In this article
December in Beverly Hills has a glow all its own. The palms along Rodeo Drive are wrapped in light, the hotel lobbies smell of pine and cocoa, and you can walk the Golden Triangle in a light sweater on the way to dinner. Christmas in Beverly Hills is polished and a little theatrical, but it is also easy: most of what is worth seeing sits within a few walkable blocks.
At Stay Awhile, we host guests in homes across Beverly Hills every holiday season, and the question we hear most is simple: what should we actually do while we are here? What follows is where we send them, with current notes on dates, hours and timing, and the homes we would choose for the week.
Christmas on Rodeo Drive and in the Golden Triangle
The season starts here. The holiday lights go up along Rodeo Drive in mid-November and stay on through the first days of January.
Rodeo Drive
Rodeo Drive is at its most cinematic in December, when the palms between Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards glow and the flagship windows from Cartier to Louis Vuitton change into their holiday best. The Rodeo Drive Holiday Lighting Celebration switches everything on with live performances, traditionally on a Thursday in mid-November. We like the street best on a weeknight after dinner, when you can stroll without the crowds.
- Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (over 2,300 Google reviews)
- Address: Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
- Dates: Lighting celebration in mid-November (November 13 in 2025); lights through early January
- Parking: City-run garages surround the Golden Triangle and are the easiest option.
- Best for: Couples, holiday shopping, an elegant free evening
Two Rodeo
Two Rodeo is the cobblestoned, European-style lane that curves up from Wilshire Boulevard, and in December it is the most photographed corner of the city. Garlands and wreaths frame the shop windows, and the lamp posts are wrapped in ribbon and ornaments. Come at dusk, when the lights come on.
- Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (over 2,100 Google reviews)
- Address: 9480 Dayton Way, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
- Hours: Monday to Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM, Sunday 11 AM to 5 PM
- What to know: The lane stays lit after the shops close, so it is lovely for an evening walk.
- Best for: Photos, window shopping, an easy first stop
Beverly Hills Christmas Traditions in the Parks and Gardens
Beyond the shops, the city puts on its own holiday program in its parks and at its historic estate. These are the plans locals make with their families.
Greystone Mansion & Gardens
Greystone is the Tudor-style mansion Edward L. Doheny built for his son Ned in 1928, with 55 rooms set on terraced gardens above the city. Each December the city hosts Holidays at Greystone, a weekend of crafts, caroling, mansion tours and visits with Santa. In 2025 it ran on December 6 and 7, with advance reservations required, so watch for the 2026 dates in the fall. On any other day, the gardens make a quiet morning walk.
- Rating: 4.6 out of 5 (over 3,600 Google reviews)
- Address: 905 Loma Vista Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
- Hours: Gardens open daily from 10 AM; closing time changes with the season
- Website: beverlyhills.org/greystone
- Cost: The gardens are free; Holidays at Greystone is ticketed
- Best for: Families, history lovers, a slow morning
Learn more about Greystone Mansion & Gardens
Beverly Gardens Park
Beverly Gardens Park runs for almost two miles along Santa Monica Boulevard and is home to the Beverly Hills sign and the Lily Pond. In the holiday season the pond hosts Lights on the Lily Pond, a free light show set to music. In 2025 it ran from mid-November to January 4, every 15 minutes from 5:30 to 9:30 PM. The city also ran a free Jolly Trolley between Rodeo Drive and the park on Thursday to Sunday evenings.
- Rating: 4.6 out of 5 (over 14,500 Google reviews)
- Address: 9439 Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
- Hours: Daily 6 AM to 9:30 PM
- Cost: Free
- Best for: Families, a short evening stop after dinner
Learn more about Beverly Gardens Park
Beverly Cañon Gardens
Beverly Cañon Gardens is a small, European-style public square beside the Montage, with a fountain, clipped hedges and cafe tables. For the holidays it becomes Glowing Gardens, with arches of light, a tall tree and oversized ornaments. In 2025 the lights were on nightly from 5 to 11 PM through January 4. It is the perfect spot for a mid-shopping espresso.
- Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (730 Google reviews)
- Address: 241 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
- Hours: Daily 6 AM to 10 PM
- Cost: Free
- Best for: Couples, photos, a coffee break
Learn more about Beverly Cañon Gardens
Festive Teas and Dinners at the Grand Hotels
The great Beverly Hills hotels dress their lobbies, launch seasonal menus and host Christmas Eve dinners. You do not need to stay at one to enjoy it: book a table, a tea or a cocktail. The details below are from the 2025 season; each hotel announces its 2026 program in the fall.
The Beverly Hills Hotel
The pink palace on Sunset Boulevard goes all in for Christmas, with a towering tree and nutcrackers in the lobby and lights strung along the facade. In 2025 the Polo Lounge served 12 Days of Soufflés from December 12 to 23, a different festive flavor each night at dinner, and the pastry team ran cookie-decorating classes for children. Christmas Eve dinner at the Polo Lounge is a long-standing tradition.
- Rating: 4.6 out of 5 (over 1,200 Google reviews)
- Address: 9641 Sunset Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
- Phone: (310) 276-2251
- Website: dorchestercollection.com
- What to book: Christmas Eve dinner at the Polo Lounge, a soufflé night in mid-December
Learn more about The Beverly Hills Hotel
The Peninsula Beverly Hills
The Peninsula is where we send guests for afternoon tea. In 2025 the Festive Afternoon Tea ran in The Living Room from December 1 to January 4, with Champagne, holiday pastries and a harpist, and dancers performed The Nutcracker on select weekends. The hotel also opened its Polar Bear Gift Shop and brought carolers to the lobby in the days before Christmas. December tea reservations go quickly.
- Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (over 1,300 Google reviews)
- Address: 9882 S Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
- Phone: (310) 551-2888
- Website: peninsula.com
- What to book: Festive Afternoon Tea, reserved as early as you can
Learn more about The Peninsula Beverly Hills
Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel
Sitting at the foot of Rodeo Drive (yes, the hotel from Pretty Woman), the Beverly Wilshire is the most convenient address for Christmas shopping in the city. At the holidays the lobby fills with poinsettias and a regiment of life-size nutcrackers. In 2025, THE Blvd, its lobby restaurant, served a four-course Christmas Eve menu with a pianist.
- Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (over 3,400 Google reviews)
- Address: 9500 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
- Phone: (310) 275-5200
- Website: fourseasons.com/beverlywilshire
- What to book: Christmas Eve dinner at THE Blvd, a holiday cocktail after the lights
Learn more about the Beverly Wilshire
A Holiday Show on Wilshire
For a night away from the boulevards, Beverly Hills has a beautiful theater of its own.
Saban Theatre
The Saban Theatre opened in 1930 and is still one of the most striking Art Deco rooms in Los Angeles. Its December calendar usually includes a holiday concert or two. In 2025, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles brought its Holiday Legends show here on December 13 and 14. Check the schedule in the fall and book early.
- Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (over 1,500 Google reviews)
- Address: 8440 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
- Phone: (888) 645-5006
- Website: wheremusicmeetsthesoul.com
- Best for: A festive evening out, music lovers
Learn more about the Saban Theatre
Where to Stay in Beverly Hills for Christmas
Hotels fill early for the holiday week, and a family Christmas rarely fits in one room. A private home changes the whole trip: a real kitchen for the holiday meal, a dining table for everyone, a fireplace for the evenings and a bedroom for each part of the family. These are the homes from our Beverly Hills collection we would choose for the holidays.
Beverly Hills Maison is the house for a big family Christmas. This gated, French country style home sits at the end of a cul-de-sac on nearly two acres, with five bedrooms and room for twelve guests. The living room has a grand fireplace, the primary suite has its own, and the formal dining room is made for Christmas dinner.
Amara is our pick for a restful holiday. Five en-suite bedrooms sleep up to twelve, and the home has a pool, hot tub, sauna, cold plunge and private gym. The primary suite has a fireplace, and the fire pit outside is where the evenings end. The Beverly Hills Hotel is about five minutes away.
Belmont BH is a newly furnished family estate minutes from the Beverly Hills Hotel, with four bedrooms, a lap pool and a game room for the children. The formal living room and the primary bedroom both have fireplaces, and the dining room seats eight.
Villa Avra is a renovated Mediterranean-style villa in the hills with four bedrooms and room for eight. The living room has a fireplace for cozy nights, and outside there is a pool, a hot tub, a fire pit and a custom barbecue. The Beverly Hills Hotel is about eight minutes away, with Rodeo Drive just beyond.
Every Stay Awhile home comes with concierge service. For the holidays, the request we suggest most is a private chef for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, so nobody spends the holiday in the kitchen. Through Drive Awhile, we can have a car waiting at LAX or a driver for a night of lights. And if you want to stay through New Year’s, our monthly stays are open to stays of thirty nights or longer.
Planning more of the season? See our guides to things to do in Los Angeles for Christmas and Christmas in Malibu. December dates are the first we book each year, so when you are ready, browse our Beverly Hills homes or contact our concierge to plan a Christmas around the way you want to spend it.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do the Christmas lights turn on in Beverly Hills?
The Rodeo Drive Holiday Lighting Celebration is traditionally held on a Thursday in mid-November (November 13 in 2025). The lights stay on every evening through the first days of January.
Where is the best place to see Christmas lights in Beverly Hills?
The Golden Triangle. Walk Rodeo Drive and Two Rodeo, loop through the light arches at Beverly Cañon Gardens and finish at the Lily Pond in Beverly Gardens Park for the free light show.
Are stores open on Christmas Day in Beverly Hills?
Most Rodeo Drive boutiques close on Christmas Day, while hotel restaurants stay open with holiday menus. Plan your shopping for Christmas Eve or the days after.
What can families do for Christmas in Beverly Hills?
Holidays at Greystone is the city’s big family event, with crafts, caroling and Santa. The Lily Pond light show is free, and The Beverly Hills Hotel has hosted cookie-decorating classes for children in December.
Do Beverly Hills hotels serve Christmas dinner?
Yes. In 2025 the Polo Lounge at The Beverly Hills Hotel and THE Blvd at the Beverly Wilshire both served Christmas Eve menus. Reservations open weeks ahead and fill quickly.
What is the weather like in Beverly Hills at Christmas?
Mild and mostly dry. Days are usually in the 60s°F and nights drop into the 40s, so bring a warm layer for evening walks.
