For couples · Los Angeles · United States
Romantic things to do in Los Angeles
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: The original uploader was Bobak at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 2.5
Quick answer
LA romance means sunsets over the Pacific, rooftop bars above the city lights and drives along the coast. Choose a beach base for evenings by the water, and save one night for the view from the hills. Couples tend to stay in Santa Monica.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 6
- Couple-friendly sights
- 3
- Area for couples
- Santa Monica
- Best months
- March–May and September–November
Romantic ideas
1.Sunset at Griffith Observatory
Watch the sun set over the basin from the observatory terraces, then look through the free public telescopes after dark.
2.Malibu coast drive
Drive the Pacific Coast Highway to Point Dume for sunset over the ocean, stopping for seafood along the way.
3.Summer night at the Hollywood Bowl
Bring a picnic and a bottle of wine to an open-air concert, then stay as the city lights come on below the hills.
4.Venice Canals at golden hour
Wander the footbridges of the Venice Canals as the light softens, then have dinner on Abbot Kinney Boulevard.
5.Rooftop drinks
Hotel rooftop bars in Downtown and West Hollywood look out over the city lights; reserve a table for sunset.
6.Morning at The Huntington
Spend a slow morning in the Japanese and Chinese gardens at The Huntington in San Marino before the afternoon crowds.
Sights couples love
Landmark · Griffith Park
Griffith Observatory
Parking near the building fills quickly around sunset; the LADOT DASH bus from Los Feliz runs up the hill.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Views
- After dark
- Kids
- Couples
Experience · Hollywood
Hollywood Bowl
Bring a picnic and arrive early to eat in the grounds; park-and-ride shuttles avoid the slow exit from the stacked parking.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- After dark
- Couples
- Iconic
Garden · San Marino
The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens
Plan a full morning; the Desert Garden and the Chinese Garden of Flowing Fragrance are the highlights for most visitors.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
- Nature
Where couples should stay
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, families, beach and couples
Santa Monica
Santa Monica is the most practical beach base: the pier and Pacific Park, the pedestrian Third Street Promenade, Palisades Park on the bluffs and a bike path along the sand to Venice. The Metro E Line runs from Downtown Santa Monica station to Downtown LA, and the centre is easy to explore on foot by LA standards.
- Good
- Beach, pier and promenade within walking distance; Direct Metro rail to Downtown; Cooler sea breezes in summer
- Watch out
- Expensive hotels; Long drive to Hollywood and the east side; Grey, foggy mornings in May and June
- Nearby
- Santa Monica Pier, Third Street Promenade, Palisades Park, Venice Beach
Romantic day trips
- Santa Catalina Island (About 1 hour by ferry from Long Beach) — Avalon, the island's small harbour town, has a 1929 Art Deco casino building (a ballroom, not a gambling hall), glass-bottom boat trips, snorkelling at Lovers Cove and hiking in the protected interior, where a herd of bison roams.
- Santa Barbara (About 2 hours by car, 2.5 by train) — Santa Barbara's red-tiled Spanish Colonial Revival centre, rebuilt after a 1925 earthquake, includes the Old Mission, the County Courthouse with a free clock-tower viewpoint, State Street and Stearns Wharf.
- Laguna Beach (About 1–1.5 hours by car) — A former artists' colony on the Orange County coast, Laguna Beach has coves and tide pools at Crescent Bay and Treasure Island Beach, galleries along Coast Highway and, in summer, the Pageant of the Masters, where performers recreate famous paintings as living pictures.
- Joshua Tree National Park (About 2.5–3 hours by car) — Where the Mojave and Colorado deserts meet, spiky Joshua trees grow among giant granite boulders.
- Malibu (About 1 hour by car) — The Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Monica passes surf breaks and beaches including Surfrider Beach at Malibu Pier and, further west, Point Dume and El Matador State Beach with its sea stacks.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as French dip sandwich, Korean barbecue and Double-Double burger. Tap water is free; ask for it if it is not brought automatically.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Los Angeles romantic?
LA romance means sunsets over the Pacific, rooftop bars above the city lights and drives along the coast. Choose a beach base for evenings by the water, and save one night for the view from the hills.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Los Angeles?
Sunset at Griffith Observatory: Watch the sun set over the basin from the observatory terraces, then look through the free public telescopes after dark.
+Where should couples stay in Los Angeles?
Santa Monica: Beachfront pier, the Third Street Promenade and the end of Route 66.