In December, San Jose strings its streets with Christmas lights, and on the night of the Festival de la Luz the avenues fill with families watching illuminated floats glide past. The Central Valley air is mild and spring-like, the mornings are bright, and the city has a festive, slightly giddy mood. It is a good month for anyone who wants the capital’s holiday traditions before heading to the coast or the mountains.
What is the weather like in San Jose in December?
December in San Jose is mild and mostly bright, with the rains of the green season fading and showers that are shorter and less frequent than a month earlier.
| Month | Average high (°F) | Average low (°F) | Rain days |
|---|---|---|---|
| November | 73.8 | 63.5 | 20.8 |
| December | 74.6 | 62.6 | 11.8 |
| January | 75.9 | 61.7 | 7.1 |
Mornings are fresh and clear, and they are the best hours for walking the center, since cloud tends to build later in the day. In the sunshine, afternoons reach a temperature that makes a T-shirt comfortable, but because of the city’s high elevation, the shade comes across as chilly. Rain still shows up on a good share of days, usually as a passing shower, and only now and then is it a heavy one.
Evenings cool off pleasantly, which suits the Christmas lights and the open-air crowds. A light sweater or a thin jacket is plenty after dark. San Jose is in the mountains, so there is no sea here, and the beach days come on a later leg of the trip. The light fades in the late afternoon, with about eleven and a half hours of daylight in the middle of the month.
What to do in San Jose in December
The big event of the month is the Festival de la Luz, a night parade of illuminated floats that marks the start of the holidays in early and mid-December. Families stake out places along the route early, vendors sell snacks and hot drinks, and the whole center feels like a street party. Around it, Christmas lights go up across the city and posadas, the neighborhood gatherings of the season, fill the evenings.
The holiday calendar keeps going after Christmas. The Tope, a horse parade, passes through San Jose on December 26, with riders in their finest tack and crowds lining the streets. The Zapote festival then runs from Christmas to New Year’s, a fairground of rides, games, food stalls and live music that locals treat as a seasonal tradition.
The Central Market and the food of the season
For a first taste of San Jose, head to the Central Market, where indoors you will find a maze of stalls selling food and coffee, shops with souvenirs, and little counters for lunch. Settle onto a stool and ask for a casado, the usual midday plate nationwide, built from rice, beans, a protein and salad. Fresh fruit stands add juices and cut pineapple, mango or papaya.
At Christmastime, look for tamales, the corn-dough parcels wrapped in banana leaf that families make in big batches for the holidays. Pair one with a cup of coffee from the Central Valley, which is grown on the hillsides around the city. The Central Market is a covered maze of food stalls, coffee sellers, souvenir shops and small lunch counters.
Walking the center in festive mood
The center is most enjoyable on foot, with plazas, churches, pedestrian streets and shop windows decked in lights. Late afternoon into early evening is the time, once the day cools and the decorations switch on. Stop for coffee or a snack at a café, then drift toward wherever the crowds are heading.
Stick to busy, well-lit streets and keep phones and cameras tucked away when not in use. The State Department notes that petty crime is common throughout Costa Rica, and crowded holiday nights are exactly when it happens.
Using San Jose as a launch point
The airport is located right next to the city, and although most travelers land there, they head onward within a day or two, since December brings the start of high season, when plenty of them are headed for the Pacific coast or the mountains. San Jose works well as a first or last night before heading to the Pacific coast or the mountains. A day or two here lets you shake off the flight and enjoy the holiday atmosphere before the rest of the trip.
If you are passing through on a rainy afternoon, the market and its cafés are the easy indoor refuge. Keep your plans loose around the parade nights.
A two-day itinerary for San Jose in December
Morning on Day 1 begins at the Central Market, where the stalls are lively and the air feels fresh. Have a casado or a plate of tamales for an early lunch, and browse the coffee sellers and souvenir shops. Afterward, walk the center slowly, stopping at plazas and cafés while the light is soft.
If showers roll in during the afternoon, shelter in a café or a covered arcade and wait it out, since the rain tends to be brief. By late afternoon, daylight is already fading, so head toward the lit streets. Dinner is a good moment for a local restaurant serving traditional dishes, followed by a stroll under the Christmas lights if the night stays clear of short showers.
Day 2 begins with the National Theater or one of the city’s major museums before turning to the festival calendar. If it falls in the early or middle weeks, plan the day around the Festival de la Luz parade, with a relaxed morning, an afternoon rest and an early evening spot along the route. Around Christmas, the Zapote fairground is the draw, and on December 26 the Tope horse parade fills the streets.
Outside those dates, use the morning for a coffee-focused outing in the hills around the Central Valley, then return for a late lunch. Keep the evening flexible, since holiday crowds and street closures can slow getting around. Take a taxi after dark, and let the night end with something simple and local.
Is San Jose busy in December?
Yes, December is the start of the high season, and the city feels it, especially around the festival nights and the Christmas week.
Visitors arrive for the holidays, many Costa Ricans are on break, and families gather for the parades and the Zapote festival. The center fills with people on parade evenings, and restaurants near the routes can be full. Traffic slows around closed streets, so allow extra time for any transfer.
Rooms, rental cars and tables are best secured early for the holiday weeks, ideally well before you travel. The first half of the month is a little calmer, though booking early is still worthwhile in the high season. Flights and onward transfers to the coast also fill up around Christmas.
Quieter corners remain, such as the morning market, the side streets and the cafés outside the parade routes. If you want the atmosphere without the crush, watch the festivities from the edges and eat early or late.
What to pack for San Jose in December
Bring comfortable shoes for wandering downtown, plus layers for warm afternoons, chilly nights and the occasional rain shower.
- Because mountain evenings turn cool, bring a light sweater or jacket.
- A compact rain jacket or umbrella for passing showers.
- Comfortable walking shoes for city streets and market aisles.
- Pack sunscreen along with a hat, since at this elevation the noon sun packs a punch.
- A small crossbody bag with a zip, for crowded parade nights.
Good to know before you go
The U.S. State Department rates Costa Rica Level 2, ‘Exercise increased caution,’ due to crime; it says petty crime is common throughout Costa Rica and that violent crime also affects tourists, including armed robbery, homicide and sexual assault.
December is the start of the high season, so book rooms, cars and onward transport early, especially for Christmas week. Expect street closures and slower traffic around parade nights, and keep a little flexibility in your plans. Showers are still possible, so carry a layer for the evening.
San Jose in December vs November and January
Moving the trip to November means a much wetter city, with rain on most days and gray afternoons. The holiday lights have not yet arrived, and the crowds are thinner. It suits travelers who prefer quiet and green landscapes over festivals.
January is drier still, with the festivals of December behind you and the high season in full swing. Skies are often brighter and outings are easier to plan, but the Christmas atmosphere and parades are over. The Zapote festival ends with the new year.
Choose December if the holiday spirit is the point, and November if you want calm and lower crowds. January suits those who want the most settled weather and do not mind missing the lights. For parades and fairs, stay with December.
Is December a good time to visit San Jose?
Yes, December is a very good time for travelers who want holiday festivities, mild air and a city in a celebratory mood.
It suits families, food lovers and anyone who enjoys parades, lights and street life. Those who dislike crowds, or who want the quietest city, may prefer another month. On arrival, settle into the center, try a casado at the market and check which festival nights fall during your stay. What is special about December in San Jose is the city’s holiday atmosphere.
Sources
- Open-Meteo / ECMWF ERA5, normals 1991-2020 computed for the grid cell at 9.9281N 84.0907W, checked October 8, 2026
- sunrise-sunset.org, sunrise and sunset calculated for the 15th of the month, checked October 8, 2026
- U.S. Department of State, Costa Rica Travel Advisory, issued April 1, 2026 (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/costa-rica-travel-advisory.html), read via the State Department open data API on October 8, 2026