Los Angeles Travel Guide
This page is a breakdown of all the things I've loved about Los Angeles in the 24 years I lived there to explore it. Some are links to blog posts I've written about that place too for more about my personal experience.
Los Angeles Mapped by Area
Los Angeles doesn't really have a "city center" unless you consider downtown Los Angeles the Los Angeles of Los Angeles. But then again, when people think of LA, I imagine they think of movie star LA — the way it's portrayed in the movies with it's city lights, high-traffic freeways, fancy mansions, and — my personal favorite — open ocean and beaches. But in-between it's theatrical representation and actual reality, there is so much to see and do. And each area has it's own unique activities, culture, and events. Because of that, I feel that Los Angeles is best explored by area.
The map below shows the different areas (denoted by different color markers) and things to do in Los Angeles and links to the blog post describing them. See below for full list. (Areas separated and named based on this Los Angeles Times Mapping LA project.)
SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS
Denoted by green marker on map
El Matador Beach, Malibu
Solstice Canyon, Malibu
Malibu Creek State Park, Malibu
WESTSIDE
Denoted by yellow markers on map
Fowler Museum, Los Angeles
Saffron & Rose Ice Cream, Los Angeles
Apple Pan, Los Angeles
Annenberg Space for Photography, Los Angeles
Bergamot Station, Santa Monica
Camera Obscura, Santa Monica
Twilight Concerts at Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica
Abbott Kinney First Fridays, Venice
SOUTH BAY
Denoted by blue markers on map
Old Town Music Hall, El Segundo
Roundhouse Aquarium, Manhattan Beach
Bike Riding the Strand, Hermosa Beach to Venice
Hermosa Beach Historical Society Museum, Hermosa Beach
The SEA Lab, Redondo Beach
Terranea Resort, Rancho Palos Verdes
Wayfarers Chapel, Rancho Palos Verdes
Burma Road Trail, Rancho Palos Verdes
Frascati Trail, Rancho Palos Verdes
THE HARBOR
Denoted by periwinkle markers on map
Marine Mammal Care Center, San Pedro
Korean Friendship Bell, San Pedro
The Sunken City, San Pedro
The Art Theatre, Long Beach
Afters Ice Cream, Long Beach / Multiple Locations
LA Galaxy Game/Stubhub Center, Carson
SOUTH L.A.
Denoted by purple markers on map
Watts Towers, Watts
California Science Center, Exposition Park
CENTRAL L.A.
Denoted by red marker on map
The Original Farmers Market, Los Angeles
The Grove, Los Angeles
Museum of Death, Hollywood
Good Times at Davey Wayne's, Hollywood
Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles
Yuca's on Hollywood (restaurant), Los Feliz
Soap Plant/ La Luz de Jesus, Los Feliz
The Wiltern, Los Angeles
The Grammy Museum, Los Angeles
The Original Los Angeles Flower Market, Los Angeles
The Springs/Polka Dot Wall, Los Angeles
Perch (restaurant and overlook), Los Angeles
Little Tokyo, Los Angeles
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles
Olvera Street, Los Angeles
Union Station, Los Angeles
Chinatown, Los Angeles
SAN FERNANDO VALLEY
Denoted by orange marker on map
Warner Brothers Studio VIP Tour, Burbank
Los Angeles by Season: Special Events
FALL
WINTER
to come
Year-Round
Daybreaker — morning dance parties in various parts of Los Angeles
Los Angeles Day by Day
Adjustable day itineraries — do as little or as much as you want! And check the map above to see if there's other things within that area that you can add on to!
Getting out of Los Angeles — Road Trips
The great thing about Los Angeles is that there are a lot of accessible places just a car ride away. And sometimes, it's really what I need to get a break from the city.
Related Posts
Scroll through the below featured posts to discover more about Los Angeles and things to explore.
Rad Resources
I don't usually come up with things to do out of nowhere. I've got resources. Whether that's by word of mouth, or websites, here's at least a few you can use to supplement your adventures...
LA Magazine — check out their Best of LA posts
Discover Los Angeles — they have up-to-date events, and a really cool map of LA neighborhoods
Atlas Obscura — for all the more obscure findings in Los Angeles (and actually around the country as well)
Roadtrippers — I use this all the time for road trip planning, but it can also be a good resource to make a trip of the area you already live in, whether that's Los Angeles or somewhere else
Designlovefest has recently started to focus more on fun things to do in Los Angeles including where to find the best photobooths!
Hidden Los Angeles — Facebook page where I've found a lot of cool events