What to do in Los Angeles: movies, beaches and much more
Sunny weather and palm trees, amusement parks, Hollywood studios and golden sunsets on Santa Monica beach make L.A. a fascinating destination.
For anyone, thinking about Los Angeles is the same as thinking about Hollywood. And while they are mutually related, they are not synonymous. There is so much more to do in Los Angeles, a city with a friendly climate for the traveler and an endless number of activities and places to visit.
It is a very large city that many times it may seem impossible to explore in its entirety, and perhaps it may even seem like an overwhelming destination. The truth is that it is a place where boredom is not part of the itinerary. The "mecca of the show" awaits you with open arms.
Los Angeles California
The city of Los Angeles, also known as L.A., is the most populous city in the State of California and the second most populous in the country after New York. It is located on the West Coast and is the point where the famous Route 66, United States ends. It has two characteristic emblems: the palm trees and its Hollywood sign (or Hollywood Sign) on the slope of Mount Lee.
A very famous tour that has L.A. as one of its destinations is what you can do on Route 1, or Pacific Coast Highway. This route goes from one end of California to the other and is famous for its beautiful landscapes.
If you want to tour the West Coast, we recommend starting in the city of San Francisco and working your way down to L.A. or San Diego (depends on how far you want to travel). It is a beautiful trip to do as a couple or as a family, in which the sun will be with you throughout your journey.
Things to do in Los Angeles
As we already told you, Los Angeles is a city with a lot to see. For this reason it is important that, in order not to overwhelm you, you organize your visit well according to the time and money you have available. A key fact to move around this great city is that you rent a car. Public transportation does not work as smoothly in the south of this state, so we recommend you go by car.
It is very likely that when walking the streets of L.A. you feel a kind of deja vu, as if you had already been there. This may be because it is the cradle of the film industry and many scenes from different movies were filmed on its streets. Below we will tell you about several places that you would like to visit on a trip to Los Angeles and that are essential on your way through the city.
Hall of Fame
The promenade that runs along Hollywood Boulevard is another of the iconic places in the city. Its best-known area is the one that is at the height of the Chinese Theatre. The number of stars along this promenade is great, around 3,000. For this reason, we recommend you check the location of the one you are looking for specifically on the internet before going. If not, enjoy this famous walk and its surroundings.
To put you in context a bit, The Hollywood Walk Of Fame was created in 1958 with the aim of making the part of the city where it is located more popular (and beautiful). It is said that the number of five-pointed stars on the sidewalk increases 2 times a month, and who knows... Maybe you may come across a famous person who is being awarded their own star at that very moment. If you are very cholulo, you can set the dates of these ceremonies online and attend one (they are free and open to the public).
When looking at some of the stars you will notice that there are names of film and television actors, musical, radio or television artists. In short, the most famous people in each entertainment industry.
On the other hand, do not miss visiting Grauman's Chinese Theater (or Chinese Theater) and taking a picture with its beautiful pagoda figure. In addition, on its floor you will be able to see the hand and foot prints of famous personalities such as Groucho Marx, Sophia Loren and Marilyn Monroe, among others.
The Dolby Theater is another interesting place for you to observe at least from the outside while you walk through the Walk Of Fame, since it is where the famous Oscars are held every year. If you want to get to know it from the inside, we recommend you take one of its guided tours.
Beverly Hills
This is undoubtedly the most top neighborhood in Los Angeles (if not the world), and it is where you will find mansions of unparalleled luxury belonging to millionaires and celebrities, or both. Walking through its streets is something very nice to do. If you want, you can take a tour of the mansions of the stars.
Some good places to visit in Beverly Hills are:
Rodeo Drive and Canon Drive: the first is the most renowned street in the neighborhood, where you can find luxury brands, trendy restaurants and bars. In it the shopping scene of the movie "Pretty Woman" was filmed. Canon Drive is a street close to the previous one where you will be able to find very fine restaurants with very good dishes. If you are in the area, take advantage of visiting the Sunset Strip, another famous shopping area in L.A.
Getty Center: If you want to combine visiting an art museum with a fairly comprehensive collection, beautiful gardens, and a good view of L.A., the Getty Center is a great place to visit. And we recommend you do it. Admission is free and you can see works by Rembrandt, Van Gogh or Titian, etc.
Melrose Avenue: if you are a fan of shopping you can visit Melrose Avenue and find all kinds of objects, clothes, jewelry, and whatever you can think of.
Hammer Museum – This is another good museum to visit. It has works by Monet, Gauguin and Manet, and also some by Vincent van Gogh.
Venice beach
Walking around Venice Beach in the afternoon is a visit that cannot be missing from your itinerary. On this beach, Los Angeles shows a more "alternative" facet where you will be able to dedicate yourself to the discreet observation of the characters you meet on its streets. Palm trees, vintage or second-hand clothing stores (or whatever you can think of), and skaters putting on an intrepid show.
When strolling through its streets full of characteristic palm trees, you can visit two places:
Muscle Beach: A bodybuilding beach where people train. As color data we tell you that Arnold Schwarzenegger used to train in it.
The Venice Canals became best known for the series Califronication, and they are a very nice place to walk through their little streets next to the canals.
Santa Monica
Speaking of beaches, don't forget to visit the famous Santa Monica Beach, 4 kilometers of sunny beach, where you can visit the beautiful center of Santa Monica and have fun watching street performers, going into stores selling all kinds of items, and so on. If you are in the area you also have to take a ride on the Ferris wheel or on a roller coaster. Do it at sunset, you will have incredible views of the Pacific Ocean.
Griffith Observatory
Another green area to take a break from the hectic pace of the city, and also see the city from another point of view, is the Griffith Observatory. Angelenos choose this point to rest in the green, this gives us the pattern that it is a good place to visit.
The history of this planetarium begins with the death of Colonel Griffith, who donated the observatory to Los Angeles and in his will specified what he wanted an exhibition hall and a planetarium to be built. It was finished in 1935.
As for your tour of the observatory, we recommend visiting the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, where you can see the most modern star projector in the world and learn about the cosmos, and also visit Griffith Park, where you will have an excellent view of L.A. In this park you can also take a picture with the famous Hollywood Sign.
Movie studios and amusement parks
Los Angeles film studios are another must on your itinerary. Even if you don't get to visit all of them, we recommend that you visit at least one. These are the most popular and legendary, where you can take guided tours:
Sony Pictures: This tour lasts two hours and costs around USD 40. Also included in this tour is the tour of the old MGM studios, which Sony bought. You will be able to see with your own eyes the famous studios where popular series like Breaking Bad were filmed, for example.
Paramount Studios: here you have two types of tours that vary in price depending on how long you stay. One is four hours long and costs around $70, and the other is two hours long and costs around $50.
Warner Studios: here you will be able to see a variety of interior and exterior studios. Visiting it costs around USD 50 and you can do the tour in Spanish. If you are a big fan, you can choose the Deluxe tour that lasts five hours and costs around USD 250.
Universal Studios, Los Angeles: This is a combination of a studio and an amusement park. Here you will be able to combine the Studio Tour, where you can see the "War of the Worlds" set, for example, and also combine it with different theme park rides. The entrance for one day costs around USD 90 and the two-day ticket costs ten dollars more (approximately). We recommend that you buy the first one, you can visit everything in one day.
As for the amusement parks themselves, there are two that you have to visit yes or yes (in addition to Universal) and that are also perfect for going with children:
Disneyland, Los Angeles:
Located half an hour from downtown L.A. in the city of Anaheim. It has two different parks, Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. We recommend you go in low season because in high season it will be impossible for you due to the endless queues that form at each game.
Legoland is an awesome place where literally everything is made of LEGO. You will be able to see different miniature constructions of real buildings such as the Taj Mahal, for example, visit the Water Park, specially designed for small children, and see the beautiful Sea Life Aquarium.
Traveler tip: to get to both parks we recommend you leave early because of the terrible traffic that can be from Los Angeles.
