Updated 4 Aug 2026 · recomputed nightly

Visiting Los Angeles in December 2026?

December sits between the seasons in Los Angeles: mild and showery, around 19°C / 66°F with rain on about 7 days, Lively on 28 of 31 days — 3 days run Busy or Packed.

In short, a solid middle-ground pick.

Among the 12 months we forecast for Los Angeles, December ranks 8th for crowd pressure. Its heaviest day is Thu 3 Dec, busier than 86% of the year; its lightest is Tue 1 Dec at 48%.

Crowds

3/31 busy or packed

0 calm · 28 lively

Weather

19°C / 66°F

rain ~7 days

Value

A fair balance

a solid middle-ground pick

Preparing pays off in a month like this: timed-entry tickets and pre-booked tours turn the queue time into sightseeing time. see the options →

How busy is Los Angeles in December?

The busiest days are the 3rd, 28th and 31st. Away from those, most days sit Lively. The calmest stretch is the 4th–27th.

Ships call on 3 of 31 days, a typical call day carrying at least 2,260 guests — real, but a secondary part of the crowd here; the season moves the needle more.

The month is not one thing: its lightest day sits at 48% of the year and its heaviest at 86%, so where you land inside it matters. Daylight runs about 10 hours.

The calmest days include the 1st, 2nd and 4th — 26 days share that level, so there is room to choose.

BEST148%BEST248%HEAVY386%BEST448%548%648%748%848%948%1048%1148%1248%1348%1448%1548%1648%1748%1848%1948%2048%2148%2248%2348%2448%2561%2655%2748%HEAVY2882%2948%3048%HEAVY3182%

CalmLivelyBusyPacked⚓ ships in port · % = busier than this share of the year · tap any day for its full forecast

Best daysTue 1 · Wed 2 · Fri 4 — The calmest days include the 1st, 2nd and 4th — 26 days share that level, so there is room to choose.

Busiest daysThu 3 · Mon 28 · Thu 31 — the days to plan around.

How does January compare? →

Locked into a busy day? Here's the play.

–9am

Own the morning.The day-trip wave lands mid-morning; the headline sights before nine are effectively yours.

10–5

Go where the day-trippers don't.Away from the headline sights it stays manageable all day. Save the marquee ones.

5pm+

Take the city back.Day-trippers leave by early evening — the same squares empty out and the light is better.

Need flexibility? The 4th–27th is the month's calmest stretch — the easiest window to move around in.
On the busy days, the walk-up queues for the big sights are the biggest time-sink — a timed-entry ticket skips them, which is where a busy month is won or lost.

Travelling on a busy day?
Timed-entry and skip-the-line tickets turn queue time into sightseeing time — sort them before you fly.

See skip-the-line options for Los Angeles →

December weather in Los Angeles

Mild — around 19°C / 66°F, with a light jacket for the evenings, with rain on about 7 days, so keep a layer handy. Daylight is short, about 10 hours, so plan the big sights for the middle of the day.

So is it worth it? →

Is December worth it in Los Angeles?

A fair balance — decent weather, crowds you can work around.

Worth booking the marquee sights ahead for the busy days, but you can keep the rest of the trip flexible.

Compare January →

Keep planning

← Los Angeles in NovemberThe month before — compare the crowds.Los Angeles in January →The month after — compare the crowds. Los Angeles, the whole yearAll twelve months on one page. Fort LauderdaleBusy most days in December — see its full year.KralendijkPacked most days in December — see its full year.MelbournePacked most days in December — see its full year.

Built on: United States' public holidays · the official airport-arrivals pattern (BTS T-100, measured 2023–2025; airport-arrivals proxy for visitor volume) · five years of weather records (2019–2023) · operator-confirmed events · the published cruise schedule
Every figure is recomputed nightly from real cruise schedules, public and school holidays, and long-run climate normals. Gaps are shown, not filled.