It’s a Friday in mid-December, a little before 5 pm. The sun is already behind the hills, the lights on Rodeo Drive have just come on, and Wilshire Boulevard is moving at walking pace. That’s Beverly Hills at the holidays, and with a Beverly Hills rental car the evening goes far better if you’ve decided where the car will sit before you get there.
The short version: the city’s lights run from mid-November into early January, the best evenings start before dark, and the whole night works best if you park once and walk. When you book through Monza Exotics’ Beverly Hills rental page, ask the team about delivery to your hotel or home, so the car is there in the afternoon. Here’s how we’d plan the rest.
Beverly Hills Holiday Lights and Events in December
The season opens with the Rodeo Drive Holiday Lighting Celebration, which the City of Beverly Hills lists for Thursday, November 19, 2026, from 5 to 8 pm, free and open to the public. The Rodeo Drive events page says this year’s celebration also marks the street’s 50th anniversary, with music, dance and holiday installations.
After that night, Beverly Hills holiday lights stay up through the season. The city’s Citywide Holiday Festivities page lists Lights on the Lily Pond in Beverly Gardens Park, by the Beverly Hills sign, from November 19 to January 3, 5:30 to 9:30 pm each night, and Glowing Gardens at Beverly Canon Gardens over the same dates from 5 to 11 pm. A menorah lighting in Beverly Gardens Park is scheduled for December 7 at 5:30 pm, and Greystone Mansion holds daytime holiday events on December 5, 6, 12 and 13. Check the city page close to your date, since schedules can change.
Crowds build on weekends, and the two weekends before Christmas are the busiest. A Tuesday or Wednesday evening gives you the same lights with far fewer people on the sidewalk.
Rodeo Drive at Christmas, After Dark
Rodeo Drive at Christmas is best on foot. The three blocks between Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevard are the core of it, with the storefronts dressed for the season and the street decorations overhead. Start at the Wilshire end, where Two Rodeo climbs from the corner as a short cobblestone lane with its own steps and lamps, and work north.
For holiday shopping, Beverly Hills boutiques are calmest early in the evening, so go then, and check each boutique’s hours for the day you’re going, since holiday hours vary by store. If you’re buying something large, ask the store to hold it or deliver it so you’re not carrying bags to dinner.
Parking and Valet With a Valuable Car
Beverly Hills is one of the easier places in Los Angeles to park, if you know where to look. The city’s Parking Operations Division runs 19 city-owned facilities, and its public parking structures page lists garages a short walk from Rodeo, including 9510 Brighton Way and the structures on North Crescent Drive and Dayton Way. Several offer a free period, which the city applies to the first entry of the day only, so parking once and walking saves money as well as stress.
With a supercar or a Rolls-Royce, think about the ramp before the price. Low-nosed cars can scrape on steep garage entries, so take ramps slowly and at an angle, and choose a quieter upper level where nobody will squeeze in next to your doors. Hotel and restaurant valet is the simpler option for an evening out. Before you hand over the key, take a quick photo of each side of the car, keep the ticket somewhere safe and leave nothing visible inside. Monza’s rental terms make the renter responsible for damage while the car is in their care, so a few minutes of caution is worth it.
Holiday Dinners and Hotel Bars Worth Booking Ahead
In December, walk-ins are often turned away. The Beverly Wilshire sits right at the foot of Rodeo, which makes it the easiest place to end a walk with a drink. The Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunset is a ten-minute drive away and a classic for a holiday dinner. The Peninsula, a few blocks west, is quieter and good for a late cocktail.
Book two to three weeks ahead for a Friday or Saturday in December, more for anything near Christmas Eve. When you reserve, ask whether the restaurant or hotel has valet and how long the line usually is at 9 pm, so you know how much time to leave on the way out.
Which Beverly Hills Rental Car Suits a Cold December Night?
December evenings here get colder than visitors expect once the sun goes down, which changes the car decision more than you’d think. A convertible is lovely in the afternoon and less so at 10 pm with the roof down.
For a couple, a coupe makes the bigger arrival. The Rolls-Royce Spectre seats four, runs silently on electric power and looks right under a hotel porte cochère. If the evening includes serious shopping, choose an SUV. A Rolls-Royce Cullinan or a Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 has the cargo space for bags and boxes and a warm, quiet cabin for four adults. A Bentley Flying Spur or Mercedes-Maybach S580 sits in between: a sedan with a proper trunk and rear seats your guests will enjoy. You can compare these on Monza’s Beverly Hills ultra-luxury rentals page, and the Beverly Hills Rolls-Royce rentals page covers the Spectre and Cullinan.
Timing Around Holiday Traffic
Aim to park by about 4:30 pm. You’ll find space before the evening rush, walk Rodeo as the lights come on and still make a 7 pm reservation. On weekdays, Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevard are slowest between roughly 5 and 7 pm, so if you’re driving in from the coast or downtown, leaving early beats sitting in traffic.
On the night of the lighting celebration, expect much heavier crowds around Rodeo and possible street closures, and give yourself extra time to reach your garage. Coming home, leaving after 9 pm usually means an easier drive. If anyone in your group wants to drink at dinner, ask Monza about a chauffeur.
Reserve a Car for Your December Evening
December dates go quickly, especially the weekends before Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Pick your night, decide between a coupe and an SUV, and ask Monza about delivery timing so the car arrives with daylight to spare. Start on the Monza Exotics Beverly Hills page and reserve your car for a December evening now.
