Love a surprise? Make this holiday season extra special by opening a new gift each day. Our list of 2026 Advent calendars will help you pick the best way to count down the days until Christmas. From classic chocolate calendars and beauty products to coffee, tea, cheese, international snacks, LEGO toys, wine, gourmet foods, and baked treats, the guide highlights both traditional favorites and unique alternatives. It also includes more specialized options, such as candles, puzzles, dog treats, stationery, and cocktail-inspired Old Fashioned cubes. These calendars make great gifts for friends and family! And if you would rather something longer-lasting, we've got you covered with our Best subscriptions for 2026!
Chocolate
Chocolate Advent calendars are a classic for a reason! Opening a little door to a new chocolate every day is one of my favorite childhood memories, and something I love doing to this day! With its adorable design, delicious assortment of chocolates, and great value, the Lindt Holiday Teddy Bear Chocolate Candy Advent Calendar ($14 on Amazon) makes for a perfect gift the whole family will love.
For handmade, small batch chocolates with no artificial colors or flavors, look no further than Compartés ($120). Not only are the chocolates divine, they offer three gorgeous designs (Winter Fox, Enchanted Castle and The Nutcracker) to bring the magic of the season to your home. Their boxes ship November 2 and guarantee "No-Melt Delivery"
For those who enjoy chocolates year-round (I mean, who doesn't?!) let us help you find the Best Chocolate Subscription Boxes in 2026.
Beauty
Beauty samples are made for Advent calendars. There are so many items available to try, both trendy and classic, that a box full of sample-sized beauty items and the time to test them out with your nearest and dearest (they ones who will really tell you what they think of that eyeshadow color) makes for the perfect gift!
IPSY has always been one of the most popular subscription boxes, but they've outdone themselves this year with their Advent calendar. The $149.99 calendar claims to have up to $682 worth of goodies, including multiple full sized items. To purchase the Advent calendar you do need an IPSY account, however you do not need to have an active subscription. But for only slightly more money ($188) you can gift someone an annual IPSY Original plan - and you don't need to have an account to do so.
Sephora has been the go to shop for beauty Advent calendars for a while. Their annual curations of the newest and best items have made their Sephora Favorites 25-Days of Beauty Must Haves Advent Calendar ($105.00) a favorite gift every single year. They also sell the Sephora Collection Advent Calendar ($60) and Sephora Collection Premium Advent Calendar 24 Days of Beauty Surprises ($99) which contains exclusively their in-house branded products.
Images from Sephora
But you may have to buy a gift for someone who prefers a specific brand. While you can buy them at their own websites, you can also earn Sephora Rewards if you purchase then from Sephora, including Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte's Hollywood Beauty Wonderland Advent Calendar ($220), LANEIGE 12 Days of Wonder Korean Skincare & Lip Favorites Advent Calendar ($149), L'Occitane 12 Days of Provençal Beauty Advent Calendar ($110), and Benefit Cosmetics The Hotel Beneville 24-day Makeup Advent Calendar ($168).
For top-notch beauty brands and a nostalgic and chic design, Anthropologie has The 24 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar ($98.00), with 24 premium samples valued at more than $300. They are also offering a similarly stunning The 12 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar for $50.
If none of this suits your needs, take a look at our list for best beauty, makeup, and skincare subscriptions boxes to find the ideal gift.
Coffee
Do you have a coffee lover in your life? This Cometeer Advent calendar ($129) will be the perfect gift for someone who is looking for the perfect cup without much effort - just thaw the coffee concentrate and add to your hot or cold water or your favorite milk.
If whole beans are more your thing, Pirates of Coffee 2026 Coffee Advent Calendar ($93) offers 24 single origin coffees from around the world.
However, if you want to treat them to coffee year-round, Trade Coffee has an annual coffee of the month box for $15.75/month, or you can check out our favorite coffee subscription boxes for more options.
Tea
Bring some relaxation and coziness to someone you love with these tea calendars.
David's Tea offers two versions of their 24 days of tea advent calendar - Regular and Matcha. Each day provides two servings of tea, so this is a great way to share the coziness. Adagio also has a variety of Advent calendars, including Nutcracker and Snowglobe themed boxes, plus a decaf box as well
Tea Forte ($40) or Art of Tea Ritual Calendar ($31) both offer beautiful, year-round designs for 12 days of an exciting variety of teas. If you want something that lasts all year, consider gifting a subscription, like the fantastic tea of the month club from Republic of Tea.
Cheese
I love a cheese plate. If I could have a few bites of various cheeses (plus some crusty bread, some fruit and nuts) for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I would. But even a cheese lover like me hasn't tasted all the cheeses. Sometimes a professional curation is needed to direct me what to each when and clue me in on what is new.
Murray's has put together a delicious 12-day journey, that includes some of their favorite cheeses from across the world with selections from England, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, and Ireland, as well as complementary jams. They even include crackers.
If US cheese if more to your liking, Cheese Brothers curates their "12 Days of Cheesemas" Advent Calendar with only Wisconsin cheeses for $109.95. Or go with the curated selection of gourmet cheeses from Williams Sonoma. And, because exploring new cheeses is an endless adventure, make sure to have a look at our list of monthly cheese subscriptions.
Snacks
My holiday season is full of school shows and work events, not to mention parties and dinners with family and friends. Sometimes those start (or end) at odd hours and you want something to eat but not a full meal. Time to turn to snacks.
Want an absolutely stunning and unique gift? Sakuraco has created just that in their Onsen Retreat: 24 Days of Traditional Japan Advent Calendar 2026 ($169.99), which contains 11 hand-selected Japanese homeware items and 13 authentic Japanese snacks or teas. Not quite your style? Then have a look at our list of best candy boxes for all sorts of fun ways to gift sweets!
Tokyo Treat is offering another whimsical version of the Advent calendar with Slice of Japan: 24 Days of Adventure Advent Calendar 2026 ($161.49). Inside you'll find anime goods, Japanese snacks and KitKats from Japan (with all sorts of interesting flavors!) Love receiving Japanese snacks and goodies on your doorstep? For monthly options, check out our list of the best Japanese Snack Boxes.
Did you know you can count down to Halloween, too? Well Universal Yums Trick or Treat offers this fun experience, where you'll learn about Halloween traditions around the world. You can find out more about Universal Yums in our Best Snack Boxes. And better yet, with the purchase of any tasting adventure bundle, you'll receive a free Advent calendar!
Toys
The holidays are for the child in all of us! For kids (and plenty of grown-ups), LEGO is always a great choice. With so many themes to choose from, you can find the perfect calendar for just about any interest. The LEGO® Star Wars™ Advent Calendar 2026 ($44.99), LEGO® ǀ Marvel Advent Calendar 2026 ($44.99), and LEGO® ǀ Disney Princess Advent Calendar 2026 ($44.99) are great choices for fans of all ages, while the LEGO® Friends Advent Calendar 2026 ($34.99) and LEGO® City Advent Calendar 2026 ($34.99) offer plenty of building fun for younger LEGO lovers.
If you want the fun to continue long after the holidays, consider a craft or building subscription. A craft subscription gives kids a new project to look forward to, while options like Hack Pack and Build Box turn their curiosity into hands-on building adventures all year long.
Wine
As mentioned above, I like cheese. And you know what goes well with cheese? Wine. A wine advent calendar is a fun way to discover new bottles and varieties throughout December, whether you're already a wine enthusiast or just enjoy trying something new.
In Good Taste ($136.99) offers a great way to sample wines without committing to full-sized bottles, while a wine subscription can keep the discovery going long after Christmas. If your gift recipient enjoys finding new favorites, a wine subscription makes a particularly fun present because there is always another bottle to look forward to.
Food
Food Advent calendars are a great option for the person who wants a lot of variety, and the savory ones can offer a little respite from all the sugar during the holidays.
Fly By Jing's Advent Calendar ($98) is perfect for anyone who likes a little heat, with a collection of flavorful condiments that can spice up everything from noodles to eggs. For something a little sweeter, Bonne Mamam's New 2026 Limited Edition Advent Calendar ($55.99) offers a delicious assortment of preserves and treats behind each door.
And don't forget the breakfast and baked-good lovers! Harry & David offer Advent calendars filled with festive treats that make the countdown to Christmas feel especially indulgent, like this Wolferman’s® Advent Calendar ($89.99), which offers an assortment of 12 gourmet bakery treats.
More Holiday Cheer: Something for Everyone
Sometimes Advent calendars are a category of their own. Anthropologie has managed to find some delightful calendars for people whose interests are singular and specific, making these a great place to look when the usual chocolate, beauty, and snack calendars just won't do.
For the candle lover, Anthropologie offers a 12-day Holiday in the City candle calendar ($178) and Voluspa ($185) offers a calendar containing 12 petite pedestal candles and a gold-plated wick trimmer, all packaged in a festive holiday design
Puzzle lovers can count down the days with Anthropologie's Puzzle Advent Calendar ($60), while four-legged family members don't have to be left out: their Dog Treats Advent Calendar ($70) gives your pup something to look forward to each day, too.
For your friend that still writes you letters, Anthropologie's Papier Advent Calendar ($95 for 12 days) is filled with stationary essentials and other delightful surprises. If 12 days just isn't enough, Papier also offers a 24-day version for $195.
And for the person who appreciates a good old-fashioned treat, 12 Nights of Old Fashioneds Cocktail Cube Advent Calendar ($38) is another fun way to add a little nostalgia to the holiday countdown.
With a wide variety of festive gift ideas for counting down to Christmas, and options for nearly every interest and age, we're here to make holiday shopping fun, with these indulgent, and unexpected Advent calendars for friends, family, and everyone in between.
Which ones will you be buying this year? Or will you go for a longer subscription? Let us know in the comments!
