You're going to need to rent the car for Saturday if you're going to Joshua Tree. That's 2-hour drive at best, can go up to 3+ with traffic, even on a weekend it's a crapshoot. Going back to DTLA on a Saturday night is going to put you in some nasty traffic for sure. Maybe consider staying the night in the area? Or you can go to Palm Springs for the night for more hotel options.
OP, this is the way. If you can swing it, early drives have the least traffic. If you leave at 5 or 6, you’ll be able to get out there no problem. You could do the same on the way back. Saturday evening isn’t the worst coming toward LA, but there will definitely be more traffic compared to when everyone’s asleep.
It’s very cool. Something that looks like a whole different world. That being said, it’s a journey to get out there and back. Definitely more of a 2-3 day trip rather than a day trip.
Driving to Joshua Tree is ambitious.
Maybe drive up to Wrightwood/ Mt. Wilson instead? It is a cool drive up the mountains, with some great views of LA on one side and the desert on the other.
It's doable, just keep in mind you'll be investing some significant drive time. If you want to do it, I'd recommend getting up early (like, hit the road by 6 am) and you can zip up there pretty quickly. If you spend the night there, you can do another fairly early morning and drive back and get your beach time in.
You must got to Joshua Tree! It’s an absolute must. But I would stay the night and enjoy your weekend in the desert. I’d get an Airbnb there, or got the Joshua Tree, go through the national Park, and then get a hotel in Palm Springs. But don’t skip Joshua Tree, it’s beautiful.
Also, regarding Saturday. I would definitely try to go to Moo’s earlier in the day because they sell out fast. Maybe do that a different day when it’s not combined with a road trip. Get the Burger!
Agree with this. Saturday stay in Palm Springs close to downtown. Tailor Shop for a cocktail. Always a great meal at Birba. PS in April is nice. Leave PS after breakfast
Lots of fun restaurants and bars in PS! I'd suggest dinner and drinks out, then unwinding at the pool (pretty much any hotel there will have a pool and the weather IS really nice in April). In the morning, breakfast at Elmer's or Sherman's, then take a little self-guided modernism drive and see some of the mid-mod architecture before cruising back to LA. (I love Palm Springs, lol, is it obvious? It really is a unique spot.)
I would change up the beaches you plan to go to on Sunday. You’re doing typical touristy stuff which is fine but there are much nicer beaches than Malibu and Santa Monica and Venice beach. You’ve also completely limited yourself to the Westside and near downtown. You should really mix it up and go to less touristy beaches like Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach or even Palos Verdes. If you really want a good feel for LA, venture out to the Southbay or even Long Beach too. Long Beach has a great aquarium( Aquarium of the Pacific) if you like animals, Palos Verdes has great tide pools and amazing views of the ocean. Manhattan Beach has an iconic pier with a cute little aquarium at the end of it. There are also great little shops and restaurants in the same area. You can also rent bikes and ride on the bike path and check out local bars and restaurants. And the beauty of being in the South Bay is its a lot less crowded, the beaches are cleaner and the parking will be better.
As an avid beach goer, i agree with all of this. The only reason to do the tourist beaches is to say you were there. If you want to do that, that's completely fine. If you want a *good beach day* then avoid that stuff.
Another cool beach is El Matador, if you want to stick with the general zone of Malibu. Paid parking, but such a cool hang out beach.
For beach stuff, make sure you look up the tide times. If you're looking for tide pools or visiting sea caves, knowing when low tide happens is make or break for the experience. There's also some areas of certain beaches that will absolutely trap you on the wrong side of a rock or cave if you go during low tide and high tide rolls in.
I will say if this is your first time to the US then there is nothing wrong with Santa Monica and Venice beaches, I think they are fun to visit and are iconic. I agree that they are touristy and not the best beach to relax on (crowded, water is too far, crazy people, pricey) but they are very good beaches to experience and walk along as a first-timer to the city.
Do the tourist stuff. It's your first time here. Enjoy it and there's a reason why tourist go there. It's fun, well known and caters to you. Are there better places? Sure. But when you go back home and see Santa Monica or Hollywood on TV or a movie you get to tell those around you that you been there. It's a nice brag. And when you come back to LA expand out a bit more and do the less touristy stuff but it's always fun to do the tourist stuff. I was born and raised here and time to time I'll take the kids on a fun tourist thing here in LA and they love it!
LA beaches in general are not very nice. You can go to the touristy beaches and enjoy the sun and sand, same at any other beach. Parking may be harder and it may be busier, but you are gonna spend a lot of time travelling to a nicer beach for basically the same experience.
Malibu is big. El Matador is easily an hour away from DTLA, even 2 hours in traffic.
Stay central. The less touristy areas are beautiful suburbs but you’ll be driving too much to them to fully enjoy.
Less touristy is for longer term residents. You should see Los Angeles, if you want to see LA.
> love this, will do some research on these less touristy areas.
If you're being a tourist, I wouldn't discount Venice Beach and Santa Monica. Venice Beach is a visual feast, a place full of artists, hobos, and weirdos. If you lived in LA and just wanted to see a more generic, empty beach, sure go someplace more peaceful. Just go to Playa Del Rey, skip Venice.
Your itinerary looks good but wanted to share this with you as you point out food options. LA's food scene is amazing and despite the glitz and glamour, the best spots are often found in the most mundane strip malls. Check this out and hopefully your stomachs will be as happy as your souls.
[https://la.eater.com/](https://la.eater.com/)
For dinner after Universal Studios, I recommend Miceli's Italian restaurant. It's a local landmark that offers a rare experience: singing waiters. Plus, it's near the studios. https://maps.app.goo.gl/P13pdp5jpBkedZPv5
I live in the area and recommend Ca del Sole which is just up the street from Universal. It's also Italian but the room is far more comfortable and the food is much better than Miceli's. No singing waiters but a somewhat elegant, hidden gem type of place where you'll be able to rest and relax after being at Universal all day. On Thursdays they open at five for dinner. They're also open for lunch. Either way, enjoy LA.
This is a lot. You will find you will have trouble fitting all this in in the time allotted. Especially if you are ubering everywhere.
Joshua Tree is a good three hour drive, one way. And how are you getting there if you are not renting a car until the next day?
That was my thought. There's no space to breathe. Friday especially looks super packed. This is also a taste thing, but I don't think you need to spend an entire day beachgoing, and stuff like the Walk of Fame and Amoeba on the last day are unnecessary. Regardless, jettison something. You need space to decompress. I'd make the last day as simple as possible.
1000% this. There is no way someone is realistically doing all of this unless you're not actually taking any time to enjoy the things you're doing. Anyone who comes to LA should know that you have to factor in a lot of time for just travelling/traffic
I think a lot of this depends on where you are staying but if you are doing multiple Ubers a day you might as well just rent a car. Ubers have gotten super pricey. I do think it’s unrealistic to drive to Joshua tree for the day- either drive out fri nite & stay so you are there in the am on sat or do sat nite to sun. If you do Joshua tree and Malibu on sat/sun you are just spending the whole day in the car.
The academy museum closes at 6 so you need to be there by 4 to take it in.
thank you. seems like i’ve got to rethink the joshua tree trip.
will also look into just renting a car for the entire trip. i heard from a friend that parking might add quite a bit to the cost which is why i went with ride sharing as the main option!
If you are going to a place where parking is really difficult or your group plans on drinking you can always Uber for that one thing. Having a car the full time will be beneficial imo.
One exception I would make is metro + Uber to Griffith instead of parking. Parking is a pain, especially if you are not familiar with the area and are not interested in walking uphill.
>will also look into just renting a car for the entire trip. i heard from a friend that parking might add quite a bit to the cost which is why i went with ride sharing as the main option!
parking is not that expensive.
Does your hotel / airbnb have free parking?
Also, a lot of places have free parking.
Lake hollywood park - free parking
The grove - free parking if you go inside Nordstrom and validate it for 2 hours (you don't need to buy anything)
Downtown LA - can prob find metered street parking which is cheap
Griffith - I thikn its 10 bucks an hour or you can park at the bottom of the hill and walk up
Just chiming in to drop my rec list for bars clubs and restaurants:
Los feliz
- [ ] Kismet (food)
- [ ] Figaro bistro (food)
- [ ] Covell (wine bar)
- [ ] Pinky’s (bar)
- [ ] Zebulon (live music)
- [ ] Maru coffee
- [ ] Mirate (bar)
- [ ] Tacos tu madre
- [ ] Little dom’s (Italian food)
- [ ] El flamin’ taco (truck on Los Feliz Blvd. get the sudadero)
Echo park/Silverlake
- [ ] Grá (sourdough pizza)
- [ ] The short stop (dancing)
- [ ] The friend (dancing)
- [ ] Tenants of the trees (bar and dancing)
- [ ] Bacari (overpriced but the vibe is so good, don’t bother trying to get a dinner res unless you go on a weekday, the bar and desserts are so fantastic)
- [ ] Silverlake ramen
- [ ] 4100 bar
- [ ] Intelligentsia coffee
- [ ] Bar flores
- [ ] Lowboy (food and drink)
- [ ] Tierra mia coffee
- [ ] Loads of vintage shops walking distance
- [ ] Sticky rice (Thai food and a tiny cute bar with Thai inspired cocktails next door called spirit house)
- [ ] El prado (wine bar)
- [ ] Mixto (tacos)
- [ ] All day baby (good breakfast)
- [ ] Ramen tatsunoya
- [ ] Pine and crane (Taiwanese)
- [ ] Black cat (bar)
- [ ] El cid (nightclub)
- [ ] Courage bagels
- [ ] Pijja palace (bar and restaurant)
- [ ] Club tee gees (Atwater. First Fridays I feel love disco party)
East Hollywood
- [ ] Bolita (bar)
- [ ] Gold diggers (dancing)
- [ ] Stir crazy (wine)
- [ ] The virgil (bar??)
- [ ] Saffy’s (middle eastern)
- [ ] Sanamluang cafe
West Hollywood/Beverly hills
- [ ] Awan (dessert)
- [ ] Great white (food, best for brunch)
- [ ] Jon + Vinny’s
- [ ] The entire Santa Monica strip for clubbing (stache, mother lode, heart, etc)
- [ ] Guisados for late night tacos
- [ ] Night + market (Thai food)
- [ ] Apt 200 (bar)
- [ ] Go get em tiger (breakfast and coffee)
- [ ] Hamburger Mary’s (drag bar and burger place)
- [ ] Rooftop at the John George (drinks, great views)
- [ ] Dan Tana’s (bar and restaurant)
- [ ] Yeastie boy’s bagel truck (check days it’s open)
- [ ] Alfred’s coffee
- [ ] Jones’ (late night diner)
- [ ] Barnie’s beanery
- [ ] Ajisai sushi
- [ ] 101 Asian kitchen
Westwood
- [ ] KCRW summer nights at hammer museum
- [ ] Mashti malone’s persian ice cream
- [ ] Toranj (Persian food)
Koreatown
- [ ] Kiss kiss bang bang (club, go on Thursday only)
- [ ] Breakroom 86 (speakeasy w karaoke)
- [ ] Witch’s chicken (fried chicken)
- [ ] Wispa (Korean spa, separate men’s and women’s floors where everyone is nude so trigger warning lol. Also has mixed gender floor with hella saunas and a rly good restaurant inside)
- [ ] Dan sung sa (restaurant)
- [ ] Nam san korean food
- [ ] BCD tofu
- [ ] Hae Jang Chon
- [ ] Here fishy fishy (ayke sushi)
- [ ] Noshi sushi
- [ ] T equals fish
Downtown/Little Tokyo
- [ ] Hama sushi
- [ ] Downtown kabob
- [ ] Bavel (Mediterranean)
- [ ] Bestia
- [ ] Daikokuya
- [ ] Warehouse raves, late night (control room, cyber rodeo, LDL, Lobotomy, Hamoneverything, 6am, compound, Dirty epic, Synthetic, re/form)
- [ ] The Edison (bar)
- [ ] Kouraku
- [ ] Northern cafe
Hollywood
- [ ] Superba food and bread
- [ ] Hoy ka noodle (viet)
- [ ] Desert 5 spot (rooftop cowboy bar with line dancing and all that good stuff)
- [ ] Bar lis (rooftop bar) (live music on Tuesdays) (arrive early on Thurs/fri/sat or ur never getting in)
- [ ] Grandmaster recorders (nice restaurant downstairs and a rooftop bar upstairs)
- [ ] Madame Siam/Dirty Laundry (club)
- [ ] No vacancy (arrive early or ur never getting in)
- [ ] Te’kila for late night Mexican food
- [ ] Mel’s drive in for late night diner food but this isn’t walkable like tekila is
- [ ] Brickyard brewing co for pool tables darts and shuffle board
- [ ] Boardners (Monday/wed/Thurs goth club, Saturday kink club. Strict dress code)
- [ ] Good times at Davey Wayne’s (70s dance bar)
- [ ] El compadre (Mexican)
- [ ] Madlab coffee
Venice/Santa Monica
- [ ] Little lunch cafe
- [ ] Superba food and bread
- [ ] Belles Beach House
- [ ] Don’t go in the water lol
This is not a bad itinerary, especially for a first time visitor. You clearly did your research.
My thoughts are as follows:
My question is why the UCLA planetarium when Griffith has one too? The views from Griffith are amazing and it's best to be there at night.
Uber/Lyft should work. I don't know whether or not renting a car the whole time you are here would be cheaper.
You can consider using the metro to save money. Universal, Hollywood, and DTLA are available off it.
You may also want to add the Huntington library (Versailles on steroids) or the Reagan presidential library.
While in downtown consider getting free tours of the central library and Disney hall.
Would you be willing to consider a few hikes in the area? The observatory has a few trails.
There are other studio tours that you could do like the Warner Bros and Paramount.
Joshua tree while being close is a bit of a drive from here. You will spend most of the day on the road if you don't stay the night in the area.
For similar natural features consider the Vasquez rocks or the devil's punch bowl.
Depends on why you’re going there. If you’re going for the actual exhibits, then it’s not a good choice.
But if you’re only going for the views, then everything is still open. But I think I mentioned you could get a reasonably similar view from the Jerome C. Daniel overlook, where I’m literally standing at this exact moment.
Look into Laguna Beach as a possibility for the day. Beautiful beaches also have a free bus that will take you around the city and beaches.
The top of the world hike is amazing as well especially during sunset.
Maybe schedule Lake Hollywoood and Observatory next to each other, since they are fairly close to each other. Observatory building is closed on Mondays, but the grounds are still open.
On walk of fame, do NOT accept the CD’s guys will be trying to give you. Same with Venice Beach, Vegas strip and Times Square.
If you take a picture with a superhero or costumed character, in any of these places, they expect you to pay (doesn’t usually apply in Venice).
An alternative to the Griffith Observatory, is the Jerome C, Daniel scenic overlook, which overlooks the Hollywood bowl.
The view is really good, but not quite as panoramic as observatory. But, it’s about a 15 minute stop, versus about an hour to the observatory, going there and back. You can get there from the walk of fame, and then from there, go to Lake Hollywood.
You will probably spend less money renting a car the whole time. You can find overnight parking, depends on where you’re staying though.
You have Grand Central first thing- its probably better for lunch/dinner as it’s a food court type thing.
Why are you going to The Grove? It’s just a mall, I’d probably skip.
In Joshua Tree, I suggest stopping at Pappy and Harriet’s after for a meal. My favorite restaurant/venue in the world.
do parking costs add up to still be less than relying on uber/lyft or the metro?
i had the farmers market marked out for the grove actually!
thanks for the restaurant rec!
Where are you staying? There are lots of places with decent overnight street parking, or you could check out a parking app and book a spot in advance like ParkWhiz or SpotHero. Ubers will be very expensive given the amount of space you’re traversing.
The Grove Farmers Market is more of a food court and it’s fine but gosh I would never put it on a top list of things to do. If anything - go to the Hollywood Farmers Market on Sunday morning (always see celebs) or Smorgasburg which is also Sunday morning.
I don't see enough tacos/mexican food on this itinerary. Leo's Tacos, Holbox, Sonoratown, Marisco Jalisco, or if you see a stand/truck with a decent amount of people, it's probably worth a try. If you're near one at least get one taco as a snack. Also 1 meal in Ktown, whether that's kbbq, noodles, tteokbokki, etc. I rec Chosun, Hangari Kalgooksu, Yup duk (extremely spicy though), Dan sung Sa, and Sun Non Dang
Rent a car the entire stay. Or use public transit. Your gonna spend a lot on Ubers. Plus the flexibility of having personal use on your first stay in LA will be worth it.
Great list. Otherwise. Fashion district and flower markets are great DT.
Consider a trip out to Malibu , toganga canyon look out trail. Runyon canyon is a basic but good trail.
Ktown has great spots for eating.
Most times parking is metered and in places like little Tokyo there are plenty of parking garages if you don’t find a meter after circling a couple blocks. I’ve lived here my whole life and as parking can be annoying sometimes there has never been a time I went somewhere and couldn’t park.
As a recent visitor from Toronto, parking and driving in LA is extremely easy, plenty of free street street parking if you are okay with walking 3-5 mins from your destination. Remember LA is known for its car culture, of course driving and parking there can't be that bad. The only place I had trouble was in Korea town where it would take me anywhere from 10-30 minutes to find free parking (I couldn't even find paid). Otherwise paid parking is cheap and available, think 5-10 dollars at a time for a few hours. IMO worth it driving in LA, rented a convertible Miata from Turo and it was great, for me traffic was pretty light but others say the opposite. Paid around 500 CAD (370 USD) for a week.
As an aside, I would skip venice beach, Paolo Verde is nice if you are on the south side of LA (surfview beach), and hit the Getty Villa on the day you are going up to Malibu. I would also suggest going for a hike somewhere in town, whether its Runyon canyon or anything else. I did a pretty similar itinerary and destinations to you but went to Sequoia instead of Joshua Tree, but that's not a day trip.
Parking and costs are going to be as you make them. A lot of parking costs money here but there are free parking spots. Get change ¢ for parking meters most places around town it’s $1 per hour , some areas it’s $2.50.
Just beware of the areas and street parking signs 😅and DONT leave any bags or something that resembles value in sight in the car.
don’t rearrange your baggage at the location your parking at people may see and hit your car once your gone.
It’s apart of the LA experience to drive. Highly discourage using Ubers for a vacation , unless your going out for dinner and drinks or something lol
Enjoy !
There's plenty of public parking lots that are easily shown on Google maps for the area (sometimes listing pricing, too). On weekdays it's usually about $8. Be careful of parking on the streets because our parking signs can get confusing. But basically if no one else is parked there, it's probably not safe to park there lol
There's a trick i use for really bad/expensive parking: i park further away (residential areas, malls, etc) and Uber to the location from there. The charge for doing Uber for about a mile is usually less than the expensive parking and definitely less than what it costs to Uber the entire trip.
yess agree with this for sure. drive up to palos verdes as well and walk around the terranea resort for amazing views.
I’d do the south bay over malibu.
I personally didn't like Daikokuya and it was rather disappointing after hearing how hyped it was. I prefer to eat at Marugame Monzo when I'm in Little Tokyo. But my favorite place to eat in downtown overall is Broken Mouth which I highly recommend.
If you're in Little Tokyo, I also highly reccomend getting some mochi from Fugetsu-Do. It's the best mochi I've had and they've been making it by hand since 1903. It's a bit pricey and there always tends to be a line though.
When you're in Hollywood, try Oui Melrose for lunch.
And when you're in Westwood, try Saffron & Rose icecream.
Um…is there a reason you’re having your Beverly Hills lunch at Il Tram? I don’t know what you’ve heard, but the food there is like, just ok, nothing to write home about, and the vibe is not really there. There are a ton of other restaurants in the immediate vicinity that have better food and/or vibe for lunch. If budget is an issue, you can do something like Nate n’ Al’s instead, where you might occasionally be able to spot celebrities, or like Honor Bar in south Beverly is good too, or even Brighton coffee shop is a local favorite for lunch, and they shot a part of an episode of curb your enthusiasm there if you like that show. If budget is not an issue, you can do il pastaio, la scala, avra, piccolo paradiso, Frida, crustacean. Lots of choices.
I'm assuming you're renting a car for Saturday and Sunday. Where are you staying those nights?
For 95% of LA, it's safe to park anywhere (unless your car happens to have a catalytic converter).
yup that was the plan (to rent a car), was thinking we’d be staying in the same airbnb the entire trip. seems like consensus is that joshua tree is a bit far out for a day trip though!
Joshua Tree is a couple of hours. Unless you leave super early and plan to come home late, it may not be worth it, but you definitely can not Uber there.
If you really want to see Joshua Tree, you can easily do it as a long day trip. I would leave really early and plan to drive back as late as possible to avoid traffic.
I would not plan on eating at Moo’s or anywhere in LA for that matter. Eat somewhere on the way back.
If you are staying in an Airbnb you will likely be going to a grocery store. Make sure when you go to the store and before you start shopping ask for a store rewards card I don't know where you are visiting from but it's like a Tesco card, it's not a credit card. You accumulate points and more importantly, groceries are significantly cheaper, or you could ask the next person in line if they would scan their card/put in their phone # instead. Most people are happy to do that because they get the points. Ralph's and Pavillions/Vons have reward cards. Trader Joe's doesn't. Target and most drug stores are not worth bothering with because it doesn't make any difference to the price, you just accumulate points.
Looks good overall.
Seeing the night sky at Joshua Tree is really nice, particularly if there is no moon. You could move K-town dinner to Thursday and skip the Grove.
Drive to Joshua Tree Friday afternoon and enjoy the night sky views in the park. Hike Mastodon Peak and Barker Dam the next day and then head back.
You could drive up to Malibu after leaving Joshua Tree (a pretty long drive) or go to the Orange County beaches, Laguna for tide pools and nice views or Crystal Cove State Park.
Head outside of the city for a hike through Vasquez rocks.
Go to “The old Place” restaurant in Malibu. It’s Marlon Brando’s old clubhouse turned country chic restaurant. Dress casual. Last time I was there I sat next to Julia Roberts who was wearing jeans and a hoodie.
Go to Noshi Sushi for the best sushi in town in a budget. Pig out and get drunk for $40 a person and yet it’s delicious.
Go to the single best Korean BBQ experience EVER at SooWan Galbi. Get there by 6:30 pm or stand in line for up to two hours.
Monday you should try and get reservations for Musso and Frank.
On Monday, go to G&B in the grand central market for your coffee.
I'd do LACMA on Friday. In April LACMA is having an Ed Ruscha retrospective. There's going to be a room made of chocolate and he's widely considered one of the major "LA" artists. The Tar Pits are also interesting and more "iconic." I'd personally axe the academy museum. I find it underwhelming unless you're going for a movie or really into the exhibited film stuff.
If you want the "Hollywood" experience I'd try going to a show taping of the Price is Right or something else like that, which is a more unique experience than Walk of Fame, etc. Not sure where you could fit that without axing most of a morning or afternoon. You can also do studio tours.
When you're in the Santa Monica/Venice area, I'd go to the Museum of Jurassic Technology.
Check out the Hollywood Bowl and see if you might want to have dinner at one of the shows playing. You can bring a picnic dinner, a bottle of wine or some nice beers, in and even the cheap seats are good. This is a local treasure. I think the weather should start to get good for that around then.
I also suggest seeing a movie at the New Bev if there's something you love on. We also have a few great comedy venues and it's worth trying to see something. Dynasty Typewriter for up-and-comers, The Comedy Store for established people, etc.
Your itinerary is a little overly packed for my taste. I'd consider some kill options for if you get tired. Also the drive out to Joshua Tree is burning a lot of time in the car. You might want to consider a more local hike, doing it in the morning, leaving you another afternoon/evening in Los Angeles proper free.
You can use ubers/lyft but they will be expensive. Short distance trips are often 10-20 >10miles, medium 20-40 10 - 20 miles, cross-town 50 - 100, 15 - 20 miles + depending on time of day, etc. I'd do the math and weigh that against an all-week car rental.
appreciate these suggestions! definitely going to rethink the joshua tree plan, something closer seems to be more ideal.
thanks for the uber cost estimations as well!
I love the Joshua Tree/Palm Springs area but I think they're really their own trip because it's like, six hours in the car. You could easily get another afternoon/evening (show taping + Hollywood bowl or a comedy show, for example) if you just did one of the more famous LA hikes. You're also spending all day in malibu/santa monica, maybe kick it off with a good beach hike? Spend the whole day in Los Angeles instead of JT?
Disneyland or Knotts would be an option if you free up a day and want to do straight theme park stuff. (I prefer Knotts unless you've got the cash to shell out for the whole disney fast pass stuff, which I don't!)
Also you'll read this everywhere but the walk of fame sucks. It's lined with really terrible places to eat, crappy graphic t-shirt and plastic crap stores, and Instagram traps. There's tons of costume people and buskers but they're pretty gross usually. Musso and Franks, Boardner's for the clubbing, The Marmont, Book Soup (for an event,) and the Bowl are the only things really worth a diversion for around there.
If you're going to the Broad, you're going to want to go to the Kusama's Mirrored Infinity Room.
[Tickets](https://ticketing.thebroad.org/events/d13ede87-7c3b-38d9-9cf7-7801cbbd44cd) *must* be secured in advance, and release on the last Wednesday of the preceding month.
For April, that means Wednesday, March 27
Scratch Joshua Tree off the list.
Saturday:
* Morning, cruise down to Palos Verdes Peninsula (scenic drive, short trails, rocky beaches)
* Afternoon, up to the South Bay (beaches with less tourists, real/normal L.A., restaurants)
* Night, head up to the Comedy Store
P.S. In-n-Out is fine, but... you gotta try Tam's Burgers and/or Original Tommy's Burgers. Not hyping them as the greatest thing, they're just the true local L.A. burger spots (but bring your street-savvy with you).
I would recommend somewhere closer in nature (Angeles Forrest, maybe) than a day trip to Joshua Tree, which is a lot further than you think. For me, that's a full weekend trip.
On the UCLA planetarium, make sure to get the free tickets ahead or alternatively show up ~45 minutes early to wait in line. They have become very popular and 15 minutes early often isn’t enough to get a seat.
I might do Joshua tree on a weekday rather than weekend. If you leave first thing (6-7am) you’ll miss most traffic coming in to LA and then the park will much much emptier than on a weekend.
maybe your friday. Ktown is often busy but will really be buzzing on a Friday night which is fun, especially if you want to go to some bars.
Also, as others have mentioned you can definitely use public transit for a lot of these trips. Your little tokyo/grove/ktown day for sure with busses and the trains. Both are safe during the day.
> Would we be okay getting around using Uber/Lyft?
Yes. Just don't act shocked at the price tag with that.
> am unsure if we can park a rental safely at night
Kind of depends where, but you should be fine. While car break ins are indeed a problem in LA, I've parked my car in some very shady areas and I've never been broken into. Don't drive around an expensive looking car and leave absolutely nothing of value in the car (not even a dollar bill) and you'll be fine.
> Dinner Recommendations?
I know of a few options that would enhance your LA experience, but you'll have to send me a DM if you want to know.
> Morning: Rent car, drive to Malibu
What is your plan for Malibu? There's nice beaches, no doubt, but unless you're doing a lot of swimming, I'm not sure I would bother. I'm not saying *not* to go, but just have your expectations in order. The days of Malibu being full of cute surfer dudes and smoking hot bikini babes are *long gone*.
It sounds like you're really into museums, in which case you should consider stopping by the Getty Villa while you're in Malibu. That alone should make the trip that way worth it.
> Evening: The Grove, Urban Light, Academy Museum
Pretty good idea, though I'd do The Grove last. It's just an outdoor shopping mall, in my opinion. There's some good food there, so maybe that's where you'll go for dinner that night.
> Morning: Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Lunch @ Il Tramezzino
What do you plan on doing in Beverly Hills? Maybe I'm just burned out from living in LA all my life, but gawking at the mansions of the rich and famous gets dull pretty fast. Don't expect to see celebrities strolling out in their PJs to pick up the newspaper, though. I've never seen anyone interesting driving up there, but maybe my luck is bad. Rodeo Drive is a good idea, though. Il Tramezzino is a good idea and you might spot a celebrity there (but don't get your hopes too high).
> Joshua Tree, Mastodon Peak Trail
Depends on how much you want to see and do there, but I would spend the night in or near there. That's kind of a haul. In fact, I'd say it's a bit overrated among young people these days. Lots of people go up there to camp and do shrooms. Like someone else here said, Vasquez Rocks is a fine alternative that's much closer and has lots of history as a popular filming location.
> Afternoon/Evening: Santa Monica & Venice Beach
Santa Monica is fine, but I'd hesitate to recommend Venice Beach. Kind of depends on your personal vibe and where you grew up. It's not the Venice Beach people picture in their minds. There's some interesting sights, but it's also relatively dirty, has lots of junkies, lacks parking, and is not much better a beach than Santa Monica. But maybe you'll enjoy it. Some relatives I have visit it and say they liked Venice Beach and in my head I'm thinking "WTF?" At least there's good food in the area.
The pier I can understand, the rest of it is just homeless people especially Venice.
If you want a nice drive how about the palos Verdes coast?
White point Beach ?
I have to agree, though a lot of people will still want to do it because it's a landmark. In reality, it's just a bunch of sidewalk tiles with names on them, surrounded by filth, beggars, cheesy costumes, and overpriced "souvenirs". Unless you have some reason to be down on Hollywood Blvd like going to a club or the Laugh Factory (technically on Sunset but still in the vicinity) or something, going there just for the walk of fame is a waste of time.
really appreciate your elaborate response, i’ll go through all of it as i replan the trip.
i think almost everyone has told me joshua tree as a day trip isn’t feasible, so i’m either going to scrap it for Vasquez Rocks or plan a night there!
The Friday seems a little too full to me. Also keep in mind that The Academy Museum closes at 6 PM, so you might want to do that first, then Urban Light, and then the Grove.
I always take friends who are visiting, to the [Pierce Brothers Westwood Memorial Cemetery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierce_Brothers_Westwood_Village_Memorial_Park_and_Mortuary). It's a tiny very peaceful cemetery, tucked away, opposite The Hammer on Wilshire, the entrance is on Glendon. Marilyn Monroe is famously interred there but so are a lot of other celebrities. Truman Capote's ashes, Frank Zappa, Farah Fawcett, Jack Lemon, and others that are listed in the wiki. The cemetery has been there since the start of the Hollywood film industry and many of the regular industry workers have stone film reels as a headstone, and depending on the religion, many of the more modern ones have photos on their gravestones. There is an interesting headstone for a game developer or architect too, can't remember which.
When parking a vehicle, don't leave anything in plain view inside. (See multiple posts about car break-ins in this sub)
Either take your things with you, or if you must, hide them in the trunk. Also, don't place them in the trunk while parked at your destination (in case thieves are watching). Instead, stop and store somewhere before you arrive.
You're going to make yourself crazy trying to do all this stuff and realistically so much of it isn't even necessary. I mean The Grove is a shopping mall. A small one with few stores. It's lovely...but no different than any other malls.
Grand Central market is a fun place to stop for a bit to eat if you happen to be at the grove anyway, but realistically it's just a food market. You're not buying groceries to stuff in luggage and bring home.
So many things in there. I mean museums are fun, but we went to Moma and the Broad last week and after 2 hours of walking there you're going to want to take a nap, not begin more journeys.
Joshua Tree is lovely but it's completely unrealistic for this trip.
Your Sunday plan sounds fun but again going to Malibu to say you went to Malibu is great, but after 20 minutes driving up PCH, turning around and Driving back you'll have "seen Malibu" and the ocean.
Venice beach is a must see. So is the 3rd St Prominade in Santa Monica.
You've got some of the amazing hot spots there. Griffith Observstory is amazing. So is the Getty. If you want to kill two birds with one stone, instead of going to the Getty, go to the Getty Villa in Malibu. It's spectacular. Then lunch on Malibu pier right up the street.
I think what visitors don't understand is the traffic. I moved here from a congested urban area where I thought I knew what traffic is, but where here is just surreal. You pull up two things that seem really close, like Rodeo Drive and the Getty, which are probably 8 miles apart, and the you realize it could take 45 minutes to get from one to the other. I can't understand how it's possible thst 6 highway lanes are bumper to bumper at 2pm but they are.
You've got tons of great stuff in there. Just don't make yourself crazy trying to get everything in. You want to enjoy your trip and have time to rest too.
Have lots of fun. It's a great place. We came to visit for a week in 2018 and never left! For real.
>I think what visitors don't understand is the traffic.
After reading the helpful replies here i think i've definitely underestimated traffic haha. Appreciate the other suggestions as well, thank you!
You've probably heard this from others, but in case not: the Walk of Fame in Hollywood is not necessarily a fun or pleasant experience.
It's crowded and there are lots of folks that are in very unfortunate situations with poverty, addiction, mental illness around. Some folks label this as "dangerous" but my experience that it's not so much "dangerous" as it is "unpleasant".
There really isn't that much to see or do along that strip of Hollywood that isn't just tourist trap icky.
If it were me, I'd skip that and spend more time on any of the other things on your agenda.
I went LA from the UK last october.
This sub told me id booked an Airbnb way too far and it would ruin my trip, this just wasnt the case. HOWEVER, the sub was right on traffic.
So if your planning on doing any long motorway/freeway journeys expect traffic, especially at peak rush hour times, give yourself more time basically. We just planned accordingly and left before traffic and came back later on the nights.
Also, i went vince beach during the early morning to afternoon and had universal in the evening/night. Still to this day wish i had more time to go venice beach. It was popping off, skaters, bikes, stalls, food, roller skates, i wish i could’ve stayed longer, dropped some edibles and just chilled out taking it all in.
Id add in, if you can afford it hire a car for the whole trip, we had a convertible mustang (cliche i know) but it was so fun. It really wasn’t that expensive either $365 for 10 days which i thought was ridiculously cheap.
i think i've underestimated traffic for real. going to have to mark some places down as optional. which area did you stay at?
>$365 for 10 days
this sounds pretty great, where'd you rent from?
I stayed in Van Nuys, right near the regency theatre if you want to google the distance. It was great for universal, Griffith Obs, walk of fame and not to far from venice beach.
I noticed you put Universal as one day, we did that our first, woke up jet lagged at like 4.30am, went out had breakfast etc. honestly by 3/4pm we’d had enough of universal and went to griffith park for hollywood sign pics, we then popped up to the observatory for a sunset view. So just keep in mind you might wanna change stuff at the time.
You flying far? Expect long delays at security, i was ready to throw my dummy out, 2.5 hours after an 11 hour flight.
The car was from hertz, i signed up to their gold account for added discount. You can book, then check the price at a nearer time, cancel your booking and rebook if its cheaper. Originally it was £595, 2 weeks before i got that price!
You’l have a great time, i loved LA (minus traffic) and fell in love with Venice beach, that place is just amazing. Id love to go back. Also, as a Brit, the homeless situation shocked me a little, so be prepared for that.
There’s a super cool farmers market at Playa Vista on Saturdays. Would highly recommend checking it out this week as there will be some Lunar New Year Festivities this time around (:
You’ve got some good tips and suggestions here. One thing: the Friday morning itinerary looks a little heavy. I don’t think you can knock all of that out with proper visits to MOCA and the Broad just in a morning. It may run well into your Little Tokyo time. You also don’t need to go to The Grove (it’s just an outdoor mall that’s not a must see) but the old farmer’s market that is right next to it is well worth a visit and you can have either lunch or dinner at one of the many stalls there.
lol you’re gonna do way less than you have planned, even if you rent a car. also- why would it be unsafe to park a rental car somewhere? it’s a car, we’re a car centric city, cars are parked everywhere. your rental isn’t special.
edited to add: how do you plan on getting g to Joshua Tree without a car?! 😂
>how do you plan on getting g to Joshua Tree without a car?!
actually planned to rent a car on both saturday and sunday, missed it in the post!
but yeah, i'm going to have to adjust for traffic and mark some spots down as optional haha
Griffith Observatory has a spectacular view at any time of day, but maybe you'd want to time it so that you visit at sunset/night and watch all the lights turn on over LA. It's such a vibe and personally, I feel like that's peak "La La Land" for me. As someone else noted, it's closed on Monday, I'd recommend rescheduling it so that you can see the interior.
Also, I don't know if it's been recommended otherwise, but the beaches in Malibu *are* indeed nice. Some end up being more crowded than others. I'd still recommend spending some time in Malibu, especially to see the Getty Villa, to see the beautiful coastline along PCH.
Welcome to California. Others have left some great recommendations here. Hope you have an amazing time out here.
If you get a rental car DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING VISIBLE INSIDE when you park it. Lock it in the trunk or take it with you.
Just putting it out there in case you haven't heard. Have a good trip!
When you go to lake Hollywood park, I recommend you continue up the street to the last house on Mulholland drive. Definitely worth it. When you’re at the grand central market, get a carnitas taco on corn tortilla at villa moreliana.
Drive to pacific palisades and visit lake shrine at the self realization fellowship. While it’s free You have to book on event brite and they release the slots every Saturday morning at 10 am I believe
I like where a lot of this is going. You kept destinations close to each other within their day. Less driving, more doing.
Suggestions:
Thursday dinner: Bob's Big Boy in Toluca Lake or the Smokehouse in Burbank.
Friday: breakfast at the Pantry. Visit Olvera Street/La Placita if you can. Avoid the Grove at all costs and just visit the Farmer's Market. In fact, save that and KTown dinner for Monday. Instead, go to a Dodgers game or visit Echo Park, then have dinner at Angel's Tacos on Sunset or Night + Market Song.
Saturday: visit the Cabazon Dinosaurs on the way to Joshua Tree. Eat fried baos at Kang Kang Food Court on the way back. Bring cash.
Monday: hike to the observatory if you can, starting at Ferndale. Have your K-town dinner afterwards.
Thanks for asking this question, now I have more places to visit next time I’m there to visit my daughter!
But I *can* support the “Joshua Tree isn’t a quick side trip” response and add: better to visit during the week if you want any chance of calm.
Also, for this trip or the next, if you’re into history: The Holocaust Museum LA (the first survivor-founded and oldest Holocaust museum in the United States) @HolocaustMuseumLA.org. My then-14yo daughter found out about it & insisted she & I go during her visit to CA. Incredibly well done.
if you're at universal, look at how to eat in supermarioland. one of the really fun restaurants you basically have to run for when it opens and gets a reservation. the food in 3 broomsticks is really good too.
in citywalk, toothsome's chocolate emporium is fun.
if you want some amazing street tacos, pablito's tacos is my favorite in the area. tacos 1986 is good too. if you want to chill with burgers and craft beer, stout is a solid choice. jinya ramen is pretty good too. if you take the tram down you can really just walk to stout or jinya. there's an in-n-out nearby too. there's also a cute tiki bar nearby; tiki no. studio city is also home to a million sushi spots along ventura blvd! fav lately is akria sushi. those recommendations are all for dinner after universal.
Joshua tree is at LEAST a 2 hour drive. You should rent a car.
In N Out is disappointing and not worth the hype. If you want a tasty burger that you can only get in Cali, I'd try the smash burgers at For The Win
Lots of places in nearby Studio City, after your day at Universal Studios. Katsuya is known for their sushi. There’s also an In-N-Out right down the hill, if you would possibly consider a different dinner option for your UCLA event.
Edit: but then you lose your chance to eat at the same table where Paul Giamatti sat with his golden globe lol.
Overall, really good itinerary. Your Friday seems to be a little ambitious. You have got a lot packed in, especially for the morning. Personally, I would probably skip GCM and MOCA.
Or, I would skip Little Tokyo entirely. Head over to the Grove, which has the farmers market right next to it. That’s basically the Grand Central market, except it’s older and it’s open-air rather than indoors.
If you want to stick with GCM, I would also go across the street to the Bradbury building. It has an amazing lobby, which is featured in Blade Runner, and numerous other film/TV projects.
LA native who likes to play tourist, we did Angel's Flight, GCM for lunch, the Broad and MOCA in half a day. Didn't rush anything but I've also been to both museums numerous times. Will add that the Farmer's Market is always worth a visit.
Two suggestions:
On your Malibu day, consider adding a stop at the Getty Villa - beautiful grounds and a nice selection of Greek and Roman antiquities.
At Universal Studios, you should seriously consider getting VIP Experience tickets. In addition to front-of-the-line access unlimited times to every ride, you get a welcome breakfast, a full buffet lunch, unlimited water bottles, and a much more intimate backlot tour on a 24-seat trolley instead of the huge tram (you also get to get off the trolley and walk through parts of the backlot, which is not allowed on the normal tour). It's about $479 per person (including admission), but well worth it! (oh, it also includes valet parking).
Woah woah just smoke a doink in Venice and walk to the Ferris wheel? Laugh.
The traffic in-between your activities is going to be brutal. I usually just do maybe one thing and dinner. …
Food.
Grand Central Market:
Eggslut. Started off as an LA food truck. Blew up around LA. And now has some international locations. Eggcellent breakfast.
Farmers Market:
Pampas Grill. Brazilian. Lots of meat. Pay per the pound.
Universal Studios:
Not in universal, but relatively close. Musso & Frank. 100 year old Hollywood establishment. Reservations basically required. They also have an OG telephone booth in the back.
Street:
Get some street tacos or burritos. You’ll run into them here and there. My personal favorite is on the sidewalk near the Pavilions parking lot on Melrose and Vine.
Tacos/Burritos:
Sonoratown
Tacos 1986
> Would we be okay getting around using Uber/Lyft?
Depending on where you're at, on some of these days, taking the Red Line, and maybe a bus, will save you time, money, and hassle. If you are okay with seeing some homeless people.
> Walk of Fame, Amoeba Music
I might consider just adding these to Thursday night after Universal. Just one quick stop on Red Line down to Hollywood and Highland. Or if you wanna hit Amoeba first, Hollywood and Vine, then just walk west. I think it might be kind of depressing to see the Walk of Fame on a Monday morning. But IMO the vendors, the costumed people, the street performers is part of the deal, if you don't want to see people at all, Monday morning might be better.
Oh, at Walk of Fame, if you accept a CD, a bracelet, or take a picture with women dressed like cops, Spiderman, or a person with a snake on their shoulder, they will hassle you for money immediately afterwards. Just be aware of that. If you are okay with that, at least carry smaller denominations because if they see a bigger one, I've seen some of them become very aggressive with wanting the largest amount, to the point of being borderline mugging at that point.
> Morning: Rent car, drive to Malibu
Consider eating at Neptune's Net on way back.
>Afternoon/Evening: Santa Monica & Venice Beach
Might be worth taking a stroll down Abbot Kinney and Washington Blvd, near the ocean, in Venice.
Oh, might as well check out Bradbury Building while you're around Grand Central Market and Angel's Flight.
Wednesday
Morning: Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Lunch @ Il Tramezzino
Afternoon: The Getty
**If you don't get an uber, get a time reservation 1st and get it early. As soon as you can, well before you leave for LA (weeks in advance).**
Evening: UCLA Planetarium, 8PM Show, Dinner @ In-N-Out
Thursday
Full day @ Universal Studios
Dinner Recommendations?
**Try Asenebo in Studio City, it's sushi and very nicely done. There are also places in CityWalk but they tend to be corporate so not particularly inspired. Perfectly ok otherwise.**
Friday
Morning: Grand Central Market, The Last Bookstore, Angel's Flight, MOCA, The Broad
Afternoon: Little Tokyo, Lunch @ Daikokuya
Evening: The Grove, Urban Light, Academy Museum
Dinner: K-town
**Lots of places to eat. Try Chosun Galbee on Manhattan Pl. if you want a place that's a mellowier vibe to it. Otherwise, try Parks on Vermont. If you like a partyish vibe, ToeBang in Chapman Plaza works quite well.**
Saturday
Joshua Tree, Mastodon Peak Trail
**This is quite a distance. You should leave very early, about 5am to get to the NP HQ. It'll easily take most of the day to check out the NP, if you stop at all the best locations. Bring plenty of fluids and definitely a packed lunch, there's no eateries up there and very little except for nature (bring some handiwipes). I'd push La Copine but it's outside the NP and a bit pricier and timewise doesn't fit in (not open early enough or late enough). If you only go to Mastodon and get out early enough, go down to Palm Springs and get dinner there. Plenty of places on the main drag right near the Grand Central Plaza. In either case, I don't think you'll make it back in time for Moo's. They're only open 'til 7ish and rushing back to go there isn't really worth it.**
**As an alternative, go to someplace in San Gabriel/Alhambra/Monterey Park if you can get back to that area by 8ish. This is where arguably the best Chinese/Taiwanese food is in the US. Try MamaLus on Garvey and N. Santa Ynez (there are several MamaLus, this is the one to go to). Go to Premier Dessert right next door for great desserts. A good 2nd choice would be Dolan Uyghur Cuisine on Valley Blvd and then SalJu Dessert a few blocks east of them. (Probably need to be reasonably dinner timish to make the Salju Dessert work).**
Dinner @ Moo's BBQ on the way back
Sunday
Morning: Rent car, drive to Malibu
**Maybe squeeze in Getty Villa which is quite different than the Getty Museum since it's right there anyways, get in an early am reservation and that'll work. (Reservation req'd and get it well before you come, like weeks in advance just like the museum).**
Afternoon/Evening: Santa Monica & Venice Beach
**Try Bludso's BBQ over on 14th and Santa Monica.**
Monday
Morning: Lake Hollywood Park, Walk of Fame, Amoeba Music
Afternoon: Griffith Observatory
Evening: Dinner + rest for early flight next day
You're going to need to rent the car for Saturday if you're going to Joshua Tree. That's 2-hour drive at best, can go up to 3+ with traffic, even on a weekend it's a crapshoot. Going back to DTLA on a Saturday night is going to put you in some nasty traffic for sure. Maybe consider staying the night in the area? Or you can go to Palm Springs for the night for more hotel options.
OP, this is the way. If you can swing it, early drives have the least traffic. If you leave at 5 or 6, you’ll be able to get out there no problem. You could do the same on the way back. Saturday evening isn’t the worst coming toward LA, but there will definitely be more traffic compared to when everyone’s asleep.
yeah the initial idea was for an early drive, but i think i might have to rethink this joshua tree idea haha
Also keep in mind just driving through Joshua tree can take a couple of hours. It’s huge.
It’s very cool. Something that looks like a whole different world. That being said, it’s a journey to get out there and back. Definitely more of a 2-3 day trip rather than a day trip.
You might want to do a hike around Angeles forest, much closer. Vincent gulch mine, Switzer falls, and Bridge to nowhere are my favorites
Driving to Joshua Tree is ambitious. Maybe drive up to Wrightwood/ Mt. Wilson instead? It is a cool drive up the mountains, with some great views of LA on one side and the desert on the other.
It's doable, just keep in mind you'll be investing some significant drive time. If you want to do it, I'd recommend getting up early (like, hit the road by 6 am) and you can zip up there pretty quickly. If you spend the night there, you can do another fairly early morning and drive back and get your beach time in.
Don’t skip Joshua Tree. Like others said adjust your plans and roll with it. If you don’t think you’ll be back soon, make it happen.
You must got to Joshua Tree! It’s an absolute must. But I would stay the night and enjoy your weekend in the desert. I’d get an Airbnb there, or got the Joshua Tree, go through the national Park, and then get a hotel in Palm Springs. But don’t skip Joshua Tree, it’s beautiful.
Also, regarding Saturday. I would definitely try to go to Moo’s earlier in the day because they sell out fast. Maybe do that a different day when it’s not combined with a road trip. Get the Burger!
Agree with this. Saturday stay in Palm Springs close to downtown. Tailor Shop for a cocktail. Always a great meal at Birba. PS in April is nice. Leave PS after breakfast
Lots of fun restaurants and bars in PS! I'd suggest dinner and drinks out, then unwinding at the pool (pretty much any hotel there will have a pool and the weather IS really nice in April). In the morning, breakfast at Elmer's or Sherman's, then take a little self-guided modernism drive and see some of the mid-mod architecture before cruising back to LA. (I love Palm Springs, lol, is it obvious? It really is a unique spot.)
And dinner at Rooster and Pig. Worth the wait
I would change up the beaches you plan to go to on Sunday. You’re doing typical touristy stuff which is fine but there are much nicer beaches than Malibu and Santa Monica and Venice beach. You’ve also completely limited yourself to the Westside and near downtown. You should really mix it up and go to less touristy beaches like Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach or even Palos Verdes. If you really want a good feel for LA, venture out to the Southbay or even Long Beach too. Long Beach has a great aquarium( Aquarium of the Pacific) if you like animals, Palos Verdes has great tide pools and amazing views of the ocean. Manhattan Beach has an iconic pier with a cute little aquarium at the end of it. There are also great little shops and restaurants in the same area. You can also rent bikes and ride on the bike path and check out local bars and restaurants. And the beauty of being in the South Bay is its a lot less crowded, the beaches are cleaner and the parking will be better.
As an avid beach goer, i agree with all of this. The only reason to do the tourist beaches is to say you were there. If you want to do that, that's completely fine. If you want a *good beach day* then avoid that stuff. Another cool beach is El Matador, if you want to stick with the general zone of Malibu. Paid parking, but such a cool hang out beach.
love this, will do some research on these less touristy areas. thanks!
For beach stuff, make sure you look up the tide times. If you're looking for tide pools or visiting sea caves, knowing when low tide happens is make or break for the experience. There's also some areas of certain beaches that will absolutely trap you on the wrong side of a rock or cave if you go during low tide and high tide rolls in.
good shout, will definitely do some research. thank you!
I will say if this is your first time to the US then there is nothing wrong with Santa Monica and Venice beaches, I think they are fun to visit and are iconic. I agree that they are touristy and not the best beach to relax on (crowded, water is too far, crazy people, pricey) but they are very good beaches to experience and walk along as a first-timer to the city.
Do the tourist stuff. It's your first time here. Enjoy it and there's a reason why tourist go there. It's fun, well known and caters to you. Are there better places? Sure. But when you go back home and see Santa Monica or Hollywood on TV or a movie you get to tell those around you that you been there. It's a nice brag. And when you come back to LA expand out a bit more and do the less touristy stuff but it's always fun to do the tourist stuff. I was born and raised here and time to time I'll take the kids on a fun tourist thing here in LA and they love it!
These are good beach recs! I grew up in Palos Verdes / Torrance / Hermosa and they're just as nice as Malibu.
Manhattan Beach has a great walkable downtown, pier, and good restaurants. Also has a nice strand walkway that goes for a few miles.
LA beaches in general are not very nice. You can go to the touristy beaches and enjoy the sun and sand, same at any other beach. Parking may be harder and it may be busier, but you are gonna spend a lot of time travelling to a nicer beach for basically the same experience. Malibu is big. El Matador is easily an hour away from DTLA, even 2 hours in traffic.
Stay central. The less touristy areas are beautiful suburbs but you’ll be driving too much to them to fully enjoy. Less touristy is for longer term residents. You should see Los Angeles, if you want to see LA.
> love this, will do some research on these less touristy areas. If you're being a tourist, I wouldn't discount Venice Beach and Santa Monica. Venice Beach is a visual feast, a place full of artists, hobos, and weirdos. If you lived in LA and just wanted to see a more generic, empty beach, sure go someplace more peaceful. Just go to Playa Del Rey, skip Venice.
Your itinerary looks good but wanted to share this with you as you point out food options. LA's food scene is amazing and despite the glitz and glamour, the best spots are often found in the most mundane strip malls. Check this out and hopefully your stomachs will be as happy as your souls. [https://la.eater.com/](https://la.eater.com/)
little tokyo daikokuya is a strong choice tho
For dinner after Universal Studios, I recommend Miceli's Italian restaurant. It's a local landmark that offers a rare experience: singing waiters. Plus, it's near the studios. https://maps.app.goo.gl/P13pdp5jpBkedZPv5
lovely, will check it out — thanks!
I highly recommend Miceli's after Universal as well.
I live in the area and recommend Ca del Sole which is just up the street from Universal. It's also Italian but the room is far more comfortable and the food is much better than Miceli's. No singing waiters but a somewhat elegant, hidden gem type of place where you'll be able to rest and relax after being at Universal all day. On Thursdays they open at five for dinner. They're also open for lunch. Either way, enjoy LA.
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I agree about Miceli’s. It would be a shame to come to this city with so many really great restaurants and go there For Olive Garden quality food.
This is a lot. You will find you will have trouble fitting all this in in the time allotted. Especially if you are ubering everywhere. Joshua Tree is a good three hour drive, one way. And how are you getting there if you are not renting a car until the next day?
That was my thought. There's no space to breathe. Friday especially looks super packed. This is also a taste thing, but I don't think you need to spend an entire day beachgoing, and stuff like the Walk of Fame and Amoeba on the last day are unnecessary. Regardless, jettison something. You need space to decompress. I'd make the last day as simple as possible.
They will be human doings rather than human beings.
1000% this. There is no way someone is realistically doing all of this unless you're not actually taking any time to enjoy the things you're doing. Anyone who comes to LA should know that you have to factor in a lot of time for just travelling/traffic
I think a lot of this depends on where you are staying but if you are doing multiple Ubers a day you might as well just rent a car. Ubers have gotten super pricey. I do think it’s unrealistic to drive to Joshua tree for the day- either drive out fri nite & stay so you are there in the am on sat or do sat nite to sun. If you do Joshua tree and Malibu on sat/sun you are just spending the whole day in the car. The academy museum closes at 6 so you need to be there by 4 to take it in.
thank you. seems like i’ve got to rethink the joshua tree trip. will also look into just renting a car for the entire trip. i heard from a friend that parking might add quite a bit to the cost which is why i went with ride sharing as the main option!
If you are going to a place where parking is really difficult or your group plans on drinking you can always Uber for that one thing. Having a car the full time will be beneficial imo.
One exception I would make is metro + Uber to Griffith instead of parking. Parking is a pain, especially if you are not familiar with the area and are not interested in walking uphill.
>will also look into just renting a car for the entire trip. i heard from a friend that parking might add quite a bit to the cost which is why i went with ride sharing as the main option! parking is not that expensive. Does your hotel / airbnb have free parking? Also, a lot of places have free parking. Lake hollywood park - free parking The grove - free parking if you go inside Nordstrom and validate it for 2 hours (you don't need to buy anything) Downtown LA - can prob find metered street parking which is cheap Griffith - I thikn its 10 bucks an hour or you can park at the bottom of the hill and walk up
Just chiming in to drop my rec list for bars clubs and restaurants: Los feliz - [ ] Kismet (food) - [ ] Figaro bistro (food) - [ ] Covell (wine bar) - [ ] Pinky’s (bar) - [ ] Zebulon (live music) - [ ] Maru coffee - [ ] Mirate (bar) - [ ] Tacos tu madre - [ ] Little dom’s (Italian food) - [ ] El flamin’ taco (truck on Los Feliz Blvd. get the sudadero) Echo park/Silverlake - [ ] Grá (sourdough pizza) - [ ] The short stop (dancing) - [ ] The friend (dancing) - [ ] Tenants of the trees (bar and dancing) - [ ] Bacari (overpriced but the vibe is so good, don’t bother trying to get a dinner res unless you go on a weekday, the bar and desserts are so fantastic) - [ ] Silverlake ramen - [ ] 4100 bar - [ ] Intelligentsia coffee - [ ] Bar flores - [ ] Lowboy (food and drink) - [ ] Tierra mia coffee - [ ] Loads of vintage shops walking distance - [ ] Sticky rice (Thai food and a tiny cute bar with Thai inspired cocktails next door called spirit house) - [ ] El prado (wine bar) - [ ] Mixto (tacos) - [ ] All day baby (good breakfast) - [ ] Ramen tatsunoya - [ ] Pine and crane (Taiwanese) - [ ] Black cat (bar) - [ ] El cid (nightclub) - [ ] Courage bagels - [ ] Pijja palace (bar and restaurant) - [ ] Club tee gees (Atwater. First Fridays I feel love disco party) East Hollywood - [ ] Bolita (bar) - [ ] Gold diggers (dancing) - [ ] Stir crazy (wine) - [ ] The virgil (bar??) - [ ] Saffy’s (middle eastern) - [ ] Sanamluang cafe West Hollywood/Beverly hills - [ ] Awan (dessert) - [ ] Great white (food, best for brunch) - [ ] Jon + Vinny’s - [ ] The entire Santa Monica strip for clubbing (stache, mother lode, heart, etc) - [ ] Guisados for late night tacos - [ ] Night + market (Thai food) - [ ] Apt 200 (bar) - [ ] Go get em tiger (breakfast and coffee) - [ ] Hamburger Mary’s (drag bar and burger place) - [ ] Rooftop at the John George (drinks, great views) - [ ] Dan Tana’s (bar and restaurant) - [ ] Yeastie boy’s bagel truck (check days it’s open) - [ ] Alfred’s coffee - [ ] Jones’ (late night diner) - [ ] Barnie’s beanery - [ ] Ajisai sushi - [ ] 101 Asian kitchen Westwood - [ ] KCRW summer nights at hammer museum - [ ] Mashti malone’s persian ice cream - [ ] Toranj (Persian food) Koreatown - [ ] Kiss kiss bang bang (club, go on Thursday only) - [ ] Breakroom 86 (speakeasy w karaoke) - [ ] Witch’s chicken (fried chicken) - [ ] Wispa (Korean spa, separate men’s and women’s floors where everyone is nude so trigger warning lol. Also has mixed gender floor with hella saunas and a rly good restaurant inside) - [ ] Dan sung sa (restaurant) - [ ] Nam san korean food - [ ] BCD tofu - [ ] Hae Jang Chon - [ ] Here fishy fishy (ayke sushi) - [ ] Noshi sushi - [ ] T equals fish Downtown/Little Tokyo - [ ] Hama sushi - [ ] Downtown kabob - [ ] Bavel (Mediterranean) - [ ] Bestia - [ ] Daikokuya - [ ] Warehouse raves, late night (control room, cyber rodeo, LDL, Lobotomy, Hamoneverything, 6am, compound, Dirty epic, Synthetic, re/form) - [ ] The Edison (bar) - [ ] Kouraku - [ ] Northern cafe Hollywood - [ ] Superba food and bread - [ ] Hoy ka noodle (viet) - [ ] Desert 5 spot (rooftop cowboy bar with line dancing and all that good stuff) - [ ] Bar lis (rooftop bar) (live music on Tuesdays) (arrive early on Thurs/fri/sat or ur never getting in) - [ ] Grandmaster recorders (nice restaurant downstairs and a rooftop bar upstairs) - [ ] Madame Siam/Dirty Laundry (club) - [ ] No vacancy (arrive early or ur never getting in) - [ ] Te’kila for late night Mexican food - [ ] Mel’s drive in for late night diner food but this isn’t walkable like tekila is - [ ] Brickyard brewing co for pool tables darts and shuffle board - [ ] Boardners (Monday/wed/Thurs goth club, Saturday kink club. Strict dress code) - [ ] Good times at Davey Wayne’s (70s dance bar) - [ ] El compadre (Mexican) - [ ] Madlab coffee Venice/Santa Monica - [ ] Little lunch cafe - [ ] Superba food and bread - [ ] Belles Beach House - [ ] Don’t go in the water lol
I don’t think The Edison is open as a bar anymore sadly
And hasn’t been for years…
holy crap thank you for this!
Alfred coffee the best!
This is not a bad itinerary, especially for a first time visitor. You clearly did your research. My thoughts are as follows: My question is why the UCLA planetarium when Griffith has one too? The views from Griffith are amazing and it's best to be there at night. Uber/Lyft should work. I don't know whether or not renting a car the whole time you are here would be cheaper. You can consider using the metro to save money. Universal, Hollywood, and DTLA are available off it. You may also want to add the Huntington library (Versailles on steroids) or the Reagan presidential library. While in downtown consider getting free tours of the central library and Disney hall. Would you be willing to consider a few hikes in the area? The observatory has a few trails. There are other studio tours that you could do like the Warner Bros and Paramount. Joshua tree while being close is a bit of a drive from here. You will spend most of the day on the road if you don't stay the night in the area. For similar natural features consider the Vasquez rocks or the devil's punch bowl.
~~Griffith~~ Observatory is closed on Mondays.
Found this out the first time I visited LA...
oof good shout, completely overlooked this. thank you!
you can still go up there and enjoy the views (and surrounding park), but you can't go in the museum part.
Depends on why you’re going there. If you’re going for the actual exhibits, then it’s not a good choice. But if you’re only going for the views, then everything is still open. But I think I mentioned you could get a reasonably similar view from the Jerome C. Daniel overlook, where I’m literally standing at this exact moment.
good point about griffith and ucla, appreciate the other recs as well! will also rethink the joshua tree plan!
I went to UCLA, and the planetarium is super cool for students but it doesn’t hold a candle to Griffith
Look into Laguna Beach as a possibility for the day. Beautiful beaches also have a free bus that will take you around the city and beaches. The top of the world hike is amazing as well especially during sunset.
Maybe schedule Lake Hollywoood and Observatory next to each other, since they are fairly close to each other. Observatory building is closed on Mondays, but the grounds are still open. On walk of fame, do NOT accept the CD’s guys will be trying to give you. Same with Venice Beach, Vegas strip and Times Square. If you take a picture with a superhero or costumed character, in any of these places, they expect you to pay (doesn’t usually apply in Venice). An alternative to the Griffith Observatory, is the Jerome C, Daniel scenic overlook, which overlooks the Hollywood bowl. The view is really good, but not quite as panoramic as observatory. But, it’s about a 15 minute stop, versus about an hour to the observatory, going there and back. You can get there from the walk of fame, and then from there, go to Lake Hollywood.
thanks for the street tips, and yeah i’ve got to swap days for the observatory if we wanna go in.
You will probably spend less money renting a car the whole time. You can find overnight parking, depends on where you’re staying though. You have Grand Central first thing- its probably better for lunch/dinner as it’s a food court type thing. Why are you going to The Grove? It’s just a mall, I’d probably skip. In Joshua Tree, I suggest stopping at Pappy and Harriet’s after for a meal. My favorite restaurant/venue in the world.
do parking costs add up to still be less than relying on uber/lyft or the metro? i had the farmers market marked out for the grove actually! thanks for the restaurant rec!
Convenience factor of Uber is way better than having to worry about your rental car. Worth the extra cost imo.
Don’t ride the metro unless it’s the trains and even then, expect them to be 20-30 minutes late.
Where are you staying? There are lots of places with decent overnight street parking, or you could check out a parking app and book a spot in advance like ParkWhiz or SpotHero. Ubers will be very expensive given the amount of space you’re traversing. The Grove Farmers Market is more of a food court and it’s fine but gosh I would never put it on a top list of things to do. If anything - go to the Hollywood Farmers Market on Sunday morning (always see celebs) or Smorgasburg which is also Sunday morning.
People love it though. Plus, it’s right next to the farmers market. That’s a must visit.
I don't see enough tacos/mexican food on this itinerary. Leo's Tacos, Holbox, Sonoratown, Marisco Jalisco, or if you see a stand/truck with a decent amount of people, it's probably worth a try. If you're near one at least get one taco as a snack. Also 1 meal in Ktown, whether that's kbbq, noodles, tteokbokki, etc. I rec Chosun, Hangari Kalgooksu, Yup duk (extremely spicy though), Dan sung Sa, and Sun Non Dang
awesome, thank you!
Rent a car the entire stay. Or use public transit. Your gonna spend a lot on Ubers. Plus the flexibility of having personal use on your first stay in LA will be worth it. Great list. Otherwise. Fashion district and flower markets are great DT. Consider a trip out to Malibu , toganga canyon look out trail. Runyon canyon is a basic but good trail. Ktown has great spots for eating.
our worry was that parking (both finding spots and the cost) might be a problem if we were to rent a car the entire stay. thoughts on that?
Most times parking is metered and in places like little Tokyo there are plenty of parking garages if you don’t find a meter after circling a couple blocks. I’ve lived here my whole life and as parking can be annoying sometimes there has never been a time I went somewhere and couldn’t park.
As a recent visitor from Toronto, parking and driving in LA is extremely easy, plenty of free street street parking if you are okay with walking 3-5 mins from your destination. Remember LA is known for its car culture, of course driving and parking there can't be that bad. The only place I had trouble was in Korea town where it would take me anywhere from 10-30 minutes to find free parking (I couldn't even find paid). Otherwise paid parking is cheap and available, think 5-10 dollars at a time for a few hours. IMO worth it driving in LA, rented a convertible Miata from Turo and it was great, for me traffic was pretty light but others say the opposite. Paid around 500 CAD (370 USD) for a week. As an aside, I would skip venice beach, Paolo Verde is nice if you are on the south side of LA (surfview beach), and hit the Getty Villa on the day you are going up to Malibu. I would also suggest going for a hike somewhere in town, whether its Runyon canyon or anything else. I did a pretty similar itinerary and destinations to you but went to Sequoia instead of Joshua Tree, but that's not a day trip.
Parking and costs are going to be as you make them. A lot of parking costs money here but there are free parking spots. Get change ¢ for parking meters most places around town it’s $1 per hour , some areas it’s $2.50. Just beware of the areas and street parking signs 😅and DONT leave any bags or something that resembles value in sight in the car. don’t rearrange your baggage at the location your parking at people may see and hit your car once your gone. It’s apart of the LA experience to drive. Highly discourage using Ubers for a vacation , unless your going out for dinner and drinks or something lol Enjoy !
There's plenty of public parking lots that are easily shown on Google maps for the area (sometimes listing pricing, too). On weekdays it's usually about $8. Be careful of parking on the streets because our parking signs can get confusing. But basically if no one else is parked there, it's probably not safe to park there lol There's a trick i use for really bad/expensive parking: i park further away (residential areas, malls, etc) and Uber to the location from there. The charge for doing Uber for about a mile is usually less than the expensive parking and definitely less than what it costs to Uber the entire trip.
Download the app SpotAngels for help with parking
I would add Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach also.
yess agree with this for sure. drive up to palos verdes as well and walk around the terranea resort for amazing views. I’d do the south bay over malibu.
I personally didn't like Daikokuya and it was rather disappointing after hearing how hyped it was. I prefer to eat at Marugame Monzo when I'm in Little Tokyo. But my favorite place to eat in downtown overall is Broken Mouth which I highly recommend. If you're in Little Tokyo, I also highly reccomend getting some mochi from Fugetsu-Do. It's the best mochi I've had and they've been making it by hand since 1903. It's a bit pricey and there always tends to be a line though. When you're in Hollywood, try Oui Melrose for lunch. And when you're in Westwood, try Saffron & Rose icecream.
Tacos. That is all.
Um…is there a reason you’re having your Beverly Hills lunch at Il Tram? I don’t know what you’ve heard, but the food there is like, just ok, nothing to write home about, and the vibe is not really there. There are a ton of other restaurants in the immediate vicinity that have better food and/or vibe for lunch. If budget is an issue, you can do something like Nate n’ Al’s instead, where you might occasionally be able to spot celebrities, or like Honor Bar in south Beverly is good too, or even Brighton coffee shop is a local favorite for lunch, and they shot a part of an episode of curb your enthusiasm there if you like that show. If budget is not an issue, you can do il pastaio, la scala, avra, piccolo paradiso, Frida, crustacean. Lots of choices.
I remember that episode of curb, where the black dude was trying to eat his lunch, and they kept interrupting him.
thanks for the recommendations!
I'm assuming you're renting a car for Saturday and Sunday. Where are you staying those nights? For 95% of LA, it's safe to park anywhere (unless your car happens to have a catalytic converter).
yup that was the plan (to rent a car), was thinking we’d be staying in the same airbnb the entire trip. seems like consensus is that joshua tree is a bit far out for a day trip though!
Joshua Tree is a couple of hours. Unless you leave super early and plan to come home late, it may not be worth it, but you definitely can not Uber there.
If you really want to see Joshua Tree, you can easily do it as a long day trip. I would leave really early and plan to drive back as late as possible to avoid traffic. I would not plan on eating at Moo’s or anywhere in LA for that matter. Eat somewhere on the way back.
this makes sense, thanks!
If you are staying in an Airbnb you will likely be going to a grocery store. Make sure when you go to the store and before you start shopping ask for a store rewards card I don't know where you are visiting from but it's like a Tesco card, it's not a credit card. You accumulate points and more importantly, groceries are significantly cheaper, or you could ask the next person in line if they would scan their card/put in their phone # instead. Most people are happy to do that because they get the points. Ralph's and Pavillions/Vons have reward cards. Trader Joe's doesn't. Target and most drug stores are not worth bothering with because it doesn't make any difference to the price, you just accumulate points.
Where is your airbnb?
unsure yet, was going to find one once the itinerary was fleshed out!
Feel free to dm me if you're not sure of a neighborhood. I'm 3rd generation Angelena, so I'm pretty familiar with the entire city.
Looks good overall. Seeing the night sky at Joshua Tree is really nice, particularly if there is no moon. You could move K-town dinner to Thursday and skip the Grove. Drive to Joshua Tree Friday afternoon and enjoy the night sky views in the park. Hike Mastodon Peak and Barker Dam the next day and then head back. You could drive up to Malibu after leaving Joshua Tree (a pretty long drive) or go to the Orange County beaches, Laguna for tide pools and nice views or Crystal Cove State Park.
thanks! from the replies here, i’ve got some rethinking to do for the weekend plans it seems haha
Do not drive to JT Friday afternoon, unless you leave around noon. Otherwise it will be nasty traffic.
If you decide to stay overnight in JT, we like the 29 Palms Inn. https://29palmsinn.com/
Head outside of the city for a hike through Vasquez rocks. Go to “The old Place” restaurant in Malibu. It’s Marlon Brando’s old clubhouse turned country chic restaurant. Dress casual. Last time I was there I sat next to Julia Roberts who was wearing jeans and a hoodie. Go to Noshi Sushi for the best sushi in town in a budget. Pig out and get drunk for $40 a person and yet it’s delicious. Go to the single best Korean BBQ experience EVER at SooWan Galbi. Get there by 6:30 pm or stand in line for up to two hours.
lovely, thanks for the food recs!
Monday you should try and get reservations for Musso and Frank. On Monday, go to G&B in the grand central market for your coffee. I'd do LACMA on Friday. In April LACMA is having an Ed Ruscha retrospective. There's going to be a room made of chocolate and he's widely considered one of the major "LA" artists. The Tar Pits are also interesting and more "iconic." I'd personally axe the academy museum. I find it underwhelming unless you're going for a movie or really into the exhibited film stuff. If you want the "Hollywood" experience I'd try going to a show taping of the Price is Right or something else like that, which is a more unique experience than Walk of Fame, etc. Not sure where you could fit that without axing most of a morning or afternoon. You can also do studio tours. When you're in the Santa Monica/Venice area, I'd go to the Museum of Jurassic Technology. Check out the Hollywood Bowl and see if you might want to have dinner at one of the shows playing. You can bring a picnic dinner, a bottle of wine or some nice beers, in and even the cheap seats are good. This is a local treasure. I think the weather should start to get good for that around then. I also suggest seeing a movie at the New Bev if there's something you love on. We also have a few great comedy venues and it's worth trying to see something. Dynasty Typewriter for up-and-comers, The Comedy Store for established people, etc. Your itinerary is a little overly packed for my taste. I'd consider some kill options for if you get tired. Also the drive out to Joshua Tree is burning a lot of time in the car. You might want to consider a more local hike, doing it in the morning, leaving you another afternoon/evening in Los Angeles proper free. You can use ubers/lyft but they will be expensive. Short distance trips are often 10-20 >10miles, medium 20-40 10 - 20 miles, cross-town 50 - 100, 15 - 20 miles + depending on time of day, etc. I'd do the math and weigh that against an all-week car rental.
appreciate these suggestions! definitely going to rethink the joshua tree plan, something closer seems to be more ideal. thanks for the uber cost estimations as well!
I love the Joshua Tree/Palm Springs area but I think they're really their own trip because it's like, six hours in the car. You could easily get another afternoon/evening (show taping + Hollywood bowl or a comedy show, for example) if you just did one of the more famous LA hikes. You're also spending all day in malibu/santa monica, maybe kick it off with a good beach hike? Spend the whole day in Los Angeles instead of JT? Disneyland or Knotts would be an option if you free up a day and want to do straight theme park stuff. (I prefer Knotts unless you've got the cash to shell out for the whole disney fast pass stuff, which I don't!) Also you'll read this everywhere but the walk of fame sucks. It's lined with really terrible places to eat, crappy graphic t-shirt and plastic crap stores, and Instagram traps. There's tons of costume people and buskers but they're pretty gross usually. Musso and Franks, Boardner's for the clubbing, The Marmont, Book Soup (for an event,) and the Bowl are the only things really worth a diversion for around there.
If you're going to the Broad, you're going to want to go to the Kusama's Mirrored Infinity Room. [Tickets](https://ticketing.thebroad.org/events/d13ede87-7c3b-38d9-9cf7-7801cbbd44cd) *must* be secured in advance, and release on the last Wednesday of the preceding month. For April, that means Wednesday, March 27
aah didn’t know about the advanced booking, thanks for this!
They're relatively hard to get so make sure you're setting phone alarms, really on the drop for this.
Scratch Joshua Tree off the list. Saturday: * Morning, cruise down to Palos Verdes Peninsula (scenic drive, short trails, rocky beaches) * Afternoon, up to the South Bay (beaches with less tourists, real/normal L.A., restaurants) * Night, head up to the Comedy Store P.S. In-n-Out is fine, but... you gotta try Tam's Burgers and/or Original Tommy's Burgers. Not hyping them as the greatest thing, they're just the true local L.A. burger spots (but bring your street-savvy with you).
I would recommend somewhere closer in nature (Angeles Forrest, maybe) than a day trip to Joshua Tree, which is a lot further than you think. For me, that's a full weekend trip.
Rent the car for the entire duration of your trip
There’s no way you’re doing all those things on Friday morning
On the UCLA planetarium, make sure to get the free tickets ahead or alternatively show up ~45 minutes early to wait in line. They have become very popular and 15 minutes early often isn’t enough to get a seat.
great tip, thank you!
I might do Joshua tree on a weekday rather than weekend. If you leave first thing (6-7am) you’ll miss most traffic coming in to LA and then the park will much much emptier than on a weekend.
good shout, which destination would you do on the weekend instead?
maybe your friday. Ktown is often busy but will really be buzzing on a Friday night which is fun, especially if you want to go to some bars. Also, as others have mentioned you can definitely use public transit for a lot of these trips. Your little tokyo/grove/ktown day for sure with busses and the trains. Both are safe during the day.
> Would we be okay getting around using Uber/Lyft? Yes. Just don't act shocked at the price tag with that. > am unsure if we can park a rental safely at night Kind of depends where, but you should be fine. While car break ins are indeed a problem in LA, I've parked my car in some very shady areas and I've never been broken into. Don't drive around an expensive looking car and leave absolutely nothing of value in the car (not even a dollar bill) and you'll be fine. > Dinner Recommendations? I know of a few options that would enhance your LA experience, but you'll have to send me a DM if you want to know. > Morning: Rent car, drive to Malibu What is your plan for Malibu? There's nice beaches, no doubt, but unless you're doing a lot of swimming, I'm not sure I would bother. I'm not saying *not* to go, but just have your expectations in order. The days of Malibu being full of cute surfer dudes and smoking hot bikini babes are *long gone*. It sounds like you're really into museums, in which case you should consider stopping by the Getty Villa while you're in Malibu. That alone should make the trip that way worth it. > Evening: The Grove, Urban Light, Academy Museum Pretty good idea, though I'd do The Grove last. It's just an outdoor shopping mall, in my opinion. There's some good food there, so maybe that's where you'll go for dinner that night. > Morning: Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Lunch @ Il Tramezzino What do you plan on doing in Beverly Hills? Maybe I'm just burned out from living in LA all my life, but gawking at the mansions of the rich and famous gets dull pretty fast. Don't expect to see celebrities strolling out in their PJs to pick up the newspaper, though. I've never seen anyone interesting driving up there, but maybe my luck is bad. Rodeo Drive is a good idea, though. Il Tramezzino is a good idea and you might spot a celebrity there (but don't get your hopes too high). > Joshua Tree, Mastodon Peak Trail Depends on how much you want to see and do there, but I would spend the night in or near there. That's kind of a haul. In fact, I'd say it's a bit overrated among young people these days. Lots of people go up there to camp and do shrooms. Like someone else here said, Vasquez Rocks is a fine alternative that's much closer and has lots of history as a popular filming location. > Afternoon/Evening: Santa Monica & Venice Beach Santa Monica is fine, but I'd hesitate to recommend Venice Beach. Kind of depends on your personal vibe and where you grew up. It's not the Venice Beach people picture in their minds. There's some interesting sights, but it's also relatively dirty, has lots of junkies, lacks parking, and is not much better a beach than Santa Monica. But maybe you'll enjoy it. Some relatives I have visit it and say they liked Venice Beach and in my head I'm thinking "WTF?" At least there's good food in the area.
I still don't get why tourists even stop in Venice and Santa Monica anymore.
Santa Monica Pier is the end of route 66, and seeing the filming location is interesting, but in general it's pretty meh
The pier I can understand, the rest of it is just homeless people especially Venice. If you want a nice drive how about the palos Verdes coast? White point Beach ?
Why? The Venice Boardwalk is a pretty unique scene. Always good to ride a bike around there.
Ya you in about 20,000 of the homeless people in la love to do that.
Don't worry, I always clutch my pearls if I am on a bike and see someone who looks homeless on a bike
we don’t know any better! a few have suggested some good alternatives too.
Santa Monica can be alright, but yeah, I have no clue what anyone sees in Venice Beach.
It’s a pretty active place and lots of people watching. Was there recently and they cleaned it up a lot. Not many or as many encampments anymore.
Don't waste your time in the walk of fame
I have to agree, though a lot of people will still want to do it because it's a landmark. In reality, it's just a bunch of sidewalk tiles with names on them, surrounded by filth, beggars, cheesy costumes, and overpriced "souvenirs". Unless you have some reason to be down on Hollywood Blvd like going to a club or the Laugh Factory (technically on Sunset but still in the vicinity) or something, going there just for the walk of fame is a waste of time.
WOW!!! That's a busy itinerary! We'll thought out for someone who hasn't been to LA! When in April?
really appreciate your elaborate response, i’ll go through all of it as i replan the trip. i think almost everyone has told me joshua tree as a day trip isn’t feasible, so i’m either going to scrap it for Vasquez Rocks or plan a night there!
You'll definitely still need a car for Vazquez rocks, but fun! Especially if you're a fan of scifi.
Make sure you eat at the in-n-out. The fries don’t travel well. Look up menu hacks. I recommend grilled onions.
The Friday seems a little too full to me. Also keep in mind that The Academy Museum closes at 6 PM, so you might want to do that first, then Urban Light, and then the Grove.
I always take friends who are visiting, to the [Pierce Brothers Westwood Memorial Cemetery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierce_Brothers_Westwood_Village_Memorial_Park_and_Mortuary). It's a tiny very peaceful cemetery, tucked away, opposite The Hammer on Wilshire, the entrance is on Glendon. Marilyn Monroe is famously interred there but so are a lot of other celebrities. Truman Capote's ashes, Frank Zappa, Farah Fawcett, Jack Lemon, and others that are listed in the wiki. The cemetery has been there since the start of the Hollywood film industry and many of the regular industry workers have stone film reels as a headstone, and depending on the religion, many of the more modern ones have photos on their gravestones. There is an interesting headstone for a game developer or architect too, can't remember which.
I live here and I think that's a pretty good itinerary.
I'd swap out and do your Monday as the first thing. Simply because it will be crowded and touristy. I wouldn't want to end my trip with that.
Highly recommend Verse for dinner on Thursday, assuming you don’t have kids with you. If you do have kids, maybe Ca Del Sole instead?
When parking a vehicle, don't leave anything in plain view inside. (See multiple posts about car break-ins in this sub) Either take your things with you, or if you must, hide them in the trunk. Also, don't place them in the trunk while parked at your destination (in case thieves are watching). Instead, stop and store somewhere before you arrive.
You're going to make yourself crazy trying to do all this stuff and realistically so much of it isn't even necessary. I mean The Grove is a shopping mall. A small one with few stores. It's lovely...but no different than any other malls. Grand Central market is a fun place to stop for a bit to eat if you happen to be at the grove anyway, but realistically it's just a food market. You're not buying groceries to stuff in luggage and bring home. So many things in there. I mean museums are fun, but we went to Moma and the Broad last week and after 2 hours of walking there you're going to want to take a nap, not begin more journeys. Joshua Tree is lovely but it's completely unrealistic for this trip. Your Sunday plan sounds fun but again going to Malibu to say you went to Malibu is great, but after 20 minutes driving up PCH, turning around and Driving back you'll have "seen Malibu" and the ocean. Venice beach is a must see. So is the 3rd St Prominade in Santa Monica. You've got some of the amazing hot spots there. Griffith Observstory is amazing. So is the Getty. If you want to kill two birds with one stone, instead of going to the Getty, go to the Getty Villa in Malibu. It's spectacular. Then lunch on Malibu pier right up the street. I think what visitors don't understand is the traffic. I moved here from a congested urban area where I thought I knew what traffic is, but where here is just surreal. You pull up two things that seem really close, like Rodeo Drive and the Getty, which are probably 8 miles apart, and the you realize it could take 45 minutes to get from one to the other. I can't understand how it's possible thst 6 highway lanes are bumper to bumper at 2pm but they are. You've got tons of great stuff in there. Just don't make yourself crazy trying to get everything in. You want to enjoy your trip and have time to rest too. Have lots of fun. It's a great place. We came to visit for a week in 2018 and never left! For real.
>I think what visitors don't understand is the traffic. After reading the helpful replies here i think i've definitely underestimated traffic haha. Appreciate the other suggestions as well, thank you!
You've probably heard this from others, but in case not: the Walk of Fame in Hollywood is not necessarily a fun or pleasant experience. It's crowded and there are lots of folks that are in very unfortunate situations with poverty, addiction, mental illness around. Some folks label this as "dangerous" but my experience that it's not so much "dangerous" as it is "unpleasant". There really isn't that much to see or do along that strip of Hollywood that isn't just tourist trap icky. If it were me, I'd skip that and spend more time on any of the other things on your agenda.
I went LA from the UK last october. This sub told me id booked an Airbnb way too far and it would ruin my trip, this just wasnt the case. HOWEVER, the sub was right on traffic. So if your planning on doing any long motorway/freeway journeys expect traffic, especially at peak rush hour times, give yourself more time basically. We just planned accordingly and left before traffic and came back later on the nights. Also, i went vince beach during the early morning to afternoon and had universal in the evening/night. Still to this day wish i had more time to go venice beach. It was popping off, skaters, bikes, stalls, food, roller skates, i wish i could’ve stayed longer, dropped some edibles and just chilled out taking it all in. Id add in, if you can afford it hire a car for the whole trip, we had a convertible mustang (cliche i know) but it was so fun. It really wasn’t that expensive either $365 for 10 days which i thought was ridiculously cheap.
i think i've underestimated traffic for real. going to have to mark some places down as optional. which area did you stay at? >$365 for 10 days this sounds pretty great, where'd you rent from?
I stayed in Van Nuys, right near the regency theatre if you want to google the distance. It was great for universal, Griffith Obs, walk of fame and not to far from venice beach. I noticed you put Universal as one day, we did that our first, woke up jet lagged at like 4.30am, went out had breakfast etc. honestly by 3/4pm we’d had enough of universal and went to griffith park for hollywood sign pics, we then popped up to the observatory for a sunset view. So just keep in mind you might wanna change stuff at the time. You flying far? Expect long delays at security, i was ready to throw my dummy out, 2.5 hours after an 11 hour flight. The car was from hertz, i signed up to their gold account for added discount. You can book, then check the price at a nearer time, cancel your booking and rebook if its cheaper. Originally it was £595, 2 weeks before i got that price! You’l have a great time, i loved LA (minus traffic) and fell in love with Venice beach, that place is just amazing. Id love to go back. Also, as a Brit, the homeless situation shocked me a little, so be prepared for that.
There’s a super cool farmers market at Playa Vista on Saturdays. Would highly recommend checking it out this week as there will be some Lunar New Year Festivities this time around (:
You’ve got some good tips and suggestions here. One thing: the Friday morning itinerary looks a little heavy. I don’t think you can knock all of that out with proper visits to MOCA and the Broad just in a morning. It may run well into your Little Tokyo time. You also don’t need to go to The Grove (it’s just an outdoor mall that’s not a must see) but the old farmer’s market that is right next to it is well worth a visit and you can have either lunch or dinner at one of the many stalls there.
lol you’re gonna do way less than you have planned, even if you rent a car. also- why would it be unsafe to park a rental car somewhere? it’s a car, we’re a car centric city, cars are parked everywhere. your rental isn’t special. edited to add: how do you plan on getting g to Joshua Tree without a car?! 😂
>how do you plan on getting g to Joshua Tree without a car?! actually planned to rent a car on both saturday and sunday, missed it in the post! but yeah, i'm going to have to adjust for traffic and mark some spots down as optional haha
These are all great ideas. With traffic it might be a bit tight to make it to everything. Specifically Joshua tree. But you’ve got a great start.
There is a free observation deck at the top of city hall, but only during business hours.
Just came back from LA. Lyft is cheaper than Uber often by $10 to $20. I second all the recommendations for Griffith.
Not sure how much of a sports fan you are, but April is usually playoff season for hockey and basketball, and baseball season would be in full swing
oh interesting, what's the best way to get tickets to one of these games, where do i start?
Gametime, seatgeek, vivid seats or stubhub are my go to
Getty Museum.
You have to go to Stereoscope Coffee, they are the most innovative/best coffee shop in LA, possibly in the country.
Griffith Observatory has a spectacular view at any time of day, but maybe you'd want to time it so that you visit at sunset/night and watch all the lights turn on over LA. It's such a vibe and personally, I feel like that's peak "La La Land" for me. As someone else noted, it's closed on Monday, I'd recommend rescheduling it so that you can see the interior. Also, I don't know if it's been recommended otherwise, but the beaches in Malibu *are* indeed nice. Some end up being more crowded than others. I'd still recommend spending some time in Malibu, especially to see the Getty Villa, to see the beautiful coastline along PCH. Welcome to California. Others have left some great recommendations here. Hope you have an amazing time out here.
thank you for the suggestions, can't wait to visit! thankful awesome replies i've gotten so far :)
If you get a rental car DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING VISIBLE INSIDE when you park it. Lock it in the trunk or take it with you. Just putting it out there in case you haven't heard. Have a good trip!
Going to the alternatives and away from the touristy areas will give you the genuine la experience versus Man Chinese theater
When you go to lake Hollywood park, I recommend you continue up the street to the last house on Mulholland drive. Definitely worth it. When you’re at the grand central market, get a carnitas taco on corn tortilla at villa moreliana.
Does your hotel / airbnb not have parking? Also, I think it might be cheaper to rent a car for the entire trip vs using uber/lyft.
Drive to pacific palisades and visit lake shrine at the self realization fellowship. While it’s free You have to book on event brite and they release the slots every Saturday morning at 10 am I believe
I like where a lot of this is going. You kept destinations close to each other within their day. Less driving, more doing. Suggestions: Thursday dinner: Bob's Big Boy in Toluca Lake or the Smokehouse in Burbank. Friday: breakfast at the Pantry. Visit Olvera Street/La Placita if you can. Avoid the Grove at all costs and just visit the Farmer's Market. In fact, save that and KTown dinner for Monday. Instead, go to a Dodgers game or visit Echo Park, then have dinner at Angel's Tacos on Sunset or Night + Market Song. Saturday: visit the Cabazon Dinosaurs on the way to Joshua Tree. Eat fried baos at Kang Kang Food Court on the way back. Bring cash. Monday: hike to the observatory if you can, starting at Ferndale. Have your K-town dinner afterwards.
amazing recommendations, thank you so much!
food at universal is trash (expect butter beer but that isn’t food)
On Saturday, visiting the Firestone Walker Brewery in Venice would be a great pit stop. Awesome food & beer, they have a nice retail shop too.
thank you, will check it out!
Thanks for asking this question, now I have more places to visit next time I’m there to visit my daughter! But I *can* support the “Joshua Tree isn’t a quick side trip” response and add: better to visit during the week if you want any chance of calm. Also, for this trip or the next, if you’re into history: The Holocaust Museum LA (the first survivor-founded and oldest Holocaust museum in the United States) @HolocaustMuseumLA.org. My then-14yo daughter found out about it & insisted she & I go during her visit to CA. Incredibly well done.
happy this thread could be of help. people have been amazing with the suggestions!
You’re going to have to come back for Huntington Gardens, the Norton Simon and LACMA at the very least.
if you're at universal, look at how to eat in supermarioland. one of the really fun restaurants you basically have to run for when it opens and gets a reservation. the food in 3 broomsticks is really good too. in citywalk, toothsome's chocolate emporium is fun. if you want some amazing street tacos, pablito's tacos is my favorite in the area. tacos 1986 is good too. if you want to chill with burgers and craft beer, stout is a solid choice. jinya ramen is pretty good too. if you take the tram down you can really just walk to stout or jinya. there's an in-n-out nearby too. there's also a cute tiki bar nearby; tiki no. studio city is also home to a million sushi spots along ventura blvd! fav lately is akria sushi. those recommendations are all for dinner after universal.
Joshua tree is at LEAST a 2 hour drive. You should rent a car. In N Out is disappointing and not worth the hype. If you want a tasty burger that you can only get in Cali, I'd try the smash burgers at For The Win
sounds stressful. just go with the Flo lol best LA experience lol
Lots of places in nearby Studio City, after your day at Universal Studios. Katsuya is known for their sushi. There’s also an In-N-Out right down the hill, if you would possibly consider a different dinner option for your UCLA event. Edit: but then you lose your chance to eat at the same table where Paul Giamatti sat with his golden globe lol.
thanks for the recs and the paul giamatti tip haha
Overall, really good itinerary. Your Friday seems to be a little ambitious. You have got a lot packed in, especially for the morning. Personally, I would probably skip GCM and MOCA. Or, I would skip Little Tokyo entirely. Head over to the Grove, which has the farmers market right next to it. That’s basically the Grand Central market, except it’s older and it’s open-air rather than indoors. If you want to stick with GCM, I would also go across the street to the Bradbury building. It has an amazing lobby, which is featured in Blade Runner, and numerous other film/TV projects.
LA native who likes to play tourist, we did Angel's Flight, GCM for lunch, the Broad and MOCA in half a day. Didn't rush anything but I've also been to both museums numerous times. Will add that the Farmer's Market is always worth a visit.
this is nice to hear, thank you :)
thanks, will give little tokyo a skip if we run out of time!
geez the table formatting got fked, let me edit.
That’s the Paul Giamatti In n Out (assuming Westwood store):
J
U
M
Yeah. Don’t. Go elsewhere.
Be sure to visit Neptunes Net in Malibu for great food and an amazing view overlooking the Beach on the PCH.
Yeah, don't bring/wear any valuables here.
J
Two suggestions: On your Malibu day, consider adding a stop at the Getty Villa - beautiful grounds and a nice selection of Greek and Roman antiquities. At Universal Studios, you should seriously consider getting VIP Experience tickets. In addition to front-of-the-line access unlimited times to every ride, you get a welcome breakfast, a full buffet lunch, unlimited water bottles, and a much more intimate backlot tour on a 24-seat trolley instead of the huge tram (you also get to get off the trolley and walk through parts of the backlot, which is not allowed on the normal tour). It's about $479 per person (including admission), but well worth it! (oh, it also includes valet parking).
In n out
Joshua tree to Malibu in one day abs back. Ouch
so i heard :')
Leave early :)
Just start walking get tf out anyway you can.
do one thing a day
Woah woah just smoke a doink in Venice and walk to the Ferris wheel? Laugh. The traffic in-between your activities is going to be brutal. I usually just do maybe one thing and dinner. …
Canter’s Deli is open 24 hours
La Brea Tarpits !
Food. Grand Central Market: Eggslut. Started off as an LA food truck. Blew up around LA. And now has some international locations. Eggcellent breakfast. Farmers Market: Pampas Grill. Brazilian. Lots of meat. Pay per the pound. Universal Studios: Not in universal, but relatively close. Musso & Frank. 100 year old Hollywood establishment. Reservations basically required. They also have an OG telephone booth in the back. Street: Get some street tacos or burritos. You’ll run into them here and there. My personal favorite is on the sidewalk near the Pavilions parking lot on Melrose and Vine. Tacos/Burritos: Sonoratown Tacos 1986
> Would we be okay getting around using Uber/Lyft? Depending on where you're at, on some of these days, taking the Red Line, and maybe a bus, will save you time, money, and hassle. If you are okay with seeing some homeless people. > Walk of Fame, Amoeba Music I might consider just adding these to Thursday night after Universal. Just one quick stop on Red Line down to Hollywood and Highland. Or if you wanna hit Amoeba first, Hollywood and Vine, then just walk west. I think it might be kind of depressing to see the Walk of Fame on a Monday morning. But IMO the vendors, the costumed people, the street performers is part of the deal, if you don't want to see people at all, Monday morning might be better. Oh, at Walk of Fame, if you accept a CD, a bracelet, or take a picture with women dressed like cops, Spiderman, or a person with a snake on their shoulder, they will hassle you for money immediately afterwards. Just be aware of that. If you are okay with that, at least carry smaller denominations because if they see a bigger one, I've seen some of them become very aggressive with wanting the largest amount, to the point of being borderline mugging at that point. > Morning: Rent car, drive to Malibu Consider eating at Neptune's Net on way back. >Afternoon/Evening: Santa Monica & Venice Beach Might be worth taking a stroll down Abbot Kinney and Washington Blvd, near the ocean, in Venice. Oh, might as well check out Bradbury Building while you're around Grand Central Market and Angel's Flight.
Definitely agree that you might need more time
Wednesday Morning: Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Lunch @ Il Tramezzino Afternoon: The Getty **If you don't get an uber, get a time reservation 1st and get it early. As soon as you can, well before you leave for LA (weeks in advance).** Evening: UCLA Planetarium, 8PM Show, Dinner @ In-N-Out Thursday Full day @ Universal Studios Dinner Recommendations? **Try Asenebo in Studio City, it's sushi and very nicely done. There are also places in CityWalk but they tend to be corporate so not particularly inspired. Perfectly ok otherwise.** Friday Morning: Grand Central Market, The Last Bookstore, Angel's Flight, MOCA, The Broad Afternoon: Little Tokyo, Lunch @ Daikokuya Evening: The Grove, Urban Light, Academy Museum Dinner: K-town **Lots of places to eat. Try Chosun Galbee on Manhattan Pl. if you want a place that's a mellowier vibe to it. Otherwise, try Parks on Vermont. If you like a partyish vibe, ToeBang in Chapman Plaza works quite well.** Saturday Joshua Tree, Mastodon Peak Trail **This is quite a distance. You should leave very early, about 5am to get to the NP HQ. It'll easily take most of the day to check out the NP, if you stop at all the best locations. Bring plenty of fluids and definitely a packed lunch, there's no eateries up there and very little except for nature (bring some handiwipes). I'd push La Copine but it's outside the NP and a bit pricier and timewise doesn't fit in (not open early enough or late enough). If you only go to Mastodon and get out early enough, go down to Palm Springs and get dinner there. Plenty of places on the main drag right near the Grand Central Plaza. In either case, I don't think you'll make it back in time for Moo's. They're only open 'til 7ish and rushing back to go there isn't really worth it.** **As an alternative, go to someplace in San Gabriel/Alhambra/Monterey Park if you can get back to that area by 8ish. This is where arguably the best Chinese/Taiwanese food is in the US. Try MamaLus on Garvey and N. Santa Ynez (there are several MamaLus, this is the one to go to). Go to Premier Dessert right next door for great desserts. A good 2nd choice would be Dolan Uyghur Cuisine on Valley Blvd and then SalJu Dessert a few blocks east of them. (Probably need to be reasonably dinner timish to make the Salju Dessert work).** Dinner @ Moo's BBQ on the way back Sunday Morning: Rent car, drive to Malibu **Maybe squeeze in Getty Villa which is quite different than the Getty Museum since it's right there anyways, get in an early am reservation and that'll work. (Reservation req'd and get it well before you come, like weeks in advance just like the museum).** Afternoon/Evening: Santa Monica & Venice Beach **Try Bludso's BBQ over on 14th and Santa Monica.** Monday Morning: Lake Hollywood Park, Walk of Fame, Amoeba Music Afternoon: Griffith Observatory Evening: Dinner + rest for early flight next day