Los Angeles in 3 Days: a guidebook for getting the most out of your visit

Los Angeles is the epicentre of cinema in the United States and the world, as well as being home to the world's most famous movie stars. Hollywood is the world's most successful film industry and it is an experience to visit this part of the United States. There are certainly plenty of things to do and see in Los Angeles that you can plan in just a few days.

Three days to see Los Angeles may not seem like a lot for some people. However, if you travel with a well organised itinerary, it is possible to see the most famous sites. I assure you that you will have an unforgettable short holiday without wasting a minute of your time.

You've arrived in the land of cinema! That's why in this itinerary the first thing I recommend you to do if you come to Los Angeles is to visit Hollywood. There's no time to waste! If you come by car, you can take it to the car park of the hotel you booked in advance. If you come by plane, keep in mind that you can choose different types of transfers from the airport for more comfort.

I recommend you to start your itinerary early in the morning. This way you will be able to see more things, go on walking tours and eat something delicious. It is also an option to hire one of the best Hollywood tours in the city. But if you want to go it alone, there's no need to worry, because I'll guide you step by step. Let's get to it!

Transfer from the airport to the hotel

You've finally arrived in Los Angeles! If you're arriving by plane, there are several options for getting to your hotel from Los Angeles International Airport. You can rent a car for the three days you'll be in Los Angeles.

To be a little closer to Hollywood , many people choose to stay on Sunset Boulevard. If you need to get there you can take a Culver CityBus from the 96th / Sepulveda stop. Then get off at Westwood Blvd & Weyburn Ave, where you can catch the next bus at the Westwood / Le Conte stop.

The final stop would be Sunset / Kings, but I still recommend checking your route on Google Maps so you know exactly which station to get off at. At all of these stations you can find other accommodations that may be convenient for you.

Visit Griffith Observatory

Before you start, eat a good breakfast at your hotel or at a restaurant near you. As this is your first day, your hotel will be the best option. To start your first day in Los Angeles, I recommend visiting the Griffith Observatory. It is located south of Hollywood Mountain in Griffith Park. From there you can see Downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood and even the Pacific Ocean.

To get there you can take the Observatory / Los Feliz bus line. You will have to get off at "Griffith Observatory", the last stop, but you can check with LADOT, the bus service provider, which one is more convenient for you.

Inside the observatory you will be able to see various exhibits about science and the cosmos. Besides being an excellent experience, admission is free! However, to enter the Samuel Oschin Planetarium you will have to buy a ticket for around €10. These tickets must be purchased at the ticket office to see the day's presentation. Children under the age of 5 do not need to buy tickets.

Details of interest

• Location: 2800 East Observatory Road.
• Price: Free general admission. To enter the Samuel Oschin Planetarium you must pay €10.
• Hours: Tuesday to Friday: 12:00 to 22:00. Saturdays and Sundays: 10:00 am to 10:00 pm.

Tour the Walk of Fame

After your visit to the Observatory, you should go to the Walk of Fame. You can go to the bus stop and take the Observatory / Los Feliz Southbound, get off at Los Feliz / Vermont. Then take the other bus and get off at the Hollywood / Argyle station which is located a few minutes away from the Walk of Fame.

When you arrive I advise you to take as many pictures as you can at the different places I will point out. Run around and look for the stars of your favourite artists! As you walk along Hollywood Boulevard you will see the Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars are held. You can also see the Grauman's Chinese Theatre, where movie previews are held and many of the actors mark their footprints on the floor.

If you want you can enter the Hollywood & Highland shopping mall, located next to the Dolby Theatre and access the observation deck. From there you can see the famous Hollywood advert and take a well-deserved photo, even if the sign is a bit far away. More on how to get a closer look later.

Lunch on Hollywood Boulevard

After your tour of the Walk of Fame you may already be a little hungry. I recommend you visit one of the restaurants along the boulevard. Just around the Dolby Theatre there are different options, such as Los Burritos where you can try typical Mexican food.

Behind the Dolby Theatre you will find the Yamashiro Hollywood restaurant, where you can eat Asian dishes in a very quiet atmosphere, if you prefer something more sophisticated. You can also check out other options along the way.

If you want to try a dessert, I suggest going to the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop, a great place to put on your list of things to do with kids in Los Angeles, who are sure to love chocolate.

Visit a museum on the Walk of Fame

Some of the best museums in Los Angeles are located near the Walk of Fame. While you're there, you might as well visit one and see what's there after you've finished your lunch. Some of the ones you'll find very close to the Dolby Theatre will be the Hollywood Museum, a great place for film buffs. Tickets cost an average of €12.

Another museum within walking distance is Madame Tussauds Hollywood. This is a great place to take photos and selfies with the wax statues of many celebrities. It will be a great illusion to say that you have a photo with your favourite artist in Hollywood... or at least the photo with his or her wax statue. Tickets to this museum cost an average of €35.

Stroll through Beverly Hills and maybe you'll spot a star

The day is winding down, but if you want to see where the Hollywood stars hang out you should head to Beverly Hills. From the Walk of Fame you can look for the Santa Monica / Orange bus stop. From there it will be 18 stops to Santa Monica / Canon, the stop that will drop you off 3 minutes from Beverly Hills.

Here you can walk down the main shopping street known as Rodeo Drive on your own. You will see luxury shops, bars and restaurants. This whole area can be toured on a tour bus or a Hop On Hop Off in Los Angeles. You can even get private tours to visit some of the celebrity homes that live in this city.

Before you leave, you should take a picture of yourself next to the little Beverly Hills sign. To end the day you can choose one of the restaurants in the area for dinner. You will see renowned restaurants such as Il Pastaio, owned by chef Giacomino Drago, or Mexican restaurants such as Mírame or Cantina Frida.

Los Angeles is known for having a variety of amusement parks. However, the most famous of them all is Universal Studios Hollywood, as it is not only a theme park, but also a movie studio. Touring and enjoying it can take a whole day. General admission costs an average of 110 € and includes all attractions and tours.

Also, very close to this wonderful park you can see the Hollywood sign. Are you ready for all that your second day in Los Angeles has to offer?

See the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

If you are a loyal fan of the Harry Potter films and books this should be your first stop once you arrive at Universal Studios. Here you can enter Hogwarts Castle, see the shops of Hogsmeade, ride the Flight the Hippogriff rollercoaster or fly on the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction, a simulator full of surprises.

Inside the castle you can also see a light show. The sky lights up and together with special effects and background music, all the Harry Potter stories come to life. In addition to all this fun, you can also sample the food at one of the restaurants in the area.

Don't miss the Studio Tour!

The Studio Tour is a unique tour in Universal Studio parks and is only available in Hollywood, so I invite you to take it mid-morning. On this tour, narrated by Jimmy Fallon, you will be able to visit some of the sets where the most famous Hollywood movies have been filmed, such as Jaws or Psycho. You will also get to see the world's largest 3D attraction: King Kong 360 3D.

This tour ends with a trip to the world of Fast & Furious - Supercharged. This is a hydraulic motion based ride and a 3D projection that makes this a hyper-realistic experience.

Enter Jurassic World

Are you going to leave Universal Studios without seeing Jurassic World? It would be a sin, so I invite you to have lunch at one of the park's superb restaurants and then experience the fantasy dinosaur world. Jurassic World / The Ride is a dark, watery ride that is sure to scare the pants off you. As the boat progresses you will come face to face with Indominus rex, but not before you fear for your life as he will be stalking the boat from the jungle.

You will then find yourself in the middle of a battle between him and his enemy Tyrannosaurus rex. Later, the tour continues to the DinoPlay, a play area dedicated to young children. You can also enjoy a drink at the Jurassic Café or at Isla Nu-Bar, where I invite you to have a snack, because you're sure to spend a couple of hours at this magnificent attraction.

Visit Springfield

It's almost the end of the day, but not so soon. If you are a Simpsons fan you must visit this area of the park. The biggest attraction is the virtual reality roller coaster. On this ride you will ride through the Krusty the Clown theme park with Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie.

In addition to the roller coaster, you can visit the iconic shops from the animated series, but in real life! Enter the Krusty Burger restaurant, Moe's Tavern or try a drink from Duff's Brewery - this is a great place to have an American dinner and say goodbye to Universal!

Don't forget your picture with the Hollywood sign!

Once you've finished your tour at Universal and it's getting dark, it's best to head over to the Hollywood sign, as this will be your best chance to get a close-up look at it. Unfortunately there is no way to access the sign. Although you won't see any police around the area, I assure you that there are cameras and even motion sensors that detect when any tourist gets too close to the area. So my recommendation is to get close enough to get a good picture.

From Universal Studios you can see the sign, but I recommend going to this address: 3100 Canyon Lake Dr. From there you can see it more clearly and take as many pictures as you want. I'm sure there will be a lot of tourists next to you doing the same. It's a great way to end your second day in LA.

To end your holiday in Los Angeles I recommend a visit to the beach. After two very intense days, it's worthwhile to rest and relax a bit without forgetting to visit famous places. That's why I invite you to stroll along Venice Beach and end your day watching a beautiful sunset from the Santa Monica Ferris wheel.

Venice Beach has a lot to offer besides the beaches. You can stroll along the Venice canals, take a tour of the Boardwalk or walk along Kinney Boulevard. Then head to the pier and enjoy the attractions on offer.

See Kinney Boulevard and the Venice Canals

To begin your tour of this area of Los Angeles, you can head to Kinney Boulevard. This street is named after the founder of Venice Beach and has bars, restaurants, shops, art galleries and much more.

Early in the morning, from this boulevard you can go to the Venice canals where you'll see boats, lakes and bridges reminiscent of Venice, Italy. It's definitely a landscape you'll want to photograph. You can reach this area from Washington Boulevard on foot without any problem. I invite you to walk around the area, cross the little bridges and see the churches, pizzerias, mansions and other curious establishments in this neighbourhood.

Traveller Tip
It is important to wear sunscreen at all times, especially if you are visiting the beach. You don't want to ruin your trip with annoying sunburn.

By mid-morning and after seeing the Venice canals, you'll be very close to the beach. On your way to the busy spot where you'll see other tourists and locals, you'll see several places of interest. The first of these is Muscle Beach, an open-air gym where Arnold Schwarzenegger used to train before he became the famous actor we know today. Another point of interest is the Skatepark, the walls decorated with street art and the Venice Beach sign.

You can walk all the way down to the beach and take a swim! Admission is free and you can make yourself comfortable wherever you want. Around midday you can look for a restaurant where you can have lunch. If you fancy fast food you can go to Regular Guy's Pizza. If you prefer to eat Californian food in a comfortable and cosy place, I recommend you to go to The Waterfront Venice.

Enjoy the attractions at the Santa Monica Pier

Ready for lunch? It's time to get on with your day. To get to Santa Monica from the beach, you can go to the Main NB & Sunset FS bus stop. There you will have to wait for the 33 Santa Monica bus. When you get on the bus wait about 4 stops until you get to Ocean Santa / Monica, the trip will take about 10 minutes, so you won't get lost. From there you can use Google Maps to guide you and walk to the pier, but you will probably be able to see the Ferris wheel from the bus stop.

Once at the pier you can take the opportunity to enter the Heal the Bay Aquarium to see various sea creatures and learn a little about each one. Entry to this site is approximately €10 and you can wander around for approximately two hours.

On leaving the aquarium you can walk to Pacific Park, the small amusement park on the waterfront which is open from 11am until 9pm, so it can be the perfect place to watch the sunset and dusk. To get on each attraction you need to pay a different price which can range from around €5 to €15.

The attraction everyone looks forward to trying is the Pacific Wheel. You won't miss it as it's right next door and its size means you can get up close and personal with ease. You have to pay around €10 to go on it. In addition to the rides, you can eat at one of the park's restaurants or watch a live show offered in the park.

Details of interest

• Location: 200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, 90401

• Price: Each attraction is priced from approximately €5 to €15.

• Hours: Every day from 11am to 9pm.

Dine at the Santa Monica Pier on the waterfront

Near the Santa Monica Pier there are several restaurants you can visit. However, my recommendation is to go to the Mexican restaurant Maria Sol. It is located very close to the pier's fishing platform and can be a good place to rest after your wonderful stay on the Ferris wheel.

Here you will have beautiful views of the sea and a great atmosphere to spend a relaxing evening sipping your favourite cocktail. After your dinner you can go to the souvenir shops near the restaurant. You can also go to the fishing area to watch the different fish. Please note that this place closes at 10 pm.

For a 3-day trip to Los Angeles you should pack comfortable, easy-to-carry clothes. This area is mostly warm, so the clothes you bring should be light. Also, it is important that your shoes are ergonomic, as you will be walking in many areas.

If you are going to the beach, don't forget to bring your sunscreen and of course your swimming costume. Sandals will also be necessary for your visit to the beach. Sunglasses will also be useful throughout your stay in this Californian paradise city.

I also recommend a portable charger for your mobile phone, so you can always take a good picture and check your itinerary and the map. But if you're more traditional, buying a paper map won't hurt. Are you ready to visit Los Angeles?

As you may have noticed in the previous sections, on more than one occasion I recommended you to take the buses to move from one place to another. Well, those buses are run by Culver CityBus or by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT). LADOT has approximately 30 routes, but only runs until 7pm.

To use the DASH buses you can pay for a TAP card, which costs on average €2. Once you have the card, you can recharge it for use during the 3 days you will be in Los Angeles. For that you can pay around €20 or less. Keep in mind that each trip costs about half a euro. Although Los Angeles is a car-friendly city, the tourist areas are well served by buses and I recommend that you don't miss using them.