12 Things to Do in Miami in December

Miami in December is characterised by its pleasant warm weather, so it is possible to do all kinds of water and outdoor activities. An ideal destination to have fun and escape the cold temperatures of your city.

In addition, with the start of the Christmas holidays you will find various activities to share with the family such as attending the lighting of the Christmas tree at City Hall, take a tour of the nearby natural areas, enjoy art exhibitions or go shopping, among others.

Miami's warm weather in December allows for all kinds of water activities or for cruising the waters off the coast by yacht, boat, speedboat or even banana boat. Here are the most popular activities:

• Book a water banana ride, from RM134.
• Book aspeedboat ride, from RM200.
• Book akayak tour of North Miami Beach, from RM323.
• Book a catamaran and jet ski cruise, from RM681.
• Book a private boat tour, from RM356.
• Book ayacht tour, from RM1,175.

As you can see, there are options for all tastes and ages, and a wide variety of schedules so you can adjust it to your holiday schedule. Which one do you prefer?

Practical information

• Location: The starting point is usually Bayside Marketplace.
• Timetable: There are different timetables to suit all tastes.

In December, after dark, the streets of Miami are lit up with holiday lights and seasonal decorations, offering a vibrant sight that every tourist should enjoy during this month. Just hop aboard one of the Miami sightseeing buses and tour the city accompanied by a guide.

If you book the Miami sightseeing bus tour, you should know that it lasts for 90 minutes, during which you will be seated comfortably. In the meantime, you will listen to the commentary of the guide, who will teach you a little about the history of the city, main streets and buildings.

You will walk around downtown Miami, visiting the famous Brickell and Ocean Drive avenues. The bus will also take you to the financial district of Brickell and cross the famous Key Biscayne Bridge, from where you will have a glimpse of the city's skyline.

Useful information

• Location: This type of tour usually starts in front of the Bayside Marketplace shopping centre at 401 Biscayne Blvd, although it can vary.
• Time: The tour starts at 8pm and ends between 9pm and 9:30pm.

If you love shopping and you are in Miami during the month of December, you should take advantage of discounts of up to 70%. Take a stroll through the different shopping centres in the city and be surprised by all the products on sale.

As the month goes by, you will get better prices. Therefore, it is best to start browsing in the shops after Christmas Eve. That's when the most tempting bargains start to appear.

Shopping during your trip is definitely one of the things to do and see in Miami in a week.

And if you want to enjoy your trip to the fullest, don't hesitate to book your Miami Heat ticket. Going to an NBA game is an activity you have to experience at least once in your life if you travel to the USA.

Choose your seat well and go in advance on game day to soak up the atmosphere, buy some souvenirs, listen to the music, and don't miss the cheerleaders' dances and the players' entrance onto the court.

For your schedule, keep in mind that an NBA game is divided into four quarters and lasts a total of 48 minutes, but between time-outs and half-time it can take up to two hours.

If you want to get the best views of the city of Miami, don't hesitate to book a helicopter tour, from where you'll have the chance to capture the best snapshots of celebrity mansions, Wiliams Island or Indian Creek.

Alternatively, if you want to surprise that special someone, you can opt to book a private champagne flight tour of Miami. The private experience costs approximately €286.

If you're in Miami on December 15th, you'll want to make a trip to Fort Lauderdale in the state of Florida, where the annual Winterfest Boat Parade takes place. It is a Christmas-themed boat parade, considered a traditional activity, which brings together locals and tourists from all over the state of Florida.

You can get to Fort Lauderdale through the best tours and excursions from Miami. You have the option of driving yourself or taking a taxi in a maximum time of 40 minutes, while the bus or train will take you an hour. And there you can book your water taxi pass.

Already in downtown Fort Lauderdale from 6 p.m. onwards you will enjoy a display of amazing boats and yachts, which move one after the other. All of them are fully decorated and illuminated to capture the attention of the spectators. And if you pay an entrance fee of $35 or more, you'll have the chance to go inside one of the boats and enjoy delicious cocktails.

Practical information

• Place: The boat parade takes place in Fort Lauder, Miami County.
• Hours: This event starts at 6pm and ends at 8.30pm.

If you arrive in Miami during the first days of December you can't miss Art Basel Miami. This is one of the most complete contemporary art exhibitions, which annually brings together the works of approximately 4,000 artists from 35 countries around the world.

To enjoy this international art show, all you have to do is go to the Miami Beach Convention Center. There, during the first few days of the month, you will be able to peruse the 250 galleries that make up Art Basel Miami and appreciate the strokes, colours and concepts used by each artist.

During the tour you will be enveloped in a magical atmosphere: the works on the walls, a soft musical background to match the occasion and the presence of hundreds of people who, like you, are ready to have a good time in the company of art. And if you want to delve even deeper into the art, book an art deco tour in Miami.

Practical information

• Place: The event is usually held at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
• Time: The activities usually start around 11 am and end around 6 pm to 7 pm. In any case, it is advisable to check the dates and times on the event's website.

Since December 2015, Miami has been hosting the Art Gaydel, an art exhibition fully identified with the LGBTQIA+ community, where you can appreciate the works of approximately 30 local and international artists.

If you are in Miami the first week of December, you can head to the Gaythering Hotel located on Lincoln Road. You will enjoy innovative artistic proposals inspired by the queer world, collages, paintings, photography, among others.

During your visit to the Art Gaydel you will visit 23 rooms in the hotel. All of them have been previously fitted out by the art exhibitors themselves to look like small galleries and workshops. You will also notice an exquisite musical atmosphere that will allow you to connect with each of the works.

Practical information

• Venue: This event is usually held at the Gaythering Hotel on Lincoln Road.
• Hours: The Gaydel galleries are open from 5pm until 11pm.

If you've decided to spend the last day of the year in Miami and want to have a great time, you won't have to worry, as the city has a wide variety of options for you. You can celebrate New Year's Eve until dawn at a massive party, go on a cruise or spend it with your family.

Things to do on New Year's Eve

Prices for New Year's Eve parties tend to vary depending on the type of celebration:

• For less than $100 you can enjoy famous international DJs until the early hours of January 1. For example, at Seventh and Ninth Streets in Miami Beach, you'll find an outdoor party, stages for artists to perform, food stands and alcoholic beverages.
• With a budget of $200 or more, you'll have the opportunity to join a dinner cruise, happy hour, live DJ and 3am turnaround. If you want to enjoy this activity, you can go to the Hyatt Regency right in the Brickell district or at the Port of Miami.
• If you're interested in celebrating with your family at an amusement park, you'll need at least $100 per person. So, if you're looking for a family-friendly plan to ring in the New Year, but don't know what to see and do in Miami at night, you can head to Santa's Enchanted Forest Park.

Celebrate on the street

• Location: This event takes place at Seventh and Ninth Streets in Miami Beach.
• Hours: The celebration starts on 30 December after 6pm and ends in the wee hours of the morning on 1 January.

Celebration on a cruise ship

• Venue: The event takes place at the Hyatt Regency in the Brickell District or at the Port of Miami.
• Time: You can board the cruise ship from 9pm and disembark at 3am.

Family Celebration

• Location: The activity takes place at Santa's Enchanted Forest Park, located at 3100 4th Avenue East Miami.
• Hours: The site is open to visitors from 5pm until midnight.

Every first Saturday in December, Miami welcomes Christmas in a public event that over time has become the most important event of the season. It is the lighting of the lights of the city's Christmas tree, installed in the City Hall plaza. Join this celebration and enjoy an atmosphere full of joy, sounds and colour.

Also, if you're on holiday with the little ones at home, you'll have the opportunity to give them a fun time they won't forget. They will be able to see Father Christmas and even take a photograph. So, think no more about what to do in Miami with kids and go to the aforementioned square from 6pm.

When you get to the City Hall you will have to wait with the crowd for a few minutes until the lighting ceremony begins. You will be dazzled by the imposing Christmas tree, which has been covered with hundreds of lights and beautiful decorations. Afterwards, the celebration continues with the procession show.

Practical information

• Place: This event is usually held at Miami City Hall.
• Time: You can arrive from 6 p.m. onwards and between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. the lighting and parade will take place.

December is usually a warm season in the coastal city of Miami, so seeing natural snowfall is completely impossible. However, every year, some shopping centres, such as the CocoWalk, take the initiative to place artificial snow on the streets around them. This way, both children and adults can have fun all afternoon.

Don't miss the opportunity to take photos and, if you are travelling with your children, to make fun snowmen. To do this, you only have to come on Saturdays in December.

You can also take advantage of your visit to Coconut Grove to stroll through its tree-lined streets, visit its historic parks, taste its gastronomy, visit its famous cafés and shops. These are definitely activities you should include in your list of 10 things to see and do in Miami at Christmas.

Practical information

• Place: This activity takes place at the CocoWalk shopping centre, in the Coconut Grove neighbourhood.
• Hours: You'll enjoy an afternoon of artificial snow every Saturday in December from 1pm until 9pm.

For more than 30 years the streets of Coconut Grove in Miami have been filled with colour for the funniest and most satirical parade of them all. It's the King Mango Strut, which takes place annually during the last week of December and brings together hundreds of people of all ages.

To get to the historic Coconut Grove neighbourhood you'll have to take a bus, which can take up to two hours, depending on where you are in the city. It may seem like a long time, but the moment you step off the bus you'll know it was worth the trip.

During the parade you'll see a great display of creativity, which will quickly bring a smile to your face. In front of you will march people whose costumes are intended to make an appeal about environmental damage, price inflation, animal abuse caused by pharmaceutical companies and other laboratories, among other issues.

Practical information

• Place: The annual King Mango Strut Parade takes place in the Coconut Grove neighbourhood.
• Hours: This parade starts at 2pm and lasts until approximately 6pm.

Miami in December tends to have pleasantly warm weather, with little rain, low humidity and moderate winds. Temperatures in December reach as low as 24°C, which is the sunniest time of the day. At night it's usually no cooler than 17°C, so you'll enjoy a fairly cool atmosphere during your nightlife.

For these reasons, if you're escaping the winter cold, you'll find Miami the best place to spend your holiday during the last month of the year and enjoy all the things to see and do in Miami. You can wear your swimming costume on the beach or walk the streets in light mid-season clothing.

However, it is best to check the weather forecast before you travel through a specialised weather website.

If you go to Miami in December you should be prepared for large crowds, as this month is high season. Therefore, when you head to the beach, walk the streets, enter a café, attend an event or any available attraction, you will get a large influx of tourists.

Due to the high traffic of people in Miami during December, you will have to take some precautions when it comes to accommodation. You should secure reservations days in advance at the hotel of your choice to avoid any inconveniences. Also, check your activity itinerary and verify which activities require reservations.