival time, and you can arrive after the lighting.
- Check-out until 11:00.
- Cancellation: Underground Kingdom free until one day before arrival, both apartments until five days before.
- Contact: the host answers on WhatsApp, usually within about 10 minutes.
- Guest rating: 9.5 out of 10 from more than 180 reviews on Booking.com.
For the lighting weekend the apartments closest to the square go first, so if you already know your dates, it is worth checking availability now. A full comparison is in our guide to where to stay in Kaunas Old Town and on the apartments in Kaunas Old Town page.
The lighting date and time were announced by Kaunas City Municipality in September 2026. The traffic example is the 2021 lighting-day arrangement; 2025-season details are last year's pattern. Arena dates were checked with the ticket sellers on 29 October 2026. Third-party prices are 2026 figures. Check kaledos.kaunas.lt and the event pages before you travel.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Kaunas Christmas tree lighting in 2026?
Kaunas City Municipality has announced the lighting for Friday, 27 November 2026, at 18:00 on Town Hall Square in the Old Town. In early November the programme, the market hours and the ice rink opening date had not been published, so check the official city site kaledos.kaunas.lt before you travel. Last year the tree was lit on 22 November.
Which MyKaunas stay is closest to Town Hall Square?
Picturesque Old Town Apartment on M. Valančiaus gatvė is about 300 m from the square, and Old Town Pearl Suite on Šv. Gertrūdos gatvė about 350 m. Both are in the Old Town, so you walk to the lighting and back. Underground Kingdom Boutique is at the start of Laisvės alėja, about 1 km away.
Should I drive to the tree lighting?
It is better to leave the car at your accommodation. In previous years, several Old Town streets around Town Hall Square were closed to traffic from morning until evening on lighting day, and parking on the square was not allowed. The 2026 traffic plan has not been announced, so check the municipality's notices before you travel.
When should I book a stay for the Christmas season?
As early as you can, especially for the lighting weekend of 27–29 November. On the same Friday, Jovani plays Žalgirio Arena at 20:00, and in December the arena has big shows almost every weekend. Small central stays are limited, so Friday and Saturday nights fill first. If you also have concert tickets, book straight away.
How does self check-in work?
All three MyKaunas stays have self check-in from 15:00, so you do not need to arrange a meeting time with the host. That helps if you arrive just before the lighting or late in the evening. Check-out is until 11:00. If you have a question, the host answers on WhatsApp, usually within about 10 minutes.
Is booking direct cheaper than Booking.com?
Yes. When you book direct at mykaunas.com there are no booking fees and no platform commission, so the same night usually costs less than on Booking.com. The price you see is final: cleaning and city tax are included, and the free cancellation terms are shown clearly for each stay. Your booking is confirmed straight away.
