Welcome to The Velvet Runway, and this feature on what to do and what to see in Los Angeles, California. I have been several times and my daughter lived here for 18 months, so I’m excited to share my recommendations with you, and I hope you find them helpful.
What to do and What to See in Los Angeles
There are so many things to do in Los Angeles that it would be impossible to cover them all in a single blog post (shopping, eating and drinking are covered in separate posts, here and here), and inevitably there will be some things that I haven’t covered for which I apologise.
The other thing to remember is that Los Angeles is a very sprawling city and I would definitely recommend either hiring a car or downloading the UBER app in order to get between one site and the next.
I have grouped what to do and what to see in Los Angeles by theme, and where possible, also by area to help in planning your day.
Hollywood
I think the most obvious place to start is Hollywood. It is impossible to climb up to the famous Hollywood sign but you can get a good view and photo from either Griffith Park or the Hollywood Hills.
If you’re in Griffith Park, then it would definitely be worth visiting the Griffith Observatory (where you can see the Foucault Pendulum, the Hall of the Sky and the Hall of the Eye), and the views over the City of Los Angeles are also amazing.
Also in Hollywood, although a bus ride away from Griffith Park), I would recommend a stroll down the Hollywood Walk of Fame which runs along Hollywood Boulevard from Gower Street to La Brea Avenue and for three blocks on Vine Street . Here you can see over 2500 pink and bronze terrazzo stars embedded in the sidewalk, immortalising celebrities, such as Humphrey Bogart, Elvis Presley, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chaplin and more recent stars such as Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Aniston. Also, at the Chinese theatre you can see the famous cement hand and foot prints from over 200 stars .
Finally, don’t forget to check out whether there are any concerts at the Hollywood Bowl.
The Hollywood Forever Cemetery
The Hollywood Forever Cemetery is also well worth a visit. In the day, you can walk around in this oasis of calm in the middle of Hollywood and see the tombs of famous celebrities, such as Cecil B DeMille, Rudolph Valentino and Jayne Mansfield.
On summer evenings you can take a picnic, sit out and watch a film. Booking is essential through this site
If you are in Los Angeles in the Fall, then the “Dia de Los Muertos” (Day of the dead) takes place in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on November 1st. Taking its origins from Mexican traditions, this festival comprises processions, decorations, music and dancing to honour the dead.
The Los Angeles Museums
For intellectual stimulation you can visit the museums on Museum Row at Miracle Mile, the Getty Museum and the California Science Center on Exposition Park Drive (with the Endeavour shuttle exhibit).
Admission to the science museum is free but reservation is needed on weekends to see the endeavour shuttle.
Miracle Mile runs between Fairfax Avenue and La Brea Boulevard on Wiltshire Boulevard and is home to 4 major L.A museums:
- LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) (see lacma.org)
- La Brea Tar Pits
- The Craft and Folk Art Museum
- Petersen’s Automobile Museum
It is also worth noting that it is just 10 -15 minutes from the Grove and Farmer’s market.
The Getty Center
The Getty Museum incorporates the Getty Center (with its art exhibits from Byzantine to Impressionism to 20th Century American photography) in the Brentwood Area of L.A and also the Getty Villa in the Pacific Palisades area of L.A on the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway), which houses the J Paul Getty museum’s collection of Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities
Entrance to both sites is free, although booking is required. Parking is $15 per car and covers both sites if visited on the same day. Have a look at the Getty site
If you are in Los Angeles in Winter, then entrance to the museums is free on the last Saturday of January (annual “Museums Free-For-All” Saturday)
Beverly Hills
Apart from shopping in style on Rodeo Drive and sipping a cocktail at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, as immortalized by Julia Roberts in “Pretty Woman”, you can also take a walking tour of Beverly Hills and one of the top tourist attractions is a tour of the stars’ homes. You can either take a tour trip or you can buy a map (on sale in the street) and drive yourself around.
You can also take a photo of the Beverly Hills sign and jog or walk around the Beverly Gardens Park.
The film studios
There are several film studios open to the public in Los Angeles, of which two of the most well-known are Universal Studios and Warner Brothers.
Universal Studios is the one for you if you are a fan of theme parks, because as well as the studio tour, it also has many rides and attractions. If you’re more interested in visiting the sets and finding out how filming is done then I would recommend Warner Brothers, where you can even have your picture taken on the set of Friends. You can book tickets below.
But, did you know that you can also be present at the filming of one of the sitcoms, such as the Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Late Late Show with James Corden , Last Man Standing, and others.
It is entirely free but booking is essential and places are attributed on a first come – first serve basis. (the more popular the series the earlier you need to book.)
Also, you should be aware that you will need to dedicate your entire evening to the filming, as once you are in you are not allowed to leave until filming is finished and this can take several hours , but food is provided!
Hiking in and around Los Angeles
If you enjoy fresh air and exercise then I definitely recommend a walk in the Hollywood Hills. There are several trails to choose from depending on your level of fitness and the time you have available, but on all of them the views are magnificent.
Another great place for a walk is Malibu Creek State Park, and for those of you who remember the 1970s TV series M*A*S*H, you can still see the outdoor set and the ambulance truck as filming took place here.
Sports
For the sports enthusiasts, Los Angeles has baseball (the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Elysian Park Avenue, basketball (the Lakers and the Clippers, who both play at the Staples Center in downtown LA, ice-hockey (the Kings who also moved to the Staples Center in 1999 and soccer (LA Galaxy whose home ground is the StubHub Center in Carson, 10 miles south of downtown.)
The Beaches
Finally, I would definitely recommend visiting Los Angeles’ beaches, in particular Venice Beach and Santa Monica.
Starting in Santa Monica, you can have a look at the pedestrianised Third Street Promenade, with its many outdoor shops and restaurants, and the Santa Monica Pier, with its stalls, funfair attractions and Ferris wheel.
Make sure to visit Montana Avenue, (between 7th and 17th Street), a tree-lined street, close to the beach, and filled with trendy boutiques, tempting cafés and restaurants and quieter than the Third Street Promenade.
Then, if you’re feeling energetic you can hire bikes and cycle to Venice Beach (about half an hour by bike along the sea front, or you can walk or drive).
At Venice Beach, you can take a walk around the canals, have a look at the shops in Abbot Kinney or explore the Boardwalk, with its outdoor shops, bohemian fashion, tattoo parlours, street performers and of course skateboarding.
I hope this has given you a taster for what to do and what to see in Los Angeles and whatever you choose I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
Have a look also at our guides on where to eat and drink in Los Angeles and ten places to stop on the Pacific Coast Highway.
I will be back soon with more style, lifestyle and travel inspiration and don’t forget to subscribe to the blog below to make sure you never miss a post,
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With love,
Hi Julia,
Am visiting LA next week for three days.
Plan to take up your suggestion on biking between beaches.
Look forward to having great time. Thank you !!
Thank you so much! Hope you have a great time 🙂
traveling end of May with 13 yr. old grandchild-girl. Any specific additional suggestions?
Hi, Thank you for reading. With a 13 year old girl, I would definitely recommend visiting Universal Studios as I am sure she will enjoy the rides! If you have transport then a trip out to Disneyland in Anaheim would also be fun. I also think she would really enjoy Santa Monica (third street promenade and the pier) and Venice Beach (Muscle beach, Abbot Kinney Blvd) and finally I think that to complete the trip a visit to Hollywood and the Chinese theatre is a must! Hope you enjoy your stay 🙂
Heading to LA in March and love your biking between beaches suggestion!
Thank you Lori! For the bike hire, try on the streets behind the beach front as they are a bit cheaper! Hope you have fun – I have just got back from LA again and have discovered some amazing bars and restaurants – I am working on the post now so hopefully will have finished before you go in March. 🙂
Looking forward to read your updated version, I am going to L.A at the end of March so it will be perfect timing to read your recommendations. Thank you!
Thank you Valerie 🙂
Thank you so much for this helpful info I will be in LA in February for 5 days I hope that is enough time to be able to do all those fun things.
Hi Erika,
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and I’m glad you found it helpful. I think five days should be fine to do everything but it will be busy! I’m going back to LA at the end of February/beginning of March and I can’t wait! I will be updating the blog when I get back so please let me know if you find anything that you think I should include. Have a great time in LA. 🙂
I am going to take you beach recommendations!
Great! Hope you enjoy them 🙂
Thank-you for taking the time to compile this information. I will be spending 2 days in LA at the end of December and the information helps me focus on what I really want to see in the short time I have.
Thank you for reading Grace. I hope the information will be useful to you. Have a great time (I’m going back to LA in February and I can’t wait!) 🙂
Hi There,
nice info here. will be visiting LA next January and your information are thorough.
Thanks,
Thank you so much Yunika. I’m glad my information was helpful and I hope you have a great time in LA 🙂