Planning a trip to Southern California? Don’t leave without spending at least one day in Los Angeles. After flying through L.A. on several trips, we’ve fallen in love with the second-largest city in the USA, from its iconic landmarks to its beautiful beaches.
So, what would we do with just 24 hours in Los Angeles? Oh, plenty, our friends. Plenty.
Whenever we’re in town, we head straight for the coast to soak up L.A.’s seaside charms in Venice Beach and Santa Monica. By midday, we might find ourselves popping into art museums like the Getty or shopping along Rodeo Boulevard. (Okay, not really shopping; just hangin’ out.)
Whether it’s at Griffith Park or Mount Hollywood, we can never get enough of hitting the hiking trails to marvel at the city from above. Back on earth, we love to explore L.A.’s cultural diversity in ethnic enclaves like Chinatown or Koreatown. Finally, we never miss the opportunity to end the evening with a delicious meal and cocktails at one of the many trendy restaurants & bars in Downtown L.A.
Need a primer on what to do in Los Angeles in one day? Let us help you craft an epic trip plan for your Southern California getaway with our complete 1-day Los Angeles trip itinerary, including our recommendations for what to see & do, where to eat & drink, and where to stay!
Our recommendations for where to go in Los Angeles in one day
Even after several visits, we’re blissfully aware that visiting Los Angeles in 24 hours is rarely simple. The City of Angeles covers over 500 square miles and is spread far and wide. (Take a look down when you’re flying into LAX, and you’ll know what we mean.)
But within that huge urban sprawl, we’ve found a ton of compelling attractions and activities that we think are perfect for first-timers visiting on time crunch.
If you’re limited to a day, it’ll be difficult to tackle all our favorite things to see & do in Los Angeles. After struggling with it on our visits, we’re not big fans of public transportation in L.A. and we don’t believe it’s the most efficient way to scoot around the city on a 1-day itinerary.
Instead, we’d suggest renting a car, using ride-sharing services like Uber or Lyft, or getting around by taxi.
One thing we’ll remind you, though: traffic in Los Angeles can be nightmarish for everyone—locals and visitors alike. A little patience and avoiding rush hour can go a long way in keeping your sanity intact on the freeways!
Start off the morning in Venice Beach
Need a sunny start to your first day in Los Angeles? Let’s roll out of bed and beeline for Venice Beach. Perched upon the Pacific Ocean shores, the laid-back beach town of Venice is one of L.A.’s must-sees—and one of our favorite spots to roam in the city.
Let’s start exploring Venice along the Venice Beach Boardwalk, also known as the Ocean Front Walk. Take a leisurely stroll along the boardwalk, where we always spot plenty of restaurants, street performers, spas, magicians, and, of course, skaters and roller-blading enthusiasts.
If you want to spice up your first 24 hours in Los Angeles, strap on a pair of rollerblades and skate along the Venice Beach Boardwalk to get a real feel of what makes this section of L.A. so special.
Or we challenge you to flex those pipes and hammer out a couple of pull-ups at Venice’s famed Muscle Beach, once the gym of choice for bodybuilding legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno.
Before we leave Venice Beach, let’s stroll over to explore the Venice Canals. Whenever we’re visiting, we always love wandering along these historic waterways, inspired by the canals of Venice, Italy. We think it’s the perfect spot for a quick walk to admire the modernist homes lining the canals.
(Extra points if you’re visiting L.A. with your special someone.)
Now that we’ve got our morning walk in, let’s fuel up for the day ahead. Head northwest of the Venice Canal Historic District to one of the coffee shops and cafes lining Abbot Kinney Boulevard.
We’d recommend grabbing a coffee at the industrial-chic Intelligentsia Coffee Venice Coffeebar (1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd) or a quick breakfast at the stylish yet casual Gjelina (1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd), two of our favorite coffee & breakfast spots in the area.
Breathe in the sea breeze at Santa Monica Pier
From Venice Beach, it’s just over 10 minutes by car (or a 50-minute walk) to the iconic Santa Monica Pier. Whenever we’re in L.A., we always love strolling around famed Santa Monica Pier, walking past the barrage of boutique shops, restaurants, and the historic Pacific Park amusement park and its famed Ferris wheel.
On the way in, keep on the lookout for the Santa Monica Pier Arch, the pier’s famed neon gateway. This historic sign isn’t just one of the top points of interest in Santa Monica but one of the most photographed tourist spots in the country.
Closer to the pier, we also spotted the iconic Route 66 End of the Trail Sign. Don’t forget to snap plenty of photos of these famous landmarks for your Instagram while you’re there!
After we soak up beautiful views of the waves and multimillion-dollar mansions at Santa Monica Pier, let’s walk over to the Third Street Promenade. Downtown Santa Monica is a shopper’s paradise, and the Third Street Promenade is one of our favorite places to dish out our hard-earned dollars on all the latest fashions.
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Stores we’ve seen in the area include Abercrombie & Fitch, Lululemon, Urban Outfitters, and tons more. (Truthfully, we’d prefer shopping at the Patagonia here than anywhere else. Unsurprising, we know.)
If you didn’t grab breakfast yet and need a bite to eat before continuing your adventure, we’d suggest stopping at one of the many restaurants and cafes in the area.
Some of our favorite options in the neighborhood include enjoying organic coffee at Urth Caffe Santa Monica (2327 Main St), Korean fusion breakfast dishes at Interstellar (109 Broadway) or an inventive café breakfast on the rustic terrace of Papille Gustative (2823 Main St).
Looking for more of L.A. seaside pleasures? Let’s strap on a pair of sandals and go for a walk on Santa Monica Beach. With its soft sands and crystal-clear waters, this stretch from Venice Beach to Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades is, in our opinion, one of the most beautiful beaches in Los Angeles.
Browse art and enjoy epic L.A. views at the Getty Center
After soaking up the sun in Santa Monica, we’ll scoot over to the Getty Center, about a 20-minute drive away in Brentwood. Not only is the Getty Center the perfect example of amazing architecture, but from its perch atop the hills of Los Angeles, it also delivers some of the most stunning views we’ve seen of the city.
Besides enjoying the spectacular city views, we love exploring the Getty Center’s extraordinary gardens and a collection of artwork that’s second to none.
Let’s take a short break at this free art museum and snap a few photos before we slide down the hills and back into the heart of the city.
Spot celebs on Rodeo Drive
From the Getty Center, let’s take the 20-minute drive via Sunset Boulevard to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Whenever we’ve visited, we love strolling around this area, jam-packed with high-end fashion boutiques. (Which in our classic traveler clothes, we’d never dare to enter!)
The stretch of Rodeo Drive between Wilshire Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard is one of America’s most famous streets and one of our favorite points of interest in Beverly Hills.
Even if you’ve only got a day in L.A., we think taking a walk down Rodeo Drive is a must for first-time tourists.
Flaunt your fashion sense as you go window-shopping or—if you dare!—max out your credit cards to stock up on all the latest trends from some of the world’s top fashion brands.
Brush up with fame at the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Sure, it’s kitschy. But we’re huge film buffs, so no 1-day L.A. itinerary we create would be complete without a stroll at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The famed promenade is about a 25-minute drive from Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills via West Hollywood.
Centered around the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, the Hollywood Walk of Fame emblazons the names of hundreds of actors, singers, and other celebrities on the pavement within their very own stars.
Walking through the area, we stumbled upon the stars of many of our own favorite actors, directors and musicians, like The Beatles, Martin Scorsese, and Ryan Reynolds. (And we were surprised to see some famous ones missing like Robert DeNiro, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Denzel Washington!)
Got a favorite celeb in mind? We’d recommend saving yourself some time and visit walkoffame.com to discover exactly where your idol’s star is located and beeline to it.
One of our favorite points of interest in Hollywood, CA, the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a great place to take a leisurely stroll and rest up for your next adventure.
Want to see more of Hollywood than the Walk of Fame on a time crunch? We’d suggest considering taking a bus tour that’ll bring you to major attractions throughout America’s showbiz capital, including the famed TCL Chinese Theater and Dolby Theater.
Enjoy a breath of fresh air at Griffith Park
Now that we’ve (briefly) dug into Hollywood’s charms, let’s venture north to Griffith Park to add a dash of nature to our getaway. It’s just 10 minutes by car or 30 minutes by foot from Hollywood.
Whenever we need a break from the busy city streets, L.A.’s most famous urban retreat is our first choice. One of the city’s most popular parks, Griffith Park is jam-packed with hiking trails, offering spectacular views of the Los Angeles skyline.
If we were craving some of the finest vistas in L.A., we’d make our way to the Griffith Observatory. Located on Mount Hollywood, the observatory is a fantastic spot for soaking in views over the city, including the famed Hollywood Sign to the northwest. The building is also home to a planetarium, which, in our opinion, is a great option if you’re traveling with children.
If you’ve got extra time in your itinerary and want to partake in some of the best L.A. hikes, we’d suggest exploring some of the popular hiking trails around Griffith Park, including the Mount Hollywood Trail.
Get your cultural fix in Chinatown
From Griffith Park, let’s bank on a 20-minute drive back down to the city to experience one of L.A.’s most important cultural corners: Chinatown. After building up an appetite from a Los Angeles hiking adventure, we think L.A.’s Chinatown is the perfect spot to grab a bite to eat for lunch or enjoy some of the neighborhood’s historic architecture, like the Thien Hau Temple.
To fill up on authentic Chinese cuisine, let’s set our sights on a delicious lunch at the budget-friendly Foo-Chow Restaurant (949 N Hill Street) or Phoenix Inn Chinese Cuisine (301 Ord Street). We’d fill up on Chinese favorites like wonton noodle soup, steamed dumplings, or orange chicken—or other Asian favorites like Malay noodle soup and mochi.
Not into Chinese food? No worries. We can save our appetite for our upcoming adventure in the heart of the city: Downtown L.A.
End the day in Downtown Los Angeles
No matter how much daylight is left, from our experience, there’s no better place to end your 1-day itinerary than in Downtown Los Angeles. Although L.A.’s downtown area is often pegged as too commercial, it’s still the city’s cultural heart. When we’ve wandered around the area, we’ve seen everything from art museums and hip restaurants to historical sites and entertainment venues.
Art fans should set aside time to explore The Broad (221 S Grand Ave). This famed contemporary art museum is one of our favorites in the city. It’s home to more than 2,000 post-war works of art, including works by Andy Warhol, Yayoi Kusama, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Foodies, on the other hand, should rev up their tastebuds for the Grand Central Market, (317 S Broadway) which has been offering a cavalcade of flavors since 1917.
Among our favorites at Grand Market are the authentic Mexican tacos and burritos at Anna Maria, one of L.A.’s finest burgers at For the Win, and delicious pub food and craft beer from the Golden Road craft brewery.
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Looking to end your day with a spectacular meal in Downtown Los Angeles? Grab some authentic Italian at Bottega Louie (700 S Grand Ave) or enjoy upscale French cuisine to breathtaking views from the dramatic rooftop terrace at Perch (448 S Hill St), located in the Pershing Square Building.
(We should warn you, though: Neither of these last two options come cheap!)
Got more time and looking to explore other interesting cultural neighborhoods? Little Tokyo is within walking distance, while Koreatown is a short 20-minute drive west. If you’re a huge fan of ramen or Korean chicken like we are, these areas might be more to your speed!
Where to stay with 24 hours in L.A.
After seeing its immense sprawl firsthand, we’ve come to the conclusion that choosing where to stay in Los Angeles is rarely simple. For most travelers on a time crunch, our favorites areas to stay in the cityinclude Downtown, Hollywood, and Beverly Hills.
These neighborhoods, in our experience, are home to many of the city’s top hotels, and are close to many of its bucket list sightseeing highlights.
citizenM Los Angeles Downtown
Looking to stay in Downtown L.A. without breaking the bank? Settle down at the chic citizenM. When we’ve stayed at this chain, we enjoy the comfortable no-frills rooms. This new hotel also has host of great amenities, including a restaurant, bar, fitness center, and shared lounge.
InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown, an IHG Hotel
Up your L.A. accommodations game with a night at the InterContinental. We’re big fans of the modern and spacious rooms at this luxurious hotel, with the best of the bunch shining out wonderful views over the city. After a long day of sightseeing, we can think of nothing better than to cool down in the outdoor pool or sip on a cocktail at Spire 73, the hotel’s sleek rooftop bar.
JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE
Searching for the ultimate in Southern California luxury? Lay down your head at the JW Marriott. Aside from the full-featured rooms, we love soaking up the views from the rooftop pool and dining and sipping cocktails at one of the four classy on-site restaurants & bars.
More Los Angeles itinerary ideas
Universal Studios Hollywood
Located in the San Fernando Valley, Universal Studios Hollywood is one of L.A.’s most famous attractions for movie buffs. We think this sprawling theme park and film studio is a perfect spot to spend a day on your Southern California road trip if you’re traveling with the kids in tow.
Harry Potter fans will love Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter, featuring a replica of Hogwarts Castle and family-friendly thrills. Or embark on The World-Famous Studio Tour to trolley through famed movie sets like Jaws, King Kong, and Fast and the Furious.
Paramount Studios
Occupying 65 acres, Paramount Studios features a total of 30 stages that have produced some of the world’s most famous movies and television shows—and some of our own favorites!
The iconic Hollywood studio represents over 100 years of TV and filmmaking history. If you find yourself with more than 24 hours in L.A., we’d recommend hopping onto an official Paramount Pictures Studio Tour to see classic and active movie sets—and maybe even catch a film or TV in action!
Runyon Canyon Park
Just steps north of Hollywood Boulevard, Runyon Canyon Park is another one of our favorite places to escape the crowds and the L.A. city buzz. The park drapes over 160 acres of the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains and is packed with miles of hiking trails to explore.
To get the most out of your Runyon Canyon hiking adventure, we’d suggest tackling the Western High Way Trail, traversing 3.3 miles over 800 feet of elevation change.
Echo Park
To explore central L.A.’s quieter side, save time in your travel plan for Echo Park. Located west of Chinatown and southwest of Elysian Park, the historic neighborhood centers around its namesake lakeside park.
Got room for some chill time? We’d recommend renting a paddleboat for a pedal around Echo Park Lake or to circumnavigate its shores on the walking path.
After soaking in the lakefront vibes, explore the neighborhood’s cool boutiques and hip restaurants peppered along Sunset Blvd.
Marina Del Rey
If you’re not opposed to more driving, visiting Marina Del Rey is the perfect way to end your day in Los Angeles. Here, you can enjoy a cruise ship for the perfect starlight dinner or eat dinner on land at Salt, a restaurant offering some of the finest views over Marina Del Rey.
Salt offers not just a great view of the ocean and its boats. We also love the fantastic menu here, including a variety of everything from lobster pasta to fish & chips.
If you decide to spend the night in Marina Del Rey, there are numerous hotels here that’ll allow you to get a good night’s sleep before leaving this magnificent city.
Malibu
If you didn’t quite get your L.A. beach fix, we’d suggest squeezing in a day trip to Malibu. Famed for its sandy shores and celebrity homes, the seaside city, located an hour from downtown, is the perfect antidote to L.A.’s big city vibes.
We always love spending a day feeling the sand between our toes on some of the beautiful Malibu beaches, including Zuma Beach and El Matador Beach.
Among our favorite things to do in Malibu is to use the beachfront town to launch a Pacific Coast Highway road trip and soak up more of California’s coastal charms.
When to visit L.A.
The best time to visit Los Angeles is in the spring or autumn months. During these shoulder seasons, the days are still warm, and you’ll avoid the peak tourist season, which, in our experience, can get very busy.
If you decide to visit in the summer between June and August, we’d recommend keeping an eye on the weather quality index, as the heat and smog can make your stay a tad unpleasant at times. We generally prefer coastal areas like Venice, Malibu, and Santa Monica to the concrete jungle of central L.A. at this time of year.
For better flight deals and cheaper accommodation prices, opt for visiting LA in winter. You can expect relatively mild temperatures compared to the North American average but a higher risk of rain than in other seasons.
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