Los Angeles is forty cities pretending to be one, and the visitor's problem is never what to see but how to get between it. The beach, the hills, downtown and the Eastside are forty minutes apart by car at best and an hour and a half at worst, and a "things to do" list only works if it is ordered by zone. Here is what you cannot miss, what you can skip, what it costs in 2026, what works without a car, and how to split it by the days you have.
The essentials#
- Santa Monica to Venice, on foot. The Santa Monica Pier with its Ferris wheel, then three miles south along the beach path to Venice Beach: the skaters, the outdoor gyms of Muscle Beach, the Venice canals almost nobody looks for, and Abbot Kinney for coffee. Sunset back on the pier.
- The Getty Center. A white museum on the Brentwood hills, with a tram up from the car park, gardens, Van Gogh and Rembrandt, and the view of the whole city to the sea. Free; you pay only for parking. Half a day minimum.
- Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood sign. The observatory is free, opens until ten at night and has the classic view: the sign on one side, the whole city on the other. To get close to the sign, the hike from the observatory or from Canyon Drive, no fee and no tour.
- East LA tacos. Boyle Heights and East LA are the Mexican capital outside Mexico: taco trucks, birria, al pastor off the trompo, Mariachi Plaza. The best stands open at night and have a queue.
- Downtown: Olvera Street and Grand Central Market. Olvera Street is where the city was founded in 1781, a Mexican lane with the oldest house in Los Angeles. Ten minutes away, Grand Central Market, from 1917, is downtown's best lunch, and around it are Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Broad (contemporary art, free with a reservation) and the Central Library.
- Hollywood, one morning. The Walk of Fame, the handprints in the cement at the Chinese Theatre, the Dolby where the Oscars are given. It is smaller and grubbier than you imagine, and you see it once, early, before the costumed crowd arrives.
- Koreatown at night. The densest neighbourhood in the city and the one that closes latest: Korean barbecue on tables with a grill, karaoke in private rooms, hidden bars, spas open 24 hours. The Los Angeles night that locals choose.
- A Dodgers game. Dodger Stadium, April to October, with the sunset over the hills and the Dodger Dogs. Half the stands speak Spanish and the cheap tickets are cheap. It is the city's team.
- Malibu, with a car. The Pacific Coast Highway north: El Matador State Beach with the rocks, Point Dume, Zuma. It is the California of the films and there is no way there without a car.
- LACMA and the Academy Museum. On Wilshire's Miracle Mile: LACMA with the Urban Light lampposts at the entrance (the city's photograph), the La Brea tar pits next door with the mammoth bones, and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which for anyone who loves film is the best museum in the city.
- A concert at the Hollywood Bowl. The open-air amphitheatre in the hills, in summer, where people bring a picnic and their wine. The Philharmonic on Tuesdays and Thursdays is the cheapest and the loveliest.
- Pasadena and the Huntington. The Huntington is a library, a museum and gardens (Japanese, Chinese, desert) in San Marino, with Old Pasadena next door. Half a day by the A line from downtown, a full day with a car.
- Silver Lake and Echo Park. The neighbourhoods east of downtown where the young city lives: Echo Park lake with the lotus and the pedal boats, Sunset Junction, the cafés, the bars with music at night.
What it costs#
Approximate 2026 prices in dollars.
| Price | |
|---|---|
| Getty Center and Getty Villa | free, parking 20 to 25 dollars |
| Griffith Observatory | free (planetarium 10 dollars) |
| The Broad | free with a reservation |
| LACMA | 25 to 28 dollars |
| Academy Museum | 25 dollars |
| Natural History Museum | 18 dollars |
| The Huntington | 25 to 30 dollars |
| Universal Studios Hollywood | from 109 dollars |
| Warner Bros. Studio Tour | 70 to 75 dollars |
| Disneyland (Anaheim) | from 104 dollars |
| Dodgers game | from 20 to 30 dollars |
| Metro fare (TAP card) | 1.75 dollars |
| Rideshare from LAX to Santa Monica | 30 to 45 dollars |
| Rental car | 45 to 70 dollars a day plus parking |
| Tacos at an Eastside truck | 2 to 4 dollars each |
| Korean barbecue in Koreatown | 30 to 50 dollars a head |
| Beaches, Walk of Fame, the sign hike, Olvera Street | free |
A city day with Metro, a museum and food runs 60 to 90 dollars a head; the theme parks are another budget.
In 2, 3 or 4 days#
Two days. Day 1: the whole coast, Santa Monica to Venice on foot, sunset on the pier, dinner in Santa Monica. Day 2: Hollywood at nine, Griffith Observatory and the sign hike, LACMA in the afternoon if there is time, Koreatown at night.
Three days. The two above plus downtown: Olvera Street in the morning, Grand Central Market for lunch, The Broad and the Disney Hall in the afternoon, Boyle Heights tacos at night.
Four days. Add the Getty (half a day) and Malibu along the PCH if you have a car, or Pasadena and the Huntington if not, or a full day at Universal or Disneyland. In summer a Dodgers game or the Hollywood Bowl at night closes any of these days.
Free#
The Getty and the Getty Villa, Griffith Observatory, every beach, the Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theatre handprints, the hike to the sign, The Broad with a reservation, Olvera Street, Grand Central Market (walking in), the Central Library, the Venice canals, the Hollywood Bowl by day, the Original Farmers Market on Third, Urban Light at LACMA's door, Echo Park lake, and the Natural History Museum and LACMA on their free days for county residents (ask; sometimes they apply to everyone).
Without a car#
It works, if you sleep well. The Metro reaches Santa Monica (E line), Hollywood (B line), Koreatown (B and D), downtown (every line) and Pasadena (A line), and LAX connects by the C line and a shuttle. Sleep in Santa Monica, Hollywood or downtown and combine Metro with rideshare for what is left, and days two and three above work. What does not work without a car: Malibu, the Getty Villa, the hills, Disneyland with kids. And one rule: do not walk between zones for the sake of it; Los Angeles distances lie on the map.
With kids#
The Santa Monica Pier with the amusement park, Griffith Observatory, the Natural History Museum with the dinosaurs, the California Science Center with the Endeavour shuttle (free), the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, the zoo in Griffith Park, Universal Studios for older kids, and Disneyland, in Anaheim an hour away, a full day with its own budget.
At night#
Koreatown is the answer: Korean barbecue, karaoke and bars until two, and the 24-hour spas if the night runs long. The bars of Silver Lake and Echo Park, a concert at the Bowl or the Greek, a Dodgers game, Griffith until ten with the lights below, and the Eastside taco trucks, which have a queue at midnight. Hollywood Boulevard at night is not a plan; downtown has rooftop bars and the Arts District.
What to skip#
The celebrity-homes bus tour, unless it is why you came. Rodeo Drive, which is a street of expensive shops and nothing else. Hollywood Boulevard after noon. Venice Beach at night. And any plan that crosses the city twice in a day: order by zone and the city repays you.
On a second visit#
The Getty Villa in Malibu, the Roman museum with gardens over the sea. A surf day at Manhattan Beach or Hermosa. The Watts Towers. Little Tokyo and the Arts District downtown. The Eames House in Pacific Palisades and the Stahl House in the hills, by reservation. A premiere with a red carpet at the Chinese Theatre, watched from the pavement.
Getting around#
A rental car if your plan has Malibu, the hills or Disneyland; Metro and rideshare if not. The TAP card is sold at stations and works on trains and buses. Uber and Lyft work across the city and the price rises with traffic, which starts at three in the afternoon and does not end until seven. LAX is big and slow; leave time.
With someone who lives here#
All of the above is better with someone from here: the right Eastside taco truck, the barbecue table in Koreatown, the good seats at Dodger Stadium, the beach they go to instead of Venice, the path to the sign without the queue. On Roavi, Los Angeles has a few people listed as local guides by the hour (Roavi calls them Local Friends), fewer than Medellín or Santo Domingo: a photo, languages (half the city speaks Spanish), what they like to show and an hourly rate they set. You message them directly and Roavi takes no commission. Their profiles are above. Los Angeles tour guide compares this with a studio tour or a guide with a car.
Going to LA?
Browse local guides in Los AngelesOr ask the city#
Also: rent a friend in Los Angeles and Los Angeles for the World Cup. En español: qué hacer en Los Ángeles.
Where to sleep: where to stay in Los Angeles. Before booking: is Los Angeles safe. At night: Los Angeles nightlife.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do in Los Angeles in 2 or 3 days?
Day 1: the coast, Santa Monica to Venice along the beach path, sunset on the pier. Day 2: Hollywood in the morning (the Walk of Fame, the Chinese Theatre), Griffith Observatory and the sign in the afternoon, Koreatown at night. Day 3: downtown (Olvera Street, Grand Central Market, The Broad, the Disney Hall) and East LA tacos. With two days, drop downtown, or do the Getty instead of Hollywood.What is free in Los Angeles?
The Getty Center and the Getty Villa (parking only), Griffith Observatory, the beaches, the Walk of Fame, the hike to the Hollywood sign, The Broad with a reservation, Olvera Street, the Central Library, the Venice canals, the Hollywood Bowl by day, the Natural History Museum and LACMA on their free days, and the Original Farmers Market on Third.What is there to do in Los Angeles at night?
Koreatown, the city's longest night: Korean barbecue, karaoke rooms and bars until two. A Dodgers game in summer. A concert at the Hollywood Bowl or the Greek. The bars of Silver Lake and Echo Park. A taco truck in East LA or Boyle Heights. And Griffith Observatory, open until ten with the city lights below.What can I do in Los Angeles with kids?
The Santa Monica Pier with its amusement park, Griffith Observatory, the Natural History Museum with the dinosaurs, the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, the California Science Center with the Endeavour shuttle, Universal Studios for older kids, the zoo, and Disneyland, which is in Anaheim an hour away and is a full day of its own.Can I visit Los Angeles without a car?
Yes, if you choose where to sleep well. The Metro links Santa Monica, Hollywood, Koreatown, downtown and Pasadena; the E line reaches Santa Monica and the B line Hollywood. Sleep in Santa Monica, Hollywood or downtown and use Metro plus rideshare for the rest. What does not work without a car: Malibu, the Getty Villa, the hills, and Disneyland comfortably.What should I do in Los Angeles if it rains?
It almost never does, and when it does it is in winter, December to March. For that afternoon: LACMA and the Academy Museum on Wilshire, The Broad, the Getty (the view is half of it but the museum stands alone), the Natural History Museum, Grand Central Market, the Huntington in San Marino, and Koreatown, where rain changes nothing.Are there local guides in Los Angeles?
A few Angelenos are listed on Roavi as local guides by the hour (Roavi calls them Local Friends), fewer than in Medellín or Santo Domingo, and half the city speaks Spanish, so the profile tells you the languages. Each shows a photo, what they like to show and an hourly rate they set. You message them directly and Roavi takes no commission.