Things to Do in San Diego on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

What’s open and closed in San Diego on Christmas Day 2026

Christmas Day 2026 falls on a Friday. As a rule of thumb, anything outdoors without a gate is your safest bet, and anything with a visitor center or ticket desk needs checking. Here is what official pages say so far:

• Usually open: beaches, bayfront paths, neighborhood walks and many city and regional trails.
• Listed as open daily through the holidays: Skating by the Sea at the Hotel del Coronado, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. from December 18 (the hotel says the schedule may change).
• Closed on Christmas Day: Cabrillo National Monument; the museums at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park; Spanish Village Art Center in Balboa Park; the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center.
• Open on foot only: El Monte County Park in Lakeside, which lists no public vehicle access or restrooms on December 25.
• Not yet posted for 2026: San Diego Zoo and Safari Park general hours for December 24 and 25. Check their sites in December.

Christmas Day outdoors: beaches, bays and trails

A Christmas morning beach walk needs no ticket, booking or opening time, which is exactly why it suits the day. Pick a beach with a long, flat stretch for walking off breakfast, or a bayfront path if you have small children or a stroller. Bring a layer: December mornings near the coast are cool, and inland valleys are colder still.

Trails are the other easy choice, but check the details. At Mission Trails Regional Park, the visitor center is closed on Christmas Day, so plan as if there will be no staff, exhibits or indoor restrooms. County parks are trickier. El Monte County Park in Lakeside, for example, lists pedestrian access from sunrise to sunset but no public vehicle access or restroom availability on December 25. In past years the County has announced the same Christmas Day arrangement for many of its parks and preserves, with exceptions for campgrounds and neighborhood day-use parks. If you plan to drive to a county park or preserve, check sdparks.org for the 2026 notice first.

Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma, a favorite for ocean views and winter whale watching, is closed on Christmas Day. The National Park Service says the park is open on all other holidays, so December 26 is a good alternative. Its whale watching season runs from late December to mid-March.

Skating, lights and other Christmas Day outings

Few things say Christmas in San Diego like ice skating next to the Pacific. Hotel del Coronado lists Skating by the Sea as open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. from December 18, 2026 through January 3, 2027, and notes the schedule is subject to change. Holiday-week sessions are popular, so book a time ahead rather than turning up.

For an evening outing, Coastal Christmas at the Del Mar Fairgrounds is listed by the San Diego Tourism Authority for December 11 to 26, 2026, from 4 to 9 p.m. Other listings describe it as running on select nights, so check the event’s ticketing site to see whether Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are included.

Indoors, many movie theaters run Christmas Day showtimes, which makes a family film an easy fallback if the weather turns. Check your local theater’s listings, since holiday schedules vary.

Christmas Eve in San Diego

Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, has more open than Christmas Day, though many places close early. A few ideas:

• Santa at the Safari Park: the San Diego Zoo Safari Park lists Santa visits at Safari Base Camp on December 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The park’s evening Wild Holidays lights do not run on December 24 or 25; they resume December 26.
• Skating by the Sea: the rink’s listed daily schedule from December 18 runs 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• A last market run: Little Italy Mercato’s Wednesday market falls on December 23, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., for bread, olive oil and other gifts for the table.
• A quiet walk in Old Town: the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park visitor center and select museums are normally open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The park says the museums close on Christmas, so go on the 24th or earlier, and call (619) 220-5422 to check Christmas Eve hours.

Christmas Eve services and midnight Mass

Many San Diegans spend part of Christmas Eve at a service. Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá, California’s first mission, founded in 1769, is still an active parish, and a Christmas Mass there is a memorable way to mark the holiday. As of late October, its 2026 Christmas schedule was not yet posted. Its regular schedule includes a 5:30 p.m. Saturday vigil and five Sunday Masses, and the parish office is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at (619) 283-7319.

For other parishes and congregations, look for Christmas schedules in early December, and arrive early: Christmas Eve services are often the most crowded of the year.

Holiday events that happen before Christmas

Some of San Diego’s best-known holiday events finish before December 25, so plan ahead if you want to include them in your holiday week:

• San Diego Bay Parade of Lights: Sundays, December 13 and 20, 2026, starting at 5:30 p.m.
• Balboa Park December Nights: December 4 and 5, 2026.
• Yuletide Medieval Festival in Lakeside: December 5 and 6 and December 12 and 13, 2026, ending well before Christmas.
• Safari Park Wild Holidays: select evenings including December 18 to 23, then again from December 26.

Tips for Christmas Day plans

A little preparation keeps the day relaxed:

• Fill up the tank and grab coffee the day before; some gas stations and cafés keep shorter holiday hours.
• Expect closed restrooms at parks with no staff on the day, and pack accordingly.
• Book skating, light shows and restaurant tables early; holiday week is peak demand.
• Check holiday hours on official sites the week of Christmas, not in November. Schedules are often posted late.
• Have an indoor backup, such as a movie or a board game, in case of rain.

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