Los Angeles, CA

Travel Guide
Griffith Observatory featuring a city, landscape views and night scenes

Los Angeles Travel Guide Video

Relax on the beaches, be thrilled at the theme parks and experience culture in the museums and art galleries of this sprawling Southern California city.

Relax on the beaches, be thrilled at the theme parks and experience culture in the museums and art galleries of this sprawling Southern California city.

Los Angeles offers amazingly varied casual and cultural appeal. Spend a week enjoying different theme parks or dress up for a Hollywood premiere. Hike in the Hollywood Hills and surf in Pacific waves.

Visit some of the world’s favorite theme parks, including Disneyland® Park, which originally opened its magical kingdom with kids’ rides and exciting roller coasters in Anaheim in 1955. Disney California Adventure® Park offers themed attractions tied to Pixar animated films. Universal Studios Hollywood is both a film studio and a theme park, with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ and other kid-friendly attractions. Find additional thrilling rides at Knott’s Berry Farm® and Six Flags® Magic Mountain.

Downtown Los Angeles has a unique attraction, La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, with reassembled remains from over 650 species and active excavation of Ice Age fossil deposits. Next door, explore the 150,000 works in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

The Getty Center, overlooking the city, displays medieval to contemporary art while the Getty Villa offers a sense of ancient Greece and Rome in a beautiful setting along the Pacific Ocean. For a more modern cultural treat, stroll along the Hollywood Walk of Fame to find your favorite actor’s star. Bend down to compare your hands to the handprints formed in the sidewalk.

The California Science Center features tours of the actual Endeavour space shuttle, a living kelp forest and a shake table for building and testing earthquake-resistant structures. Near the iconic hillside Hollywood sign is the Griffith Observatory. Study its exhibits and use its telescopes to scan the night skies.

Los Angeles is bordered to the west by an endless stretch of beach with separate named sections. Bodybuilders and skaters line the boardwalk of Venice Beach. Ride the waves at Manhattan Beach or Malibu’s Surfrider Beach. Enjoy the tranquility of Cabrillo Beach. Relax on the sands of Santa Monica Beach and stop at the nearby pier for shopping and refreshments.

Where to stay in Los Angeles

Downtown Los Angeles showing a city

Downtown Los Angeles

4/5(6,555 area reviews)

DTLA's offers a wide variety of shopping options in its many neighborhoods, such as FIGat7th in the Financial District and Japanese Village Plaza in Little Tokyo. Explore sights like Olvera Street and Grand Park, while easily accessing urban rail transit.

Downtown Los Angeles
Hollywood featuring a sunset, a city and street scenes

Hollywood

3.5/5(3,891 area reviews)

Discover the heart of the U.S. film industry with nearby studios, stroll along the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame, and visit landmarks like the Dolby Theatre and Hollywood sign. Shop at the Hollywood & Highland Center mall and easily navigate via the Metro Rail B Line.

Hollywood
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Westwood

4.5/5(488 area reviews)

Home to UCLA, this neighborhood offers shopping, dining, and entertainment in Westwood Village. Explore cultural gems like the Hammer Museum and Geffen Playhouse Theater, or visit "Little Persia" on Westwood Boulevard.

Westwood
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Hollywood Hills

4.5/5(15 area reviews)

Nestled within the Santa Monica Mountains, this residential area boasts iconic attractions like the Hollywood Sign, Hollywood Bowl, and John Anson Ford Theater. Easily accessible via US 101, it's also home to the American Film Institute.

Hollywood Hills
Koreatown

Koreatown

Vibrant nightlife abounds in this commercially driven area, featuring Korean BBQ restaurants, karaoke bars, and a high concentration of nightclubs. Explore the Korean American National Museum, Korean Cultural Center, and enjoy convenient transport via B and D Line subways.

Koreatown
Beautiful campus of Loyola Marymount University.

Westchester

3.5/5(98 area reviews)

Westchester is a destination travelers like for its shopping, and you might hop aboard the metro at Westchester/Veterans Station or Aviation/Century Station to explore sights like Promenade at Howard Hughes Parkway Center.

Westchester
Four Points by Sheraton Los Angeles International Airport
Four Points by Sheraton Los Angeles International Airport
3.5 out of 5
9750 Airport Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
The price is $93 per night from May 19 to May 20
$93
$108 total
includes taxes & fees
May 19 - May 20
Book a stay at this eco-certified hotel in Los Angeles. Enjoy free WiFi, a free airport shuttle, and a 24-hour fitness center. Our guests praise the helpful ...
6/10 (5,842 reviews)
"Excellent quality for price, premises are in ok condition, don’t expect top of the line room. I was able to sleep perfectly sound. No trouble with AC, bathroom. Definitely will recommend. Shuttle included with room, comes and goes every 20-30 mins. Really helpful driver."

Reviewed on May 11, 2024

Four Points by Sheraton Los Angeles International Airport
Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel
Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel
4 out of 5
6101 W Century Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
The price is $135 per night from May 26 to May 27
$135
$157 total
includes taxes & fees
May 26 - May 27
Book a stay at this eco-certified hotel in Los Angeles. Enjoy breakfast (surcharge), a free airport shuttle, and a health club. Our guests praise the pool and ...
8/10 Very Good! (5,868 reviews)
"The property smells clean and the rooms were big and comfortable."

Reviewed on May 11, 2024

Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham LAX
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham LAX
2.5 out of 5
5249 W Century Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
The price is $110 per night from May 28 to May 29
$110
$127 total
includes taxes & fees
May 28 - May 29
Book a stay at this business-friendly hotel in Los Angeles. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and room service. Our guests praise the restaurant and the helpful ...
7.4/10 Good! (3,894 reviews)
"Dirty bathtub , poor breakfast , long wait check in"

Reviewed on May 10, 2024

La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham LAX
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
The Haas, Trademark Collection by Wyndham
The Haas, Trademark Collection by Wyndham
3 out of 5
219 W 7th St, Los Angeles, CA
Stay at this 3-star aparthotel in Los Angeles. Enjoy free WiFi, a 24-hour front desk, and daily housekeeping. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (318 reviews)
"Property was great. LA area not so much"

Reviewed on May 7, 2024

The Haas, Trademark Collection by Wyndham
Venice Breeze Suites
Venice Breeze Suites
3.5 out of 5
2 Breeze Avenue, Venice, CA
Stay at this 3.5-star beach aparthotel in Venice. Enjoy free WiFi, a rooftop terrace, and a 24-hour front desk. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean ...
8.2/10 Very Good! (1,493 reviews)
"Excellent location, very clean."

Reviewed on May 4, 2024

Venice Breeze Suites
The Crescent powered by Sonder
The Crescent powered by Sonder
4 out of 5
403 N Crescent Dr, Beverly Hills, CA
Stay at this 4-star boutique condo in Beverly Hills. Enjoy valet parking (surcharge), a 24-hour front desk, and daily housekeeping. Popular attractions Rodeo ...
7.8/10 Good! (1,007 reviews)
"Replace head boards and foot boards. Remotes didn’t work for the Fan. I had to go downstairs to get batteries for the Roku remote. Nice size spiders came out in the bathroom. Shampoo and body wash pumps did not work. But I would stay again. Little fixes."

Reviewed on May 5, 2024

The Crescent powered by Sonder
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Getting around Los Angeles

The best way to see Los Angeles is to rent a car. The streets are generally long and wide, with large distances between attractions. Walking won’t get you far. However, there are various public transportation options available. You can get to the majority of popular attractions using a combination of the subway, Metro buses, DASH buses and Metro Rail Trains. Look for a taxi to get somewhere fast. Visit the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority website. Browse Los Angeles rental cars.

Best time to visit

With year-round sun, any time of year is a great time to visit Los Angeles. However, the periods between March and May and September to November are far less busy. Pack for pleasant temperatures that are unlikely to dip below 50 F (10 C) or rise much above 85 F (29 C). The summer months get far hotter. Visit in October to participate in all the Halloween fun with a Hollywood twist that runs throughout the month.

Popular places to visit

Things to do

Reviews of Los Angeles

4
Top Destination
5 - Excellent
4282
" "5 - Excellent 33.44267416432365%
4 - Good
5445
" "4 - Good 42.52577319587629%
3 - Okay
2426
" "3 - Okay 18.94720399875039%
2 - Disappointing
404
" "2 - Disappointing 3.155263980006248%
1 - Terrible
247
" "1 - Terrible 1.929084661043424%

3/5 - Okay

Taz
Jun 6, 2020

Los Angeles is extremely filthy, but I enjoyed the restaurants in the city.

2/5 - Disappointing

Verified traveler
Jun 4, 2020

It was nice but the price they are charging for the small room wasn't. Door to balcony was extremely hard to open room 703 i believe.

3/5 - Okay

Verified traveler
Jun 3, 2020

Only because of the riots in the city.

1/5 - Terrible

Verified traveler
Jun 2, 2020

everyone was looting and rioting

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler
Jun 2, 2020

Nice

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler
May 31, 2020

The scenery was beautiful

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