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California, United States

Hollywood

Spend late afternoon through night: observatory sunset, film history, then music rooms along Hollywood and Cahuenga. Below: 3 sights, 1 activity and 1 outdoor spot, plus how Hollywood fits into a longer trip.

Plan Hollywood with friendsBrowse 10 places
Hollywood, California, United States
Places
10

3 See · 1 Do · 1 Outdoors · 2 Eat · 2 Drink · 1 Shop

Curated routes
1

Los Angeles After Dark

Best season
Mar – Nov

from our route notes

Warmest month
August

32°C / 89°F avg high

Coolest month
December

19°C / 65°F avg high

Wettest month
February

about 75 mm rain

Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.

Things to do in Hollywood

10 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.

See

3 sights worth building a day around across Griffith Park, Hollywood Blvd and Hollywood. All 3 are free to visit.

  • Griffith Observatory in HollywoodPhoto: Matthew Field · CC BY 2.5
    See

    Griffith Observatory

    Free observatory with planetarium shows and views of the Hollywood Sign and city lights.

    Tip Parking fills on weekends; take the DASH Observatory bus.

    • Griffith Park
    • Free
    • 2 hr
    • Sunset
  • TCL Chinese Theatre in HollywoodPhoto: Christine M · Google
    See

    TCL Chinese Theatre

    1927 movie palace with stars' handprints in the forecourt.

    Tip Watch a film in the IMAX auditorium to see the interior.

    • Hollywood Blvd
    • Free
    • 30 min
    • Morning
  • Hollywood Forever Cemetery in HollywoodPhoto: SDudley · CC BY 4.0
    See

    Hollywood Forever Cemetery

    Resting place of film stars that hosts summer outdoor movie screenings.

    Tip Bring a blanket and picnic for Cinespia screenings.

    • Hollywood
    • Free
    • 60 min
    • Summer evening

Do

1 activity for when the group wants to do more than look in Hollywood Hills.

  • Hollywood Bowl in HollywoodPhoto: Edwardrhodes06 · CC BY-SA 4.0
    Do

    Hollywood Bowl

    Open-air amphitheater under the hills; picnicking before shows is a tradition.

    Tip Bring food and wine for most LA Phil concerts.

    • Hollywood Hills
    • $$$
    • 3 hr
    • Summer evening

Outdoors

1 outdoor spot for fresh air in Hollywood Hills.

  • Lake Hollywood Park in HollywoodPhoto: Martina B. · Google
    Outdoors

    Lake Hollywood Park

    Grassy park with one of the closest street-level views of the Hollywood Sign.

    • Hollywood Hills
    • Free
    • 30 min
    • Morning

Eat

Where we would book a table in Hollywood across Hollywood Blvd and La Brea.

  • Musso & Frank Grill in HollywoodPhoto: Gary Minnaert (Minnaert)) · Public domain
    Eat

    Musso & Frank Grill

    Hollywood's oldest restaurant (1919), with red booths and famously strong martinis.

    Tip Sit at the bar for a martini and the flannel cakes.

    • Hollywood Blvd
    • $$$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Dinner
  • Pink's Hot Dogs in HollywoodPhoto: mumu666 · Google
    Eat

    Pink's Hot Dogs

    Hot dog stand since 1939, open late and lined with celebrity photos.

    • La Brea
    • $
    • 30 min
    • Late night

Drink

Our picks for a drink in Hollywood across Cahuenga Corridor and Hollywood.

  • The Hotel Cafe in HollywoodPhoto: Yubert Fang · Google
    Drink

    The Hotel Cafe

    Intimate singer-songwriter venue that launched many acoustic careers.

    • Cahuenga Corridor
    • $$
    • 2 hr
    • Night
  • Good Times at Davey Wayne's in HollywoodPhoto: Cornelis J. van Santen · Google
    Drink

    Good Times at Davey Wayne's

    1970s-themed bar entered through a fridge door, with a backyard patio.

    Tip Lines form after 10pm on weekends.

    • Hollywood
    • $$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Night

Shop

Markets and shops worth the detour in Hollywood Blvd.

  • Amoeba Music in HollywoodPhoto: Twelve Entertainment · Google
    Shop

    Amoeba Music

    Enormous independent record store for vinyl, CDs and films.

    • Hollywood Blvd
    • $$
    • 60 min
    • Afternoon

How to fit Hollywood into a trip

Hollywood is stop 2 of 3 on our Los Angeles After Dark route. Follow it as-is or lift Hollywood into your own plan.

Getting here and onward

Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.

Hollywood month by month

Average daily highs run from 19°C / 65°F in December to 32°C / 89°F in August. February is the wettest month, with about 75 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.

Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Hollywood weather and the best time to visit →

Near Hollywood

8 other destinations from our guides within about 200 km (124 mi), measured in a straight line.

Hollywood questions, answered

How many days do you need in Hollywood?

On our Los Angeles After Dark route it is stop 2 of 3 in a 3-day trip. Split evenly, that is about a day here, an estimate rather than a rule. The listed visit times for our 10 places add up to roughly 14 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.

What is Hollywood best known for?

Spend late afternoon through night: observatory sunset, film history, then music rooms along Hollywood and Cahuenga. Standouts on our list: Griffith Observatory (Free observatory with planetarium shows and views of the Hollywood Sign and city lights); TCL Chinese Theatre (1927 movie palace with stars' handprints in the forecourt); Hollywood Forever Cemetery (Resting place of film stars that hosts summer outdoor movie screenings).

When is the best time to visit Hollywood?

Our Los Angeles After Dark route is best Mar – Nov. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in August (32°C / 89°F), the coolest in December (19°C / 65°F) and the most rain in February (about 75 mm).

What are the best things to do in Hollywood?

Start with Griffith Observatory, Lake Hollywood Park, TCL Chinese Theatre, Hollywood Forever Cemetery and Hollywood Bowl. Our guide lists 10 places in all, from 3 sights, 1 activity, 1 outdoor spot, 2 places to eat, 2 bars & cafés and 1 shop.

Where should a group eat in Hollywood?

Our picks: Musso & Frank Grill (Hollywood Blvd); Pink's Hot Dogs (La Brea). Sit at the bar for a martini and the flannel cakes (Musso & Frank Grill).

What is near Hollywood?

The closest destinations in our guides are West Hollywood (about 3 km / 2 mi), Downtown Los Angeles (about 9 km / 6 mi) and Los Angeles (about 9 km / 6 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.

Plan Hollywood with your crew

Open the Los Angeles After Dark route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 10 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.

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