Disclaimer: Los Angeles county is so big it would be impossible to do it justice in just one post. So below we share one version of an itinerary for your upcoming visit.
Getting Here
Getting to Los Angeles is an easy flight away, regardless of where in the states you are located. If you are flying in from outside of the United States, make sure you check entry requirements HERE.
When trying to book your flights you can check about flying into the more popular airport LAX, the lesser known BUR (Burbank) airport which is located about 30 minutes away from Downtown Los Angeles or you can also look into flying into LGB (Long Beach) which is about 40 minutes from downtown.
Transportation
Where to stay can be overwhelming because as i said before, Los Angeles county is pretty big. While planning your trip to Los Angeles you need to narrow down where you want to visit, and whether or not you will be renting a car.
Side note: the public transportation isn’t that great but we do have a subway system which is a lot better than it use to be back in my younger days (sigh). You won’t be able to get around everywhere using the subway but you can probably get around to some places depending where you stay. You can check it out HERE.
If you don’t intend on renting a car, then you should aim to stay near the areas you plan to visit so that you don’t end up spending too much in Lyft/Uber rides. Realistically speaking, you can get away with not renting a car if you are doing a weekend trip. However, if you are staying for longer, i highly suggest you rent a car. LA traffic can make those Lyft rides pretty expensive for longer stays. A good source for car rentals is Autoslash, the website locates the lowest prices available, notifies you of any price drops and rebooks you into the lower prices automatically.
If you need transportation to/from the airport try Super Shuttle for a less expensive option. As always compare pricing with Lyft or Uber before booking.
Where To Stay
There are many great areas to stay in LA but some areas to consider if you are a first time visitor are: Downtown, Santa Monica, Hollywood, Burbank, Westwood, Malibu & Studio City.
There are plenty of good hotels around Los Angeles, which one will be contingent of what area you decide on. If you are leaving booking for the last minute, check rates with Hotel Tonight ($25 off your first booking with this link). Airbnb is also a great option, especially for longer stays. If you are new to Airbnb get up to $40 off your first booking using this link.
Things To Do
Below are just a few places we suggest visiting. We suggest some LA staples along with good places to get a hike in and get some good views of Los Angeles.
- Griffith Observatory (You can also take a Hike around these areas)
- Hollywood walk of fame (spoiler: we are adding it because it’s an LA staple, it’s not as impressive but we are locals, so our opinion is tainted)
- Getty Villa
- Santa Monica Pier (good to spend a few hours walking here, but there are better beaches)
- The Huntington
- San Antonio Winery: go wine tasting at the last remaining winery in Downtown Los Angeles. You can set up a group tasting reservation ahead of time for groups of 8 or more. For additional information click here.
- Descanso Gardens
- La Placita Olvera (lots of culture and history here. You will also find some delicious Mexican restaurants here).
- Hike the San Gabriel Mountains
- Murphy Ranch
- Union Station
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- Leo Carillo State Park Beach (Malibu)
- LA Farmer’s Market (you will find some good food options in here!)
- The Broad Museum
- Manhattan Beach
- Hermosa Beach (good place to bar hop and day drink during the day as well)
- Malibu (good beaches but great hiking trails around this area as well)
- The Venice Canal District
- Toponga State Park (another good hiking spot)
- Escondido Falls
- Solstice Canyon
- Echo Mountain
- Do a day trip to the beautiful beach town of Santa Barbara. It is 1.5-2 hours away from Downtown Los Angeles. Walk through State Street, visit the Mission and Butterfly beach. Take the Pacific Highway up for an even more beautiful drive up.Where To Eat
This guide is so hard to put together because there are SO many great options but we included just a few! Follow our Instagram page to keep up with the daily posts we share. - Malibu Cafe (the location is super cute! We love coming here for brunch and mimosas)
- Soul Hollywood
: go here for Brunch. It’s a big brunch party while you eat with dancers, a DJ, and lots of fun.
- Ruby’s Cafe (yes they have 3 leches pancakes! *Drools*)
- Pez Cantina
- The Hungry Crowd
- Broken Egg Cafe
- More Than Waffles
- Guisados
- Hyperion Public
- Taco Trucks- some of the best tacos are on your local taco trucks. There are so many across Los Angeles. One to mention: El Tauro Tacos
- Mercado Taqueria
- Poppy + Rose
- The Griddle Cafe
- Plan Check
- Bea Bea’s
- Blu Jam Cafe (whoever tells you it’s overrated, kick them to the curve. It’s an LA staple)
- Hampton’s 818 (Hello Bottemless Mimosas)Pictured are the Lobster Benedict’s and The Wings & Waffles. *Wipes Drool*
- The Nook
- Myke’s Cafe
- Fish Time
- My Two Cents
- Bajacali Tacos
- Mezcalero
- Gorditas Durango Mexican Grill
- La Fonda Antioquena (Colombia)
- La Caridad (Cuban)
- Tigeorges’ Chicken (Haitian)We hope this brief guide helps you plan your trip for the beautiful city of Los Angeles. As we previously mentioned, there is so much to do and see it would be impossible to cover it in one guide. Enjoy our hometown and don’t forget to tag us on your Instagram travel pictures.
Safe Travels!
