Three Days in Los Angeles: From Santa Monica to Hollywood
The City of Angels sure has a lot to offer – Hollywood glamour, palm-lined streets, Rodeo Boulevard, Beverly Hills, and the California Coastal Trail. After spending a few days in San Diego, I traveled up the coast to Los Angeles for three days!Β
I recently shared some tips about flying with toddlers, but I highly recommend taking the train if traveling between these two cities. It was so quick and easy to board the Pacific Surfliner trainΒ and the views riding along the west coast were phenomenal! Can you believe I paid only $30 to ride up to Los Angeles!?
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
If youβre visiting Los Angeles for a short trip, these are the top highlights you wonβt want to missβplus my favorite hotel recommendations to make your stay even better.
Day 1: Coastal Areas
Santa Monica Pier
We spent much of our first day settling into the LA vibe by exploring the coast. We found a convenient parking lot just down the road from the Santa Monica Pier and walked with our travel stroller. I recommend bringing a water bottle if spending a lot of time at the coast – the sun is strong and although there are vendors everywhere it can be a bit pricey.
Santa Monica Pier is iconic! Pacific Park has rides and games if you have older children. There are also tons of food vendors both on the beach and on the pier. Keep an eye out for the symbolic “End of the Trail” sign dedicated to Route 66 which ends one mile from the ocean.
Β My favorite part was seeing so many roller skaters and bikers passing by on the California Coastal Trail. It’s an amazing place for people watching!Β
Venice Beach
Venice Beach is just under two miles south from the Santa Monica Pier and you can walk along the boardwalk between the two beaches. After watching the Barbie movie, I was dying to see the Venice Beach boardwalk in person!
The boardwalk did not disappoint! There were so many locals out on both roller blades and roller skates. We ended up spending more time in Venice Beach than Santa Monica, just soaking in all the activity around and people-watching.Β
Pro Tip: The winding trail is for bikes/skaters only – walkers should stay on the wider straight sidewalk with the shops.Β
If you’ll spend time on the beach, consider packing a compact beach blanket that travels easy.
For our first LA sunset, watching the sun go down at Venice Beach was pretty spectacular. Be warned! It may be super warm during the day with the California sunshine, but as soon as the sun set the temperature dipped quite a bit. Pack a hoodie to throw on if you will stay for the sunset!
Day 2: Griffith Park
In my recent post about traveling with toddlers, I wrote that I had noted a few can’t miss sites for each city as I wasn’t sure how much sightseeing I would be able to do with my daughter in tow. For me, Griffith Park was my absolute top pick can’t miss attraction in Los Angeles. I spent my second day hiking in Griffith Park and exploring the Griffith Observatory.
Hiking Griffith Park
There are many trails you can explore in Griffith Park. I use All Trails app to research trails both at home and when I’m traveling – you can filter for stroller accessibility, dog-friendly trails, etc. I chose to hike the Ferndell to the West Observatory Loop Trail up to the Griffith Observatory and back because I was bringing my daughter in the travel stroller.
The loop is 2.6 miles total, so a little over a mile up to the observatory then the same back down. Let me tell you, one mile is longer than you think when the entire first half is uphill! My friend told me about this hike up and even hearing about it beforehand did not do it justice. It is intense! I wore my regular running sneakers, but I would recommend trail shoes with more traction. The trail was a little slippery in places with loose gravel, especially when coming back down the hill (which is not what you want when pushing a stroller!).
You absolutely positively cannot do this hike without a hat, polarized sunglasses, sunscreen, and plenty of water. There are some trees along the trail, but you are in full sun for at least 90% of the trail. I was hoping to buy a touristy hat before starting but I didn’t find any on my way there. I ended up buying a hat at the Observatory store out of desperation which had very limited, expensive options.
It’s an intense but very rewarding hike – I absolutely recommend doing it if you have the time! Amazing views around every bend, over the city towards the coast and the Hollywood side up past the Observatory.
Griffith Observatory
Breaking up the hike by exploring the Griffith Observatory was perfect – the views from the Observatory are amazing and you can enjoy a bit of air conditioning after the intense California sun! Β (If you aren’t a hiker, there are buses that can bring you up to the Observatory and parking is also available if you drive.)
Admission is free and the observatory features a range of interactive exhibits all about space, science, and the universe, making it surprisingly engaging for both adults and kids.
Don’t miss the Foucault pendulum and Tesla Coil! They have posted what times the Tesla Coil will run each day.
Griffith Observatory is also an amazing spot to enjoy a sunset! Try to factor in extra time for parking, it’s a super popular spot and it can get quite packed right before sunset.
Day 3: Classic LA Sites
One of the difficult parts of exploring Los Angeles is that the city is HUGE and the attractions are very spread out. I spent my last day driving around to a few of the more touristy spots.
Hollywood Walk of Fame
My coworker recommended sticking to the area around the TCL Chinese Theatre when visiting the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as it tends to feel a bit more comfortable and lively. The stars stretch along both sides of the sidewalk, so you can easily stroll and spot plenty of your favorite celebrities along the way.
I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Itβs definitely a little cheesy, but it’s a quintessential LA experience! Make sure to stop by the TCL Chinese Theatre to see the famous handprints and footprints of Hollywood legends – including SHIRLEY TEMPLE!
My husband is a huge Jimmy Kimmel fan, so I was geeking out a bit to see Jimmy Kimmel Live from the outside! I’d love to try to see a show next time.
Lake Hollywood Park
I am a sucker for a nice stroller walk, so I did one more walk while exploring with my young daughter and I saw that there’s a relatively flat trail around Lake Hollywood. I did not do the full loop because I had lunch plans but you can see the Hollywood sign from here!Β
Driving to here and back was actually one of the highlights of my visit – seeing the glamorous houses in Hollywood Hills.
Urban Light at LACMAΒ
I bet you’ve seen these lamp posts in so many movies! I was dying to see them in person so I made sure to stop by on my last day.Β
You can walk right through the art installation of 202 restored street lamps outside the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. While there, explore the museum or take in the crazy architecture!
There are certainly many more amazing sites and activities to take advantage of in Los Angeles if you have the time – I’d love to return to do a studio tour and see more areas like Malibu and Beverly Hills!
What are your favorite sites in Los Angeles?!
You May Also Like
8 Comments
Tara Pittman
I took this train to san diego and loved the views. I need to take it to Venice beach.
Amber Myers
Oh my gosh, how fun! I need to do this. We have been to Griffith Observatory and loved it. I hope to make it back to LA one day.
Mahy
What a great itinerary! Thanks a lot for sharing your experience – it will help me a lot since I am getting ready to spend a few days in the city. You rock!
Under flowery sky
Awesome, now I have the image of LA. Beautiful to spend some time on the beach and hike around.
Anne
L.A is on my bucket list. Thanks for a great itinerary.
Shely
Hopefully LA is my next destination, saved for later. Thanks for the great share!
Dee
LA has so much to offer and Griffith Observatory is a full day outing- so much to learn and see.
Mary Ann
This was nicely done. Detailed and inviting. Shirley Temple is one of my favorites. Thanks for sharing.