The city of Los Angeles has about 3.9 million people (2020 census), and Los Angeles County around it nearly 10 million in 88 separate cities, among them Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Pasadena and Long Beach. It is a city of neighbourhoods far apart: plan each day around one or two areas, use Metro rail where it fits and a car or ride-hail for the rest. The best eating is spread across Koreatown, Thai Town, the San Gabriel Valley, the Eastside and the taco trucks that come out at night.
Must-see
The sights to fit in even on a short trip.
- 01Griffith Observatory
- 02Hollywood Walk of Fame
- 03TCL Chinese Theatre (Grauman's Chinese)
- 04Santa Monica Pier
- 05Getty Center
- 06Grand Central Market
- 07Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
- 08The Broad
- 09Walt Disney Concert Hall
- 10Venice Beach Boardwalk (Ocean Front Walk)
History & museums 94
- Go For Broke Monument
- Bob Baker Marionette Theater
- Stahl House (Case Study House #22)
- Battleship IOWA Museum
- Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
- Gamble House
- Getty Center
- Getty Villa
- Hollywood Pantages Theatre
- Italian American Museum of Los Angeles
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
- Neutra VDL Studio and Residences
- Norton Simon Museum
- Pasadena Playhouse
- Petersen Automotive Museum
- Rancho Los Alamitos
- Rancho Los Cerritos
- The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens
- Adamson House
- Angelus Temple
- Autry Museum of the American West
- California Science Center
- Dodger Stadium
- El Capitan Theatre
- Exposition Park Rose Garden
- Griffith Observatory
- Griffith Park
- Hollywood Bowl
- LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
- Los Encinos State Historic Park
- Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
- Mission San Gabriel Arcangel
- Orpheum Theatre
- Pasadena City Hall
- Point Fermin Lighthouse
- Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral
- Skirball Cultural Center
- The Broad
- Thien Hau Temple
- Travel Town Museum
- Walt Disney Concert Hall
- Wat Thai of Los Angeles
- Alex Theatre
- Avila Adobe
- California African American Museum (CAAM)
- Campo de Cahuenga
- Chinese American Museum
- Colorado Street Bridge
- Eames House (Case Study House #8)
- Echo Park Lake
- Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles
- Hollywood Forever Cemetery
- Lake Hollywood Park (Hollywood Sign view)
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
- Los Angeles Theatre
- Museum of Tolerance
- Olvera Street and El Pueblo
- San Gabriel Mission Playhouse
- Santa Monica Pier
- Venice Canals
- Warner Grand Theatre
- Angels Flight Railway
- Barnsdall Art Park
- Bradbury Building
- Craft Contemporary
- Gloria Molina Grand Park
- Grand Central Market
- Hammer Museum
- Hollyhock House
- Los Angeles Central Library
- Los Angeles Maritime Museum
- Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- Los Angeles Union Station
- Million Dollar Theatre
- Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)
- Palace Theatre
- Schindler House (MAK Center)
- USC Pacific Asia Museum
- Venice Beach Boardwalk (Ocean Front Walk)
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
- Watts Towers (Nuestro Pueblo)
- Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
- MOCA Grand Avenue
- Museum of Jurassic Technology
- Pasadena Museum of History (Fenyes Estate)
- Pio Pico State Historic Park
- TCL Chinese Theatre (Grauman's Chinese)
- The Queen Mary
- Los Angeles City Hall Observation Deck
- Los Angeles Police Museum
- Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Chinatown Central Plaza
- Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (ICA LA)
- La Brea Tar Pits (Hancock Park)
Where to eat 281
- Jun Won Dak
- Kinrose Creamery
- Manila Inasal
- Be Bright Coffee
- Fishing With Dynamite
- Holbox
- Mini Kabob
- Sakae Sushi
- Amphai Northern Thai Food Club
- Azizam
- Banadir Somali Restaurant
- Borekas Sephardic Pastries
- Brent's Deli
- Buna Ethiopian Restaurant & Market
- Carney's
- Earle's on Crenshaw
- Eastside Italian Deli
- El Chato Taco Truck
- Fugetsu-Do
- Ginger's Divine Ice Creams
- Kinjiro
- Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai
- Macheen
- Mashti Malone's
- Monta Factory
- Ondo Coffee
- Petitgrain Boulangerie
- Porto's Bakery & Cafe (Glendale)
- Providence
- Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine
- Saffron & Rose Ice Cream
- Sahag's Basturma
- Sasoun Bakery
- Seline
- Skaf's Lebanese Cuisine
- Tacos y Birria La Unica (Boyle Heights truck)
- Yama Sushi Marketplace (San Gabriel)
- Zhengyalov Hatz
- Al & Bea's Mexican Food
- Bavel
- Bill's Burgers
- Birrieria Nochistlán
- Broken Spanish Comedor
- Carnitas El Momo (Monterey Park)
- Ceviche Project
- Chi Spacca
- Chichén Itzá
- Colorado Donuts
- Colossus Bread
- Evil Cooks
- Fosselman's Ice Cream
- Found Oyster
- Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop
- Goldburger (Los Feliz)
- Golden Deli
- Good Alley
- Hakata Izakaya Hero
- Heng Heng Chicken Rice
- ixlb DimSum Eats
- Komal
- Lacha Somtum
- Langer's Delicatessen
- Lasita
- Lonzo's Restaurant & Bakery
- Loqui
- Los Cinco Puntos
- Malibu Seafood
- Mariscos Jalisco (Olympic Blvd truck)
- Meals by Genet
- Musso & Frank Grill
- Nick's Cafe
- Original Tommy's
- Pann's Restaurant
- Philippe the Original
- Phnom Penh Noodle Shack
- Phoenix Bakery
- Pine & Crane (Downtown)
- Proof Bakery
- Rocio's Mexican Kitchen
- Smorgasburg LA
- Sushi Gen
- Tacos Los Poblanos #1 Estilo Tijuana
- The Arthur J
- The Hummingbird
- The Original Farmers Market
- The Park's Finest
- Tire Shop Taqueria
- Tonchin LA
- Tsujita LA Artisan Noodles
- Villa's Tacos (Highland Park)
- Wanderlust Creamery (Sawtelle)
- X'tiosu Kitchen
- Aliki's Greek Taverna
- Angel's Tijuana Tacos (Echo Park)
- Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery
- Bestia
- Betsy
- Burritos La Palma
- CaCao Mexicatessen
- California Donuts
- Carnes Asadas Pancho Lopez
- Carousel Restaurant
- Cassell's Hamburgers
- Cognoscenti Coffee
- Damian
- DK's Donuts & Bakery
- Document Coffee Bar
- Dolan's Uyghur Cuisine
- El Huarachito
- El Tepeyac Cafe
- Elena's Greek Armenian Cuisine
- Fat + Flour
- Felix Trattoria
- Fluffy McCloud's
- Friends & Family
- Guisados (Boyle Heights original)
- Han Bat Sul Lung Tang
- HiHo Cheeseburger (Santa Monica)
- Jerusalem Chicken
- John O'Groats
- Kobawoo House
- Kumquat Coffee
- L.A. Rose Cafe
- La Cubana Restaurant
- La Pupusa Urban Eatery
- Lalibela
- LaoXi Noodle House
- Lawry's The Prime Rib
- Lee Ga
- Leo's Tacos Truck (La Brea & Venice)
- Liu's Cafe
- Loreto / Mariscos Za Za Zá
- Los Originales Tacos Árabes de Puebla
- Lugya'h
- Luv2Eat Thai Bistro
- Mae Malai Thai House of Noodles
- Mariscos 4 Vientos (Olympic Blvd truck)
- Marouch
- Marugame Monzo
- Mélisse
- Otafuku
- Pa Ord Noodle
- Pizzeria Bianco
- Primo's Donuts
- Raffi's Place
- Randy's Donuts
- République
- Sapp Coffee Shop
- Sonoratown
- Soowon Galbi
- Spago
- Surawon Tofu House
- Sushi Kisen
- Taco Nazo (El Monte)
- Tacos La Carreta (Long Beach)
- Tacos Los Cholos (Huntington Park)
- Tacos Tamix (Sepulveda truck)
- Tam O'Shanter
- Teddy's Red Tacos (Echo Park truck)
- The Serving Spoon
- Verve Coffee Roasters (Arts District)
- Yang Chow
- Yang's Kitchen
- Asadero Chikali (East LA truck)
- Birrieria Apatzingán
- Borit Gogae
- Bub and Grandma's
- Clark Street Diner
- Daikokuya (Little Tokyo)
- Damon's Steak House
- Dear John's
- Destroyer
- Ditroit Taqueria
- Dollar Hits
- Dunsmoor
- El Coyote
- Gemmae Bake Shop
- Go Get Em Tiger (Larchmont)
- Hatchet Hall
- Hawkins House of Burgers
- Hokkaido Ramen Santouka (Mitsuwa Mar Vista)
- Hui Tou Xiang Noodles House
- Ipoh Kopitiam
- Jeong Yuk Jeom
- Kuya Lord
- La Flor de Yucatán
- Madre (Palms)
- Mapo Galbi
- Mariscos El Faro (Highland Park truck)
- McConnell's Fine Ice Creams (Grand Central Market)
- Merkato Ethiopian Restaurant & Market
- Nam Coffee
- Newport Seafood
- Night + Market Song
- Osteria Mozza
- Papillon International Bakery
- Park's BBQ
- Quarters Korean BBQ
- Ruen Pair
- Rustic Canyon
- Sincerely Syria (Hollywood Shawarma)
- Smoke House Restaurant
- Somni
- Soot Bull Jip
- Sqirl
- Stereoscope Coffee
- Sun Nong Dan
- Sweet Rose Creamery
- Tacos Los Güichos (Slauson)
- Taylor's Steak House
- The Apple Pan
- Tsubaki
- Versailles (La Cienega)
- Vespertine
- Ahgassi Gopchang
- Birrieria Chalio
- Bob's Coffee & Doughnuts
- Burgers Never Say Die
- Canter's Deli
- Chengdu Taste
- Coni'Seafood
- Dan Tana's
- Darya
- Du-par's (Original Farmers Market)
- Dulan's on Crenshaw
- El Cholo (The Original)
- Father's Office
- Gjelina
- Gjusta
- Guelaguetza
- Gwen
- Harold & Belle's
- Hooked Venice
- Irv's Burgers
- Jaraguá
- Jay Bharat
- Jitlada
- Jon & Vinny's (Fairfax)
- Kismet
- La Casita Mexicana
- Luyixian
- Mama Lu's Dumpling House
- Nate 'n Al
- NBC Seafood Restaurant
- Paseo San Miguel (MLK Blvd)
- Pasjoli
- Pie 'n Burger
- Sabores Oaxaqueños
- Saffy's
- Sanamluang Cafe
- Taste of Tehran
- Yerord Mas Bakery and Deli
- Alta Adams
- Attari Sandwich Shop
- Bistro Na's
- Clark Street Bread
- Funke
- Henry's Cuisine
- Holy Basil (Atwater Village)
- Lunasia Dim Sum House
- Night + Market Sahm
- Pablito's Tacos (Burbank)
- Pho Filet 2
- Pollo a la Brasa
- Rajdhani
- Sichuan Impression (West LA)
- Somerville
- Tacos 1986 (Downtown)
- Biriyani Kabob House
- Chosun Galbee
- Dai Ho
- MDK Noodles (Myung Dong Kyoja)
- Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant
- Soban
- Surati Farsan Mart
- Tacos La Rueda
- Toranj
- Berenjak
- Casa Vega
- Jang Choong Dong Jokbal
- Kang Kang Food Court
Night out 98
- Dynasty Typewriter
- Joe Jost's
- Kippered
- Monkish Brewing Co.
- Night on Earth
- The Elysian
- The World Stage
- Bar Covell
- Largo at the Coronet
- Lodge Room
- Mignon
- Sam's Place
- Smog City Brewing
- Stanley's Wet Goods
- The Groundlings Theatre
- Tiki-Ti
- Troubadour
- UCB Franklin Theater
- Vibrato Grill Jazz
- Big Bar
- Black Rabbit Rose
- Capri Club
- Crawford's
- Ercole's
- Highland Park Brewery (Chinatown)
- Hinano Cafe
- Hollywood Improv
- Melanie Wine Bar
- Musso & Frank Grill (the bar)
- Sam First
- Seven Grand
- Shim Sham
- Tabula Rasa Bar
- Teragram Ballroom
- The Baked Potato
- The Comedy Store
- The Dresden (lounge)
- The Harbor Room
- The Lucky Tiki
- The Moroccan Lounge
- The Roger Room
- The Wolves
- Thunderbolt
- Tiny's Hi-Dive
- Walt's Bar
- Whisky a Go Go
- Wife and the Somm
- Zebulon
- Accomplice Bar
- Apothéke
- Arts District Brewing Co.
- Bar Benjamin
- Bar Flores
- Bigfoot Lodge
- Chez Jay
- Death & Co Los Angeles
- Everson Royce Bar
- Laugh Factory
- Mírate
- Red Lion Tavern
- The Black Cat
- The Echo and Echoplex
- The Roxy Theatre
- Tom Bergin's
- Vandell
- Avalon Hollywood
- Catalina Jazz Club
- Dan Sung Sa
- El Prado
- Frolic Room
- HMS Bounty
- Melrose Umbrella Co.
- Perch
- The Del Monte Speakeasy
- Tonga Hut
- Akbar
- Bar Bandini
- Cha Cha Lounge
- Club Tee Gee
- Footsies
- Formosa Cafe
- Precinct
- The Abbey
- Daisy Margarita Bar
- Dante Beverly Hills
- Lock & Key
- No Vacancy
- Ye Rustic Inn
- Broken Shaker
- Desert 5 Spot
- Kassi
- La Cita
- La Descarga
- Silverlake Lounge
- The Short Stop
- Jumbo's Clown Room
- The Gaslite
- Catch One
Locals only 72
- Octavia's Bookshelf
- Amir's Garden
- Amoeba Music
- Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook
- Book Soup
- Brand Library & Art Center
- Fern Dell
- Hennessey + Ingalls
- Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden
- New Beverly Cinema
- Philosophical Research Society
- Point Dume State Beach and Preserve
- Record Safari
- The Iliad Bookshop
- The Ripped Bodice
- Vidiots
- Vroman's Bookstore
- Charlie Turner Trail to Mount Hollywood
- Descanso Gardens
- El Matador State Beach
- Elysian Park and Angels Point
- Fowler Museum at UCLA
- Hollywood Farmers' Market
- Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area
- Now Serving
- Nuart Theatre
- Permanent Records Roadhouse
- Point Fermin Park and the Sunken City
- Santa Monica Farmers' Market (Wednesday, Arizona Ave)
- Santa Monica Stairs
- Skylight Books
- Soap Plant / Wacko and La Luz de Jesus Gallery
- South Coast Botanic Garden
- Vista Hermosa Natural Park
- Wende Museum
- Aero Theatre
- Arlington Garden
- Arroyo Records
- Biddy Mason Memorial Park
- Chavez Ravine Arboretum
- Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden
- Echo Park Time Travel Mart
- Ennis House
- Franklin Canyon Park
- Heritage Square Museum
- Larry Edmunds Bookshop
- Malibu Lagoon State Beach
- Mattachine Steps
- Mercado La Paloma
- Mystery Pier Books
- Old Los Angeles Zoo
- Secret Headquarters
- Tehran Market weekend kebab grill
- The Great Wall of Los Angeles
- Velaslavasay Panorama
- Greystone Mansion Gardens
- Leimert Plaza Park and the Sunday Drum Circle
- Los Angeles River Path (Glendale Narrows)
- Mariachi Plaza
- Music Box Steps
- The Japanese Garden (SuihoEn)
- The Trails Cafe
- Virginia Robinson Gardens
- Melrose Trading Post
- Museum of Neon Art
- Rose Bowl Flea Market
- Sowden House
- Micheltorena Stairs
- Ruben F. Salazar Park
- Wi Spa
- James Irvine Japanese Garden (Seiryu-en)
- Angelino Heights and Carroll Avenue
Walking routes 9
- 01Broadway: the Historic Core and its movie palacesTwelve blocks of Broadway, the city's first theatre street, from Grand Central Market and the 1893 Bradbury Building south past a dozen movie palaces built between 1911 and 1931: Sid Grauman's Million Dollar, the Palace (the oldest original Orpheum theatre left in the US), S. Charles Lee's Tower and Los Angeles theatres, the Orpheum and the Art Deco Eastern Columbia tower. Most interiors can only be seen at events, so this is mainly a facade and marquee walk.
- 02El Pueblo, Union Station and ChinatownWhere Los Angeles began: the 1939 Union Station, then Olvera Street and the Plaza of the Spanish and Mexican pueblo with the city's oldest house (1818) and its mission-era church, the Pico House hotel and the Chinese American Museum, then north past Philippe's (French dips since 1908) to New Chinatown, which opened in 1938 after the old Chinatown was demolished to build Union Station.
- 03Little Tokyo and the Arts DistrictA compact loop through Little Tokyo, a National Historic Landmark district and the cultural centre of Japanese Americans in Southern California: the Japanese American National Museum, the Go For Broke Monument to Japanese American soldiers of WWII, MOCA's Geffen Contemporary, Japanese Village Plaza, Isamu Noguchi's plaza at the JACCC and the Higashi Honganji temple, ending in the converted warehouses of the Arts District.
- 04Bunker Hill: library, steps, Angels Flight and Grand AvenueUp and over Bunker Hill: Goodhue's 1926 Central Library, Lawrence Halprin's Bunker Hill Steps, the 1901 Angels Flight funicular, then Grand Avenue's art and architecture row (MOCA, The Broad, Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall), the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Grand Park and the 1928 City Hall. Ride Angels Flight down to Grand Central Market for a detour ($1.50, $0.75 with TAP).
- 05Silver Lake stairways: Micheltorena to the Music Box StepsA short, steep loop on Silver Lake's public stairways off Sunset Blvd: the 177 painted Micheltorena Stairs with downtown views, the Descanso staircase, and the 133 Music Box Steps where Laurel and Hardy hauled a piano in their Oscar-winning 1932 short. End in the cafes around Sunset Junction or extend to the Silver Lake Reservoir.
- 06Griffith Park: Fern Dell up to the Observatory, down to the GreekThe Observatory's own suggestion for skipping the drive up: hike from the Fern Dell entrance on the south edge of Griffith Park up to Griffith Observatory (free since 1935, views of downtown, the basin and the Hollywood Sign), then down the trail toward the Greek Theatre and catch the DASH Observatory/Los Feliz bus back to Vermont/Sunset station. Trail distance and climb are longer than the straight-line figure here: use a Griffith Park trail map.
- 07Hollywood Boulevard beyond the stars: movie palaces and old HollywoodThe historic buildings along the Walk of Fame: the 1927 Roosevelt Hotel, where the first Academy Awards were held in 1929, Grauman's Chinese and Egyptian theatres (the Egyptian, 1922, was Hollywood's first movie palace), C. E. Toberman's El Capitan, Musso & Frank (Hollywood's oldest restaurant, 1919), Hollywood and Vine, the 1930 Art Deco Pantages and the 1956 Capitol Records tower.
- 08Venice canals, Abbot Kinney and the boardwalk to Santa Monica PierAbbot Kinney's 'Venice of America': the shop-lined boulevard named after him, the 1905 canals, the Venice sign over Windward Ave and Muscle Beach Venice, then north along the boardwalk and beach path to the original Muscle Beach (1934) and the Santa Monica Pier.
- 09Old Pasadena to the Colorado Street BridgeFrom the A Line at Memorial Park: Bakewell and Brown's 1927 Beaux Arts City Hall, Castle Green, the streets of Old Pasadena, the Norton Simon Museum, the former Vista del Arroyo Hotel and the 1913 Colorado Street Bridge arching over the Arroyo Seco.