An insider’s guide to Hollywood and beyond.
One of the most visible and talked-about cities in the world, Los Angeles is as much a lifestyle brand as it is a location. Synonymous with celebrity, glamor, and sunshine, L.A. is a dream tourist destination for much of the world’s population. It’s got movie stars and beaches, theme parks and museums, sports superstars and beautiful scenery. It’s also home to almost four million residents, making the city not just a hot vacation spot but also a bustling metropolis.
But to do L.A. right, as a tourist, it helps to know a local. Who else to tell you what to skip, where you’ll actually get to see your favorite stars, and what restaurants are worth the hype? While I’m not a native Angeleno, I’ve lived in Los Angeles for nearly a decade and was a regular visitor long before then. In my time in L.A., I’ve made a point of diving deep into local history, beloved regional restaurants, and all manner of sports and entertainment. I know what’s worth doing and what’s not, and so, please, let me be your guide. Here’s my guide on how to be a tourist in L.A., including the best things to do, must-try restaurants, top hotels for any budget, and a couple of tips on things to avoid.
You can’t talk about Los Angeles without talking about the beach. While it’s not an everyday hangout spot for most Angelenos, there’s something comfortable about knowing it’s there if you want to go. And if you’re a tourist from out of town, it’s absolutely a must-see. While you could pop over to Santa Monica for a walk down its pier and a stroll on its beach, there’s something magical about driving up the Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Monica to Malibu. Roll the windows down, crank some tunes, and stop for lunch at one of the seafood spots along the coast, like Malibu Seafood, Neptune’s Net, or the Broad Street Oyster Company. Afterwards, find a spot to park near one of the beaches so you can get out to watch the waves crash against the shore.
If you’re in town during the spring, summer, or fall, chances are good that there’ll be some sort of show on the calendar at the Hollywood Bowl. One of the country’s oldest and most scenic amphitheaters, the Bowl hosts everything from L.A. Philharmonic concerts to Mariah Carey Christmas shows. If you’re willing to splash out a little, you’ll be able to snag a box near the signature half-dome stage, where you can enjoy dinner and a little people-watching before the show. If you’re more interested in the experience than the show, then there’s no shame in opting for the cheap seats. The view and the sound are just as outstanding, and you’ll have a great time no matter what.
L.A. is a movie town through and through. Thousands upon thousands of our city’s residents work in the entertainment industry and even more just love a good movie. While you could catch a new release at whatever AMC or Regal outlet is closest to your hotel, I’d personally recommend dipping a toe into L.A. revival house culture, which will afford you a chance to check out a classic film at a cool one-off theater, like Quentin Tarantino’s New Beverly or Eagle Rock’s Vidiots, or spend the evening communing with cinema under the stars at a Cinespia event at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. They’re all singular experiences, and they’re good for families or grown-ups alike, depending on what movie you want to see or when you want to go. Check out Revival Hub to see what’s playing when you’re in town.
One of the best parts about L.A. is how easy it is to step into nature. There are dozens of excellent hiking trails all over the metropolitan area, encompassing a wide range of landscapes and difficulties. Runyon Canyon is one of the city’s most popular, but you can hike a trail up to the Hollywood sign, zip around Dodger Stadium, or even check out waterfalls just outside of town. They’re a great way to get your cardio in and see the sights.
Opening just a few years ago, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is one of L.A.’s newest and biggest marquee attractions. A memorabilia-studded tribute to all things cinema, the museum contains a wide array of super cool Hollywood ephemera, from Dorothy’s ruby slippers to a life-sized version of Jaws. New stuff rotates through the museum constantly, like with recent exhibits paying tribute to John Waters and Hayao Miyazaki. The museum also contains an excellent gift shop, a solid restaurant, and a full-sized theater, which hosts both screenings and Q&As with various filmmakers and personalities.
When you think about Los Angeles, you might think about traffic, and that’s justified. We don’t have the worst rush hours in the world, but driving anywhere in town can be a bit tricky depending on what time of day you leave. That being said, I always recommend hopping in a car and tooling around town, especially if you’re interested in the city’s most jaw-dropping real estate. While I personally think it’s a little creepy to drive around looking for specific Hollywood stars’ homes, I think it’s absolutely okay to drive through some of the city’s most impressive zip codes, like Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Hancock Park, and the Hollywood Hills. Driving up and down Mulholland Drive is always interesting, and if you have the time to dip into the area around the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, you can check out some really impressive examples of California Craftsman architecture as well.
L.A. is a city of neighborhoods—and we don’t just mean Hollywood and West Hollywood. Spend an afternoon strolling spots like Little Tokyo or walking through Larchmont. Venice’s Canal District is picturesque, and Olvera Street, with its traditional Mexican plaza design, is worth checking out not just because it’s super cool, but also because it’s essentially the place where L.A. as we know it started.
You don’t have to have a kid to enjoy one of the most unique theatrical experiences in L.A. You just need to be a kid at heart. At Highland Park’s Bob Baker Marionette Theater, dedicated puppeteers have been entertaining young and old alike for over 60 years, producing almost daily marionette spectaculars designed to enchant and delight. The company produces a different show quarterly, but if you want to see their Halloween Spooktacular or their big Christmas production, make sure to book your tickets in advance: Most of the company’s holiday shows tend to sell out well in advance, a sure sign that there are plenty of people in LA who have made it a tradition to come back year after year.
If you want to mingle with locals and check out what’s trending around town, there’s no better place to go in LA than a public market. There are dozens of farmers’ markets across L.A., meaning you can check one out somewhere, no matter what day or time you’re free. If you’re more interested in fashion than food, then you’ll want to check out one of the city’s many flea or antique markets, which are generally held on weekends. The Rose Bowl Flea Market is definitely the city’s biggest event, but the Melrose Trading Post, the Pasadena City College Flea, and the Topanga Vintage Market are all great, too.
If you’ve ever seen Rebel Without A Cause, then you know the Griffith Observatory. A stunning white, domed building perched atop the city’s Griffith Park, the building is a great place to not only kick back and watch a cool show about space in the planetarium, but also a cool place to get a great vantage point over the city of L.A. It’s also endlessly Instagrammable, should you want to post a few snaps on social media.
If you’re an architecture or history buff, make a point to head downtown for a little lunchtime adventure around the city’s Grand Central Market. There, you’ll find a ton of food stalls and vendors to grab a bite, but venture out just across the street for a second and you’ll find two of L.A.’s coolest attractions: Angels Flight and the Bradbury Building. A bright orange funicular that’s run up and down the same hill since 1901, Angels Flight is a pretty fun way to kill 20 minutes or so, especially if you’ve got kids. The Bradbury Building, meanwhile, is an architectural marvel and a Hollywood landmark, having appeared in countless movies and commercials, including Blade Runner and Double Indemnity.
Every first-time visitor to L.A. thinks they have to go to the Hollywood Walk of Fame and, frankly, let us just say: Don’t do it. There are more than 2800 stars embedded across 15 blocks of Hollywood, and while it can be mildly fun to look down and say “Oh, wow, Ted Danson” while you’re standing on his star, the overall experience is more “meh” than mind-blowing. The area is also mostly a tourist trap now, with vendors hawking CDs, taking sad “costumed Times Square Elmo” style pics with visitors, and shilling dumb fake Oscar statuettes. Avoid it unless absolutely necessary.
Los Angeles is enormous. The city alone covers more than 500 square miles, and if you’re thinking about going into outlying suburbs like Malibu, Santa Monica, or Pasadena, you can tack a little more area onto that number. I cannot tell you how many out-of-towners I’ve talked to that have said, “I’m in town for three days and I want to go to Disneyland, the beach, go for a hike, see a movie, go to a Lakers game, and hang out with my old college roommate who lives in Pomona.” With traffic and the sheer time it’ll take you to drive from spot to spot to spot, there’s no way to accomplish all those things in that amount of time. Be strategic with where you want to go and plan your days accordingly. Absolutely dying to check out something on the west side, near the beach? Then consider spending the rest of your day over there, as well. Don’t try to bounce all over town all day. It’s pointless at best and painful at worst. No one wants to spend a bunch of money on vacation only to end up spending most of their time sitting in a rental car.
Serving Hollywood’s best food for over 100 years, Musso and Frank is one of L.A.’s biggest culinary gems. It’s a classic through and through, with wood-paneled walls and the restaurant’s longtime waiters slinging prime rib and martinis while sporting dapper red tuxedo jackets. Everyone who’s anyone in Hollywood has eaten at Musso and Frank’s over the years, and if you’re lucky, you may even see a star in the dining room the night you stop in. There are things on the Musso’s menu that you just don’t see in 99 percent of restaurants these days, from Lobster Thermidor to Welsh Rarebit to Flannel Cakes. Every single item is on there for a reason, though, and every single item is delicious. Try something new (or old!) and you won’t be disappointed.
Another L.A. must is Canter’s Deli, which sits nestled in the city’s ever-changing Fairfax District. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Canter’s has sold classic Jewish diner fare to Angelenos since 1931. You can get pancakes or pastrami, matzo ball soup or milkshakes. Their menu is massive, they’re pretty liberal with the free pickles, and everyone who works there is a cut-up or a super interesting character. I’ve been going there for decades, whether I was stumbling in after concerts for some late-night grub in my 20s or taking my kids there when they were babies for a “bagel on a string,” tied there by the hostess for them to gnaw on while we ordered. It’s a great place, a historic place, and if you take my advice and get a Reuben, you’ll never regret it.
I’m sticking with the classics for my third recommendation, since restaurants can come and go, but there are a few places on the L.A. dining scene that really have been around forever. (Or long enough to be considered “forever” in L.A. terms.) Perched on a hill above the Magic Castle in Hollywood for over 100 years, Yamashiro was designed to be a sort of “mountain palace,” and over time, it really has grown into that moniker. The Japanese restaurant has some of the best views in town, and the building’s traditional architecture can make you feel like you’ve been transported to another place—or, since you’re in L.A., into your favorite movie. That’s especially apt considering a number of classic films have actually been shot at Yamashiro, including Kill Bill, Gone In 60 Seconds, and Marlon Brando’s Sayonara.
Hotels in L.A. aren’t cheap, unless you’re looking for something seedy, boring, and out by the airport. (And, honestly, even then…) If you want to be centrally located and if you want to stay somewhere vaguely charming, then you’ll probably have to pony up anywhere between $200 and $300 a night. And if you’re going to do that, then you’ll want a place with amenities. The Thompson West Hollywood has a beautiful rooftop pool, a fancy gym curated by celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson, and a super chic hotel bar. While atrium rooms get plenty of light, if you can afford to get an outward-facing room with a view, you won’t regret it.
There are a few boutique hotels around L.A. that also double as private clubs. The Aster is one of them, offering up 30-odd boutique hotel rooms as well as swanky amenities aimed at its local monthly members. The Hollywood hotel holds a prestigious Michelin Key, and for good reason: Visitors feel pampered and luxe from the moment they step out of their car at the valet stop. Each room on the property is a suite, and they’re all spacious but comfortable. The rooftop restaurant and bar is delicious, and there are plenty of spaces around the building to snuggle into a nook with your laptop, a book, or even a cocktail. It’s a luxe experience, and it feels perfectly boutique.
There are literally dozens of excellent luxury hotels in Los Angeles, from the Beverly Hilton to the West Hollywood Edition to the Pendry. For my money, though, if you want a truly “L.A. experience,” you can’t go wrong with the Four Seasons Beverly Hills, if only for one reason: If you keep an eye out, you will see celebrities there. A popular spot for press junkets, Hollywood lunches, and out-of-town stopovers, the Four Seasons might not be the coolest hotel in town, but pound for pound, it’s got the most famous people. I’ve been there dozens of times for various events, and I cannot tell you the A-listers I’ve seen stepping out of black cars or waiting for an elevator. While seeing your favorite star in L.A. is never a guarantee, if you don’t mind just seeing someone while you’re in town, you’ll probably get lucky here.
There are a few different airports around L.A. The Los Angeles International Airport (a.k.a. LAX) is certainly the biggest, but if it’s doable, locals swear by the region’s two other smaller, more regional airports: Burbank and Ontario. Fly into Burbank in particular, and you can be at Universal Studios or on the Warner Bros. lot in under 20 minutes. LAX’ll put you closer to the beach, but depending on where you want to put your home base while you’re in town, it’s worth considering the other alternatives.
While anytime is a good time to travel to LA, there are a few times of year when it’s maybe less than ideal. It can get pretty hot in the late summer, so if you’re an A/C diva, you might not want to organize your trip around theme park adventures and strenuous hikes come mid-August. It can also occasionally get a little rainy in January and February, which is great for our drought-prone landscape but may not give you the whole “sunny California” experience most tourists look for.
