Travel guide · United States
Los Angeles travel guide
Beaches, Hollywood history, free museums and serious taco culture
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Gnaphron, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Quick answer
Los Angeles is a sprawling region of distinct neighbourhoods rather than a single centre: Hollywood and Griffith Park below the hills, Santa Monica and Venice on the beach, a revived Downtown of museums and food halls, and Beverly Hills and West Hollywood in between. Distances are large and traffic is heavy, so most visitors pick one or two bases and group sights by area. The rewards are dependable sunshine, museums such as the Getty and LACMA, film-industry history and a food scene built by Mexican, Korean, Thai and Japanese communities. Plan 6 days for a first visit; the best months are March–May and September–November.
Key facts
- Country
- United States
- Best time to visit
- March–May and September–November
- Ideal stay
- 6 days
- Main airports
- LAX, BUR, LGB, SNA, ONT
- Mid-range daily budget
- $250–$400 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- Hollywood, Beaches, Griffith Observatory and Getty Center
Why visit Los Angeles
- Many headline sights cost nothing to enter: the Getty Center, Griffith Observatory, The Broad's collection and the beaches from Santa Monica to Venice.
- Hollywood history is everywhere, from the Walk of Fame and the TCL Chinese Theatre to working studio lots in Burbank and Universal City.
- Neighbourhood food: taco trucks in East LA, Korean barbecue in Koreatown, Thai Town in East Hollywood and the 1917 Grand Central Market downtown.
- Mild, dry weather most of the year, with beach days from late spring well into autumn.
- Disneyland, Catalina Island, Santa Barbara and Joshua Tree are all within day-trip range.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 19 things to do.
Landmark · Griffith Park
Griffith Observatory
On the southern slope of Mount Hollywood since 1935, Griffith Observatory has free exhibits, a planetarium with paid shows, and terraces looking over the LA basin to the ocean and up to the Hollywood Sign.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Views
- After dark
- Kids
- Couples
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Street · Hollywood
Hollywood Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre
More than 2,700 brass-and-terrazzo stars line Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- After dark
Museum · Brentwood
Getty Center
Richard Meier's travertine-clad hilltop campus holds European paintings including Van Gogh's Irises, plus photography, sculpture and decorative arts, and Robert Irwin's Central Garden.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Views
- Architecture
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Waterfront · Santa Monica
Santa Monica Pier
The 1909 pier holds Pacific Park's solar-panelled Ferris wheel and roller coaster, a carousel in the 1916 Looff Hippodrome, a small aquarium under the pier and the sign marking the end of Route 66.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Kids
- Views
- After dark
- Free
Neighbourhood · Venice
Venice Beach Boardwalk and canals
Ocean Front Walk is LA at its most theatrical: street performers, murals, the outdoor gym at Muscle Beach and a skate park on the sand.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
- Food
Museum · Miracle Mile
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
LACMA's encyclopaedic collection runs from ancient and Islamic art to Latin American and contemporary work on Wilshire Boulevard's Museum Row.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- After dark
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Where to stay
Santa Monica is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 9 areas.
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, families, beach and couples
Santa Monica
Beachfront pier, the Third Street Promenade and the end of Route 66
$$$ · Best for beach, solo travellers and food lovers
Venice
Boardwalk performers, quiet canals and Abbot Kinney's boutiques
$$ · Best for first-timers, budget and nightlife
Hollywood
Walk of Fame, historic theatres and the main Metro line under the boulevard
$$$$ · Best for nightlife, couples, luxury and shopping
West Hollywood
Sunset Strip music clubs, design stores and LGBTQ+ nightlife
What to eat
- Tacos al pastor — Chilli-marinated pork shaved from a vertical spit (trompo) onto small corn tortillas and topped with pineapple, onion, coriander and salsa.
- French dip sandwich — Thinly sliced roast beef on a French roll dipped in meat juices, often eaten with hot mustard.
- Korean barbecue — Marinated short ribs (galbi), pork belly and thin-sliced brisket grilled at the table and eaten with banchan side dishes, lettuce wraps and soju.
- Double-Double burger — California's In-N-Out chain, founded in 1948, keeps a short menu; regulars order the Double-Double 'animal style', with grilled onions, pickles and extra spread.
- Korean tacos — Korean short rib or spicy pork in corn tortillas with kimchi slaw and salsa, a mash-up popularised by Roy Choi's Kogi truck in 2008 that helped start the gourmet food-truck boom.
- Bacon-wrapped hot dog — Called 'street dogs', these hot dogs wrapped in bacon and grilled on carts with onions and peppers are a late-night staple outside clubs, stadiums and concerts.
When to go
The best times to visit Los Angeles are March to May and September to November, when days are warm and dry, beaches are quieter and hotel prices dip outside holiday weeks. Summer is hot, busy and peak season for the theme parks, while May and June can be grey at the coast. Winter is mild and sunny between occasional storms and suits museums, hiking and city sightseeing.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Winter | December–February | Mild, sunny days and cool nights, with most of the year's rain arriving in short storms; snow-capped mountains on clear days and lower prices outside the holidays. |
| Spring | March–May | Warm, dry and green, with wildflowers on the hills and comfortable hiking, though May mornings at the coast are often grey. |
| Summer | June–August | Hot and rainless inland, cooler at the beach after the June Gloom clears; peak crowds at the theme parks and the Hollywood Bowl season. |
| Autumn | September–November | Often the sunniest, warmest beach weather with fewer crowds, but also the season of Santa Ana winds and wildfire risk. |
Getting there and around
LAX is about 25 km south-west of Downtown. Metro's LAX/Metro Transit Center connects the airport area with the K and C Lines (check the airport site for the current link to the terminals), and FlyAway buses run to Union Station. Taxis and rideshares take roughly 30–90 minutes to Hollywood or Downtown depending on traffic. Burbank, Long Beach, Orange County and Ontario airports can be closer for some areas.
Los Angeles covers a huge area and most residents drive. Visitors can manage without a car by combining Metro rail (Hollywood, Downtown, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Long Beach) with rideshare, but grouping sights by neighbourhood is essential; crossing the city at rush hour can take more than an hour.
Plan your days
Four days covers Hollywood and Griffith Park, a beach day in Santa Monica and Venice, Downtown's museums and one studio or theme park. Six days adds Disneyland or Universal plus Malibu or a day trip; plan each day around one area to limit driving.
Practical information
- Currency
- USD
- Language
- English and Spanish
- Plugs
- Type A and B sockets, 120 V, 60 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is safe to drink; many people prefer filtered or bottled water for taste.
- Emergency number
- 911 (police, fire, ambulance)
- Tipping
- Tipping is expected: about 18–22% of the pre-tax bill at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two per drink at bars, 15–20% for taxis and rideshares, a few dollars for valets, and a few dollars per bag for hotel porters.
Car break-ins are common, so never leave bags or valuables visible in a parked car. Some Downtown blocks and parts of Hollywood and Venice can feel unsettled at night, so use rideshare after dark. Respect lifeguard warnings at the beaches, and follow official alerts during wildfires or extreme heat.
Flights to Los Angeles
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in Los Angeles?
Four days covers Hollywood and Griffith Park, a beach day in Santa Monica and Venice, Downtown's museums and one studio or theme park. Six days adds Disneyland or Universal plus Malibu or a day trip; plan each day around one area to limit driving. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit Los Angeles?
The best times to visit Los Angeles are March to May and September to November, when days are warm and dry, beaches are quieter and hotel prices dip outside holiday weeks. Summer is hot, busy and peak season for the theme parks, while May and June can be grey at the coast. Winter is mild and sunny between occasional storms and suits museums, hiking and city sightseeing.
+What is Los Angeles known for?
Hollywood, Beaches, Griffith Observatory, Getty Center, Theme parks, Tacos and Car culture. Many headline sights cost nothing to enter: the Getty Center, Griffith Observatory, The Broad's collection and the beaches from Santa Monica to Venice.
+Is Los Angeles expensive?
Los Angeles is expensive for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $250–$400 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in Los Angeles?
Not essential if you stay near Metro rail and use rideshare, but a car makes LA much easier for Malibu, the Getty, Griffith Park and day trips. Avoid driving in rush hours and budget for parking.