The City of Angels really lives up to its name. It is absolutely beautiful and it would be our number 1 place in the world to live. Although many people told us that they were disappointed by LA, we can only say that we loved every single bit of it and we would ALWAYS return there. LA unites one of the most gorgeous beaches in the United States with a huge city, and cuisines from all around the world, so how could you not love such a place?? As hotels are really expensive here, we stayed in a AirBnb only 2 blocks from Venice Beach, and it included free parking. Our hosts were absolutely lovely, check out this link if you are interested in a booking. One thing right away, in LA you really want to rent a car. Distances are quite far and traffic is heavy; from Downtown to Venice beach it is a distance of almost 40 km and it always took us more than an hour to get either way. There are countless things to do, and most of them really do have their price, so here is our list of our (mostly free) favourite things to see and do in Los Angeles.
Best time to visit: all year round
Minimum stay: 4-5 days
Daily budget: $$$ 100-150$ per person and day
1. Venice Beach
Entrance: free
Opening hours: 24/7
Minimum time: half a day
Venice Beach is the ultimate beach escape and should be part of every Westcoast road trip. When we got there, we didn’t know HOW HUGE that beach is, but there is really la lot of space and it therefore never gets too crowded. Make sure to spend at least half a day just relaxing on the beach and enjoying the sunshine, but there are lots of other things to see and do. The Boardwalk next to the beach is full of lovely shops, bars and restaurants and every few meters you can watch different street artists performing for the crowds. It’s also quite funny that they often close a street or sidewalk in order to shoot a film scene. Well, Hollywood isn’t that far, right? Our favourite way to explore all of Venice Beach was by a beach cruiser, which you can rent for 20-25$ per day
2. Santa Monica Pier
Entrance: free, (unlimited rides ticket 29$)
Opening hours: 24/7
Minimum time: 1-2 hours
Santa Monica Pier is the most remarkable pier at Venice Beach and is visible by day and night thanks to its giant wheel and other fun rides. There are several (pricey) food stalls, but it is definitely a nice place to hang out for a while. It is also the end of the world famous Route 66, a US-highway which stretches from Chicago to the west coast of California. Watch out for events, as the Santa Monica Pier is a popular place for strongman or bodybuilding competitions J!
3. Work out at Muscle Beach
Entrance: 10$ for the beach gym, racks & swings are free
Opening hours: 24/7
Minimum time: 2 hours
People in LA in general are quite sporty, especially at the beach. You will constantly see people running, playing soccer or volleyball – or: working out at the machines :D. LA is quite famous for its muscle beach. There is one secluded area in the south of Venice beach with real gym equipment (where you have to pay an entrance fee of course), but close to Santa Monica Pier there are several racks and swings where you can do your workout in the sun, for free <3.
4. Universal Studios
Entrance: General admission 129$, Express tickets 249$, parking: 28$
Opening hours: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., depending on season
Minimum time: full day
Whether you want to visit the Universal Studios depends on two factors: First, if you have enough time to spend a full day at a theme park, and second, on your budget. I always thought that theme parks in Germany are expensive, but the USA took the ticket prices to a new level :O. The park itself is really awesome, there are lots of rides and what I really found amazing was that the staff was always acting according to their attraction, e.g. at the Transformers ride they talked in a bossy, military way, while at Hogwarts, they were really polite. Another highlight was the Studio Tour, which takes you to several famous Hollywood settings. Especially during July & August the park is terribly crowded and the most popular attractions often had waiting times of 2-3 hours. Tom got us some Express Tickets, which allows you to jump the queues at all the good rides, so we never had to wait more than 5 minutes. If you only have one day to explore the park, I would probably recommend you to get these tickets, so you can at least experience all the rides. Tip to save some money: you can bring your own food & drinks in the park, and you can get free water at every restaurant inside. However, there is an additional parking fee of 28$ per day, which is simply ridiculous, but whatever…
5. Hollywood
Entrance: free
Opening hours: 24/7
Minimum time: 3 hours
A visit to LA would not be complete without a visit to Hollywood. You could start your day early with a morning hike to the famous Hollywood sign (to beat the heat) or if you are not a morning person you just leave your car at Griffith park and walk 5 minutes up the hill to the viewpoint, which is also quite nice J. Another thing not to miss of course is the Walk of fame. You gotta be lucky to find a free parking lot next to the street, otherwise you will have to pay for one of the parking garages nearby. This is the place where all the famous actors and actresses have their own star on the sidewalks. It is not as special as we expected, but it’s a place you should have seen once in your life. The Chinese Theater with all the famous hand- and footprints is also quite entertaining, and if you are lucky you might catch a glimpse of a celebrity here as well! However, in general the Walk of fame is more or less a huge shopping street, full of souvenir shops and street artists, but at night it is definitely a fun place to be.
6. Venice Canals
Entrance: free
Opening hours: 24/7
Minimum time: 1-2 hours
Our AirBnB was right behind the Venice Canals, so we had to walk through that part of LA every day. The Canals are lined by cute houses and tall palm trees, and a stroll across the tiny bridges will light up your day. The most incredible views you will have at sunset, when the sky turns pink and is reflected in the water. The canals aren’t that big and in an hour you will have seen everything – nonetheless we would say that this is a place you shouldn’t miss when in LA.
7. Check out the Street Art
Entrance: free
Opening Hours: 24/7
Minimum time: half a day
LA has some of the most impressive street art and graffiti I have ever seen. Quite famous are the numerous angel wings by Colette Miller, which are spread throughout the whole city. Not far from Beverly Hills you will find Melrose Avenue, where you can find some of the in(sta)famous walls of LA, as for example the Pink Wall by Paul Smith, the “Made in LA” wall, the Global Angel Wings project, the crocheted rainbow or the Marilyn Monroe wall. Another two pairs of angel wings you can find in LA downtown in the Arts District. They are quite hidden, but you will find them next to the Angel City Brewery. Another spot which is quite popular is the LACMA, the Museum of Arts. On its outside you can find the famous white lanterns, but that spot is usually really crowded.
8. "The Swing" at Elysian Park
Entrance: free
Opening hours: 24/7
Minimum time: 1 hour
Thanks to Instagram, this place was also on our LA to-do list :D not far from Hollywood you can find Elysian Park. Unfortunately we didn’t expect that park to be that huge and thought that we would easily find the swing – well, NOPE. So here is a description how you can find the swing for sure J: if you use the Google Maps offline app, just type in “Swing on top of Elysian Park” and it will guide you there. Otherwise have a look at the street names (yes there are several streets inside the park and you can drive around by car :D). At the intersection of Angels Point Drive and Park Row Drive you can leave your car in the parking lot and to your right side there is a small path up the hill – and after just 5 minutes you will reach the swing. The most incredible view you will probably have at sunrise or sunset, but whenever you go: ENJOY!
9. OUE Skyspace LA
Entrance: 25$ admission +8$ for the slide
Opening hours: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Minimum time: 2 hours
Unfortunately we didn’t make it to that spot anymore, and I must admit that I was a little bit sad about that, that’s why I want to recommend it to you. Located in LA downtown, you will find OUE Skyspace. It is a really high skyscraper and from an elevated platform you will have the most incredible 360 degree view of the city of angels. Another pair of Angel Wings is also to be found on that platform, but the best is yet to come… on the 70thfloor there is the Skyslide, a first-of-its-kind outdoor glass slide on which you can glide down to the 69thfloor almost 300 meters above the streets of LA. Hope that some of you will make it to that special place <3
10. Desert Hills Premium Outlet
Entrance: free (also parking is free)
Opening hours: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Minimum time: half a day :D
If there is one thing that is cheaper in the USA than in Austria, it is probably shopping in outlets. Located in the desert, about a 2-hour drive from Los Angeles, you will find Desert Hills Premium Outlet. We didn’t expect much, as outlets in our country are usually quite disappointing and do not offer much choice. However, when we entered that outlet, we couldn’t believe our eyes – the shops were like “normal” shops, so they offered up-to-date collections and clothes were available in all sizes. And now better sit down – the prices were marked down by up to 80% (!!) and every shop offered some extra discounts on top. Well what can we say? We actually just wanted to stop for an hour, and ended up staying 6 and spent a LOT of money… and if that doesn’t convince you, even Tom got in a shopping spree there, and he usually hates shopping :D! If you are on the way to Joshua Tree NP, this outlet will be on your way…
Places to eat in LA
- Pop’s Bagels – handmade bagels
- DeSano Pizza Bakery
- Guisados – Mexican dishes
- Crossroads Kitchen – vegan food
- Hoy’s Wok – Chinese food
- Voodoo Doughnut Hollywood
- B Sweet – delicious desserts
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