December in San Diego
Holiday lights, bay parades, and mild winter sun.
65°F / 48°F
Cool, mild, and the wettest month of San Diego's year, though that still means only a handful of rainy days. Mornings start in the upper 40s and afternoons reach the mid 60s near the coast. Pack a jacket for the long December nights.
December in San Diego trades snow for string lights and bay parades. Balboa Park glows during December Nights, the harbor fills with decorated boats for the Parade of Lights, and gray whales start moving past the coast. The weather stays mild enough to spend the afternoon outside and the evening under holiday lights.
What's Happening in December
San Diego front-loads its biggest holiday traditions into December. Most of the marquee events are free and outdoors.
Balboa Park December Nights
December Nights is San Diego's largest free community festival, held the first Friday and Saturday of December across Balboa Park. The park fills with light displays, food vendors, choirs, and craft booths spread along El Prado and through the Plaza de Panama.
The real draw is the museums. Nearly every Balboa Park museum opens for free during the Friday and Saturday evening hours, so you can walk through the Museum of Art, the Fleet Science Center, and the Natural History Museum without paying admission.
Do not try to park at the park. Lots fill hours before the gates, and traffic backs up onto Park Boulevard. Take the free shuttle from the City College trolley station or rideshare to a drop-off outside the closure zone.
San Diego Bay Parade of Lights
The Parade of Lights sends roughly 80 decorated boats across San Diego Bay on two Sunday evenings in mid-December. The procession starts near Shelter Island, rounds Harbor Island, passes the Embarcadero and Seaport Village, and ends near the Coronado Ferry Landing.
Boats compete for best display, so the decorations run from a few strands of lights to full animated scenes. Both Sundays follow the same route, which gives you two chances to catch it.
Embarcadero Marina Park North gives you a clear, close view and room to spread out. Get there by late afternoon for a good spot, since the boats usually launch around dusk.
La Jolla Christmas Parade and Holiday Festival
The La Jolla Christmas Parade runs down Girard Avenue early in December, usually the first or second Sunday. It is a classic small-town parade with marching bands, vintage cars, scout troops, and floats moving through the village.
After the parade, the surrounding shops and restaurants stay busy, and you are a short walk from the cove if you want to combine it with a coastal stroll.
Girard and the cross streets close to traffic before the parade. Park up the hill on Prospect Street or near the cove and walk down, rather than circling the closed blocks.
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is San Diego's college football bowl game, played in late December and usually pitting a Pac-12 or Big Ten team against an ACC opponent. The game runs at Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley.
The bowl week also includes a downtown parade along Harbor Drive, billed as one of the larger balloon parades in the country, with marching bands and giant inflatables.
Snapdragon Stadium sits right on the Green Line trolley. Take the trolley from Old Town or downtown instead of paying for stadium parking and waiting out the post-game exit.
Beaches and the Outdoors
December afternoons stay mild and the beaches empty out. Low winter sun and clear air make this one of the better months for coastal photos.
Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
Sunset Cliffs runs along the western edge of Point Loma and faces straight into the Pacific sunset. In December the sun sets early, around 4:45pm, so you can catch the light without staying out late.
The bluff-top path is flat and easy. Larger winter swells crash against the sandstone and send spray up the cliff face, which makes the December surf more dramatic than the summer version.
Stay behind the fences and back from the crumbling edge. The sandstone is undercut in spots and gives way. The dirt lot at the south end near Ladera Street usually has more space than the street parking up north.
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Torrey Pines protects rare Torrey pine trees on the bluffs above the ocean north of La Jolla. The cooler December weather makes the climb up from the beach far more comfortable than a summer hike.
The Razor Point and Beach Trail loops give you eroded sandstone canyons, ocean overlooks, and a route down to the sand at low tide. The whole network is a few miles of well-marked trails.
The reserve lot fills fast and costs money. Park for free along North Torrey Pines Road or down at the beach lot off Carmel Valley Road, then walk up the main road into the reserve.
Mission Bay and Fiesta Island
Mission Bay is the calm-water alternative to the open coast, and December keeps it quiet. The paved paths around the bay are flat and run for miles, good for a run or an easy bike ride.
Fiesta Island, in the middle of the bay, has an off-leash dog area and open space for kite flying. The bay water stays flat, so it is an easier place to paddleboard than the ocean in winter.
Fiesta Island has a one-way loop road with pullouts. Drive the loop counterclockwise and park near the dog beach on the south side, which has the calmest, shallowest water.
Coronado Beach
Coronado Beach has wide, light-colored sand and sits right below the Hotel del Coronado. In December the beach clears out, and the low sun lines up well with the red turrets of the hotel for photos.
It is a flat, walkable stretch with the iconic Hotel del as the backdrop. Pair it with a walk through the village shops on Orange Avenue, which decorate for the holidays.
Street parking along Ocean Boulevard is free but turns over slowly. Come mid-morning on a weekday, or park near the Hotel del and walk down to the beach access points.
Where to Eat and Drink
December dining in San Diego leans toward warm rooms and short menus. These neighborhoods stay lively through the holidays.
Little Italy
Little Italy is the densest restaurant neighborhood downtown, packed into a few walkable blocks along India Street. The Saturday Mercato farmers market runs year round and is busiest in the morning.
For a winter meal, the Italian spots along India and Kettner do handmade pasta and braised dishes that suit the cooler weather. The Piazza della Famiglia at the center of the district decorates for the season.
The neighborhood parking structures off Kettner and Cedar are cheaper and easier than circling for street parking, especially on Saturday market mornings.
Liberty Public Market
Liberty Public Market is an indoor food hall inside the former Naval Training Center at Liberty Station. More than two dozen vendors sell oysters, dumplings, tacos, and pastries under one roof, which makes it an easy stop when the weather is wet.
The surrounding Liberty Station grounds light up for the holidays, so you can eat indoors and then walk the decorated promenade and waterfront afterward.
Parking at Liberty Station is free and plentiful, a rarity near the coast. Go on a weekday lunch to skip the weekend crowds at the most popular stalls.
Gaslamp Quarter
The Gaslamp Quarter is the historic downtown core, with Victorian buildings along Fifth Avenue now filled with restaurants and bars. The district dresses up for the holidays and stays busy on December evenings.
It is walking distance from the Embarcadero, so you can combine a Gaslamp dinner with a stroll out to the bay to catch the Parade of Lights or the harbor lights.
Drinks and dinner in the Gaslamp run pricey. Many spots run early happy hours on weekdays, which is the cheaper window before the dinner crowd arrives.
North Park
North Park is San Diego's craft beer and casual dining hub, centered on 30th Street and University Avenue. The breweries and restaurants here are more relaxed and cheaper than downtown.
In December it is a good spot for a low-key night, with taprooms, taco shops, and coffee bars within a few blocks of each other.
The neighborhood public lot off 29th and University is free and saves you from hunting for street parking on busy weekend nights.
Family and Kids
December is San Diego's biggest month for family holiday outings, and several of the best run after dark.
San Diego Zoo Jungle Bells
The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park runs its Jungle Bells holiday program through December. The zoo stays open later, adds light displays and seasonal entertainment, and decorates the grounds.
Daytime admission still gets you the regular animals, so a December visit gives you the zoo plus the holiday overlay. The cooler weather also means the animals are more active than in summer heat.
Arrive at opening to see the animals before the holiday crowds, then stay through dusk for the lights. The Skyfari aerial tram is a quick way to cross the zoo with tired kids.
Skating by the Sea at Hotel del Coronado
The Hotel del Coronado sets up an outdoor ice rink on its beachfront lawn for the holidays, called Skating by the Sea. You skate with the ocean and the hotel's red turrets right behind you, which is about as San Diego as ice skating gets.
The hotel also strings holiday lights across the grounds and beach, so the visit works even if you skip the rink. Sessions run on a timed schedule through the season.
Buy a session time slot ahead online, since walk-up spots sell out on December weekends. Park in the village and walk over to avoid the hotel's valet line.
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is the small beachfront amusement park on the Mission Beach boardwalk. The 1925 Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster is the centerpiece and still runs.
In December the park decorates for the holidays and the boardwalk crowds thin out, so the lines are shorter than in summer. It is right on the sand if the kids want to combine rides with the beach.
Belmont Park itself is free to enter; you pay per ride or buy a wristband. The Belmont Park garage off Mission Boulevard beats the impossible boardwalk street parking.
Liberty Station Holiday Lights
Liberty Station decorates its central promenade and historic buildings for the holidays, and the open grounds give kids room to run. It pairs well with a meal at the adjacent Liberty Public Market food hall.
The waterfront edge of Liberty Station looks across to the harbor, and the wide paved paths are stroller and scooter friendly.
Parking here is free, which makes it one of the easier holiday outings with young kids. Come in the early evening to catch the lights without a late bedtime.
Day Trips and Nearby
A short drive from the city gets you snow, mountain towns, and high-desert wildflowers, all reachable as a December day trip.
Julian
Julian is a historic gold-mining town in the mountains about an hour and a half northeast of San Diego, up around 4,200 feet. It is best known for its apple pie, and the bakeries on Main Street stay busy through the holidays.
In December, Julian sometimes gets a dusting of snow, which is the closest snow to the city. The whole town decorates and runs a country Christmas atmosphere on its small Main Street.
Snow days bring heavy traffic and the road can require chains. Check conditions before you go, leave early, and expect a wait for pie at the most popular bakeries.
Mount Laguna
Mount Laguna sits in the Cleveland National Forest about an hour east of the city, higher than Julian at around 6,000 feet. It gets more reliable snow than the lower foothills.
When the storms hit, the meadows off the Sunrise Highway fill with families sledding and playing in the snow. On clear days the overlooks drop straight down to the Anza-Borrego desert floor.
There are no lift-served slopes here, just open snow play. Bring your own sled and warm clothes, and fill the gas tank before you head up since services are limited.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Anza-Borrego is California's largest state park, about two hours northeast of San Diego around the town of Borrego Springs. December is one of the best months to visit, with mild daytime temperatures instead of the brutal summer heat.
The park has slot canyons, palm-oasis hikes, and the Galleta Meadows metal sculptures scattered around Borrego Springs. Clear desert skies also make it one of the best dark-sky spots in the region for stargazing.
Desert nights get cold fast after the early winter sunset, so pack layers. Stop at the visitor center for current trail and road conditions, since some washes need higher clearance.
Temecula Wine Country
Temecula sits about an hour north of San Diego just over the Riverside County line, with several dozen wineries clustered along Rancho California Road. The rolling vineyards and tasting rooms make for an easy adult day trip.
Many of the wineries decorate for the holidays and the cooler December weather is comfortable for moving between tasting rooms. Old Town Temecula adds shops and restaurants if you want more than wine.
Tasting fees add up across multiple stops. Pick two or three wineries rather than rushing six, and arrange a designated driver or a car service before you go.
Gray Whale Watching Season
December marks the start of the gray whale migration past San Diego, as the whales head south to Baja. It runs through winter and into spring.
Cabrillo National Monument
Cabrillo National Monument sits at the tip of Point Loma, on the high cliffs at the entrance to San Diego Bay. It has a dedicated whale overlook with a glassed-in viewing area, built because the southbound gray whales pass close to this point in winter.
The monument also has the Old Point Loma Lighthouse and tide pools below. On a clear December day the view stretches across the bay to downtown and out to the Coronado Islands.
Bring binoculars and look for the spouts on the horizon, not splashing close to shore. Mid-morning often has flatter water and better light for spotting blows. There is an entrance fee per vehicle.
Whale Watching Boat Tours
Several operators run whale-watching trips out of San Diego Bay during the December gray whale migration, leaving from the docks near the Embarcadero and Harbor Island. Boats head out past Point Loma into the open ocean where the whales travel.
A boat gets you far closer than the cliffs at Cabrillo, and most trips run a few hours. The same waters also hold dolphins and sea lions year round.
Open ocean in December gets choppy, so take motion-sickness medicine ahead of time if you are prone to it. Many operators offer a free return trip if no whales are sighted, so ask about the guarantee when you book.
La Jolla Cove and Coast Walk
The cliffs above La Jolla Cove give you another free vantage point for the winter whale migration, along with closer wildlife year round. Sea lions and harbor seals haul out on the rocks below, and the Coast Walk Trail follows the bluff edge.
The water here is clear and the cove is part of an ecological reserve. Even without whales, the seals at the Children's Pool and the sea lions at the cove are a reliable draw.
Parking in the village is tight; arrive before mid-morning or park up the hill and walk down. The seal and sea lion areas can be closed or roped off during pupping season, so stay behind the barriers.