Los Angeles Itineraries

Planning a trip to Los Angeles? Our experienced travel editors break down the town so you can make the most of your stay. Let these itineraries be your guide, whether you're here for a weekend or a whole week.

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48 hrs in Los Angeles

Day 1
1 Check into the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in the morning for a taste of old Hollywood.
2 After you check in, head to the Farmers Market for lunch.
3 Burn off those calories from the Farmers Market by shopping at the nearby Grove.
4 Have dinner at Providence.
5 Next, head to the Sunset Strip to catch a concert at the House of Blues, the Viper Room or Roxy.

Day 2
1 Start your day early with a stack o’ flapjacks at the Griddle café.
2 Head to Hollywood Boulevard to explore Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and the Kodak Theatre at the Hollywood and Highland complex.
3 Next beeline to the Walt Disney Concert Hall to admire the Frank Gehry-designed building.
4 For lunch, hit the Mexican-style plaza at Olvera Street.
5 After lunch, talk a walking tour of downtown’s architectural gems including the Biltmore Hotel, the Bradbury Building, and Union Station.
6 For early appetizers and cocktails, head to Bar Centro at the Bazaar in the SLS Hotel, but save room for dinner at Beso.
7 After dinner saunter over to Bar Marmont, an old-school Hollywood haunt that’s been infused with new life.
8 Make time to catch a rising star at the Comedy Store.
9 No night is complete without a late night snack at Canter’s—a landmark L.A. diner since 1931.

Day 3
1 Focus day three on seeing West Hollywood.
2 First order of the day is a visit to Griffith Park where you can spend your morning checking out the Griffith Observatory.
3 Before you leave the park, hike up the hill from the Observatory parking lot for sweeping views of the whole basin, the sea and the Hollywood Sign.
4 Head to Pink’s for a lunch of gourmet hot dogs.
5 Don’t spend too much time at lunch—you’ll want to save time to explore Universal Studios in the afternoon.
6 Dine at Culina.

Day 4
1 Dedicate day four to exploring art and music in Downtown L.A.
2 Start your day admiring pieces by Roy Lichtenstein, Mark Rothko and George Sega at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
3 Refuel at one of L.A.’s notorious food trucks.
4 Dedicate the afternoon to exploring the edgy art galleries of Chinatown.
5 Head to the Walt Disney Concert Hall to explore the stunning architecture and to have dinner at Patina, Joachim Splichal’s flagship restaurant.

Day 5
1 You’ve now been in L.A. for almost a week and it’s time to fit in some serious shopping.
2 Head to Beverly Hills to spend your morning shopping the Golden Triangle and Rodeo Drive.
3 Sate your afternoon hunger with a thick, juicy burger at Umami Burger.
4 The afternoon is the perfect time to explore art and architecture of The Getty Center.
5 Earlier in the week you had drinks at Bar Marmont, but now it’s time to go back for dinner.

Day 6
1 Drive west to Pasadena, where you’ll visit the Norton Simon Museum, then check out Old Town and its shops. If it’s the second Sunday of the month, you’ll have to spend the early morning at the Rose Bowl for the flea market.
2 Have a bite at the museum or a full lunch at one of the many cafes on Colorado Boulevard in Old Town.
3 Drive east into nearby San Marino and visit the Huntington. Make sure to remember your reservation for tea. This is an all-afternoon event.
4 You’ll be exhausted now, so have dinner in your hotel and congratulate yourself on having pretty well gotten to know this sprawling city.

Day 7
1 You can’t leave L.A. without spending some time at the beach, so your last day here should be dedicated to exploring the ocean in Malibu.
2 Have lunch alongside the surfers at Neptune’s Nest.
3 You could spend all day at the beach, but if you’re looking for a change of pace we recommend fitting in some shopping in Santa Monica.
4 Around 5PM head to the Santa Monica Pier to watch the sunset, ride the carousel and purchase an ice cream soda.
5 Have dinner at one of the restaurants along the marina.