California itinerary — December 2026
For the California trip (Los Angeles, San Francisco & San Diego), December 2026 is one of the less comfortable months by weather. Across Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, daytime highs run from about 15°C / 59°F to 20°C / 68°F. Plan around 9–11 days for the full Los Angeles, San Francisco & San Diego loop.
In this order — about 9–11 days:
- Los Angeles4 nights
- San Francisco3 nights
- San Diego2 nights
- Route noteReserve the longest intercity leg first and keep transfer days free of timed sights.
By TripSapien · Updated November 6, 2026
Los Angeles
Los Angeles in December
TempTemperature
61°F / 46°F
16.1°C / 8°C
RainPrecipitation
7d
2.2in · 55.5mm
LightDaylight
9.7h
Sea
63.7°F
17.6°C
December is mild but wetter, so pair outdoor viewpoints with indoor Grand Avenue museums.
City overview
Los Angeles spreads across the Los Angeles Basin between the Pacific, the Santa Monica Mountains, and the San Gabriel Mountains, so a single day can move from Hollywood studios to Downtown concert halls to Venice sand. The city works best as a neighborhood plan: Hollywood for film history, Downtown LA and the Arts District for museums and food halls, Santa Monica and Venice for the coast, and Pasadena for older civic architecture.
Food & drink
Los Angeles food is a city map: street tacos, Korean barbecue, Armenian lahmajune, sushi, French-dip sandwiches, smash burgers, pupusas, and farmers-market produce all matter. Grand Central Market, Thai Town, Koreatown, Boyle Heights, Sawtelle, and the Original Farmers Market give first-time visitors a practical route through that range.
Events & festivals
- Dec 1 – Dec 13
- Dec 1
- Dec 2
- Dec 2 – Dec 16
- Dec 3
- Dec 3
Show all 40 events for December
- Dec 4
- Dec 4
- Dec 5
Afroman, Pheonix, Ice Lemonade, The Ionics, ROSEKING, Abstrakkt
Music · Hip-Hop/Rap.
Source: Ticketmaster
- Dec 5
- Dec 6
- Dec 6
- Dec 7
- Dec 8
- Dec 8
- Dec 9
- Dec 9
- Dec 10
Taken By Tides, Stray View, Rain Division , Casmerva , Valea, From Afar
Music · Alternative.
Source: Ticketmaster
- Dec 10
- Dec 11
BASSRUSH presents Virtual Riot & Blanke - Far From Home Tour
Music · Dance/Electronic.
Source: Ticketmaster
- Dec 11
- Dec 12
- Dec 12
A Tribute To Prince: Piano & A Microphone Performed by Anthony Family
Music · Rock.
Source: Ticketmaster
- Dec 13
- Dec 13
- Dec 14
- Dec 15
- Dec 16 – Dec 24
- Dec 17 – Dec 19
- Dec 18
- Dec 19
- Dec 20
- Dec 22
- Dec 24
- Dec 26
- Dec 27 – Dec 28
- Dec 28 – Dec 29
- Dec 29 – Dec 30
- Dec 30 – Dec 31
- Dec 31 – Jan 1
Holidays & observances
- Dec 25Christmas DayPublic holiday
Top sights
Ranked for December suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Santa Monica Pier
- 2Union Station
- 3Venice Beach Boardwalk and Canals
- 4Getty Center
- 5Griffith Observatory and Griffith Park
- 6Walt Disney Concert Hall
- 7The Broad
- 8La Brea Tar Pits and LACMA
- 9TCL Chinese Theatre and Hollywood Walk of Fame
1Santa Monica Pier
4.6★ · 135,986outdoorOpen dailyThe pier dates to 1909 and includes the 1916 Looff Hippodrome, Pacific Park rides, Route 66 markers, and broad beach views. It is the western end of the E Line from Downtown Los Angeles.
Wikipedia
2Union Station
4.5★ · 14,305outdoorOpen dailyLos Angeles Union Station opened in 1939 with Spanish Colonial Revival and Art Deco details, tiled waiting rooms, courtyards, and rail links across Southern California. Olvera Street, Chinatown, and Little Tokyo are all nearby.
Wikipedia
3Venice Beach Boardwalk and Canals
4.5★ · 2,689outdoorDeveloper Abbot Kinney opened Venice of America in 1905, and the remaining canals still show the original resort-city idea. The boardwalk, Muscle Beach, skate park, and Abbot Kinney Boulevard sit south of Santa Monica.
Show 6 more sights
4Getty Center
Richard Meier designed the hilltop Getty Center, which opened in 1997 with European paintings, decorative arts, gardens, travertine terraces, and wide views over Brentwood and the 405. The tram from the parking area is part of the visit.
Admission is free but timed reservations and paid parking are still part of the logistics.
Wikipedia5Griffith Observatory and Griffith Park
The 1935 Art Deco observatory crowns the south slope of Mount Hollywood with telescopes, space exhibits, and one of the clearest skyline-to-Pacific views in the city. It is above Los Feliz and a short drive or DASH ride from the Hollywood/Western Metro station.
6Walt Disney Concert Hall
Frank Gehry's stainless-steel concert hall opened in 2003 as the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. It sits on Grand Avenue beside The Broad, MOCA, and the Music Center, making it the anchor of a Downtown arts walk.
Wikipedia7The Broad
The Broad opened in 2015 with a Diller Scofidio + Renfro veil-and-vault building holding postwar and contemporary works by artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Jeff Koons. It stands across Grand Avenue from Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Wikipedia8La Brea Tar Pits and LACMA
The Ice Age tar pits preserve mammoths, saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, and ongoing excavations beside the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Museum Row on Wilshire Boulevard connects the Page Museum, LACMA, and the Petersen Automotive Museum.
9TCL Chinese Theatre and Hollywood Walk of Fame
Sid Grauman opened the Chinese Theatre in 1927 with a pagoda facade, celebrity forecourt, and film-premiere history at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. The Walk of Fame stretches along nearby Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.
Neighborhoods
1Hollywood and Los Feliz
This side is cinematic and hillside, with the Chinese Theatre, Walk of Fame, Griffith Observatory, Franklin Village, studio history, and late-night Thai Town food nearby.
2Downtown LA, Bunker Hill, and Arts District
Downtown is dense and mixed, with Union Station, Grand Central Market, Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Broad, Little Tokyo, warehouses, galleries, and brewery patios.
3Santa Monica
Santa Monica is coastal and walkable, with the pier, Third Street Promenade, Palisades Park, the E Line terminus, and hotels facing the Pacific.
4Venice and Marina del Rey
Venice is eccentric and beach-level, with the boardwalk, canals, skate park, Abbot Kinney shops, murals, and marina sunsets just south.
5Beverly Hills and West Hollywood
This westside belt is polished and social, with Rodeo Drive, Sunset Strip clubs, design showrooms, hotels, and restaurant-heavy streets between Beverly and Santa Monica boulevards.
6Pasadena and Highland Park
The northeast side feels older and more architectural, with Old Pasadena, the Gamble House, Rose Bowl, Arroyo Seco, York Boulevard, and Gold Line light-rail access.
Getting around
Metro rail and buses use the TAP card, with the B Line for Hollywood, E Line for Santa Monica, A Line for Pasadena, and regional trains from Union Station. A car or rideshare is still fastest for cross-basin moves, but parking and freeway traffic make neighborhood clustering essential.
San Francisco
San Francisco in December
TempTemperature
58°F / 44°F
14.7°C / 6.9°C
RainPrecipitation
11d
4.1in · 105mm
LightDaylight
9.4h
Sea
55°F
12.8°C
December is cool and rainy, with holiday lights, crab season, and museum-heavy plans working best.
City overview
San Francisco occupies a compact peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, with steep hills, fog belts, cable cars, Victorian streets, and bay crossings making short distances feel different by block. The Mission, SoMa, Castro, Haight-Ashbury, Chinatown, North Beach, Marina, Pacific Heights, Sunset, and Richmond each sit in a distinct microclimate and cultural lane.
Food & drink
San Francisco food is neighborhood-specific: Mission burritos wrap rice, beans, salsa, meat, and foil into a full meal, sourdough carries a tangy starter tradition, Dungeness crab anchors winter seafood counters, and cioppino turns crab, clams, mussels, and tomato broth into a North Beach stew. Use the Ferry Building, Chinatown's Stockton Street, the Mission's 24th Street, North Beach, Fisherman's Wharf, and Richmond District Clement Street for dim sum, oysters, Irish coffee, bakeries, and roasters.
Events & festivals
- Dec 1
- Dec 1
- Dec 2
- Dec 2
- Dec 3
- Dec 3
Show all 40 events for December
- Dec 4 – Dec 5
- Dec 4 – Dec 5
- Dec 5
- Dec 5
- Dec 6
- Dec 6
- Dec 7
- Dec 7
- Dec 8
- Dec 8
- Dec 9
- Dec 9
- Dec 10
- Dec 10 – Dec 12
- Dec 11
- Dec 11 – Dec 13
- Dec 12
- Dec 12
- Dec 13
- Dec 14
- Dec 15 – Dec 20
- Dec 16
- Dec 17
- Dec 18 – Dec 26
- Dec 19
- Dec 20
- Dec 22
- Dec 23 – Dec 26
- Dec 24
SF Gay Men's Chorus Holiday Spectacular: Home for the Holidays - 530pm
Music · Pop.
Source: Ticketmaster
- Dec 26
- Dec 27
- Dec 29 – Dec 30
- Dec 30 – Dec 31
- Dec 31
Holidays & observances
- Dec 25Christmas DayPublic holiday
Top sights
Ranked for December suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Cable Cars and Cable Car Museum
- 2de Young Museum
- 3Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39
- 4Golden Gate Bridge
- 5Golden Gate Park
- 6Alcatraz Island
- 7Coit Tower and Telegraph Hill
- 8Painted Ladies and Alamo Square
- 9Chinatown and Dragon Gate
- 10Mission Dolores and Mission District murals
1Cable Cars and Cable Car Museum
4.7★ · 7,186indoorClosed MonSan Francisco's cable cars date to 1873 and still run on Powell-Hyde, Powell-Mason, and California Street lines. The free Cable Car Museum in Nob Hill shows the moving cables and winding machinery.
2de Young Museum
4.6★ · 9,929indoorClosed MonThe 2005 Herzog & de Meuron building in Golden Gate Park holds American, African, Oceanic, textile, costume, and contemporary collections. The observation tower gives free views over the park and western neighborhoods.
Wikipedia
3Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39
4.6★ · 138,731mixedThe waterfront district mixes fishing boats, seafood counters, souvenir shops, bay cruises, and the Pier 39 sea lions. It is touristy but practical for Alcatraz, cable cars, and bay views.
Show 7 more sights
4Golden Gate Bridge
The 1937 suspension bridge links San Francisco with Marin County across the Golden Gate strait. Visitor viewpoints include Battery East, Fort Point, Crissy Field, Baker Beach, and the north-side Vista Point.
Wikipedia5Golden Gate Park
The 1,017-acre park stretches from the Haight to Ocean Beach, with de Young Museum, California Academy of Sciences, Japanese Tea Garden, Conservatory of Flowers, lakes, meadows, and windmills. The western end is foggier than the eastern museum zone.
Wikipedia6Alcatraz Island
The former federal prison operated from 1934 to 1963 on an island in San Francisco Bay, with cellhouse audio tours, gardens, military history, and skyline views. Ferries leave from Pier 33 on the Embarcadero.
Official Alcatraz City Cruises tickets sell out weeks ahead in summer and holiday periods.
Wikipedia7Coit Tower and Telegraph Hill
The 1933 tower on Telegraph Hill contains New Deal-era murals and an observation deck above North Beach and the Embarcadero. The Filbert Steps and Greenwich Steps climb through gardens on the hill's east side.
8Painted Ladies and Alamo Square
The row of Victorian houses on Steiner Street faces Alamo Square with downtown towers behind it. The park is near Hayes Valley, Lower Haight, and the Divisadero corridor.
9Chinatown and Dragon Gate
San Francisco Chinatown is the oldest Chinatown in North America, with Grant Avenue, Stockton Street markets, Portsmouth Square, temples, bakeries, and herbal shops. The Dragon Gate marks the southern entrance near Bush Street.
10Mission Dolores and Mission District murals
Mission San Francisco de Asís was founded in 1776, and the surrounding Mission District now adds murals along Clarion Alley and Balmy Alley, taquerias, and Dolores Park. The 16th Street and 24th Street BART stations frame the district.
Neighborhoods
1Mission District
The Mission is sunnier and food-heavy, with 24th Street taquerias, Mission Dolores, Clarion Alley murals, Valencia Street bars, and Dolores Park.
2SoMa and Embarcadero
SoMa and the Embarcadero mix museums, convention blocks, Oracle Park, Salesforce Park, Ferry Building, waterfront piers, and newer towers.
3Castro and Noe Valley
The Castro is LGBTQ-history central, with Castro Theatre, Harvey Milk Plaza, rainbow crosswalks, bars, and quick climbs toward Twin Peaks; Noe Valley adds calmer cafes and shops.
4Haight-Ashbury and Panhandle
Haight-Ashbury keeps counterculture storefronts, vintage shops, music history, and the Panhandle entrance to Golden Gate Park.
5Chinatown and North Beach
Chinatown and North Beach sit side by side, with Stockton Street markets, Grant Avenue, Portsmouth Square, City Lights Books, Washington Square, and Italian cafes.
6Marina, Pacific Heights, Sunset, and Richmond
The northern and western districts add Crissy Field, Palace of Fine Arts, Fillmore Street, foggy Ocean Beach, Clement Street, Lands End, and Golden Gate Park access.
Getting around
Muni runs buses, light rail, streetcars, and cable cars, while BART handles airport, Mission, downtown, and East Bay trips using Clipper cards or mobile Clipper. Walk neighborhood clusters, use BART for Mission or airport moves, use Muni for Golden Gate Park and western districts, and carry layers because Sunset fog and Mission sun can sit 30 minutes apart.
San Diego
San Diego in December
TempTemperature
67°F / 49°F
19.4°C / 9.2°C
RainPrecipitation
6d
1.6in · 40mm
LightDaylight
9.8h
Sea
63.3°F
17.4°C
December is mild but can be rainy, so pair waterfront time with indoor ship and park museums.
City overview
San Diego is the Southern California border city where San Diego Bay, Balboa Park mesas, Pacific beaches, and the Tijuana crossing make a compact but varied visitor map. Gaslamp Quarter, Balboa Park, La Jolla, Coronado, Old Town, North Park, and Little Italy cover the range from museums and tacos to surf breaks and harbor walks.
Food & drink
San Diego food is coastal and border-influenced: fish tacos fold fried or grilled fish into tortillas with cabbage and sauce, California burritos add fries to carne asada, carne asada fries pile steak and toppings over fries, and ceviche and uni show the seafood side. Little Italy Mercato, Liberty Public Market, Convoy District, Barrio Logan, North Park breweries, and La Jolla seafood spots add craft beer, wood-fired pizza, and Baja-style counters.
Events & festivals
- Dec 1 – Dec 31
- Dec 1
- Dec 2
- Dec 2
- Dec 3
- Dec 3
Show all 40 events for December
- Dec 4
- Dec 4
- Dec 5
- Dec 5
- Dec 6
- Dec 6
- Dec 7
- Dec 7
- Dec 8
- Dec 8
- Dec 9
- Dec 9
- Dec 10
- Dec 10
- Dec 11
- Dec 11
- Dec 12
- Dec 12
- Dec 13
- Dec 13
- Dec 14
- Dec 15
- Dec 15
- Dec 16
Our Lady Of Mt. Carmel School Presents: The Glory Of Christmas
Arts & Theatre · Theatre.
Source: Ticketmaster
- Dec 16
- Dec 17
- Dec 17 – Dec 23
- Dec 18
- Dec 19
- Dec 20
- Dec 22
- Dec 26
- Dec 29 – Dec 31
- Dec 31
Holidays & observances
- Dec 25Christmas DayPublic holiday
Top sights
Ranked for December suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
- 2San Diego Zoo
- 3Coronado and Hotel del Coronado
- 4La Jolla Cove and Sea Caves
- 5Balboa Park
- 6USS Midway Museum
- 7Cabrillo National Monument and Old Point Loma Lighthouse
- 8Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
- 9Maritime Museum of San Diego
- 10Gaslamp Quarter
1Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
4.8★ · 15,681outdoorThe reserve protects rare Torrey pines, sandstone cliffs, coastal trails, and Pacific views north of La Jolla. It is best tackled early because parking, sun, and beach access become harder later in the day.
Wikipedia
2San Diego Zoo
4.7★ · 67,626outdoorOpen dailyThe zoo began after the 1915 exposition and opened in Balboa Park in 1916, growing into one of the world's best-known zoological institutions. Its canyons, aviaries, panda history, koalas, and large habitats require a full half-day or more.
WikipediaArrive early in warm months because hills, crowds, and animal activity all favor the morning.
3Coronado and Hotel del Coronado
4.5★ · 21,060outdoorThe Hotel del Coronado opened in 1888 as a wooden seaside resort and still anchors Coronado Beach. The bridge, ferry landing, Orange Avenue, and broad sand make Coronado one of the easiest bay-and-beach days.
Show 7 more sights
4La Jolla Cove and Sea Caves
La Jolla Cove is a small protected cove known for sea lions, clear water, kayaking, snorkeling, and cliff walks. Cave tours and Coast Boulevard viewpoints sit near the village shops and restaurants.
5Balboa Park
The city set aside the parkland in 1868 and the 1915 Panama-California Exposition gave it Spanish Colonial Revival buildings, gardens, plazas, and museum corridors. It sits just north of Downtown and holds the zoo, theaters, gardens, and major museums.
6USS Midway Museum
The aircraft carrier USS Midway was commissioned in 1945 and became a museum on the Embarcadero in 2004. Flight decks, restored aircraft, hangar exhibits, and veteran docent talks sit beside Navy Pier.
Wikipedia7Cabrillo National Monument and Old Point Loma Lighthouse
The monument marks Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo's 1542 landing story and protects tide pools, coastal scrub, bay views, and the 1855 lighthouse. It sits at the tip of Point Loma above San Diego Bay and the Pacific.
8Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
Old Town preserves and reconstructs buildings tied to Mexican and early American San Diego from the 1820s through 1870s. Museums, plazas, restaurants, and the transit center sit north of Downtown near Mission Valley.
Wikipedia9Maritime Museum of San Diego
The waterfront museum includes the Star of India, an 1863 iron sailing ship, plus submarines, tall ships, and harbor-history exhibits. It sits along the Embarcadero north of the USS Midway.
Wikipedia10Gaslamp Quarter
The historic downtown district preserves late-19th-century commercial buildings, theaters, restaurants, bars, and convention-center nightlife. It is walkable from Petco Park, the waterfront, and several trolley stops.
Wikipedia
Neighborhoods
1Gaslamp and Downtown waterfront
Downtown is event-heavy and walkable, with Gaslamp bars, Petco Park, convention crowds, Seaport Village, USS Midway, ferries, and harbor hotels.
2Balboa Park, Hillcrest, and Bankers Hill
This central ridge is museum-rich and leafy, with Balboa Park, the zoo, gardens, canyon bridges, Hillcrest restaurants, and historic houses.
3La Jolla
La Jolla is coastal and upscale, with the Cove, sea caves, beaches, galleries, UC San Diego nearby, cliff walks, and sunset restaurants.
4Coronado
Coronado is resort-like and calm, with the Hotel del Coronado, Orange Avenue, ferry landing, beach paths, and skyline views back to Downtown.
5Old Town and Mission Valley
This inland corridor is transit-practical, with Old Town museums, Mexican restaurants, hotels, malls, trolley lines, and quick freeway access.
6North Park and Little Italy
These food neighborhoods are social and local, with craft beer, restaurants, design shops, farmers markets, music rooms, and walkable dinner routes.
Getting around
MTS buses, the Trolley, COASTER trains, ferries, and PRONTO cards cover core routes, with the Blue Line especially useful for Old Town, UC San Diego, and San Ysidro. A car is still fastest for La Jolla, Torrey Pines, Coronado loops, beach hopping, and desert day trips.
Planning the California route?
Add your dates and we'll pace all 3 cities — every place checked for closures, limited hours, and booking needs in December.
Weather by month for the California trip
In December, climate averages for Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego show daytime highs from 15°C / 59°F to 20°C / 68°F, with nights down to about 7°C / 45°F in the coolest of those cities. The rainiest of those cities averages about 11 rainy days. Based on climate averages for Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, December is one of the less comfortable months by weather.
The most comfortable months for this route are June, July and October, based on average daytime temperatures and rainfall in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. December 2026 is a lower-comfort month.
Common questions about the California trip
- When is the best time to do the California trip?
- The most comfortable months across Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego are June, July and October, based on average daytime temperatures and rainfall for those cities. December is one of the less comfortable months by weather — see the city climate sections below for the averages in December 2026.
- How many days do you need for the California trip?
- A comfortable California trip runs about 9–11 days, allowing roughly Los Angeles 4, San Francisco 3, San Diego 2 nights plus travel between stops. Add a day if you want a slower pace or extra day trips.
- What's the route for the California trip?
- The classic order is Los Angeles, San Francisco & San Diego. The detailed month sections below cover Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego.
Ready to plan the California trip?
Turn this route into a day-by-day plan for December 2026, every stop checked for closures and booking needs on your exact dates.