San Jose December (Christmas) Travel & Photo Guide 🎄✨

This winter break in December, I visited the South Bay to meet friends and took the chance to explore most of the attractions in San Jose. Overall, San Jose does a great job with its Christmas atmosphere 🎄 (both downtown and at various decorated spots). However, the gap between affluent areas (like Santana Row) and less wealthy neighborhoods is quite noticeable. The downtown area has a higher concentration of Mexican-American communities, and it’s important to stay alert ⚠️ (there are some homeless individuals in the city center). 1️⃣ Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum 🏛️ This museum mainly displays Egyptian artifacts. The highlight is the underground tomb adventure, where you can experience recreated ancient Egyptian burial chambers—mysterious and immersive! You’ll also find exquisite murals, mummies, and artifacts illustrating the daily life and history of ancient Egyptians. The museum’s backyard garden is beautiful and adds an exotic touch. Tickets are only $15 ($12 for students), making it a great value! 💰 2️⃣ Municipal Rose Garden 🌹 I visited in the evening during winter, and most roses were gone—only a few remained. But I’ve heard it’s quite stunning in the summer! 🌞 3️⃣ Santana Row 🛍️ This feels like the liveliest street in the Bay Area at night (think Shanghai’s Nanjing East Road, though with far fewer people). It’s lined with upscale restaurants, luxury residences, and plenty of shops—perfect for an evening stroll. The street is lavishly decorated for Christmas, complete with a giant Christmas tree 🎄. The nearby Westfield Valley Fair mall is also bustling, with many luxury stores (after all, it’s Silicon Valley—so many wealthy folks, while us PhD students on stipends can only window-shop 😂). #SanJose #BayAreaWeekend #BayAreaWeekendPlans #InternationalStudentTravel #ChristmasDestinations #Christmas #EgyptianMuseum #RoseGarden