Hi everyone,
My wife and I (both 30) will be visiting Los Angeles between Christmas and New Year and are looking for some tips and local insight.
We’ll be staying in Santa Monica, have a rental car, and are mainly interested in:
- hiking and nature
- beaches, sun, and being outdoors
- a relaxed, non-touristy vibe
We’re not really into museums or indoor sightseeing.
A few questions:
- What’s the general vibe and crowd level in LA / Santa Monica during that week?
- Is the weather usually good enough for beach time and hikes?
- Any favorite hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains, Malibu, or Griffith Park for that time of year?
- Anything you’d especially recommend or avoid during the holidays?
We’re very open to food spots, scenic drives, and outdoor-focused day trips as well.
Thanks — looking forward to the trip! 😊
Honestly, I live here and love it but if you don’t need proximity to LA vibes (and you said you need nature) there are better and probably more affordable options! Try Santa Barbara or Central Coast (San Simeon, Cambria) and drive to Big Sur. Nature, mindblowing iconic ocean views, hiking, lots of it. And not crowded. Many hotels have in-room jacuzzi and fireplaces, seafood restaurants and wineries to visit. It will be rainy, yes. But I’d definitely spend holidays there, not in LA area.
Santa Barbara is really nice at Christmas
So is Solvang.
Chances are the parks and trails will be closed due to the rain and flood watches. Also the burn scar areas. I would check to see if pch, Topanga and Malibu canyon close. Kanan usually stays open, but the parks will be locked
Sandstone peak is my favorite in the sm mountains. If that's too much of a drive pick up the backbone trail in Malibu creek.
Watch out for wash outs post rain.
Weather is looking good, but probably too cold for true beach vibe. That will keep the crowds down
Ignore the doomers telling you to avoid Santa Monica. DM me where you're staying and I can make better recommendations. There absolutely are a few parts of Santa Monica that I would recommend against staying (the hotel right by the train station on Broadway) being one of them. It's not unsafe but the homeless people scream sometimes and are not what I'd want to see when on vacation.
Having visited Belgium, I think you'll like the following.
For city walking:
Park near Santa Monica pier and walk to the pier then walk north along the sidewalk area. If it's nice out walk all the way to Venice (3 miles). You'll see some weirdos, it's part of the fun. Street smarts rules apply.
Park near where the street rose hits the street Lincoln. Lincoln is "8th street" walk west along Rose down to the Beach. That's probably a mile or two.
Park near Abbot Kinney, pretty much anywhere. Walk back and forth along Abbott Kinney.
You could do all three of these in a day if you're rushing.
For hiking trails:
Someone else mentioned Sandstone Peak which is a great recommendation. It's a one hour drive from Santa Monica and you will lose cell service towards the end of the drive. This is a longe hike and if you go it'll take up your whole day.
Will Rogers state park is open and has a few short trails open. This is closer to Santa Monica (20 min drive) but many of the longer trails aren't open yet because of the fires from a year ago. I haven't been yet but I hear it's beautiful post fires.
Malibu Creek State Park has beautiful trails. This is about 45-60 min from Santa Monica. You can go short or long trails here and is very representative of Southern California nature.
Seconding Will Roger’s. Inspiration point all the way. Bring lunch. Breadhead on Montana Ave has yummy sandwiches (they’re huge btw). The Malibu tide pools are fun at low tide. Bit of a walk from the parking lot but no biggie if you’re hikers.
. Any of the Malibu waterfall hikes should have good flows right now, and especially with even more rain coming.
Watergrill and MEAT offer nice indoor/outdoor seating with ocean views. Even on a rainy day you could go there and get a bit of an outdoor vibe.
Anyone can go walk or drive around the palisades now. It’s sad, but quite something to see— so much burned.
The farmers markets are nice opportunity for a stroll outside. Wednesday at the promenade is the biggest. You will see famous chefs there etc. crowded, but not that touristy
For a “relaxed non tourist vibe” place to eat, possibly try: Milo & Olive, Vito’s Pizza, Thunderbird (bar but has decent food. Also the taco truck in the nearby Ralph’s parking lot is phenomenal.
Apple Pan for a burger (bar seating only)
Le Great Outdoors
Noma for sushi
Obviously in n out
Tacos Por Favor on Olympic
Places I’d avoid: Michael’s, Bay Cities, Bardona, Cobis. LOVED all 4 but these have but shut down due to rats recently— ew.
Trendy/touristy I’d avoid: elephante, The Penthouse, Casa Del Mar, Fig
I’d second the Malibu Creek recommendation. Was just at Will Roger’s last week, you’re correct that the trails that are open are short but nice.
I understand that longer trail inside Will Rogers (2.5 miles) is now officially open.
It’s scheduled to rain for the entire week of Christmas / New Year so you’re coming at the wrong time for sun.. LA was having 80+ degrees and sun last week
Santa Monica is pretty dead this time of year, mainly because there’s not much to do shopping wise.. the promenade is mostly boarded up and the mall is on life support. I think there’s still some ice skating going on but you’ll find the crowds at the Grove and at the century city mall which are both outdoors and packed right now and have fun Christmas villages, fake snow and light shows at night
Edit - looks like the sun will actually be back from Saturday 27th.. high 50s to low 60s in Santa Monica
I'm from Belgium, so a little rain we can handle. So you're saying to not stay at Santa Monica but rather at Hollywood or DTLA?
absolutely not hollywood or dtla
Beverly Hills or West Hollywood are nice. But for what you asked for, which is nature-focused (not focusing on the weather conditions), Santa Monica is the correct choice.
Agree with this.
Want shopping? Get to 17th and Montana Ave and walk West downhill towards the ocean. There are plenty of great restaurants and shops. Father's Office is a popular burger joint. If you haven't bought anything to encumber you, walk on to the Palisades park and stroll north to the totem pole high up on the Palisades cliff overlooking the ocean or you can just go straight from Montana to the wooden stairs down to the beach. Don't head left (south) to the Ferris wheel on the pier. Go North as far as the beach or your legs will take you (after about a mile on the beach you'll be tired). Don't do this after dark. It's safe enough but probably not for you. Don't do Venice Beach after dark either. But Abbot Kinney, Muscle Beach, and the Venice canals are all nice strolls.
Definitely make a reservation for a pricey dinner at Tar & Roses or Rustic Canyon Wine Bar. Try Tartine for a pastry and a coffee but it probably has nothing on your average European version. Nearby Socalo has good Tex-Mex food. And there's a brewery farther down 20th st.
The Getty Center and (to a lesser extent, unless you are big on classical antiquities) Getty Villa are worth a visit.
Want to see the devastation of the Palisades fire? Take 26th north until it turns into Allenford, hang a left at Sunset, and pay to park in what's left of Will Rogers State Historic Park (not the beach) and hike the loop around Inspiration Point. Nice views of the Pacific, but the parking closes right at sundown.
There are other great hikes also at Malibu Creek State Park (The Mash TV show was filmed there on the old ranch lot).
Don't leave valuables in your car ever. But Santa Monica is really safe and a nice launch for downtown museums and stuff. The Tar Pits near LA County Museum of Art (LACMA) is fun.
Also, if you see a parking space it's probably in a permit only area.
I could have written this! Yes to all!
Love this, but some of it is going to be tough in the rain.
Terrific advice
Thank you!
Please keep in mind that this is probably not what you're used to in Belgium. They're calling for 6+ inches of rain, which is like half of our usual annual rainfall.
Drivers have no idea what they're doing and the roads are very slick for the first rain in a while. Some roads will be flooded. There will be some landslides in the canyons. Some hiking trails could easily turn into creeks or have flash flood type issues. The mountains will get a ton of snow.
It's not apocalyptic or anything and I'm sure you'll be fine, but don't just assume you can do everything normally without a little research.
The worst of the rain is probably hitting 12/24th - 12/26th
No to DTLA - Yes to West Hollywood or Beverly Hills. If you want a busier Christmas vibe and lively atmosphere
Also I know you said you don’t like museums but the Getty center is amazing, a world class building and gardens and the views of LA are spectacular. It should be #1 on every visitors list. It’s also mostly outdoors.. I usually don’t even go inside
Thanks!
Come by Weary Livers!
You won’t have any beach weather while you’re here, unless you don’t mind going to the beach in a hoodie and sweats lol In terms of hiking, Mandeville canyon is a great option close to where you’re staying with some really nice views.
If you want to go deeper into nature I’d suggest cruising down the pch and checking out somewhere like trippet ranch: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Trippet+Ranch,+20828+Entrada+Rd,+Topanga,+CA+90290/@34.0932526,-118.5884985,15z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x80c2a1f0883ed5bb:0xe40604cef932016a!8m2!3d34.0932526!4d-118.5884985!16s%2Fg%2F1vxcwp91?entry=ml&utm_campaign=ml-sbr&coh=230964
Tons of restaurants in the area, my personal favorite is Cobi’s on main st. But there’s tons up and down Montana Ave as well, also a bunch of shopping, think smaller boutiques.
There’s some cute wine bars in the area like bodega (and the new one that opened next door) off of broadway and Lincoln. There’s also off hand a bit deeper in Santa Monica where they play music on the weekends and chill vibes (off Santa Monica blvd)
It’s pretty quiet during the holidays with tons people traveling so driving shouldn’t be too bad in terms of traffic. So tons to do across LA depending on what you’re looking for. Enjoy your trip!
Weather is getting a bit worse after an amazing December. Palisades Park along the ocean is super nice, especially north of California Ave. I'd take a long walk from the pier (not the most fun area of the park but perhaps fun to see the pier) and walk up Montana Ave for coffee (Primo Passo) or lunch (Bread Head). You can also walk on the beach and walk up the Montana steps (quite hard work). Alternatively, you can park for free up around Montana Ave and walk the other way. Less tourists/people. Enjoy!
Hiking: Will Rogers State Park, Westridge park both in Santa Monica mountains, then Annenberg for beach
It will be sunny again by the 27th. It will be quite warm by most places’ standards but can still feel pretty chilly in a damp-feeling way. It can get foggy and windy by the beach, or the sun can come out and it’ll feel too warm for how you’re dressed. The key to Santa Monica is to bring layers that you can zip on and off. Hoodies are great most of the time but it’s good to have a layer that’s more of a windbreaker too.
December isn’t lay-on-the-beach season but it’s absolutely walk-on-the-beach season. It’s beautiful in different ways at different times of year. I’d definitely walk along Santa Monica/Venice beach, and then on a different day for a different feel drive up to the Malibu Lagoon State Beach. Lots of interesting birds because of the lagoon, and you can walk out to the ocean and see tide pools if it’s low tide. There are informational displays along the way. It’s flat so it’s more of a walk than a hike per se but it’s really pretty.
Depending on how long you’re in the area, if you’re interested in seeing desert you might like driving out to Joshua Tree National Park. It’s a bit far to drive and come back in the same day, but not impossible. I’ve never done it without staying the night. Because it’s desert it’ll be a lot colder there than in LA.
The Abbey
Yikes!
lol
But an umbrella
The best week to be in LA! Everybody goes home for the holidays, traffic is light and you can actually go places without waiting in lines. Rain? Just pack accordingly - The landscape becomes green and beautiful. Lunch at Malibu Seafood Cafe ( they have a covered patio), Solstice Canyon "hike", and then dinner at Inn of the Seventh Ray...if pch manages to stay open. Also Andrews Cheese Shop and burgers and beers at Fathers Office. Pizza at Not no bar. Library Alehouse. Funke if ya feeling fancy. Grand Central Market if ya not. Little Tokyo. Dim sum somewhere.
1) General vibe: it will be relatively chill and quiet for the most part. Most of the traffic in the area is caused by people commuting to work. During holiday week, that dies down. It’s always busy and active at the pier, but not nearly as bad as summer.
2) Weather: it’s much colder than you think it will be. Coastal California is always far colder than the marketing makes it look. The Pacific Ocean is COLD. If you go to the beach, bring a thick hoodie or jacket because any wind at all will make you shiver. Locals don’t really go to the beach except for the peak summer months when the temperatures get above 75 (23 Celsius). Although the weather stinks for the beach, it’s ideal weather for hiking.
3) Hiking: Griffith Park Hollywood Sign is an iconic hike that you must do once. Will Rogers Inspiration Point is a great quick one (parking costs a couple bucks though). Los Leones Trail is also good. Keep in mind that Malibu still hasn’t recovered from the wildfires a year ago, so that will affect any trip ideas you have there. The vegetation has come back though and recent rains have made things greener than usual.
4) General tip: you MUST go to Santa Barbara. That town is delightful. I believe Santa Barbara is the Mediterranean paradise that people imagine LA to be when in reality LA is its gray, gritty, tattoo-and-piercing trouble-making sibling.
We go to the beach all year. I don’t go in the water when it’s cold (though if I was a surfer I would) but I walk barefoot along the shoreline and get my feet wet. It’s beautiful in the winter. The ocean isn’t just for sunbathing and boogie boarding.
Ok now how packed are the beaches when it’s warm out? And how packed are beaches when it’s cold and cloudy?
I don’t know why people read something in terms of absolutes….when I say it’s cold and uncomfortable for the beach, I’m not saying ZERO people enjoy that weather for the beach. I’m saying that the vast majority of people feel that way, and simply looking around and observing other people’s behavior aligns with that. And if I’m giving tourists recommendations on what to do, I’m steering them away from making a common mistake which is assuming LA is hot and sunny all the time when it simply isn’t.
Of course it’s less packed. That’s not the same thing as “locals don’t generally go to the beach except peak summer months.” I’m at the beach right now and there are plenty of people walking and playing and some in the water.
When did I say it was zero people in winter?
What are you proving when you say there are some people at the beach in winter? And admitting that it’s far fewer than in summer?
locals go to the beach all year long -- the surf is best in the winter. i've been surfing every day for the last three days now that school is out and i'm taking kids for a beach picnic today. southern california people are crazy whn it comes to cold. it drops below 70 and people are wearing scarves.
EDIT: it is still winter here, so it’s not a tropical paradise if that’s what you’re looking for, but it is sunny and nice (most of the time). and the promenade is actually great. there is less shopping now (which i never cared for anyway) but there are lots of cool restaurants and some fun experience-based places like holey-moley. (half price on mondays after 6pm).
Honest question: have you been to Europe? Their promenades are way better than ours. There are a lot of reasons to visit the U.S., but SM’s bastardized version of a promenade isn’t one of them (Santa Barbara’s is nicer, but still falls short).
Telling a European to come enjoy our promenade is like a Belgian telling an American to come enjoy the Belgian hamburgers. You gotta tailor your recommendation to the person you’re talking to.
i grew up in europe. i wasn't necessarily suggesting the promenade, just saying it gets a lot of shit when it really isn't as bad as people say, which, you're right, isn't really relevant to this particular conversation.
having been to belgium, i would say that santa monica isn't the place i would choose for an american vacation. but if you're here, there are nice things to see. i live right next to the promenade and love it, so i am biased.
Agreed. Suggesting someone come and visit the promenade is not a good recommendation
You think these Belgians are gonna spend their vacation in wetsuits in gray LA water with plastic bags floating by? If they really wanted to surf, they’d just go to Portugal instead of flying to our city water.
Also what % of people in SM actually surf? Probably less than 5%.
I’m glad you enjoy a breezy 60 degree day at the beach, but that’s not exactly the sunbathing vacation that most people are looking for. Compare the beach parking lots in the summer to them in the winter and it’s night and day.
Santa monica place