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California, United States

Los Angeles

Give LA two days: museums and the observatory one day, the beach cities and Santa Monica Pier for the finish. This guide pulls together 5 sights, 1 activity and 2 places to eat from our curated routes.

Plan Los Angeles with friendsBrowse 9 places
Los Angeles, California, United States
Places
9

5 See · 1 Do · 2 Eat · 1 Drink

Curated routes
1

Pacific Coast Highway

Best season
Apr – Oct

from our route notes

Warmest month
August

32°C / 90°F avg high

Coolest month
December

19°C / 66°F avg high

Wettest month
February

about 75 mm rain

Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.

Things to do in Los Angeles

9 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

The landmarks we would not skip in Los Angeles across Griffith Park, Brentwood and Downtown. 4 of them are free.

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

    Griffith Observatory

    Free observatory with Hollywood Sign and downtown views from the terraces.

    Tip Go for sunset; parking fills, so use the DASH bus from Vermont/Sunset.

    • Griffith Park
    • Free
    • 1.5 hr
    • Sunset
  • The Getty Center in Los AngelesPhoto: Jelson25 · Public domain
    See

    The Getty Center

    Hilltop art museum with gardens and views from the Santa Monica Mountains to the ocean.

    Tip Free entry but timed reservation and paid parking.

    • Brentwood
    • Free
    • 3 hr
    • Morning
  • The Broad in Los AngelesPhoto: Dllu · CC BY-SA 4.0
    See

    The Broad

    Free contemporary art museum with Kusama's Infinity Mirror Room.

    Tip Reserve free timed tickets online.

    • Downtown
    • Free
    • 1.5 hr
    • Weekday
  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los AngelesPhoto: Gunnar Klack · CC BY-SA 4.0
    See

    Los Angeles County Museum of Art

    Largest art museum in the West, home to the Urban Light lamppost installation.

    • Miracle Mile
    • $$
    • 2.5 hr
    • Afternoon
  • Santa Monica Pier in Los AngelesPhoto: web4camguy · CC BY-SA 2.0
    See

    Santa Monica Pier

    Historic pier with a Ferris wheel, the end-of-Route 66 sign and beach sunsets.

    • Santa Monica
    • Free
    • 60 min
    • Sunset

Do

Hands-on ways to spend time in Los Angeles in Venice.

  • Venice Beach Boardwalk in Los AngelesPhoto: DanielMichaelPerry · CC0
    Do

    Venice Beach Boardwalk

    Beach promenade with street performers, the skate park and Muscle Beach.

    • Venice
    • Free
    • 1.5 hr
    • Afternoon

Eat

2 places to eat across Downtown and Westlake, picked for groups who care about the food.

  • Grand Central Market in Los AngelesPhoto: Kamrin Street · Google
    Eat

    Grand Central Market

    Food hall since 1917 with stalls for tacos, egg sandwiches and pupusas.

    • Downtown
    • $
    • 60 min
    • Lunch
  • Langer's Delicatessen in Los AngelesPhoto: Josh Lim (Sky Harbor) · CC BY-SA 4.0
    Eat

    Langer's Delicatessen

    Classic deli famed for the #19 hot pastrami sandwich.

    Tip Closes mid-afternoon and on Sundays.

    • Westlake
    • $$
    • 45 min
    • Lunch

Drink

1 bar or café in Hollywood for coffee, a round or a nightcap.

  • Musso & Frank Grill in Los AngelesPhoto: Gary Minnaert (Minnaert)) · Public domain
    Drink

    Musso & Frank Grill

    Hollywood's oldest restaurant (1919), known for its martinis.

    Tip Sit at the bar and order a martini.

    • Hollywood
    • $$$
    • 75 min
    • Evening

How to fit Los Angeles into a trip

Los Angeles is stop 6 of 6 on our Pacific Coast Highway route. Follow it as-is or lift Los Angeles into your own plan.

Getting here and onward

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

Los Angeles month by month

Average daily highs run from 19°C / 66°F in December to 32°C / 90°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. Los Angeles weather and the best time to visit →

Near Los Angeles

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

Los Angeles questions, answered

How many days do you need in Los Angeles?

Our route notes suggest 2 days in Los Angeles. On our Pacific Coast Highway route it is stop 6 of 6 in a 6-day trip. The listed visit times for our 9 places add up to roughly 14 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.

What is Los Angeles best known for?

Give LA two days: museums and the observatory one day, the beach cities and Santa Monica Pier for the finish. Standouts on our list: Griffith Observatory (Free observatory with Hollywood Sign and downtown views from the terraces); The Getty Center (Hilltop art museum with gardens and views from the Santa Monica Mountains to the ocean); The Broad (Free contemporary art museum with Kusama's Infinity Mirror Room).

When is the best time to visit Los Angeles?

Our Pacific Coast Highway route is best Apr – Oct. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in August (32°C / 90°F), the coolest in December (19°C / 66°F) and the most rain in February (about 75 mm).

What are the best things to do in Los Angeles?

Start with Griffith Observatory, The Getty Center, The Broad, Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Venice Beach Boardwalk. Our guide lists 9 places in all, from 5 sights, 1 activity, 2 places to eat and 1 bar or café.

Where should a group eat in Los Angeles?

Our picks: Grand Central Market (Downtown); Langer's Delicatessen (Westlake). Closes mid-afternoon and on Sundays (Langer's Delicatessen).

What is near Los Angeles?

The closest destinations in our guides are Downtown Los Angeles (about 1 km / 0 mi), Downtown LA (about 1 km / 1 mi) and Hollywood (about 9 km / 6 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.

Plan Los Angeles with your crew

Open the Pacific Coast Highway route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 9 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.

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