Things to Do in DC in December: Seven Winter Picks

1. See the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse

The National Christmas Tree is the national holiday tree, lit each year at a ceremony that began in 1923. It stands south of the White House on the Ellipse, and visiting it is free. The National Park Service says "there is no fee to visit the National Christmas Tree site each year." The 2026 lighting ceremony is on Thursday, December 3. December light displays in Washington are this tree, the lit monuments (pick 2), the Botanic Garden trains (pick 3), ZooLights (pick 4) and the People's Tree at the Capitol, which a bus tour listing names.

Tickets for the ceremony come by lottery. Entries run from October 28 to November 4, and winners are told on November 12. Entering the lottery is free, and the park service says the tickets are free too, so the ceremony costs nothing to attend if you win. Visiting hours for the site are not published yet, and the park service says more details will come later.

You can see the tree at night without a ticket after the ceremony. The trees look best after dark, so plan this for the early evening. For the best parts of Washington with a guide at any time of year, see washington dc guided tours.

Key Takeaway The ceremony on December 3 needs a lottery ticket, but the tree itself is free to visit all season.

2. Walk the lit monuments at night

The monuments on the National Mall are open all day and all night, so you can see them lit up in December for free. The National Park Service says the Mall is open 24 hours a day. The sun goes down early in winter, so you do not have to stay out late.

Start at the Lincoln Memorial and walk toward the Washington Monument. The memorials are far apart, and the cold makes the walk feel longer. Wear warm shoes and bring gloves.

Some people would rather ride. For that, see night tours dc for a bus or trolley loop. The Monuments by Moonlight trolley tour is from €54 per person and runs 2.5 hours. The tour has a 4.6 rating from 1,619 reviews on GetYourGuide and shows free cancellation. The group is up to 50 people. Before you book: the tour lasts 2.5 hours, the meeting point depends on the option you pick, and tips and food are not included.

The trolley stops for 30 minutes at the Lincoln, Vietnam Veterans and Korean War memorials. It stops again for 30 minutes at the FDR and Martin Luther King Jr. memorials. The listing says the Iwo Jima Memorial stop is skipped because a bridge is closed. It is run by Historic Tours of America, and the meeting point depends on the option you pick. Tips and food are not included.

On your own the monuments are free, so the tour is worth it only for a warm seat, a guide and a ride between the far-apart memorials. The tour is a good fit if you want a warm seat and a guide. It is the wrong choice if you want to take your time at one memorial, because each stop is short.

Pro Tip Skip the long walk and pick the trolley's 30-minute stops, which put you at the Lincoln Memorial and the FDR and Martin Luther King Jr. memorials in the dark.

3. Watch the model trains at the U.S. Botanic Garden

Season's Greenings at the U.S. Botanic Garden is a free holiday show with model trains and plants. The 2026 show runs from November 26 to January 3. It is at 100 Maryland Avenue SW.

The outdoor train display and the Conservatory are open 10 am to 5 pm every day. They close on December 25. On December 8, 10, 15, 17, 22 and 29, they stay open until 8 pm, with live music from 5 to 8 pm. No tickets are needed.

The trains run through the outdoor gardens, and the Conservatory holds models of Washington landmarks and the poinsettias. This is a good stop for children and for a cold afternoon. It sits at the foot of Capitol Hill, so you can pair it with a walk to the Capitol.

The Capitol Visitor Center is open 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Saturday. It is closed on Sundays and on December 25. Tours are free, and the page for capitol building tour shows how to book.

4. Go to ZooLights at the National Zoo

ZooLights at the Smithsonian's National Zoo is a night of holiday lights, and entry costs $10. The 2026 run is November 20 to January 3. The zoo's event page also shows a start date of November 26, so check it if your plans depend on the opening day.

Hours are 5 to 9 pm Monday to Saturday and 5 to 8 pm on Sunday. The last entry is 30 minutes before closing. You need a ticket for anyone aged 3 or older. Children aged 2 and under are free. Tickets must be bought through the zoo.

Parking costs $30 in advance or $40 on the day. The zoo says to buy tickets and parking early, because they sell out. Wednesday, December 16 is an adults-only night for ages 21 and up, at $19.

For a cheaper plan, skip the car and take public transport. The public transport washington dc guide covers fares and routes.

5. Take a holiday lights bus tour

A holiday lights bus tour shows you the trees and the lit Mall from a warm seat. It is the easy option when it is cold, and it saves the walk between sights. Two tours on GetYourGuide cover this.

The Holiday Lights Nighttime Bus Tour is from €62 per person and lasts 3 hours. The tour has a 4.2 rating from 84 reviews and shows free cancellation. USA Guided Tours runs it, and it meets at 701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The listing says you see the People's Tree at the Capitol, the National Christmas Tree and the lit Mall. Tips are not included.

The White House National Christmas Tree and holiday light bus tour is from €76 per person and lasts 3 hours. This one has a 4.7 rating from only 8 reviews, so the score rests on few people. It shows free cancellation and is run by DC by Foot. It meets at the White House Visitor Center at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. It stops at the National and Capitol trees, the Willard Hotel and the tree at CityCenterDC. The listing says it is not suitable for children under 4 or for wheelchair users.

On your own, the National Christmas Tree and the lit Mall are free to see. You can see the same trees on your own for free. A tour pays off when the cold, the dark or a short trip makes the walking hard. Things to Do in Washington DC's count of GetYourGuide listings in October 2026 found 8 bookable experiences with "Christmas" or "Holiday" in the title out of 207 in the DC area, from €38. Five of those eight had no reviews yet.

6. Book a Christmas Eve dinner cruise

A Christmas Eve cruise is a dinner on the Potomac that only runs in December. The City Cruises Christmas Eve gourmet brunch and dinner cruise is from €92 per person and lasts 2 to 3 hours. It has a 4.3 rating from 9 reviews, and it does not offer free cancellation.

The listing offers a 2-hour brunch cruise or a 3-hour dinner cruise. Dinner is a three-course plated meal. Brunch has a buffet and unlimited mimosas. There is a live DJ, coffee, tea and iced tea. Other alcohol costs extra, and hotel pickup is not included. City Cruises runs it, and it leaves from 580 Water Street SW.

Pick the cruise for a special night, not a cheap one. With so few reviews and no free cancellation, book it only when your dates are firm.

A city looks its best when you see it once by day and once by night.

7. Spend a cold day in the free museums

The Smithsonian museums are free to enter, which makes them the best plan for a cold or wet day. The Udvar-Hazy Center of the Air and Space Museum is free and open 10 am to 5:30 pm. It closes only on December 25. Parking there costs $15. The Air and Space Museum on the Mall is also closed on December 25, according to its visit page.

Are the other Smithsonian museums open on Christmas Day? No page we could read says so: the Smithsonian's main visit page and its museum sites refused to load, so only the two Air and Space museums are confirmed closed. Each museum sets its own hours, so check the museum's page before you go. For the full list and tips, see museums.

Some sights close on December 25. The Washington Monument is generally open daily except December 25, and weather can close it. The Capitol Visitor Center is closed on Christmas Day. On December 25 the parts of Washington that stay open are the outdoor memorials and the Mall, which is open 24 hours a day. Closed that day: the Washington Monument, the Capitol Visitor Center, the Botanic Garden and both Air and Space museums. No official page we could read covers the other museums.

For more ideas that cost nothing, see free things to do in DC. Families can start with family things to do in DC.

In December the average high at Washington Reagan National Airport is 48.8°F (about 9°C) and the average low is 34.5°F (about 1°C). The month brings 3.41 inches of precipitation and 1.7 inches of snow on average, from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. Pack a warm coat, gloves and waterproof shoes.

8. Pick a hotel for December

December is one of the cheapest months to sleep in Washington. In December 2026, a hotel night in Washington, DC cost a median $127 per room for two, against $334 in June 2027, in the 2026 Washington, DC Travel Cost Study.

The gap is big, so December is the month to book a better room. Look for a stay near a Metro stop, so the ride back at night is short.

Morrison Clark Inn is a historic inn at 1011 L Street NW in Penn Quarter. Booking.com scores it 8.9 from 2,083 reviews. The Graham Georgetown is a boutique hotel on Thomas Jefferson Street NW, 2,625 feet from Georgetown Waterfront Park. Booking.com scores it 8.4 from 601 reviews.

For more areas, see where to stay.

How to choose your December plan

Pick by what you want to see and how much you want to spend. The tours cost from €54 (trolley) to €62 and €76 (bus tours) and €92 (cruise), and each listing describes its route or menu. Most picks are free, and the paid ones cost under $20 or under €100.

Start with the free picks and add one paid evening. If you can only do one, make it the lit monuments, on foot or with the trolley.