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TOP THINGS TO DO IN LOS ANGELES

A FIRST-TIMER’S GUIDE


LA. The City of Angels. La-La-Land. Hollywood. Tinseltown. This massive city in southern California has quite the reputation and is visited by people from around the world who come to see the famous attractions that give Los Angeles its many nicknames. From Hollywood to the beaches, Downtown to the hills, museums and art galleries to theme parks and dining, LA has something for everyone.

Top Things To Do in LA

 

QUICK LINKS

 

SANTA MONICA


At the top of our things to do list is Santa Monica. This beachside town is a great escape from the city and has much to offer along the beautiful coastline. There are great places to eat and drink, green parks, beachfront walks, shopping and tourist attractions, like the instantly recognisable Santa Monica Pier.


To get to Santa Monica from Downtown LA, hop on the Metro E line. The Santa Monica Pier and beach are less than a 10-minute walk from the Downtown Santa Monica station.


VENICE BEACH


Grab a bike, a pair of roller skates or lace up your walking shoes and take the beachfront trail from Santa Monica to Venice Beach. This bohemian neighbourhood is known for its boardwalk, eclectic beachfront and markets. There is an active outdoor lifestyle fostered in this area, with great surf, skate parks, basketball courts, paddle tennis courts and the famous Muscle Beach.


Looking for cafe and restaurant recommendation? Check out our guide for Where To Eat in Santa Monica & Venice Beach.

Not far from the beach, you will find the Venice Canals. This historic residential district makes for a very peaceful and picturesque walk. The canals are lined with beautiful houses and walkways connected by small bridges.



DOWNTOWN


At the centre of the city is Downtown LA. Like most major cities, the downtown area is filled with tall office and apartment buildings, shops, museums, theatres, and a plethora of dining options.


Our favourite shop in Downtown is The Last Bookstore. More than just your regular book shop, inside you'll find an artistically designed labyrinth, located within an old bank building, where you can shop for books, records, yarn, and collectibles, visit the art studios or take pictures down the tunnel of books.


When it comes to food, you have to visit Grand Central Market. Located in the historic Homer Laughlin Building on South Broadway, the market has been operating since 1917 and has 40 stalls to choose from. Whether you’re craving food from Europe, Asia or Central America, or perhaps just feeling like a grilled cheese or peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you will find it all in this one place.

Must See in LA - Bradbury Building

Across the road from the market is the Bradbury Building. This is the oldest commercial building in the city, known for its stunning architecture and feature in many notable films like Blade Runner.


The atrium is open to visitors, but the upper floors are only accessible by tenants. Security told us photography was allowed on phones, but no "professional" cameras.

On the other side of the market is the Angels Flight railway. Holding the title of the world’s shortest railway, this funicular was built in 1901 to take passengers up the very steep Bunker Hill.


Angels Flight railway operates every day and costs $1 or $0.50 with a TAP card.

Once you’ve taken the funicular up to Grand Avenue, stroll down the street to the many museums, theatres, concert halls and galleries. Opposite The Music Centre, you’ll find Grand Park, offering a memorial fountain, playground, seating, cafes and a beautiful view of the Los Angeles City Hall.



BEVERLY HILLS


To get a glimpse into the life of the rich and famous, head to Beverly Hills. This city in LA is synonymous with wealth and luxury. It is where many tourists will take bus tours around to the homes of Hollywood stars and break the budget in high-end fashion stores on Rodeo Drive. It is still worth a stroll down Rodeo Drive, even if you don’t plan on spending any money.


Beverly Gardens Park is a must-visit, mostly for the obligatory photo of the Beverly Hills sign and the Lily Pond. From here, you can walk down N Canon Drive or N Beverly Drive, both lined with palm trees and beautiful houses, to the Will Rogers Memorial Park. This is a small but peaceful park away from the crowds of Rodeo Drive and is just across the road from the famous Beverly Hills Hotel.



URBAN LIGHT


Located at the Wilshire Boulevard entrance to LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) is the free public art installation Urban Light. This popular attraction was created by artist Chris Burden and has been open to the public since 2008. Urban Light is a grid of 202 restored LA street lamps, which light up at dusk each night. Despite being open for many years, the installation still draws huge crowds, especially after sunset.

LA Public Art Installations - Urban Light


LA BREA TAR PITS & MUSEUM


A very short walk from Urban Light is the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum. This intriguing place was once used for asphalt mining and is an active Ice Age fossil excavation site right in the heart of the city. For over 50,000 years, animals and plants were trapped and preserved in the asphalt and outside in Hancock Park, you can explore these pits and watch excavators carve out fossils. The most recognisable is the Lake Pit, where rainwater has collected in an old asphalt mining pit, and bubbles from the underground oil field create an eerie atmosphere, heightened by the recreation of a trapped mammoth. Inside the museum, you can learn more about the Tar Pits history, watch the staff work on fossils and check out the exhibitions.


Tickets to the museum cost $15 USD for adults. Access to Hancock Park is free.
Things To Do in LA - La Brea Tar Pits and Museum


HOLLYWOOD


Hollywood is one of the most famous place in LA. It's recognised as the heart of the TV and film industry and the place where dreams are made. The iconic Hollywood sign can be seen from all over LA, or you can get up close by hiking one of the trails in Griffith Park. Along Hollywood Boulevard, you can search for your favourite celebrity’s star on the Walk of Fame or find their handprints at the TCL Chinese Theatre. You can visit the home of the Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre, watch a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, or spend a day touring sets and jumping on rides at Universal Studios.



OUR GOOGLE MAPS


When planning our travel destinations, we pin our bucket list of sites to see and recommended places to eat and drink on Google Maps. We are then never lost for ideas when travelling, and can easily share these lists for our friends and family to use too.



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