Los Angeles is the iconic home of Blockbuster movie productions, sandy beaches, never-ending sunshine and almost 50 million annual tourists. But in the entertainment capital of the world, it can feel almost impossible to narrow down exactly what you should do when visiting LA for the very first time.
In this guide we show you the top 10 things you shouldn’t miss in Los Angeles. You don’t have to do them all, but if you do a few, we guarantee you’ll have a great time in the City of Angels.
Our Experience
We visited Los Angeles in November 2019 as part of a 3 month road trip from New York to California. It was an incredible journey because we also spent several days driving the Pacific Cost Highway. We think the California coast is absolutely stunning and you can see some of the best viewpoints during your time in LA.
After spending a few days in town, we created this Los Angeles attractions list based on our experiences and what we would have done differently. This is a massive city and it can be extremely difficult to get around so we’ve included tips throughout to help you make the most of your time. Read more about us.
How To Get To Los Angeles
According to the Bureau of Transportation, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has the fifth highest throughput of passengers in the US which makes finding cheap and flexible flight options a walk in the park. Multiple flights will be available daily domestically as well as internationally from many major cities around the world.
If you’re flying into LA, we’d recommend Skyscanner to find the best value flights. Flexibility is key to saving money and you can search by the entire month to find great deals. You can also read our popular guide on how to book cheap flights for more money saving tips.
Many visitors will drive to Los Angeles as part of a Pacific Coast Highway road trip and this is what we did. So if you’re driving San Francisco to Los Angeles, it’s a 400 mile drive down I-5 South that should take about 6 hours without stopping. But the incredible California Highway 1 runs along the coast and if you can plan a few extra days into your itinerary here it’s worth it.
If you’re driving San Diego to Los Angeles, take I-5 North for 120 miles all the way to LA. It’s a pretty easy drive that will take a little over 2 hours without problems, but it can be much longer because traffic is known to be terrible. After leaving LA, we drove to San Diego and it took several hours unfortunately. Try to avoid planning your trip around rush hour to help save significant time.
Other notable driving times to LA from nearby places include:
- Las Vegas – About 270 miles and 4.5 hours
- Joshua Tree – About 130 miles and 2.5 hours
- Death Valley – About 220 miles and 4 hours
- Phoenix – About 400 miles and 6 hours
Los Angeles is huge. It’s a sprawling metropolis that can not be walked liked San Diego or San Francisco so you’ll need a means of transportation to get around. We used our car to access areas outside the city limits, but driving can be stressful and time consuming when stuck in traffic. The metro is a good option for visiting downtown, Hollywood and Santa Monica. We’ve also included tour options in this guide to help you get around easier.
Travel Tip: If you hire a car at LAX and drive to Hollywood which is the most popular neighborhood for first time visitors, you can expect the drive to be between 30 minutes and 1 hour 30 minutes depending on traffic.
Now that you know a little bit about the logistics, let’s explore Los Angeles:
1. The Hollywood Sign
The Hollywood Sign is the iconic Los Angeles landmark and one of the things LA is most known for. The 9 enormous white letters sit on the dusty hillside of Mount Lee in the Santa Monica Mountains as a symbol of what can be achieved by dreamers or believers. There are a number of viewpoints around Griffith Park and Sunset Boulevard, but we think hiking to the summit of Mt Lee is the best way to appreciate the reason this location for the sign was chosen.
Magnificent views over Los Angeles and even the Pacific Ocean on a clear day await you at the top. The classic scene includes the back of DOOWYLLOH, Griffith Observatory, LA city, mountains and ocean. Clear days without haze may be hard to come by, but try to arrive before sunrise for stunning blue hues in the sky.
There’s a lot of conflicting information about how to get to the Hollywood Sign because there are several different trails you can take and some of them connect to each other. Here are a few options with average hiking times:
- Hollyridge Trail – Moderate 5.0 mile trail with about 900 ft elevation gain (2 hours 20 mins)
- Brush Canyon Trail via Canyon Drive – Moderate 6.0 mile hike with about 1,200 ft of elevation gain (3 hours)
- Mt Hollywood Trail – 5.3 mile loop trail with 1,300 ft elevation gain (2 hours 45 mins)
- Cahuenga Peak Trail – 3.0 mile loop trail with about 900ft elevation gain (1 hour 30 minutes)
- Burbank Trail – 5.2 mile loop with 1,100 ft elevation gain (2 hours 40 mins)
The Brush Canyon Trail via Canyon Drive is probably the easiest hike to use for accessing the Hollywood Sign. This trail begins in Griffith Park and unlike other hikes, you won’t have to park in a residential neighborhood or gated community because there are two designated parking areas.
We used the Burbank Trail which confusingly is also known as the Wonder View Trail. It’s a rocky trail with steep sections and we turned around once reaching the Hollywood Sign without completing the full loop. We parked on at the top of Lake Hollywood Drive.
For many of these trails, you can park on certain residential streets, but some are restricted. You may see signs for no parking which have been put up by residents to deter visitors. So to avoid all of this chaos, just use the Brush Canyon Trail which has parking for hikers. We’ve included the trailhead location on our interactive map at the end of the guide. Or you can book one of the highly rated tour below:
Hiking Tip: LA’s heat can be relentless. The day we hiked in November was well into the 90’s and we were a sweaty dusty mess. There is minimal shade and you’ll need plenty of water as well as sunscreen. Try to begin your hike early in the day to avoid the heat.
2. Rodeo Drive In Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is fabulously manicured and a short drive around the neighborhood will reveal countless properties values at eye watering sums. It’s impossible not to be intrigued by Beverly Hills thanks to the popular culture throughout the last few decades. We think a walk down Rodeo Drive is a must do on on every LA itinerary simply because of it’s notoriety, but don’t expect celebrities en mass.
Rodeo Drive is the world famous 2 mile stretch of road featuring some of the most expensive designer brand boutiques on the planet. It’s synonymous with the rich and famous, luxury sports cars and culturally elite. You can see a complete list of stores here.
A great place to visit is the eccentric Louis Vuitton exhibit on the corner of Rodeo Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard. Today you can explore the “200 trunks, 200 visionaries” exhibition. It’s completely free and covers 160 years of Louis Vuitton history sprawled across two large floors. We loved seeing the early twentieth-century special order trunks.
Travel Tip: There are a surprising amount of multi-story parking lots in Beverly Hills so if you’re driving around the city, you can park up easily. The closest metro is in Hollywood, but that’s 3.7 miles away which makes taking the bus a better public transport method. Or you could book this Beverly Hills tour.
3. Visit Santa Monica
Santa Monica is a neighborhood in a lovely part of Los Angeles and it’s incredibly popular with tourists on a first time visit. We think the entire area is more than worth the visit alone and you should plan at least half a day if not more. It’s a great place for a slow meander once the sun has set and the sand is no longer warm underfoot.
Here are a few things you can do in Santa Monica:
- Third Street Promenade – A pedestrian friendly mall with shopping and restaurants
- Santa Monica Pier – Popular seaside destination with activities for everyone
- Palisades Park – A gorgeous 26 acre green space along Ocean Avenue
- Santa Monica State Beach – A beautiful expanse of beach with hotels, shops, restaurants and bike trails
- Original Muscle Beach – Network of outdoor workout equipment popularized from the 1950’s
- Annenberg Community Beach House – Historic home with swimming pool, gym and playground
Another of Los Angeles’ world famous attractions, the Santa Monica Pier has been featured in too many movies and tv shows to mention. The Pier contains the world’s first solar powered ferris wheel, various arcades, an amusement park and aquarium. It’s also a very popular fishing spot. We do think the Pier is a bit gimmicky, but it’s the perfect day out if you’re traveling with younger kids.
You’ll find a number of parking lots close to the Pier. Just take the ramp located at the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Colorado Avenue. However, these spots fill very quickly on weekends and holidays so arrive early. A flat fee or hourly rate will apply to parking nearby. We took the metro expo line from downtown LA to Santa Monica. You can also begin in Hollywood and change lines downtown, but travel time will be about an hour each way.
We think Santa Monica is one of the best places in Los Angeles to watch a beautiful orange sun setting over the Pacific Ocean. Walk underneath the Pier as the sun sets to witness gorgeous sun bursts through dozens of wooden supports joists.
Travel Tip: The Santa Monica Pier is technically the end of Route 66 so don’t miss your chance to take a photo with the Route 66 End of the Trail sign. It’s located near the Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant.
READ: 23 amazing stops between San Francisco to San Diego
4. Walk To Venice
Venice is a cultural hub known for eccentric arts, a bohemian vibe and Venice Beach. The famous beach is complimented by a 2.5 mile promenade along which you can find street art, basketball courts, coffee shops and another Muscle Beach outdoor gym.
Walking from Santa Monica to Venice in late afternoon is perfect for a feel of the real LA. You’ll see the effects of gentrification in a sprawling city and to get out of your comfort zone before heading back to Santa Monica for sunset.
But Venice Beach won’t be suited for all travelers visiting Los Angles. It has a different vibe from the other California beaches because it’s a lot more gritty. Personally, we enjoyed walking the promenade to see the local artwork and didn’t feel too unsafe. That being said, the area can be slightly intimidating because it’s filled with poverty and undesirable smells. There are also many scammers in the area so if you’re traveling with kids, Santa Monica might be a better option.
You can take your car to a number of small parking lots in Venice or take a bus directly from Union Square in downtown LA. But we think walking from Santa Monica is by far the best way to visit Venice. We even got to see a tv show being filmed as we walked between the two beaches.
Hidden behind Venice Beach are a series of intricate and picturesque canals with modern houses reflecting in the perfectly still water. So if you want to avoid the gritty Venice Beach area, head straight to the canals for a more relaxing experience.
5. Watch A Live Gameshow
Many of America’s most popular gameshows and talk shows are recorded in studios around Los Angeles. These shows need audience members to create the excitable clapping and whooping noises you always hear which is where you come in. Tickets are usually free and offered to anyone visiting or living in LA.
Use these links to score on camera audience tickets for various shows:
- Price Is Right – Longest-running game show with host Drew Carey
- Jeopardy – Top rated quiz show on tv with host Ken Jennings
- Dancing With The Stars – Celebrities and pro dancers judged by a panel of experts
- Who Want’s To Be A Millionaire – Celebrity contestants hosted by Jimmy Kimmel
It’s not everyday you get the chance to sit in the audience of Jeopardy if you enjoy a quiz show or see your favorite celebrities chatting to talk show hosts. Attending a game show or talk show is one of the best ways to see celebrities in LA.
Choose a show like Price Is Right and you might even end up winning $25,000 worth of prizes. We scored last minute tickets to Price Is Right, but didn’t have enough dance skills or make enough noise to “come on down.” Maybe next time!
One thing we didn’t expect was how long it would take to attend a live game show because it took up a good chunk of our day. We spent about 4.5 hours waiting and then watching one episode of Price Is Right. So only book this LA activity if it’s something you really want to do and have the time to spare. In hindsight, we would have preferred trying to get onto Jeopardy, especially now than Ken is hosting.
Travel Tip: Loosen your hips, vocal cord and inhibitions to stand more of a chance if you want to be on tv. When we attended Price Is Right, the producers chose the visitors with the most spunk and outgoing personalities so you’ll have to really shine to get down to one of the 4 podiums.
6. Tour A Movie Studio
Who isn’t a fan of tv shows and movies?! When you’re in Los Angeles, one of the things you must do is tour a movie studio. You can take your pick between Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, Paramount and Universal, the 4 big industry players. Depending on the tour you chose, you’ll spend 2-3 hours walking around exterior sets, huge interior lots, previous movie exhibits and see props used in your favorite features.
Movie studio tours are not the place to go celeb spotting and don’t expect to watch the latest blockbuster being made. But what you will get is an insight into how movies and tv shows are made from sound and production to sets and costumes. Unless you’re a mega film fan and have a VIP subscription to IMDb, one tour is probably enough to get a taste to movie making.
We highly recommend you purchase tickets online in advance because space is limited. In the peak season of summer, you can expect these tours to fill quickly so book as soon as you know your travel dates.
Here are the official websites for each of the 4 tours:
After reading reviews and doing some research, we chose Warner Bros because it seemed like the purest tour for movie and tv show lovers. If you’re a lover of Friends, The Big Bang Theory, DC Universe, Batman and Harry Potter, it’s a great choice. Here’s the exact tour we booked:
For more information, you can also read our Warner Bros studio tour review which walks you through exactly what to expect including what we liked and didn’t like.
7. Explore Hollywood
Hollywood is tinseltown. It’s the glitz and glamour entertainment capital of the world and the heartbeat of Los Angeles. The neighborhood of Hollywood is a melting pot of eateries, bars, souvenir shops, and gimmicky tourist attractions. At night, Hollywood Boulevard comes to life in an array of loud noises and bright colors making it the best time to explore.
For first time visitors to Los Angeles, Hollywood is one of our top choices for booking a hotel because it’s at the heart of the best things to do in LA. Most tourists set up base in or around Hollywood, which means bars fill up with people from all continents and makes for a great night out.
During the day, you can’t miss the walk of fame which runs along 15 blocks of Hollywood and contains over 2,500 stars. TCL Chinese Theater is where you can also find the hand and foot prints of the biggest names in movies. Next door in Dolby Theater, this is where the Oscars ceremony is held every year.
Travel Tip: Go inside Dolby Theater and as you walk through the hall, you’ll see all the Oscar best picture winners since the ceremony began on lighted arches.
If you decide to book a hotel in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica or any other part of LA, you can take public transit to Hollywood. For example, the metro red line from downtown or Santa Monica and the bus from Beverly Hills. Personally, we think Hollywood, West Hollywood and Santa Monica are the best places to book a hotel when visiting LA so we’ll give you a few options based on our top picks and the bookings we see.
Hollywood:
- Budget – Hollywood Celebrity
- Mid Range – Loews Hollywood
- Luxury – Hollywood Roosevelt
West Hollywood:
- Budget – Best Western Plus
- Mid Range – The Charlie
- Luxury – Pendry West Hollywood
Santa Monica:
- Budget – Santa Monica Motel
- Mid Range – Ambrose
- Luxury – Shutters On The Beach
You can also read our guide featuring where to stay in LA on our sister site, Best Hotels Anywhere.
READ: How to book cheap hotels every time
8. Cruise Around Mulholland Drive
Mulholland Drive is a 21 mile long winding road meandering through the Santa Monica Mountains just north of Hollywood. The name was made famous by David Lynch’s 2001 psychological thriller, Mulholland Drive and many of Hollywood’s finest call the Hollywood Hills home.
There are mansions around every corner to admire as you pass through Laurel Canyon and Nichols Canyon, featuring some of the most expensive houses in the world. But the main reason to drive you car around Mulholland’s twisting roads is because you have fantastic vantage points to see LA, the Hollywood Sign and the Pacific Ocean on clear days.
While many tours often include Mulholland Drive as part of their tour, it’s only a quick drive by. So for the best experience, you’ll need your own vehicle for this one. Start by entering Mulholland Drive to the east from Cahuenga Boulevard after visiting Universal or Warner Bros. Drive the winding roads and stop to admire the views as you pass over the hills.
Don’t miss Jerome C. Daniel Overlook on the eastern side of Mulholland Drive. From this viewpoint, you can see the Hollywood Sign and with binoculars or a telephoto lens, you’ll get a great view of the sign and Hollywood Bowl. Drop back down into Beverly Hills through Benedict Canyon for an efficient day ticking off the best things to do in Los Angeles.
READ: Bucket list US vacation spots
9. Griffith Observatory
The Griffith Observatory has one of the best locations in Los Angeles on the south facing slope of Mount Hollywood. It offers primetime views over LA city, the Hollywood Sign and the Pacific Ocean. Inside the Greek style building there are numerous science and space exhibits including a fantastic planetarium show.
It’s completely free to visit the Griffith Observatory and it’s truly a hidden gem in LA. Many visit simply for the excellent views, but we implore you not to miss the awesome exhibits inside. You’ll find a pendulum demonstrating the rotation of Earth, a Tesla Coil and Zeiss Telescope for viewing at night.
While entrance to the observatory is free, you might have to pay to park depending on where you can find a space. There is also a separate fee for the Samuel Oschin Planetarium. Various show plays inside the planetarium and you can see the schedule on the official website here. We saw Centered in the Universe and it cost us $10 each.
If you don’t want to pay to see a show in the planetarium, there are also many free programs offered daily. One of our favorites was the Tesla Coil demonstration. The presentation lasts 6 minutes and you can see times here. For a list of all the daily programs, click here.
We drove to the Griffith Observatory on our way out of LA. There is limited parking at the designated lot in front of the observatory or you can park along the Observatory and Western Canyon Roads. You can also take a DASH observatory bus from the Vermont / Sunset Metro along the red line.
If you visit on a busy day and cars are parked all the way up the road, try to find a spot at the top first because there maybe spaces free. This is exactly what we did and luckily got a spot right away. Early in the evening is a great time to visit. We highly recommend you do the planetarium before watching the sun set and then look through the free public Zeiss telescopes at the night sky.
10. Downtown Los Angeles
When you’ve had enough of Hollywood and need a bit of history, art or culture head downtown to one of the many excellent Los Angeles museums, music venues or eateries. Downtown LA (DTLA) is diverse, exciting and overflowing with cool hangouts. You can visit Little Tokyo, Chinatown or the Fashion District and enjoy every type of street food at Grand Central Market.
The Broad is a highly rated modern art museum and next door, you’ll find the Walt Disney Concert Hall with its mind-bending stainless steel deconstructivistm architectural style. Here are a few other popular things to do downtown:
- The Last Bookstore – Often dubbed the most photographed bookstore in the world
- Gloria Molina Grand Park – Green space with performance area, wadeable membrane pool and memorial fountain
- Angels Flight Railway – World’s shortest railway built in 1901 with 2 funicular cars
- GRAMMY Museum – Interactive space honoring the greats of musical past
- Pershing Square – Park with a 10-story purple bell tower offering various community events
- The Museum of Contemporary Art – A collection of multimedia works produced since 1940
- Peacock Theater – Performing arts venue with classy decor and luxury boxes
- Smorgasburg (Los Angeles) – One of the biggest open air food markets in the US
We don’t recommend driving to get into downtown LA. Instead take a metro to either 7th street/Metro Center, Civic Center/Grand Park or Union Station depending on what you want to do in DTLA. There are also plenty of bus routes that run into downtown, but the metro will be much quicker without traffic.
Travel Tip: If you’re staying in Hollywood, group Santa Monica, Venice and downtown into one or two days of your LA itinerary. That way you can bunch together the remaining things to do in LA north of downtown.
Where To Eat In Los Angeles
Los Angeles is the second largest US city after New York with over 4 million residents not including the metro area so you can be sure there are restaurants galore! You’ll find everything from delicious quick bites to fancy Michelin star restaurants. But when you’re trying to find a place to eat, keep an eye out for where the locals go. Don’t go into empty restaurants because in this case, crowds will lead you to the good food.
We’ll break down LA into its most popular neighborhoods we discussed in this guide and give you our top recommendations for first time visitors.
Hollywood restaurants:
- Gracias Madre – Meatless Mexican spot with an extensive drink menu
- Mel’s Drive-In – Very popular 1950’s local chain offering American classics
- Musso & Frank Grill – One of Hollywood’s oldest eateries, waiters serve American fare in red booths
- Pizzeria Mozza – Wood-burning-oven pizzas by Chef Nancy Silverton
- Providence – Fine dining seafood options in a tranquil setting
- Salt’s Cure – California sourced meat, produce and seafood
- Yamashiro Hollywood – Sushi and Cal-Asian food served in a beautiful garden
Beverly Hills restaurants:
- Avra Beverly Hills – Seafood spot popular for celebrating special occasions
- Lawry’s The Prime Rib – Classic beef and seafood fine dining
- Spago – Wolfgang Puck’s flagship restaurant
- The Penthouse at Mastro’s – Fine dining chophouse
- The Cheesecake Factory – Perfect alternative for those on a budget
Santa Monica restaurants:
- 1212 Santa Monica – Vintage chic lounge with world-inspired meals
- Fritto Misto – Chilled Italian place with create your own pasta
- Tar & Roses – Californian spot with American plates
- The Misfit Bar – Creative comfort food and healthy options
- True Food Kitchen – Eco-friendly chain serving health-conscious fare
- UOVO – Pasta bar with fresh handmade noodles
Downtown LA restaurants:
- 71Above – High-end bar with American food and panoramic views
- Bottega Louie – Pizzas, pastas and small plates plus weekend brunch
- Cole’s French Dip – Epic French dip sandwiches, cocktails and top rated bar
- Girl & the Goat – Innovative New American dishes with global and local flavors
- Otium – New American fare right next to The Broad museum
- Sonoratown – Popular low key, cheap and tasty Mexican food
- Wurstküche – German sausages and brewery
Travel Tip: In-N-Out Burger is an extremely popular fast food chain primarily located in California. You’ll find it all throughout LA and we recommend you try this local staple when you’re in town. Personally, we were a little bit underwhelmed and it wasn’t as good we thought it would be, but Californians swear by it!
Los Angeles Interactive Map
Use our interactive map for Los Angeles to familiarize yourself with the area. Click to activate the map. We’ve included the best things to see and do that we already mentioned in this guide.
Map key:
- Red – Our top attractions
- Green – Top rated restaurants
- Dark Blue – Hotel recommendations
You can also open the full map here for a better and larger view.
The Morgan Conclusion
What we like: One of our favorite parts about visiting LA is the beautiful sunshine. It’s an easy travel destination because you don’t have to worry too much about bad weather ruining your plans. Even in November, we could walk around the beaches in shorts and t-shirts comfortably. We also like how many unique attractions you can experience in LA, the movie studio tour and watching a game show were highlights from our trip.
What we don’t like: The downside to visiting LA is that there are several bad areas you should avoid. It’s also a very large sprawling city with a limited metro system and we found getting around by car was horrible because we always had to deal with a lot of traffic. LA is expensive and it’s better to visit with a decent travel budget. Money doesn’t go far here which might make it hard to enjoy with a small budget.
Is Los Angeles worth it? Yes, we think Los Angeles is worth visiting. It’s one of the most visited US cities well known for iconic movies and tv locations which makes it special. In addition to the cool attractions, you can visit multiple beaches, hike to the Hollywood Sign and indulge in many of the great restaurants. But since it’s a large city, we recommend you think about how you’ll get around to make the most of your time.
More From California
- Warner Bros Studio tour review
- San Francisco to San Diego road trip
- Best places to stay in Los Angeles
- Unique things to do in San Francisco
- How to plan the a San Francisco itinerary
- Is the day or night tour of Alcatraz worth it?
- Where to see the Golden Gate Bridge
- Things you need to see in San Diego
- 1-3 day itinerary for Yosemite National Park
- One day in Death Valley from Las Vegas
- Epic Joshua Tree National Park day trip
Want more California content? Head to our California Travel Guides to explore national parks, popular road trips and things to do in major cities of the Golden state.
We hope our guide featuring activities you can’t miss in LA helped with planning your trip!
Please let us know if you have any questions about visiting Los Angeles in the comments below.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen Morgan are travel, hiking and photography experts. Over the last 6 years traveling full time, they have explored more than 40 countries and 30 US states.
Where Are Those Morgans has been featured in USA Today, Gestalten, Get Your Guide, CityPASS and Condé Nast Traveler along with various other publications. Read more about us.