Wondering what are the ultimate touristy or most instagrammable things to do in Los Angeles? Then keep on reading…
Last month, I took a trip to Los Angeles to visit my best friend, Christina, who recently moved to the city. This was my first time truly experiencing LA as I’ve only been to the city before for Coachella which didn’t allow me time to explore what LA has to offer. My goal for this trip was to tick off as many places from my list as possible and so we had a jam-packed itinerary which I’m so excited to share with you!
It is so easy to get lost in LA because there is so much to do. I truly feel like LA is such a magical place and for everyone: from celebrities and Hollywood stars who have made it to people who are working hard trying to make it. Not to mention, the weather is just perfection all year around as it never gets too cold. And the endless amount of road trips you can take to cool national parks like Joshua Tree or beachy places like Malibu…I would definitely love to live in LA one day!
But anyways, lets get into this blog post. First things first…
WHERE TO STAY
Personally, I stayed in Marina Del Ray which is a 10 minutes drive away from Venice Beach. I loved staying in this area because it had really cool hipster vibes. We biked to Venice Beach every morning and a lot of the cool places in LA are in this area including Venice Beach, Venice Canals, Abbots Kinney boulevard and Santa Monica Pier. But to get to the Beverly Hills / WeHo area it took like an hour because of traffic so we would just need to wake up early in the mornings.
Another great place to stay in is Culver City as it is in the middle of everything in LA and there are some super affordable airbnbs that can also be great options for accommodation.
If you feel like treating yourself and have a luxurious experience, then you can stay in Hollywood as well. If I were to go back (which I would duh), I would definitely stay in West Hollywood for at least 2 days to avoid the back and forth and experience the Beverly Hills area properly.
View Hotels: Venice Beach | Culver City | Beverly Hills
HOW TO GET AROUND
WHAT TO DO
VENICE BEACH
The Venice Beach area was probably one of my favourite spots in LA. This beach town is buzzing with so much life and the vibes are just oh-so-real. There are lots of things to do here: the boardwalk, the skating park, an outdoor beach gym and a plethora of shops around the area. Be sure to also check out the Abbot Kinney boulevard where you can find many cute cafes, restaurants and stores. Also, don’t forget to snap a picture with the famous Venice sign! We snapped these pictures right before sunset and then headed over to the beach to watch the sunset which was insanely beautiful!
VENICE CANALS
The Venice Canals is a district in the town of Venice, California and is less than 3 mins walking distance from the beach. The canals are super nice to take a stroll on as it is so peaceful. What really makes this place even more special are the houses overlooking the canal: they are freaking stunning and literally inspire you to work hard to make it work! You will even find some greek and moroccan inspired architecture here. Just be mindful while taking pictures that real people live here so be considerate about that.
GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY
The Griffith Observatory and Park is a must-visit in LA. I had such a great time here. You can either head directly to the observatory or hike up from the street parking and take the West Griffith Observatory trail which offers scenic views of LA. The hike is around 1.5 miles each way (takes about 1 hour) to the observatory from the street parking area. If you are not driving, you can take the red line metro rail to the Vermont /Sunset station and then take a DASH shuttle which goes up to the observatory. This only runs on the weekends I believe so make sure to check the schedule beforehand.
I highly recommend going here for sunrise because a) the colours are just insanely beautiful b) you will avoid the crowds and c) cause its insanely freaking hot to hike up mid-day (LOL).
SANTA MONICA PIER & AMUSEMENT PARK
We biked to the Santa Monica Pier from the Venice Beach which took us 15 minutes. The Santa Monica Pier is another must-see spot in LA. I recommend going here for either sunrise if you want the whole place to yourself or sunset to witness the stunning colours of the sky change as it gets dark. There is something to do for everyone here! You can relax by the beach or go enjoy the amusement park as well. The rides operate from 11am to 11pm but the pier is open 24 hours.
If you’re also in the area, make sure to head over to Cora’s Coffee Shoppe for some breakfast or brunch. You will not be disappointed with their stunning menu!
LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART (LACMA)
The LACMA is an art museum located in the Miracle Mile area. It is the largest museum in the Western United States. If you love art and history then definitely check out this museum. Click here to get information on ticket pricing for LACMA. Admission is also free the second Tuesday of every month. The lights at LACMA are a popular spot to take pictures and is a free exhibit located outside the museum. I would recommend going here around dusk when the lanterns are turned on. The lights are usually turned on between dusk to dawn.
THE BROAD
The broad is a contemporary art museum in LA and definitely another spot to check out if you’re a lover of art and history. General admission to the museum is free. I really wanted to go here to check out Yayoi Kusama’s infinity mirror room exhibit, but unfortunately we waited in line for an hour and a half only to find out they had no space left for the day. So if you want to check out the infinity mirror room exhibit, make sure to pre-purchase your general admission tickets and go line up 30 minutes before The Broad opens. This is because once you enter the museum, you have to line up again in another line to sign up for the exhibit with your GA ticket, which you can purchase here.
HOLLYWOOD SIGN HIKE
Obviously, my first time in LA and I had to hike up to the iconic Hollywood sign (cliche!) If you are visiting LA in the summer then make sure to go either super early or later during the day as it is too hot during mid-day time and the hike won’t be as enjoyable. We did make that mistake so trust me you don’t want to repeat ours! LOL.
There are three different routes you can take to hike to the sign depending on the level of difficulty you prefer. We took the Brush Canyon Trail which is considered a moderate hike and took us about 2 hours each way. You can find more information about the different routes here.
RUNYON CANYON TRAIL HIKE
Sadly we didn’t get the chance to hike the Runyon Canyon but I definitely recommend doing this if you have enough time in LA as the views are spectacular. The Runyon Canyon Trail hike is located about a 30-minutes drive from Beverly Hills and is located off Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills. Parking does get super full on the North Fuller entrance so another option is to take an Uber to the trailhead. Click here for a full guide on the hike.
BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL
Another iconic place in LA that you have to go to! The Beverly Hills Hotel is world-famous and renowned for being a pink paradise and was also recently voted as LA’s first historic landmark! This hotel is rich in history, in fact, the city of Beverly Hills was built around this hotel which is sooo cool. The hotel is super expensive to stay in but not to worry, even if you are not actually staying at the hotel, you can still visit its many restaurants and enjoy some food and drinks including The Cabana Cafe or the Polo Lounge.
RODEO DRIVE
A trip to LA is not complete without some shopping on the Rodeo Drive (and that includes window shopping hehe). This 2-mile long street in Beverly Hills is home to many renowned stores and hotels and has a vibe of its own with beautiful lights and palm trees lined up along the road. It is also super famous for celebrity spotting! I did not get to spend much time in this area which is my one regret but that means I am going back soon.
DAY TRIP TO MALIBU, JOSHUA TREE OR DISNEYLAND
One of the best parts about visiting LA is the many mini road trips you can take from the city and there is literally something for everyone! Since I’ve already visited Joshua Tree before, this time I decided to take a day trip to Malibu with my friends. Malibu is such a cute town and gave me some serious Amalfi Coast vibes! We went to the Paradise Cove Beach and chilled there all day but there are so many other cool places to go there as well such as Malibu Wine Safaris and Malibu Farm.
WHERE TO EAT
I can honestly go on and on because there are so many good brunch spots and restaurants in LA and obviously I did not get a chance to visit them all but here you will find places we went to and others that are still high on my list! Make no mistake though on most days we ate Taco Bell lol.
- The Butcher’s Daughter – this plant-based restaurant and cafe is super famous and a must-visit if you’re in LA. I had the surfer’s breakfast and acai bowl and both were soooo good.
- Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop – I had the spicy avocado burger and holy moly was it delicious. Also make sure to grab their iced coffee with almond milk while you’re at it.
- Carrera Cafe – this instagrammable cafe on Melrose Avenue is super famous for its custom latte art.
- Joan’s on Third – I haven’t been here yet but it is on my list. I’ve heard so many great things about this specialty food restaurant and marketplace. Inside, there are a few different counters and some seating and lots of outdoor sidewalk seating as well. I’ve heard great things about the food here so definitely go here if you have time!
And that is the end my buttercups. Obviously this was my first time of the many times I will visit LA (hopefully even move) and so watch out for the many more blog posts to come. In the meanwhile, you can also check out my LA vlog for all the fun in action. Until next time lovelies <3
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