What comes to mind when you think of Los Angeles? Amazing beaches? Glitz and glamour? The Kardashians? The City of Angels and the surrounding county has it all, and then some.
What isn’t L.A. famous for? It’s the home of Hollywood, after all, which means it’s also home to trillions of movie locations. Stroll down Santa Monica Pier, and you might feel like you’re in Forrest Gump, or even that modern classic Beverly Hills Cop III. Be Julia Roberts for a day and get kicked out of the very same posh clothes shop that she gets kicked out of in 1980s movie Pretty Women, over on Rodeo Drive.
Check out my LA travel tips where I’m going to be shedding some light on where to go, where to stay, where to shop and what to do in California’s most sizzling city and beyond. Whiten those teeth and flash your best Hollywood smile – we’re shaking down Los Angeles!
Weather and Best Time to Visit
One of the great things about L.A. is that there’s never a bad time to visit, as it enjoys a moderate climate all year round. If you want to beat the crowds, avoid July and August, when school holidays mean more tourists (and screaming children). Beware the infamous ‘June Gloom’, when overcast skies and clouds are likely to interrupt your sun seeking.
Getting to Los Angeles
There are so many cheap flights to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), direct from London and other worldwide locations. If you’re flying internally, consider flying to Burbank or Long Beach – they’re smaller, with less delays. Find cheap flights with Skyscanner.
LA airport is located 24 km southwest of the city. Take a free shuttle service to connect you to the metro or get on a public bus taking you to various destinations from 75c. Jump in a cab to downtown Los Angeles at a cost of around $30, it will only take half an hour.
From LAX, if you’re heading Downtown, or to San Fernando Valley or the Westside, you’re in luck – shuttle buses run regularly (approx every 30 minutes). A bus Downtown or to San Fernando Valley will cost you $7 one way, with the fare to the Westside fixed at $5.
If you’re heading to Hollywood, take the shuttle bus to Union Station (Downtown) and hop on the Metro Red Line. You can even get a bus out to Santa Monica. Just get the airport shuttle to the LAX Transit Center, where you’ll find a bus station full of buses heading out to the coast. Alternatively, hop in one of the plentiful taxis outside the airport.
Where to Stay in Los Angeles
I recommend staying in either Hollywood or a beach community like Santa Monica or Venice.
Downtown is a popular area to stay with lots of hotels located here, but it is definately not high on the list for seeing the cool stuff in LA. The public transportation from here is either non existent or inconvenient, depending on where you are and we you area going.
L.A. is bubbling over with hotels and hostels. If you’re staying in the city, consider the Stay Hotel in Downtown and, if you’re feeling flush, the Crowne Plaza in Beverly Hills. For cheap accommodation in Santa Monica, check out hotels in Carmel by the Sea.
Check out my Magic Castle Hotel review – this is a popular hotels with celebs and tourist alike.
Some people might tell you to avoid staying in Hollywood and Highland, but both locations are very central. Although the shops are a bit boring and corporate, it’s busy, and you’ll be over-charged for everything. If you must see the stars on the ground, go, but it is a skeezy area with sex shops and prostitutes and horrendous traffic.
Bottom line is, it’s worth researching the different neighbourhoods well before you head to LA, especially if it’s for a week or less. My advice would be to pick the spots you most want to see, and try to find a hotel that’s close to as many of them as possible.
Chances are you won’t get one close to everything you want to see, but if you get close to even a couple of them, you’ll keep more money in your pocket for the activities themselves, for meals, for fun and games of what ever kind you’re into!
Get the best deals on LA hotels on Booking.com.
Getting Around Los Angeles
Ever heard the stereotype, “nobody walks in L.A.”? Well, it’s (almost) true. Let’s face it, cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway just isn’t going to be the same on public transport, is it?
If you’re visiting LA for the first time as a tourist, you need to know that it’s one hell of a big place! The city of angels is spread out over an enormous area of land, connected by highway after freeway after motorway, that just happens to be packed with traffic at most hours of the day.
Almost regardless of where you stay you have to get used to the fact that if you only have a short amount of time to see the city, you’re going to have to factor some serious cab fair-age into the budget.
Here’s an example:
I stayed in Downtown LA, figuring that might be the most central spot from which to head out to the different places of interest. Turns out I was either wrong, or there just weren’t any places more central in the city.
To get from downtown out to Venice Beach: $60 Cab fare and there wasn’t even much traffic. Coming back… more traffic… $70. Seeing Venice Beach = $130. Another example: Heading from Downtown out to the Hollywood strip. This one was less, just $25 to get there, then an extra $10 to hop over to Rodeo Drive when we were done.
After realizing the situation, I thought I’d test the public transport on the way back, catching the bus from Beverly Hills to 8th street downtown. It cost $2 or something in total and wasn’t so bad, it just tripled the amount of time for the voyage, putting it at over an hour.
The alternatives are…
Tours
Did I mention that L.A. is really rather big? There are lots of sightseeing tours that take in all the key city sights, plus the best of the suburbs, and some even sort out your accommodation.
If you’re short on time definitely check out an L.A. sightseeing tour, there are lots of options including the local sightseeing buses which will take you to see as many attractions as you can expect to see (might cost you $100 but be well worth it).
For the best city sightseeing tours in Los Angeles check out GetYourGuide or Viator.
Rent a Car
To experience the area like a true Angeleno, hire a car. The distance/traffic congestion can really be a challenge in LA, but if you join the traffic your costs can be cheaper than getting around by taxi/Uber, and the experience less stressful. L.A. is the perfect place to start a road trip – you could even hire a campervan and have it double up as your transport and bed for the night.
Bus/Metro
Despite its residents’ apparent aversion to public transport, the city does actually have a Metro system, and not a bad Metro system at that. It’s only got 4 lines (the London Underground, this ain’t) and a day pass will cost you $3 (bargain). It’s a great way to explore the city, as you won’t have to try to find or pay for a parking spot. There’s even a bus system, which covers the whole region.
Neighbourhoods
L.A. is BIG.
The city itself is made up of Downtown Los Angeles, East Los Angeles and Northeast Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, the Harbour Area, Greater Hollywood, Wilshire, the Westside, and the Crescenta Valleys and San Fernando Valley (or ‘The Valley’, as you probably remember it being referred to in films like Clueless).
In the wider L.A. county, don’t miss the North Beach Cities, for Santa Monica and Venice Beach, the South Beach Cities, for Manhattan Beach, and San Gabriel Valley.
Top Things to See and Do in LA
Here is a quick list of things you MUST do in LA (in no particular order).
Hollywood
You can’t visit L.A. without visiting Hollywood. Walk down the Hollywood Walk of Fame and (literally) go star spotting: this is the street paved with gold stars that the celebs strive to get their name on.
At the end, you’ll find Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, home to many film premieres and paving slabs bearing hundreds of celebrities’ footprints, handprints and autographs.
You’ll also discover what the out-of-work actors do: dress up as Mickey Mouse, Spiderman, and other recognisable characters, and pose for photos with the tourists – for a price, of course. Don’t risk p*ssing Mickey off – if you pose for a pic’, pay up!
You can also take the chances to be in a live tv audience in LA, most are filmed in the area.
Celebrity Bus Tour
Bit of a celeb’ stalker? Jump on one of the touristy-but-oh-so-brilliant bus tours of the stars’ houses. If you’re lucky, you might even spot an actual celebrity. When I did the tour, Dr Phil (yes, the Dr Phil!) came out of his mansion and waved at our tour bus. Best. Day. Ever.
Art and Culture
If all that hanging around Hollywood has made you feel a bit out of touch with reality, it’s time to grab a bit of culture. Head to The Getty Center, which houses some stunning art, not to mention amazing views of L.A. Even better, it’s free to get in, and you can reach it by bus. Hungry for more? Don’t miss the Museum of Contemporary Art on Grand Avenue.
Venice Beach
Hang out at Venice Beach, one of the coolest spots in LA.
Don’t miss a walk on the Venice Beach Boardwalk. Marvel at street performers, dodge roller bladers, and generally people-watch. And of course, stop off at Muscle Beach and ogle and the body builders pumping iron on the beachfront gym – Mr Schwarzenegger himself worked out here in the 80s, don’tcha know.
You could join the free hippy drum circle on Sunday afternoons (hard to miss the huge crowd of weed-smoking vagabonds and ex-protestors on the beach
Watch Live Sports
For a quintessential American experience, take in a live sporting game. L.A. is home to some of the most famous teams and sports stadiums in the USA. A baseball game is a must, you can get cheap tickets to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers at the famous Dodger Stadium, as long as you don’t mind sitting in the nose bleed section. Feeling homesick? Go and see a game of soccer for L.A. Galaxy.
Griffith Park
For a bit of a breather, plus stunning views of L.A., head to Griffith Park in Los Feliz. Stop of at the Griffith Park Observatory for some great views of the Hollywood sign.
Beaches
For the beautiful, it has to be Santa Monica State Beach. Located on the Pacific Coast Highway, its 2 miles of golden sandy goodness, and a perfect stop off point if you’re doing a road trip. Further south and equally beautiful are Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach, the home of beach volleyball – rock up and join in a game.
Non-Tourist L.A. Suggestions
Check out some very local things to do in Los Angeles:
• Hang out in Los Feliz. It’s a small strip of Vermont Ave, north, driving towards Griffith Park. Eat at Fred 62, read books with the bookstore cat at Skylight Books, and check out a foreign or indy film at the local theater.
• Check out Silverlake for yummy cafes and boho lifestyles.
• Go to TRADER JOE’s gorcoery store and vow never to leave…it is that amazing and can only be found in CA and a select few parts of America (Minneapolis, NYC)…there is one in Silverlake and another in Hollywood.
• Check out the Beverly Center to window shop and people watch.
• The best mall in LA is the Glendale Galleria… hands down.
• You MUST got to Amoeba Music on Sunset. It is the best music store IN THE WORLD and tons of cheap used CD’s..tons and tons and tons. Love it, live it.
• Go to Jet Rag for great vintage (on La Cienega) and Buffalo Exchange for great used clothing. Jet Rag has a big parking lot sale where everything is a buck on Sunday afternoons. You really have to sift through it, but I found a couple of agood things. The vintage in the store is cheaper that anything you’ll find on Melrose.
Shopping
Yearning for a fashion fix? L.A. is up there with London, Paris and Milan for its fashion credentials. Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade is a shoppers’ paradise, with all the well known names as well as some independent boutiques and vintage stores.
If you’re serious about fashion, you can’t miss L.A.’s Fashion District. Located in Downtown L.A., this is the hub of the West Coast’s fashion industry, with companies like American Apparel manufacturing here. The shops are all independent, and many sell at wholesale prices. Even better, bargaining is encouraged, so brush up on your haggling skills.
Throw yourself in at the deep end and head to the pedestrianised Santee Alley, the most popular area of the Fashion District. For a slightly more laid back shopping experience, try The Grove in West Hollywood, a pretty, sprawling shopping complex that includes cinemas and the Farmers Market. Finally, look but don’t touch on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.
Eating and Drinking
When I last visited Los Angeles I ate, and ate, and ate until I couldn’t eat anymore. And then I ate again. The food was delicious, colourful, artistic; it was so original!
Fortunately, I was visiting with my friend, whose husband is a well-known chef in the greater L.A area. He definitely knows his stuff. Needless to say, I was in good hands.
You’ll find just about every cuisine imaginable in L.A. For old fashioned yankee grub, take a trip to In-N-Out Burger, a super-tasty fast food chain that was founded in L.A. Downtown’s Grand Central Market is a must-visit. At this open air affair, you’ll find delicacies from all over the world.
Best of the Best, should-not-be-missed, food:
Birds Rotisserie Chicken Cafe and Bar
The chicken was absolutely delicious and the Mac n’ Cheese off the charts (and I don’t even like Mac & Cheese…ever!). Great atmosphere, a good selection of beers, and super cheap (my lunch with tip was about $12). Address: 5925 Franklin Avenue.
The Edendale Grill
Lights twinkle over the tree-covered courtyard in this romantic restaurant. Vines grow liberally through out the open, back portion of this establishment, making the walk to the restroom feel much more lovely than maybe it should. The calamari was delicious, although the tofu vegetarian plate was lackluster. A simply block of tofu placed on top of middle eastern couscous and vegetables is not exactly a new idea, at least when it comes to vegetarian cooking. Nevertheless, the charming atmosphere and cool bar area definitely makes this a good place to visit. Address: 2838 Rowena Ave.
Sushi Dan’s
Located fairly close to the touristy area of Hollywood, this serves average sushi at decent prices. Although a good alternative to fast food, there are better places to be found. Address: 8000 W. Sunset #A202
Loteria Grill, Regional Mexican Kitchen
Beautiful decor, great location, but overpriced and badly mixed drinks. I had the mango margarita, and would definitely not order it again. Address: 6627 Hollywood Blvd
La Piazza at the Grove
This is a place you visit for one reason, and one reason only. It’s at the Grove. Celebrities are almost a given here, in this notorious shopping center. Despite the throngs of tourists, shoppers, and star-watchers, this little restaurant does have its charm. Situated next to a charming, musically choreographed fountain, it’s a good place to chow down on generic Italian foods and rest up for your next shopping expedition. Address: 189 The Grove Dr.
Try to go to unique, independent coffee shops… skip Starbucks and Coffee Bean! You also have to go to the In N Out Burger on Sunset. Cheap, delicious, oh-so-California. Ask for your burger ‘animal style’ for a special treat.
If you are in Hollywood, take a break and check out a yummy, cheap, and chic Chinese restaurant East of the shoping center. It’s called Kung Pao Kitty and it’s on Hollywod Blvd. going towards the 101 freeway entrance.
Fancy a tipple? If it’s exclusive clubs that tickle your fancy, try your luck at the many on offer in Hollywood. For a more relaxed atmosphere, head to Venice Beach for its beach-adjacent bars.
Wherever you end up, just remember that the drinking age is 21, and tipping is mandatory (view more on my USA tipping advice page) — not just for table service, either. In L.A., you tip the bartender — 20% is considered appropriate.
Best Day Trips and Places to Visit Near to L.A.
Got time to spare? There’s so much to see and do near L.A. The much lusted-after Coachella music festival is coming up in April. About a 2-hour drive from L.A., a weekend pass to this will set you back $285. About the same price as our British festivals, but with guaranteed good weather.
You saw the fake Mickeys outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre – now see the real thing at Disneyland. In Anaheim, the original Disney resort is only a 30 min drive from L.A. Go prepared and purchase your ticket in advance from us from £63.
If you’ve got a few days to spare, you’ve got to check out the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon starts and finishes in Los Angeles, and includes a helicopter ride over the canyon and a night out in Sin City.
L.A. is also the perfect starting point to explore more of California and the USA. There are some fantastic tours that start in Los Angeles and explore more of California and the U.S.!
In case it wasn’t obvious, I heart L.A. Sure, the city can seem a bit superficial at times — but that’s why there’s one of the world’s most stunning coastlines is less than a 30 minute drive away! Embrace L.A. for what it is, and get out there and explore. View more of my USA travel tips for more city suggestions.