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

If it's your dream to go to Los Angeles, you're probably excited about the idea of seeing the world's most famous actors. If you are travelling in the winter months, more specifically in February, you can try to catch a glimpse of them on the steps of the Red Carpet. To do this you must register in advance for 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 pass through several security filters.

It is worth noting that you have to pay for the online registration, as this is a draw in which thousands of people participate. If you are not selected, don't worry, you can always book a tour of Hollywood celebrity homes, book a bus tour of Hollywood, Beberly Hills and Santa Monica or book your ticket to the Dolby Theatre. Inside the theatre you can see an authentic Academy Award statuette and get your best pictures taken.

Don't forget to walk along the Walk of Fame before entering the theatre. There you can look for the stars of your favourite artists. It is also common to come across impersonators of famous personalities such as Michael Jackson or Elvis Presley. What are you waiting for to experience the illusion of Hollywood cinema?

Things to do with kids in Los Angeles include a visit to the amusement parks. I would say that the most magical time to visit is in December as everything is decorated with beautiful Christmas lights. For an unforgettable experience I recommend keeping an eye out for special events at each park. For example, Universal Studios Hollywood celebrates Grinchmas, an event with 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 31 December there is usually a celebration with live entertainment, great music, food and drink. The event lasts until 2am 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 gives you a better view of 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 whether you have the time to do a tour of each, or just go to Universal Studios which, in my opinion, is the best of the three options at this time of year.

A trip to Los Angeles is without a doubt a trip to the iconic Hollywood sign is a must, and this picture is a must in your photo album. The Hollywood sign is about 13.7 metres high and over 100 metres 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 on your way up you will discover the most popular sights of the American city. You will also 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-see museums:

• Los Angeles Museum of Tolerance, which is dedicated to the Holocaust and other crimes against humanity that have occurred throughout history due to racism and xenophobia.
• Los Angeles Museum of Natural History, which is one of the largest in the world with a collection of 35 million specimens and artefacts dating back 4.5 billion years.
• Rancho La Brea Ranch and 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 can 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 will be able to 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 get out of the cold or rain during the winter. Tickets average €140 and should be purchased in advance, as it is a very popular event during December.

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

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 won't 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 Theatre, it is best to book a performance after the 21st of the month.
• Price: €140.
• Times: Show times vary from day to 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, as 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 these are more fun days as you can sample the coffee and food, watch the baristas at work and enjoy all the other things I mentioned before.

Tickets for this event cost 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 from. 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 9am and ends at approximately 6pm.

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 a great way 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 is in bloom.

The most interesting thing about this garden is that the camellias actually originate from China and Japan, among other Asian countries, which reinforces 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.
• Opening hours: from 10am to 5pm.

Although you probably think of a beach atmosphere when you think of Los Angeles, if you travel in winter you may find other temperatures. The outdoor ice rinks are beloved by ice skating enthusiasts and you're sure to want to visit one of them. The average cost of admission to each rink is €20. Here are my favourites:

• ICE, Santa Monica, a skating rink that is open during the winter, more specifically from November to February. The rink has approximately 2,500 square metres where visitors can enjoy the cold, but very close to the Pacific Ocean. You can visit it during the day and even at night until approximately 9pm.
• Woodland Hills Ice is another rink you will surely want to visit. Its more than 2100 square metres are located in the Westfield Promenade shopping centre. This rink is only open from November until February. In addition to skating, you can take 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 31st or January 1st. Each year this parade has a different theme: for example, there have been parades about patriotism or achieving dreams. In this parade many artists create beautiful floats using only flowers. It is so popular that the event is broadcast 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 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 for the entire event are made by approximately 1000 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 football game at the Rose Bowl Stadium, one of the largest in the world.

Practical information

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

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 takes place 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 don't want to participate in the race, but you want to help, 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're there between January and February, you can take part 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 huge Asian heritage that resides in this city.

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

You can also go to the Port of Los Angeles to see the celebrations in this part of the city. You'll see dance performances and food and craft stalls. Even at theme parks such as Universal Studios Hollywood and Disneyland you can see traditional Chinese decorations 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 travelling 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 around 500 €.

During this festival you can take part in 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 an average tourist season compared to other seasons. However, some events such as the Oscar Awards in February may cause the number of tourists to increase a bit.

However, you can still take advantage of this season to travel, as prices for attractions and tours tend to be cheaper. Flights to Los Angeles also tend to be cheaper during this temperature. So don't hesitate and choose this time of year to see and do all the things Los Angeles has to offer.

Winter in Los Angeles begins in mid-December and ends in mid-March. Rain is common during these months. Because of this the temperature is between 10 and 20 °C, so you may feel a little chilly, 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 as 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. So the first thing you should pack in your suitcase is a mackintosh or an umbrella. You can also pack a jumper 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.