12 Things to Do in Los Angeles in Winter

While most of the United States is covered in snow, in Los Angeles the cold is nothing to worry about. A few showers are the only thing that might bother you on a normal day, but, in general, you can find plenty of things to have fun with. Plus, the temperatures are ideal for enjoying Los Angeles without worrying about the heat.

Winter brings with it the celebration of Christmas and New Year's at least in December, so be prepared to participate in many Christmas and New Year's themed parties. At each one you will see fireworks displays, good food and drink. In January, February and March you will also find traditional events that are held annually, so get ready to celebrate the Los Angeles winter!

If it's your dream to go to Los Angeles, you're probably excited to see the world's most famous actors. If you are traveling in the winter months, more specifically in February, you can try to see them on the stands of the Red Carpet. To do this you must register in advance at the Oscar Red Carpet Fan Experience. To participate you must sign a liability and publicity waiver and provide your ID. If you manage to register, when you arrive at the site you must go through several security filters.

It is worth clarifying that you must pay for the online registration, since it is a sweepstakes in which thousands of people participate. If you are not selected, don't worry, you can always book a tour of Hollywood celebrities' homes, book a bus tour of Hollywood, Beberly Hills and Santa Monica or book your ticket to the Dolby Theater. Inside the theater you can see an authentic Academy Award statuette and get your best pictures taken.

Don't forget to stroll down the Walk of Fame before entering the theater. There you can look for the stars of your favorite artists. It is also common to meet impersonators of famous characters such as Michael Jackson or Elvis Presley. What are you waiting for to live the illusion of cinema in Hollywood?

Among the things to do with kids in Los Angeles you must include a visit to the amusement parks. I would say that the most magical time to visit them is December because everything is decorated with beautiful Christmas lights. For an unforgettable experience I recommend you to be aware of the special events that each park organizes. For example, Universal Studios Hollywood celebrates Grinchmas, an event that features a Christmas tree in the style of Villa Who. In addition, The Grinch and Max participate by greeting visitors and taking pictures with them.

If you want to welcome the New Year and haven't decided on a plan yet, you may want to book your tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood. On December 31, there is usually a celebration featuring live entertainment, great music, food and drink. The event lasts until 2 a.m. and there is a countdown to celebrate the end of the year. You can buy general admission tickets that give you access to the party and the park, but you also have the option to buy VIP tickets in an area that allows you to better see the fireworks show.

Other parks you can visit are Warner Bros Studios or Disneyland and Pacific Park in Santa Monica. It's up to you to decide if you have the time to do a tour of each, or if you prefer to just go to Universal Studios which, in my opinion, is the best of the three options during these dates.

Undoubtedly, on your trip to Los Angeles, it is essential to go up to the Hollywood sign, and in your photo album you can't miss this picture. The Hollywood sign is about 13.7 meters high and more than 100 meters long. It was built in 1923 as a temporary advertisement but due to its popularity it remained.

Ideally, you should take a walking tour with a local guide up Mount Lee Hill. The tour lasts approximately two and a half hours and during your climb you will discover the most popular landmarks of the American city. In addition, you will have the opportunity to visit the park and the Griffith Observatory.

And, of course, you will enjoy spectacular views, the best panoramic views of Los Angeles.

And if a day dawns with rain, don't hesitate to schedule a museum day. Los Angeles has some must-sees such as:

• Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, which is dedicated to the Holocaust and other crimes against humanity that have occurred throughout history due to racism and xenophobia.
• Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, which is one of the largest in the world with a collection of 35 million specimens and artifacts dating back 4.5 billion years.
• Rancho La Brea and its museum in Los Angeles, which includes the entrance to the ranch and its museum which is comprised of an important collection of Late Pleistocene asphaltic fossils.
• Los Angeles Academy of Arts Museum, where you will delve into the history of film and the Academy of Oscars through its different spaces.
• Los Angeles Museum of Illusions, where you will be immersed in an immersive experience in which you can admire numerous 3D installations.

The Los Angeles Ballet's Nutcracker is one of the most anticipated events for art and classical music lovers. This ballet show is one of the things you can do to shelter yourself from the cold or rain during the winter. Tickets have an average cost of 140 € and you should buy them in advance, as it is a very popular event during December.

If you travel in winter to Los Angeles, you can see the performances at the Dolby Theatre from December 21. It is a great advantage to go on this date as you will be able to see the inside of Hollywood's most iconic theater.

During the performance of The Nutcracker you will not only be able to see the beautiful performance of the Los Angeles Ballet, but also hear the melodies of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Each team of performers works together to provide a magical evening for all in attendance, where the cold will not be a problem. Would you like to see it for yourself?

Practical information

• Location: 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, 90028.
• When to go: You can go from early to late December. To see it at the Dolby Theater, it is best to book a performance after the 21st of the month.
• Price: 140 €.
• Schedule: the schedule of the performances varies according to the day.

The Los Angeles Coffee Festival is an event held on the first or second weekend of February. It is a unique opportunity if you are a coffee lover, since you will be able to try different types of coffee without paying for each sample. In addition, you will also have the opportunity to enjoy interactive workshops, barista demonstrations, fast food, live music and much more.

If you go to this festival you should keep in mind that each day has a different audience. Normally the first day is dedicated to industry professionals and there you will be able to attend seminars and workshops. Saturday and Sunday are for consumers, so they will be more fun days as you will be able to taste the coffee and food, watch the baristas at work and enjoy the rest of the things I mentioned before.

The cost of tickets for this event is approximately 40 €. Children under the age of 10 do not need a ticket to enjoy this event. If you have any dietary restrictions or are a vegetarian, don't worry: at this event you will find a wide variety of options to choose the one that suits you best. Are you ready to taste the best coffee in LA?

Practical information

• Location: Magic Box @ The Reef, 1933 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, 90007
• When to go: Second weekend in February.
• Price: $40
• Hours: each day of the weekend starts at 9 am and ends at approximately 6 pm.

If you are a nature lover then you must visit the gardens of the Huntington Library in Los Angeles. During the months of January and March the camellias bloom in these gardens, making it an excellent plan to enjoy the outdoors and get in touch with nature.

These gardens are considered a very important historic collection of camellias in the United States. While most of the states are still covered by a blanket of snow, this space flourishes.

The most interesting thing about this garden is that the camellias actually originate from China and Japan, among other Asian countries, reinforcing the Asian heritage of Los Angeles. In the entire country, this is the site with the most species of these flowers. I invite you to visit the library for free, appreciate the flowers and maybe take a little tour inside the library.

Practical Information

• Location: 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, 91108.
• When to go: between January and March
• Price: free.
• Hours: from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Although you probably think of a beach atmosphere when you talk about Los Angeles, if you travel in winter you can find other temperatures. The outdoor ice rinks are beloved by ice skating enthusiasts and you're sure to enjoy visiting one of them. In each one the average cost of the tickets is 20 €. Here are my favorites:

• ICE, Santa Monica, a skating rink that opens during the winter, more specifically from November to February. The rink has approximately 2,500 square meters where attendees can enjoy the cold, but very close to the Pacific Ocean. You can visit it during the day and even at night until 9:00 p.m. approximately.
• Woodland Hills Ice is another rink that you will surely want to visit. Its more than 2100 square meters are located in the Westfield Promenade shopping center. This rink is only open from November through February. In addition to skating, you can request field hockey lessons or have birthday parties on site.
• Pershing Square Ice Rink, located in historic Pershing Square. After a tour of Los Angeles you could end the day skating at this rink. Are you up for a different kind of day?

The Tournament of Roses Parade is an annual event held in Los Angeles on December 31 or January 1. Each year this parade has a different theme: for example, there have been parades about patriotism or reaching for dreams. In this parade many artists create beautiful floats using only flowers. It is so popular that the event is broadcasted on several national TV channels.

You don't have to pay any entrance fee to see the parade, just go to Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. In addition to the beautiful floats, you can also enjoy a variety of music and spectacular dancing. Originally this event was held to welcome the good weather in California that allowed to see the new flowers of the year.

The parade has more than 40 floats and more than 18 million flowers from different Latin American countries. The decorations throughout the event are made by approximately 1,000 volunteers. Take the opportunity to take beautiful pictures of this magical event. At the end of the parade, you can watch the annual "Rose Bowl" soccer game that takes place at the Rose Bowl stadium, one of the largest in the world.

Practical Information

• Location: Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena.
• When to go: December 31 or January 1.
• Price: free.
• Hours: during the day, around 9:00 a.m.

The Cupid's Undie Run is a very unique race that takes place every February in Santa Monica. It is a race in which participants run dressed only in their underwear. The event is held on the weekend closest to Valentine's Day. Volunteer participants must pay around €45 for their registration fee. That money is used to raise funds to find a cure for neurofibromatosis (NF).

You can go to the site where these competitors will run or you can also participate as a volunteer. Are you up for running around Los Angeles in your underwear? It would certainly be a fun anecdote and the best part, it would be for a good cause!

If you do not want to participate in the race, but you want to collaborate, you can make small donations on the website. At the end of the event there is a party for all the participants of the race.

Los Angeles is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the United States. That's because if you are there between January and February, you can participate in the Lunar New Year celebration, a tradition originating in China. In this celebration you can enjoy great parades, shows and traditional food in Chinese restaurants, all thanks to the enormous Asian heritage that resides in this city.

You can attend the Thien Hau Temple in Chinatown located in the center of the city to see the Lunar New Year ceremony. There you will see monks, traditional dances and then the Golden Dragon parade that leaves the temple and goes through the streets of Chinatown.

You can also go to the Port of Los Angeles to see the celebrations that take place in this part of the city. You'll see dance performances and food and craft booths. Even in amusement parks like Universal Studios Hollywood and Disneyland you can see the traditional decorations of this celebration and many animated movie characters dressed in traditional Chinese clothing.

The Los Angeles Bachata Festival is an event that takes place twice a year, once in February and once in August. If you are traveling to Los Angeles in winter right in February and you like bachata, but especially dancing it, I recommend you to buy your tickets in advance. The average cost is about 500 €.

During this festival you can receive hip hop workshops, mambo, professional bachata classes, lectures with international dance instructors and more. There are also other interesting classes in disciplines such as yoga or the relationship between business and dance.

Normally this festival is held in mid-February for four days. During all those days you can enjoy a nice atmosphere, meet people with the same interests as you and learn more about dance and music while having fun.

Winter is a season with an average tourist influx compared to other seasons. However, some events such as the Oscar Awards ceremony in February may increase the number of tourists.

However, you can take advantage of this season to travel, as prices for attractions and tours are usually cheaper. Flights to Los Angeles are also usually cheaper during this temperature. Don't hesitate and choose this date to see and do all the plans in Los Angeles.

Winter in Los Angeles begins in mid-December and ends in mid-March. During these months rain is common. Because of this the temperature is between 10 and 20 °C, so you may feel some cold, but it will not snow. Humidity will also be present on most days, as well as cloudy skies.

Due to these weather characteristics, winter is not the preferred season to visit Los Angeles. However, this can be an advantage since the most popular sites are less crowded than in summer, for example.

As I mentioned in the previous section, Los Angeles in winter is a rainy and cloudy place. That is why the first thing you should pack in your suitcase is a raincoat or an umbrella. You can also pack a sweater to protect you from both water and cold.

Comfortable boots are also a good option in case it rains. They will keep your feet warm and dry. Make sure they have a non-slip sole and that you can walk for hours in them.