Google completes "first time in los angeles" with "what to see", "what to do", "where to stay", "first time driving in los angeles" and "itinerary". Here are all five, from someone who lives here, built around the one fact that decides every LA trip: crossing the city costs an hour.
What to see#
- The beaches: Santa Monica for the pier and the sunset, Venice for the boardwalk, then one quiet one (Manhattan, El Matador).
- Griffith Observatory at dusk: the city lights, free, and the hike up if you have the legs.
- The Getty: free entry, paid parking, the best afternoon in the city.
- Downtown: the Historic Core, Grand Central Market, the Broad (free), the Bradbury Building, Little Tokyo.
- The food: Koreatown, Boyle Heights, Thai Town, the San Gabriel Valley, the taco trucks; this is the LA Angelenos are proud of.
- A hike: Runyon if you must, Griffith if you can, the Santa Monica Mountains if you have a car.
What to skip#
The Walk of Fame as a destination (see it on the way to the Observatory bus), Rodeo Drive, the celebrity-home van unless you find it funny, and any plan that has you in Santa Monica at 9am and Pasadena at 11.
Where to stay#
Santa Monica for the beach, with the E line Downtown and the knowledge that everything east is a drive. Downtown for the Metro and no car. Hollywood or West Hollywood for nightlife. Silver Lake or Los Feliz for the Eastside's food and bars. Where to stay in Los Angeles goes block by block.
Driving here for the first time, or not#
If you base in Santa Monica or Downtown and do one area a day, you do not need a car (LA without a car). If you rent one: avoid the freeways between 7 and 10am and 3 and 7pm, learn that a left turn on a yellow is how the city works, park in lots rather than hunting the street, and never leave anything visible in the car. Is Los Angeles safe? covers the break-ins honestly.
A three-day itinerary that respects the traffic#
Day one, the Westside: Santa Monica morning, Venice lunch, the Getty afternoon, sunset back at the beach. Day two, Hollywood and the Eastside: Griffith hike or the Observatory, Thai Town or Los Feliz lunch, Silver Lake or Echo Park evening, late tacos. Day three, Downtown and Koreatown: Grand Central Market, the Broad, Little Tokyo, Koreatown for dinner and a bar. Things to do in Los Angeles has the 2 and 4-day versions.
The mistakes everyone makes#
Too much in one day; the wrong base for what they wanted; Hollywood Boulevard at noon; a rideshare across the city at 5pm; skipping the food for the sights.
Or a local, for an afternoon#
On Roavi you can hire a Local Friend, an Angeleno for a few hours at a rate they set (most list $15 to $50; LA near the top), platonic and in public, usually with a car: the Eastside's food in one afternoon, a hike that is not Runyon, the beaches north of Santa Monica. Roavi lists three in Los Angeles; messaging is free. Rent a friend in Los Angeles.
One afternoon with someone who lives here and drives.
Meet local guides in Los AngelesFrequently Asked Questions
What should I see on my first time in Los Angeles?
The beaches (Santa Monica and Venice, then one quieter one), Griffith Observatory at dusk, the Getty, Downtown's Historic Core and Grand Central Market, a hike with the view, and the food of the Eastside and Koreatown. Skip the Walk of Fame as a destination; see it on the way to something.Where should I stay in LA for the first time?
Santa Monica if you want the beach and can live with the drive east; Downtown if you want the Metro and no car; Hollywood or West Hollywood for nightlife; Silver Lake or Los Feliz for the Eastside's food and bars. Pick by what you will do most, because crossing the city costs an hour.Do I need to rent a car on my first trip to LA?
If you stay in Santa Monica or Downtown and plan one area a day, no: the Metro, buses and rideshare cover it. If you want the Getty, the hikes, the Valley and Malibu in one trip, yes, or hire a Local Friend who drives for the afternoon you need it.