Los Angeles isn’t just about the urban experience. If you’re a beach lover, LA got some of the prettiest beaches in California. If you’re into art and creativity, LA got world-class museums and street art around every corner. If you’re a nature lover, LA is surrounded by mountains, canyons and parcs. If you’re into shopping, LA got the perfect shops to discover unique pieces. If you’re into learning new cultures, LA is a melting pot of cultures from around the world. With all the little neighbourhoods you’ll definitely find what you’re looking for.
Our top 5 tips for LA:
1. Bring sunscreen! A lot of sunscreen. The sun is burning in Los Angeles.
2. Always allow extra time for travel. No matter if you’re traveling by car, by public transport or by Uber, there will always be an immense amount of traffic.
3. Stay hydrated. Always bring a bottle of water and use the refill stations almost all over the city.
4. Bring comfortable shoes. We did a lot of walking so we’d definitely recommend to wear something comfy.
5. Make your reservations and book ahead. Many public attractions sell out very quick.
Where to stay: best and worst areas to stay in
Where to stay: best and worst areas to stay in
The area you should stay in totally depends on your plans in LA. The best area for you can be different from our opinions and experiences. We stayed in Culver City for four nights and moved to West Hollywood for the last three. This was the perfect decision for us because it allowed us to get to all the sights a lot faster. We ended up using public transportation throughout our entire trip – but more on that later.
The area you should stay in totally depends on your plans in LA. The best area for you can be different from our opinions and experiences. We stayed in Culver City for four nights and moved to West Hollywood for the last three. This was the perfect decision for us because it allowed us to get to all the sights a lot faster. We ended up using public transportation throughout our entire trip – but more on that later.
Best Areas
Culver City – it’s not in Los Angeles, but you are close to Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. For us it’s like the hidden gem to stay. It’s less crowded compared to areas like Santa Monica but you’re still in a central location.
West Hollywood – highly walkable, safe area and perfect for your first visit or a shopping trip.
Beverly Hills – best area for luxury in Los Angeles, even though it’s really expensive.
Venice Beach or Santa Monica – if you’re looking for nightlife and a perfect combination of entertainment, access to some of the best attractions in LA and immediate beach access with scenic views.
Worst Areas
Hollywood – we wouldn’t recommend staying close to the Walk of Fame. The area is sketchy and there are many homeless and drug addicts. On the other hand you’re close to some of the main attractions.
Downtown – it’s probably the most controversial area. For us Downtown wasn’t an option because it’s too far away from most of the sights.
Where to stay: Top 4 Hotels
Whether you’re budgeting, looking for mid-range comfort or live for luxury, Los Angeles has accomodation options to suit your needs. Here are our top picks:
Budget: Samesun Venice beach Hotel & Hostel
💵 approximately $160 per night for a private bedroom with a shared bathroom
💵 approximately $50 per night for a bed in a shared room with 7 other people
+ right at Venice Beach
+ cheap and clean option
+ shared kitchen
+ full of guests from around the world
+ great vibe with friendly staff
– quite noisy because of the location
Mid-Range: Mayumi
💵 we paid $940 for 4 nights
💵 approximately $225 per night
+ very cute rooms and aesthetic design
+ shared kitchen for all the apartments
+ small breakfast
+ included water, fruits and coffee
+ clean and safe area
+ walking distance to the supermarket
+ close to Westfield Culver City
+ cute outside seating area
– no parking spaces available (parking on the street is available all the time)
– located in Culver City (a bit outside of LA)
Mid-Range: Park Plaza Lodge
💵 we paid $580 for 3 nights
💵 approximately $200 per night
+ walking distance to The Grove
+ close to Hollywood / Santa Monica
+ good breakfast (costs extra)
+ free parking
+ close to a grocery store / farmers market
+ mostly clean and safe area
+ pool
– close to a busy road (can get loud)
Luxury Option: Residence Inn by Marriott Marina del Rey
💵 approximately $400 per night
+ right at Marina del Rey and Santa Monica
+ breakfast
+ parking
+ nice view
– pretty pricy
Where to eat: Top 6 Foodspots
If you’re asking for some food spots in Los Angeles you’ll probably get so many different answers because there are so many good restaurants. In LA you’ll find everything from fast-food in every kind up to luxury restaurants:
Panda Express
For us Panda Express is a must when visiting the US. We’re missing it all the time when we’re back in Germany so there will never be a blog post about a place in the US that doesn’t include Panda Express. The orange chicken is just perfect.
In-N-Out Burger
I feel the same way about In-N-Out Burger. It’s just something you can’t miss when you’re in the US. Also it’s so budget friendly!
Sidewalk Cafe at Venice Beach
We’ve enjoyed the Sidewalk Cafe in Venice beach. The food is fairly priced for the location and you’ll get amazing pizza! There’s great music and we’ve really enjoyed the food with the best view of the beach and The Boardwalk.
The Original Farmers Market
For a snack or a lunch break we’d recommend The Original Farmers Market. There are endless restaurants with diverse options so you’ll definitely find something that you like.
The C&O Restaurant
The C&O Restaurant is probably one of the best Italian restaurants in Los Angeles. Plus you get unlimited free garlic knots.
Porto’s Bakery and Cafe
Porto’s is the best budget friendly bakery in town with an amazing breakfast or snack for an even better price. They serve everything you can think of from sandwiches to sweet and savory pastries and cakes.
Things to Do: Top Activities
There are so many activities in Los Angeles that you need to decide what you really want to discover. Here are some of our must-do’s:
Hollywood Walk of Fame + Hollywood Sign:
For me the Hollywood Walk of Fame is really overrated. It’s crowded and just not as special as I expected it to be.
I think it’s still a must see for your first visit, but be prepared and don’t spend too much time here.
The Hollywood Sign on the other hand is a magical place. We went to the “Last House on Mulholland” and hiked up a couple more minutes for an amazing viewpoint. It’s been too hot for us to hike up all the way but it still was a fantastic experience.
Santa Monica + Venice:
We’ve started at the Santa Monica Pier which is definitely straight out of a movie. There are so many things to do and we could’ve just spend hours with the arcade games right on the pier. Make sure to walk all the way to the Santa Monica Pier Fishing Platform and maybe you’ll get lucky to see a sea lion.
The beach is also amazing with a wide white sandy beach and tons of sports facilities. Even though the area around it is very crowded, the beach is really peaceful and a perfect escape.
We then walked all the way to the Venice Beach Skatepark and really enjoyed the Venice Boardwalk on our way. You’ll find so many cute shops and cool food spots. It’s probably one of the most famous skateparks in the world and it just screams California. Enjoying the music whilst watching the talented skaters is a must. We would avoid to go there at night because it can get sketchy and you’ll probably see some homeless people. We felt safe during our entire time tho.
The Venice Canals are one of the best hidden places in Los Angeles. There is such a cute walkway by the canals with charming houses and the area is less crowded than Venice Beach or the skatepark. It is perfect for a relaxed and picturesque end of the day.
Every location we just mentioned features many available parking spots, which aren’t as expensive as you might think. The walk between all the attractions definitely was the highlight for us. You’ll see many cute and hidden areas you wouldn’t be able to spot without walking, which is why we would recommend to park at the Santa Monica Pier and walk all the way to Venice by foot. The whole trip will take you around one to one and a half hours.
The Getty Center:
We were skeptical before we visited the Getty Center because we aren’t really into arts and most museums are rather boring to us. But the Getty Center is just some different. The architecture blew our minds away with the unique location and breathtaking views. Being free of charge also is an upside – just make sure you got a reservation before visiting. You will be rewarded with an amazing viewpoint in combination with stunning buildings and gardens. We took the bus to get there because parking is $25. If you decide to take your car, there’s a tram that will take you up to the Getty Center from the parking area.
Honourable mentions:
Marina del Rey – very impressive to see all these enormous yachts.
Day trip to Malibu – best place for breakfast is definitely the Malibu Pier with amazing food options and a perfect spot to watch the surfers hit the waves. Malibu Country Mart is a cute upscale shopping center with a comfortable outside plaza and a laid back beach village vibe.
Beverly Hills – the cutest streets and the coolest mansions everywhere you look.
Rodeo Drive – you probably won’t buy anything but it’s definitely worth to stroll through these cute streets and expensive shops. It’s a unique experience and totally worth it even just for window shopping and people or car watching.
Universal Studios or Disney World – we decided to visit the Universal Studios although we think that Disney World would’ve been at least as cool. Unfortunately we’ve only had one day left so we had to choose one over the other. It’s pretty expensive but it is still worth the visit in our opinion. It’s such a unique experience – especially if you book the Universal Studio Tour. We would definitely revisit if we get the chance.
Transportation
Getting around Los Angeles only by public transportation was perfect for us. It was budget friendly and we managed to see everything we wanted to see in the limited time we’ve been to Los Angeles:
First things first: It wasn’t as bad as we expected it to be. When you look up public transportation in Los Angeles it’s full of negativity and you get a really bad impression. To be honest it may get a little sketchy some times and you may have some interesting interactions, but we think that’s normal in almost every city as big as Los Angeles.
When looking at the price you will see that it’s actually pretty cheap. You have to get a TAP card – which is available at vending machines (located at all Metro Rail, J and G line stations, some retail partners and online) – and you can choose if you want to buy a day or even a seven day pass. We highly recommend the seven day pass because it only sets you back around $18 instead of the $5 you have to pay for the single day pass.
If you want to visit a lot of places that are located outside of LA you probably need to rent a car. Everything inside LA, even Malibu and the Universal Studios are easily accessible without one tho. While planning your stay you should also be aware that using the public transportation system instead of a car will probably take you twice as long.
Looking back at our stay, we would probably combine the two options when visiting Los Angeles again: Rent a car for a few days when leaving town for activities further away and use the public transport for all of our spots within close proximity.
