Los Angeles is a spread-out collection of neighborhoods rather than one city: surf towns on the coast, hillside hikes with skyline views, world-class museums and some of the best casual food in the country. Plan a base or two and keep drives short.
Good to know
- Traffic is the real itinerary constraint; cluster each day in one area (Westside, Hollywood, Downtown, or the beaches) and avoid crossing town at 5pm.
- Use the Metro for Downtown, Union Station and the Expo Line to Santa Monica; rideshare or a car for everything else.
- June 'gloom' marine layer often hides the coast until noon; September and October are the warmest, clearest beach months.
Eat this
Places the planner can use
Mark places as a must or something to skip. The itinerary is built only from this list; ★ marks the destination’s highlights.
Free contemporary art museum with Kusama's infinity room, next to Walt Disney Concert Hall and Grand Central Market.
Century-old food hall with stalls for tacos, ramen, egg sandwiches and the famous Eggslut.
The Walk of Fame and handprints at the TCL Chinese Theatre; touristy but worth an hour before heading somewhere calmer.
Picnic in the amphitheater under the shell for summer concerts and the Fourth of July fireworks show.
Hilltop museum of European art, gardens and a tram ride in, with some of the best views over the basin. Parking and entry are by timed reservation.
Free observatory perched above the city with views of the Hollywood Sign; hike up from the Fern Dell trailhead and stay for sunset.
Ferris wheel and arcade on the pier, then a bike or walk south along the Venice boardwalk, skate park and canals.
Art museum with Urban Light and a Mid-Wilshire neighbor where Ice Age fossils still bubble out of the asphalt.
Pacific Coast Highway sea caves and tide pools at El Matador, then the headland trail at Point Dume for whale-watching in winter.
All-night BBQ houses, dessert cafes and private karaoke rooms in a neighborhood that never quite sleeps.
Studio tram tour and the Wizarding World; go on a weekday and pay for express access in summer.
Venice's boutique-and-coffee strip, good for a long lunch after the beach.