LA is a great central spot to explore everything in Southern California. If you have time, I recommend a trip to Santa Barbara. My cousin, Anjali, lives in LA and helped put this list together!
*general note: parking is usually difficult and expensive everywhere, but free options are available in residential streets that aren’t permit parking. you just have to look out for it ahead of time and take note of street sweeping
LA Hikes & Day Trips:
- Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook/Culver Steps
- Los Leones Trail in the Palisades
- Topanga Lookout Trail (graffiti)
- Runyon Canyon + picnic by Wattles Mansion
- Griffith Wisdom Tree Trail/Hollywood Sign hike
- Fryman Canyon (Studio City)
- Point Dume (a little drive but worth it)
- Eaton Canyon Falls (Pasadena)
- Any Angeles National Forest Hikes (harder and more dangerous — will likely need some gear)
- Catalina Island is a good day trip, but it’s a very bumpy boat ride there!
- Joshua Tree National Park – Try stargazing!
- Temecula – cute wineries south of LA
- Palm Springs
Brunch/Cafes:
- Eggslut – try the fairfax & the slut
- Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles
- Brunch at The Beverly Hills Polo Lounge
- Document Coffee and Alchemist Coffee Project for coffee/tea/goodies) – Koreatown
- Tartine Santa Monica (ambience/bakery)
- Canyon Coffee Cafe (Echo Park) – then go swan boating on Echo Park Lake
- Millcross – breakfast/brunch
Desserts:
- Catch LA (chocolate smash cake)
- Holey Grail donuts
- Sidecar doughnuts
- Sweet Lady Jane cakes
- Doan’s Bakery coconut cake
- Porto’s
- olive oil ice cream from any ice cream place
- Wanderlust Creamery
- SomiSomi Ube – Sawtelle
LA Lunch/Dinner Options:
- Sugarfish (best sushi) – will be a wait, but it’s worth it
- Elephante in Santa Monica (Italian & Chic)
- Catch LA (great for dinner, drinks and dessert)
- Jitlada (Thai)
- Hatchet Hall (near Culver City)
- Pho 87 – DTLA
- Great White – in Larchmont or Venice
- Gjelina
- Mayura – Kerala/South Indian restaurant in Culver City
- Canter’s 24 Hour Deli on Fairfax
- Joy – Taiwanese on York Blvd
- Sushi Gen
- Otoro Sushi (abeautifullife)
- Jamaican Kitchen
- Orochon (Ramen)
- Little Tokyo Market: amazing Japanese market with a great/cheap sushi market. Izakaya Experience is TOT on 2nd street
- Zankou – Armenian
- Diavola pizza from Pizzana Brentwood
- Beachwood Café ambience
- Grand Central Market in DTLA
- Smorgasburg LA – Peruvian pomegranate tacos, Ube brioche butter buns by the Ensaymada project
- Roots Indian Bistro
- Broad Street Oyster Co
- Koreatown: Han Bat Sul Lung Tang, Hangari Kalgutsu, BCD Tofu, Genwa for KBBQ, Anko for dessert, Normandie Club for cocktails, Dan Sung Sa for skewers
- Tsujita Annex for ramen!, $10 udon
- Daichan – Studio City
- Wat Thai Buddhist Temple food market – North Hollywood
- Ta-Eem; Mizlala- Mediterranean/Israeli
- Street tacos: Leo’s taco truck; my personal fav – the truck at Lincoln & Rose in Venice
- Connie and Ted’s in West Hollywood (seafood)
- Dan Tana’s (Italian)
- Musso & Frank Grill (Hollywood)
- Public Kitchen & Bar (Hollywood Roosevelt)
- Beauty & Essex (Hollywood)
- Mother Wolf (Hollywood, Italian)
- Pace (Italian Restaurant in Laurel Canyon)
- Laurel Hardware
Malibu Spots:
- Malibu Seafood
- Neptune’s Net if road-tripping
- Nobu Malibu
Top Things to do:
- See the Griffith Observatory in the evening (closes at 10 and I believe the telescope closes earlier)
- Lamps outside LACMA (don’t pay the parking fee, seeing the lamps is free, park elsewhere)
- Take a surf lesson (free lessons with Color the Water if you’re BIPOC)
- Horseback riding with Sunset Ranch Hollywood before brunching at Beachwood
- Rent a bike from the Santa Monica Pier and bike along the path for as long as you want!
- Take a dance class at Playground LA, Millenium, or West Coast Dance Theatre
- Check out Venice canals and Manhattan Beach
- Take a studio tour at Warner Brothers, Paramount, Sony, Amazon Prime, or even Netflix’s Sunset Studios
- See if any shows are doing live tapings (Kimmel, Corden, etc) // get tickets to go to a premiere at The Director’s Guild on Sunset
- Universal Studios – park day/two!! Harry Potter ride inside is awesome.
- Groundlings/Second City/UCB comedy shows
- Hollywood Forever Cemetery – sometimes there are screenings!
- Try to catch a show at The Hollywood Bowl
- See up and coming songwriters at The Hotel Cafe
- Breathwork & Open yoga/meditation/mindfulness classes in Venice
- Walk around Franklin Village
- Getty Center and Villa (go when they have artists performing/special exhibits)
- The Broad museum
- The Grove & The Original Farmer’s Market
- Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
- Check out the many farmer’s markets
- Watch a movie at the TCL theater on Hollywood Blvd, and see the stars on the walk of fame if you haven’t
- Manhattan Beach Public Library – read a book by the fire by a window overlooking the Pacific!
- Hermosa Beach Pier & surrounding area
- Bookstores: Village Well, Chevalier’s (oldest one in LA), Reparations Club, Vroman’s
- Thrifting real Hollywood costumes on Magnolia Blvd in Burbank
- Huntington Gardens in Pasadena
- Bergamot Station Arts Center
- Axe throwing at House of Axe (Koreatown)
- Angels Flight in Bunker Hill
- Self-Realization Lake Shrine in the Palisades – reserve a week in advance (free)
- Terranea public access Palos Verdes
- Den Mother spa in Venice
- Muscle Beach in Venice & Venice skate park
Nightlife:
- Winston House ( + great music) – Venice
- Salsa/bachata dancing at The Victorian in Ocean Park
- The Abbey – gay bar in West Hollywood
- 1212
- Bungalow
- The Buffalo Club
- Bar Chloe (simple, rustic bar)
- Waterfront
- No Vacancy
- Gas Lite karaoke (Santa Monica)
- Senator Jones has room to actually dance!