Los Angeles
Beaches and mountains, film studios and world-class museums, spread across a sunny sprawl of distinct neighbourhoods.
- Best time to go
- March to May and September to November, for warm, clear days
- Local time
- –
- Currency
- US Dollar (USD)
- Reading time
- 4 min
- Language
- English
Los Angeles is less a single city than a collection of neighbourhoods spread across a vast basin between the Pacific Ocean and the San Gabriel Mountains. It's the capital of the world's film and television industry, with a huge Latino population and communities from every corner of the globe, and its food, art and music scenes are among the most exciting in the United States.
The city is famously car-oriented and spread out, so the best way to visit is to explore one area at a time: the beaches of Santa Monica and Venice, the hills of Hollywood and Griffith Park, the museums of Mid-Wilshire and the revived downtown. Expect sunshine most of the year, and plan your days around the traffic.
The top 9 in Los Angeles
- 1
Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood Sign
Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
An Art Deco observatory on the slopes of Mount Hollywood, with free exhibits, a planetarium and public telescopes on clear nights. Its terraces have the best views over the city and of the Hollywood Sign, and trails through Griffith Park, one of the largest urban parks in North America, climb to viewpoints closer to the sign.
TipGo for sunset and stay as the lights come on across the basin; parking is limited, so take the DASH bus from Vermont/Sunset station.
- 2
The Getty Center
Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A hilltop museum complex designed by Richard Meier, reached by a tram from the car park, with European paintings, including Van Gogh's Irises, sculpture, photography and beautiful gardens with views to the ocean. Entry is free, though parking is charged. Its sister museum, the Getty Villa in Malibu, recreates a Roman country house for its collection of ancient art.
TipThe Getty Villa requires a free timed reservation.
- 3
Santa Monica and Venice Beach
Photo: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Santa Monica's pier, with its Ferris wheel and amusement park, marks the end of the historic Route 66. A beachfront bike path runs south to Venice, with its eccentric boardwalk of street performers, skateparks and the open-air gym of Muscle Beach, and the quieter Venice Canals, lined with charming houses.
- 4
Hollywood Boulevard
Photo: Chris English, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The heart of old Hollywood, with the Walk of Fame's stars set into the pavement, the TCL Chinese Theatre with its handprints in cement, and the Dolby Theatre, home of the Academy Awards. It's busy and touristy, but iconic.
- 5
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Academy Museum
Photo: Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States, with collections spanning the world; its "Urban Light" installation of restored street lamps is a city landmark. Next door, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures celebrates film history, and the La Brea Tar Pits, where Ice Age fossils are still being excavated, are on the same stretch of Wilshire Boulevard.
- 6
Downtown Los Angeles
Photo: Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Downtown has the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Frank Gehry's sculptural home of the LA Philharmonic; The Broad, a free museum of contemporary art; Grand Central Market, a food hall open since 1917; and the historic Bradbury Building. Olvera Street, nearby, preserves the city's Mexican origins.
- 7
Universal Studios Hollywood
A working film studio and theme park, with rides based on famous films and a studio tour through the backlot sets. Warner Bros. and Paramount offer studio tours closer to the real workings of the industry.
- 8
Malibu and El Matador State Beach
Photo: Prayitno / Thank you for (12 millions +) view from Los Angeles, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The coast north-west of the city follows the Pacific Coast Highway past Malibu's beaches. El Matador, a small beach with sea stacks and caves below the cliffs, is one of the most beautiful.
- 9
The Huntington
Photo: JayWalsh, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In San Marino, near Pasadena, a library, art collection and botanical gardens set in a former estate, with a Japanese garden, a Chinese garden, a desert garden and treasures such as a Gutenberg Bible and Gainsborough's The Blue Boy.
When to go
Los Angeles has a sunny, mild climate all year. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant, with warm days and clear skies. Early summer can bring the coastal fog known as "June Gloom", and July to September are hot inland. Winter is mild, with most of the year's rain. Wildfire season, typically in late summer and autumn, can affect air quality and access to hills and parks.
Getting around
Most visitors rent a car, but traffic is heavy, especially at rush hour, so plan routes and avoid the peaks. LA Metro's rail lines link downtown with Hollywood, Santa Monica, Pasadena and Long Beach, and are improving steadily; pay with a TAP card. Ride-hailing apps are widely used. The beach cities are best explored by bike or on foot.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is about forty-five minutes to an hour from downtown, depending on traffic, and is connected to the Metro by a new people-mover.
Local tips
- Allow plenty of time for every journey; distances are large and traffic unpredictable.
- Book Universal, the Academy Museum and popular restaurants ahead.
- Tip 18 to 20% in restaurants; sales tax is added at the till.
- Never leave valuables visible in a parked car.
- Drink plenty of water and use sunscreen on hikes.
- Most visitors to the United States need a visa or ESTA authorisation.
Eat and drink
Los Angeles has some of the best Mexican food in the United States: try tacos from street stands and trucks, especially al pastor and birria, and the Oaxacan restaurants of Koreatown. Koreatown itself is famous for Korean barbecue, the San Gabriel Valley for Chinese food, and Little Tokyo for ramen and sushi. Grand Central Market and the Original Farmers Market are great places to graze.
Where to stay
Santa Monica and Venice suit a beach holiday with easy walking and cycling. Hollywood and West Hollywood are central for sightseeing and nightlife, while downtown is convenient for museums, concerts and the Metro. Pasadena, to the north-east, is quieter and elegant, with the Huntington and the Rose Bowl nearby.
Day trips
Joshua Tree National Park, about two and a half hours east, has strange spiky trees and giant boulders in the high desert, and is spectacular for stargazing. Catalina Island, an hour by ferry from Long Beach or San Pedro, has clear water, hiking and the little harbour town of Avalon. Further north, the coast road to Santa Barbara passes beaches and vineyards.