24 hours in los angeles.
Los Angeles is a wild, wild place. Many people think of LA and think of glam, fortune, and paradise, at least I did before moving to Southern California. LA certainly has glam and fortune but it’s not as easy to experience as you would think. LA is extremely spread out. To get from one side of town to the other, you are looking at easily a two hour drive. If you are not prepared, your visit will go from paradise to an absolute disaster. Plan your route ahead of time so you don’t find yourself sitting in traffic and driving from one side of town to the other. If you only have a day in Los Angeles, and if you have never been before, below is my suggestion for the perfect sight seeing day!
One of the busiest places in LA is Sunset Blvd. Honestly, I was not impressed with Sunset Blvd. It feels like a mini Las Vegas Strip. There are street performers, street food, and dressed up mascots all down the street. Keep your belongings close by. If you haven’t walked down Sunset, it’s one of those things that you have to do once! I recommend getting up early and going here first. Most of the side streets have metered parking, if you go early, you will be just fine finding parking. You won’t need more than an hour here. Walk the street, noticing all of the stars and celebrity names on the street! Make sure to walk down to the famous Chinese Theatre and you can see all of the famous hand prints in the cement. To get a good view of the Hollywood sign, go to the second floor of the outside mall (you can’t miss it), and stand on the open balcony. If you look north, you will have a perfect view of the sign! After seeing the stars and the sign, you will have seen all there is to see so go back to your car and head to breakfast!
Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA, December 2018
The Henry in West Hollywood is a perfect stop for breakfast. The Henry is a boujee yet chill local place for breakfast. It doesn’t get very crowded as many tourists do not know about it. It’s the locals place to be seen though, so dress your best. Make sure to enjoy one of their homemade pastries and delicious lattes. Next, drive towards Rodeo Drive. I recommend parking in one of the neighborhoods near Rodeo. You can find plenty of street parking for free. Spend some time walking down Rodeo and window shopping! Walking down Rodeo feels like walking down a movie set. If you are looking for glam and fortune, this is your spot!
After Rodeo, head over to the Westfield Mall and park in their parking garage. This west coast style mall has an Eataly on the top floor. Enjoy a glass of wine while sitting on the rooftop at the Terra Wine Bar. The wine bar offers views of the Hollywood sign!
Tera, Los Angeles, CA, September 2019
After enjoying a glass of wine at Tera, head back to your car, we are headed to Malibu baby! Enjoy the scenic drive down Highway 1, passing by the infamous Santa Monica beach to the west and the Getty to the east. Drive straight to the Barefoot Bar at Duke’s Cafe. Enjoy fish tacos in the open air bar where the waves are literally crashing on the wall of the restaurant. This is one of my favorite places to eat and some of the best fish tacos in So Cal!
Barefoot Bar, Malibu, CA, March 2020
For an afternoon cocktail, head into the Malibu Mountains to the Malibu Cafe (it’s so much more than a cafe). This is such a neat and eclectic place. The Malibu Cafe is located on the Calamigos Ranch and is a really neat place to visit. The cafe offers a ton of outdoor space and many different bars and lawn games. It really is a neat place to visit, the drive to get to the cafe will take you through the mountains. The cafe offers such a different experience that many tourists do not get to experience.
After relaxing at the cafe, head back to the city and explore Abbott Kinney Blvd in Santa Monica and the Venice Beach boardwalk. There is a lot of street parking and parking garages in this area. Park wherever you can find a spot! Santa Monica and Venice are very touristy but it’s a sight to be seen! I like renting Bird scooters and riding down the boardwalk. Again, keep your belongings close as this area gets very busy. Venice Beach is pretty dirty, there are a lot of homeless, many dispensaries, and street performers.
Muscle Beach, Venice, CA, February 2017
One of my favorite views of the area is at the Hotel Erwin’s rooftop bar. You can reserve a booth with a fire pit for sunset and if you are lucky, you can see the Hollywood sign on a clear night.
View From Hotel Erwin Rooftop, Venice, CA, February 2017
To end your night, you have to experience a West Coast beach club. I recommend going to either The Basement or The Bungalow for a night cap. Both bars are usually very crowded, have a DJ, and are right downtown Santa Monica.
Well, that’s it for my sightseeing day in LA! It will be a long day but hey, you’ll fit right in with the West Coast hustle. If you follow my tips and schedule, you will cover a good amount of ground with spending less time in your car.
If you have more time than a day in LA, here are my favorite local spots.
Happy touring!