We couldn’t wait to visit LA. The sheer size of the city and the different areas around town made sure our itinerary was jam packed from the moment we landed. We explored the downtown LA, Hollywood and the beaches to ensure we covered all of our ground.

Los Angeles is huge and ideally you will need a car to get around. We hired a car from the airport and it saved us either a Uber or public transport to get to our first hotel.

We changed hotel every few days to move around the city. We stayed in Hollywood, Downtown LA and Santa Monica throughout our trip to maximise convenience without getting stuck in too much LA traffic. LA is often refereed to as the parking lot, because traffic can get very heavy at peak times. Our advice is to use the car pool lane where possible if yo are travelling with friends or family.

The best things to do in LA

Hollywood and Beverly Hills

The Hollywood Sign

Everyone visiting LA surely wants to visit the Hollywood sign. There are several places the sign can be viewed from as well as several hikes getting you close and even behind the sign.

Our best spots to see the sign are;

Griffith Park – The park surrounding the Griffith observatory is an excellent place to see the Hollywood sign and Downtown LA in the distance from afar. Going into the observatory is also absolutely free and views of the Hollywood sign from there are brilliant too.

Lake Hollywood Park – Walk along the lake at Lake Hollywood park to see the Hollywood sign up close and personal. There are several trees for photo opportunities and its a nice and easy walk.

Wonder View Trail – To get up behind the Hollywood Sign you can hike the Wonder View trail. The hike takes around an hour to get to the top and is softly up hill. The views on the way up are amazing and you can see LA down below and in the distance. You will need to park at Lake Hollywood Drive and start the hike from there.

Hollywood Boulevard

Take a trip down Hollywood Boulevard and explore the Hollywood walk on fame. The area is very touristy and food and sojourners will cost you a whole lot more here than other part of LA, but you can’t go to LA and not explore the tourist trail. Hollywood Boulevard is 7km in length and you can spend ages exploring the shops, diners and chasing all of the stars on the pavement until you find your favourite.

Catch

Dine in one of the most beautiful restaurants in LA. Catch LA is jam packed full of flower walls and decorations and is a lively sport for an evening full of amazing fish and sushi as well as drinks. The cocktails list is extensive and you can enjoy sharing foods and drinks with your friends and families.

Universal Studios

Since Hollywood is the land of film and movies Universal Studios is well worth a visit. Take a trip to the city walk that is jam packed with restaurants and bars and then inside the theme park to see the back lot and take a spin on one of the many world class rides. Harry Potter World is also a huge draw to the theme park as you feast on butter beer for the real experience.

Source: Trip Savvy

Disney Land

Visit the original Disney Land the first theme park set up by Walt Disney himself. This place truly is the home of Minnie Mouse. Take a ride on traditional rides like its a small world and larger rides like the Matterhorn and Big thunder rail road. This is a magical day out for all.

Source: Disney Land

Helicopter tour

We advise anyone visiting LA to take a helicopter tour over Hollywood. Get up close and personal with the Hollywood sign as you see it from a new perspective whilst seeing celebrities houses from above. Our pilot was excellent and showcased the biggest houses you could only dream of whilst showing Disney Land, Universal and Hollywood Boulevard from above. When you reach Downtown LA from the helicopter you feel as though your New York City. This is an experience not to be missed.

Rodeo Drive

See how the rich live at Rodeo Drive and watch in awe as the Farrari’s, G Wagons and other luxury cars pull up to park whilst they head into the luxury shops to spend some serious cash. Marvel in awe at the luxury brand names including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany’s, Cartier and many more. This is the place for some luxury retail therapy.

W Rooftop Pool

Chilling by the pool is the ultimate way to spend an afternoon in Hollywood. Look out from the top of the W Hotels pool for a sunset session and enjoy the sun going down. You will be in awe of the views and taken aback by the laid back atmosphere as the resident DJ sets the scene.

Paramount Studios

Take a tour of Paramount studios and see where the movies are made. Take a look at casting and how this takes place, sets and backdrops as well as props and how stunts are undertaken.

Source: Paramount

Hike Runyon Canyon

Head off on a hike of Runyon Canyon and enjoy the greenery as you make your way up. Once you reach the top you will be awarded with views over LA and particularly good views of Downtown LA in the distance. You can follow the smallest trail of under 2 miles or make it larger if you want a challenge and go for up to 4 miles. Sunset on a clear day leads to awesome views and colours.

Downtown LA

Spire 73 Sky Bar

Take a lift to the top of the Intercontinental hotel and visit Spire 73 Sky Bar. The sky bar is located on the 73rd floor and have excellent views of he high rise buildings of Downtown LA. Hand crafted cocktails are on offer as well as an excellent wine list. Feast on small plates and nibbles. We recommend visiting at sunset for the ultimate experience.

OUE Sky Space

Step outside onto California’s highest open air observatory. The views from here are out of this world. There is so much to do from the top including wine and dine, gaze at the view or even take part in the slide to spark your adrenaline as you take in the views at high speed.

Source: Trip.com

Grand Central Market

Take a trip to Grand Central Market in Downtown LA and take in all of the street food stalls, flower stalls and market stalls. This is the perfect place to come and enjoy and drink and to sample some fresh produce food. This is also a great place to come and enjoy some grocery shopping with fresh locally sourced produce. Events are often held her including movie nights and game nights.

Source: Grand Central Market

Art walk

Take a walk down the ‘Art walk’ and enjoy the art galleries, museums and street art. This is a great walk to grab your camera and get snapping as you take in the Los Angeles art scene. There are some real Instagram photo spots as you have a picture with the wings.

Beach Side – Venice Beach, Santa Monica and Malibu

Take a walk down the beaches from Santa Monica to Venice and marvel at the lifeguard towers. You will be thrown back to scenes from Baywatch. These are the perfect traditional LA photo spot to show to all your friends and family back home.

Venice Beach Sign

Head to Pacific Ave & Windward Ave, Venice, CA 90291 to get the tourist picture by the Venice beach sign. The locations are just off of the beach and surrounded by cool bars, restaurant and vintage shops. The whole area is awesome and worth a visit.

Malibu Wines

We definitely recommend heading into Malibu and going on a Malibu wines safari. Jump into the jeep as you are transported around the vineyards whilst sipping on different wines and looking at the animals. The star attraction is for sure Stanley the giraffe who lives there amongst the vineyards. You taste a variety of wines as you marvel at the views of Malibu.

Malibu Pier

Malibu pier is also well worth a visit. Take a stroll down this relaxed peer and dine at Malibu farm for the ultimate experience. Beautiful organic farm cooked foods are served with an excellent view of the Malibu coast line.

Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica is a much busier peer complete with an amusement park. Take a ride on the ferris wheel to get sky high views of coast line all the way down to Venice beach. Have your go at the amusement games and be a kid again as you enjoy this easy going time. We recommend visiting at sunset for awesome views and then seeing the pier as it is lit up for the evening.

Venice Canals

Explore the back waters of Venice as you walk down the streets lining the canals. Narrow boats are positioned here and set the scene for a beautiful photo spot and a chilled area away from the madness of Venice Beach.

Source: California Beaches

Silver Lake Stairways

All around Silver Lake a art project has been underway and you can visit all of the stairways which have been painted for the best Instagram opportunity. Our favourite stairways include the Hoover Walk, Micheltorena Stairs, Stair Tempo Staircase and Rotary Drive. The whole area is worth a walk with a few cute coffee shops around to stop in when you need a boost.

Source: LA Magazine

Vintage shopping – Venice

Venice is packed full of vintage shops and flea markets selling one of kind vintage items. There is a host of items from clothes, bags, shoes and luggage for you to choose from. Think Hollywood and LA back in the day and spend your money bringing clothes back to life. Spending the day vintage shopping here will not disappoint.