A cultural guide to Los Angeles
Come for the beach, stay for the creative scene—California's sunny City of Angels shines with year-round attractions and ambitious energy
Your essential guide to the best things to see and do in Los Angeles. Find more travel inspiration for more amazing cities here.
The world’s biggest dreamers have long brought their ambitions to Los Angeles, starting with the 44 settlers who arrived in 1781 from New Spain (now Mexico). Movie-making magic put LA’s name up in lights, fueling new arrivals’ dreams of screen stardom and fast fortune; and even more recently, the city has become a magnet for creative minds seeking artistic acclaim and gastronomic greatness.
The City of Angels possesses an energy like nowhere else on earth, and it’s a true must-visit for every food-obsessed, fun-seeking and culture-craving traveler. Visitors, in turn, can live out their own daydreams of memorable Koreatown dinners, sunset cocktails in Santa Monica, Broadway shows in Downtown LA, and lazing poolside in iconic West Hollywood hotels.
Art & architecture
Downtown LA (known as DTLA) has hugely upped its cultural and architectural credentials in recent years, with a cluster of Frank Gehry-designed buildings like the Walt Disney Concert Hall, home of the LA Philharmonic, and Liz Diller’s The Broad contemporary art museum, and the 30-acre ROW DTLA, a haven of design stores, hip restaurants, and artists’ studios in the Arts District.
Over the past decade, the old art deco theaters and skyscrapers of Broadway have been conserved and restored, notably the Bradbury Building (which stars in Blade Runner), the Orpheum Theatre, and the United Artists Building, now the 182-room STILE Downtown Los Angeles by Kasa. In West Hollywood, the spectacular early-modern Schindler House serves as the headquarters of MAK Center for Art and Architecture. Meanwhile, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, a Mexican American museum and cultural center, features exhibitions, music, dance, artmaking, and storytelling experiences.
Expert tips
The essentials
Fly into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The easiest way to get to your final LA destination is by taxi or rideshare. Follow the green signs for the shuttle, which take you to the “LAX-it” designated pick-up area. Alternatively, premium rideshare services are allowed to pick you up directly at arrivals, saving you time on your journey. Union Station, located Downtown, houses the Greyhound bus station, and connects Amtrak trains from Seattle, Chicago, New Orleans, and other major cities. Orange County beach cities such as Huntington, Newport and Laguna are in easy reach, and the Surfliner train makes beach stops all the way to San Diego.
Getting around
Los Angeles is a sprawling city with heavy traffic. Allow plenty of time when traveling by car and avoid rush hour. There are seven color-coded LA Metro lines (A–E, K and L)—pay fares by cash in exact change or via a conveniently reloadable TAP card at kiosks inside Metro stations. Bike-share access is through the Metro App; locate your nearest bike and pay to ride. Electric rental scooters are also popular.
Accessibility
LA in general is a very accessible city. All LA Metro trains are fully accessible. Beach wheelchairs are free to use at Venice Beach, available at Lifeguard Headquarters at 2300 Ocean Front Walk. Many of LA’s major attractions offer audio tours or braille maps.
LGBTQ+
West Hollywood, Silver Lake, and Downtown Los Angeles are key LGBTQ+ neighborhoods. WeHo Pride takes place the first weekend in June and is followed one week later by LA Pride. LA Pride in The Park features performances by big-name artists at Los Angeles State Historic Park.
Food & drink
LA’s dining scene is all about abundance: of produce, of international influences, and of food-obsessed diners happy to queue at the hot-ticket taco truck in town. For a quick taste of LA’s staggeringly international food scene, venture to Grand Central Market, a DTLA icon since 1917, now one of the most exciting food halls in the state.
In Venice Beach, a little more knowingly hipster and rough-around-the edges than neighboring Santa Monica, Evan Funke’s modern Italian Felix has shifted some of the long lines away from Venice stalwart Gjelina. At Santa Monica Farmers Market, chefs and farmers converge, with stalls heaving with organic, seemingly oversized produce and delicious street eats.
With some 284 days of sunshine a year, Los Angeles can work up a thirst, and in the Arts District, Angel City Brewery, Arrow Lodge Brewing and Arts District Brewing Company make up the bones of a good brewery crawl. And you can’t leave LA without sampling the city’s taco scene: Los Originales Tacos Arabes de Puebla taco truck in Boyle Heights and Tacos 1986, with multiple locations, are among the many highlights.
Music
Legendary Sunset Strip venues like Whisky a Go Go and The Roxy are still great places for live music, but for concerts in the open air, look to iconic spots like Hollywood Bowl, which includes a picnic area, and the Greek Theatre, set in Griffith Park. For up-and-coming acts, The Wiltern, The United Theater at Broadway next to STILE Downtown Los Angeles by Kasa, Teragram Ballroom, Silverlake Lounge, and the very scrappy but highly influential The Smell are all good bets. For a sophisticated night out, throw on your sharpest outfit and head to La Descarga, an iconic Cuban spot with live music and salsa dancing.
Flights, camera, action: Set-jetting in LA
Watch before you go
To film fans, almost every corner will be familiar: The Griffith Observatory from Rebel Without a Cause and La La Land, the Venice Beach Boardwalk from Barbie, the UCLA campus from Oppenheimer, Rodeo Drive from Pretty Woman, Union Station in Blade Runner… the list is endless.
Tick a few from your list on filmmaker Gabriel Bruskoff’s walking tour, or the classic Warner Brothers Studio Tour. Then visit the new Academy Museum, where the whole moviemaking industry is brilliantly celebrated.
Dorothy Parker pithily accused LA of being “72 suburbs in search of a city,” but she was right to observe the dazzling diversity between neighborhoods. For salty seaside R&R, stroll or cycle the boardwalk between Venice Beach and neighboring Santa Monica and you’ll see gymnasts flexing in the hoops at Muscle Beach, wealthy retirees walking labradoodles, yogis downward-dogging, and tech bros catching waves before work.
If it’s hipster cred you crave, hit up the neighboring districts of Silver Lake, Los Feliz, and Echo Park. Beyond some of LA’s top restaurants and bars, you’ll also find venerable music venues like the Echo + Echoplex, plus galleries like artist Shepard Fairey’s Subliminal Projects. Nearby Koreatown’s thriving restaurant scene is a must.
West Hollywood is fun-loving, passionately LGBTQ+, and a great den for decadence. Head to the iconic Sunset Strip for live music at legendary spots like the Hollywood Palladium or Whisky a Go Go, have a laugh with top talents at The Comedy Store, or make a night of it at Rocco’s WeHo, a lively restaurant-bar with a covered terrace, drag shows, and regular dance parties.
Anna Hart is a culture writer specializing in adventure travel and positive-impact tourism. Her work has appeared in Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, and she is the author of the travel memoir Departures.
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