The Best Things To Do In Los Angeles In December

December in Los Angeles delivers something no other December does: palm trees wrapped in lights, a 100-foot Christmas tree at The Grove, Rodeo Drive glittering under thousands of bulbs, and mild afternoons for walking between all of it. There is no snow to shovel and no reason to stay indoors. The city decorates itself and stays warm.

Starline Tours has watched Los Angeles do this every December since 1935, and we run the season from our kiosk in front of the Dolby Theatre at 6801 Hollywood Blvd. Ninety-one years and over 2 million guests in, this is what’s actually worth your time in December, and how to reach it without a rental car or a parking headache. 

Three stops anchor the season, and our Holiday Lights and City Sights tour ($49, two hours) covers all three in one evening.

Rodeo Drive gets a 30-minute stop, long enough to walk it. The street is lined with thousands of lights draped along its palm trees, buildings and center median, with recorded and live holiday music playing past the Chanel, Gucci and Cartier storefronts. LACMA’s Urban Lights gets 15 minutes: rows of restored antique street lamps illuminating the museum forecourt, one of the city’s most recognizable outdoor art installations and an easy photo. The Grove and the Original Farmers Market get 30 minutes, with the 100-foot Christmas tree and nightly “snowfalls.”

The tour then runs Mulholland Drive for the view of LA’s river of lights, the city below in white, gold and red, with the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory and the Universal, Warner Bros. and Disney lots in view. It operates November 21 through December 27, 2026, departing from the Dolby Theatre kiosk.

Beverly Hills does not do restrained holiday decorating. The estates on our Celebrity Homes Tour route go up in lights through December, and the tour runs daily, year-round, in English or Spanish, with a live guide rather than a recording. Two hours, $50, departing from the Dolby Theatre kiosk.

Build the day around one long tour and one evening tour, and you will have covered the city without anyone getting bored in traffic. Our full-day Hollywood, Griffith Observatory, LA City and Beach Tour ($70, 6 to 6.5 hours) departs at 9:30 AM from the Starline Visitor Center inside Ovation Hollywood, Suite #203, with stops at Beverly Gardens Park, 45 minutes at the Santa Monica Pier, an hour for lunch at the Original Farmers Market, and 30 minutes at Griffith Observatory.

For the evening half, the Hollywood Night Tour Starring Griffith Observatory ($50, 1.5 to 2 hours) departs at 5 PM in winter, which lands the whole thing at a reasonable hour for kids. It runs Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame past the Pantages Theatre before climbing to the Observatory overlook. Note that the Griffith Observatory museum is closed Mondays year-round.

Families who prefer to set their own pace can use Hop-On Hop-Off instead and get off wherever the interest is. Narration comes pre-recorded in nine languages, which matters when you are travelling with relatives who do not all share one. Check the route map to plan the day. On the Holiday Lights tour, children 3 to 11 have a special rate of $35 and under-3s ride free.

Booking online ahead of arrival is the difference between a good evening and a wasted one.

• Holiday Lights does not run every night. December departures are the 5th, 6th, and then daily from the 12th through the 27th. Private tours are available any day of the week.
• Book at least 24 hours ahead, further out for the week between Christmas and New Year’s.
• Free cancellation applies up to 48 hours before Celebrity Homes and Holiday Lights departures. Miss a Holiday Lights departure and you can rebook for $20 per person.
• Holiday Lights is offered in English only. Hop-On Hop-Off carries all nine languages.
• Wheelchair assistance is available with 24 hours notice, one per bus. See our accessibility page.
• Bring a layer. December evenings on an open-top deck are cooler than the daytime suggests. Full packing list on our FAQ page.
• Skipping the rental car is genuinely easier than most December visitors assume, as our No-Car Guide to LA explains.

The season is short and the good dates go early. Browse all tours or the seasonal and specialty lineup, reserve Holiday Lights or the Celebrity Homes Tour online, or call (323) 463-3333 to check what is still open on your dates. Hosting a company party or a family group? Request a private tour quote, 2 to 7 hours, any day of the week, with fleet options from 9-seater vans to 86-seat double deckers. Already booked? Manage your booking or download the app.

Mild and mostly dry. NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 climate normals for downtown Los Angeles put December at an average high near 67°F and lows near 48°F. It does not snow. Bring a jacket for evenings, especially for open-top tours climbing into the Hollywood Hills.

November 21 through December 27, 2026. November departures are the 21st, 22nd and 27th to 29th; December departures are the 5th, 6th and then daily from the 12th through the 27th. The tour runs two hours from the Dolby Theatre kiosk at 6801 Hollywood Blvd, in English, at $49. Private departures are available any day.

Starline operates seven days a week and tour hours vary through the year, with the Holiday Lights tour scheduled through December 27. Holiday-week schedules can change, so call (323) 463-3333 to confirm your specific date before booking travel around it.

Yes. The Celebrity Homes Tour runs daily year-round through Beverly Hills, and December is when those estates are lit. The two-hour tour costs $50, is offered in English or Spanish with a live guide, and departs from the Dolby Theatre kiosk. Homes visited vary out of respect for owner privacy.