Friends are coming in from out of town and they’re flying into LAX. They want to see a bit of the famous city of Los Angeles before they move on. What do you show them in just a few days? The city is huge and the area has so much to offer, you try to warn them, but a long-term stay is out of the question so you’ve got to find a way to squeeze in the best of it all. Our ultimate 3 day itinerary for Los Angeles can help!
This ultimate 3 day itinerary for Los Angeles cuts through all the possibilities to give your visitors the best taste of the city scene. Stir in a bit of what the city is famous for then pepper with something spicy and unexpected. Give them the Hollywood sign and then follow up with Frogtown. It’s all possible with this short but sweet 3 day trip to the City of Angels.
Table of Contents
Welcome to Los Angeles
There are five airports serving over 100 million travelers in the Los Angeles area but if your friends have arrived on an early afternoon or evening flight to LAX there is a perk. You can hit up a spot that is quintessential So Cal. In N Out on Sepulveda Boulevard! Anthony Bourdain claimed this to be his first stop on any trip to Los Angeles and we can’t blame him. Nothing says you’re in California like an In-N-Out burger. The menu is straightforward forward and its simplicity is the magic. But if you want to look like a local take some time to learn more about the secret menu. I’m all about the Protein Style/Animal Style!
Get Your Travel Goals Newsletter & BONUS Workbook
When our family came in from out of town it was an early flight so we had breakfast at Attitude Cafe instead. This highly-rated spot served up fantastic chicken and waffles, frittatas, as well as plenty of other traditional menu items. Don’t be fooled by that So Cal vibe. Los Angeles is one of the best places for chicken and waffles! The Attitude Cafe serves tender chicken breast over crispy Belgian waffles and real maple syrup. But this isn’t the only place in southern California that serves it. You can also get this classic dish at Roscoe’s! Their crispy fried chicken and waffle combo is a great way to kick off a lazy Sunday morning.
Downtown
Once downtown, you’re just minutes away from amazing high-quality museums like The LA County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, or the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum. These essential spots make it worthwhile to spend a day indoors. If going to the LACMA you can’t miss the outdoor art installation of street lamps collected from across the city. Yes, this art installation is Insta-worthy but don’t forget the top floor of the LACMA has an observation deck with wonderful views of the city. On a good day you can see all the way to the Hollywood sign!
Once you’ve built up a hunger you are just a hop, skip and jump from another LA institution, Pinks! This is the ultimate hot dog stand, and yes they sell other things too like hamburgers and chili. But you should really try any one of the 40 or so creative hot dog choices on the menu. They like to refer to themselves as a Hollywood legend since 1939 when the original hot dog stand was established with a $50 loan from the owner, Betty Pink’s mother. The original brick-and-mortar location was built in 1946 on La Brea Avenue. That’s where you and your friends are dining!
Get Your Travel Goals Newsletter & BONUS Workbook
If your visitors have kids you can pair up the visit to La Brea Tar Pits with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. Who doesn’t love dinosaurs? This Exposition Park museum gives you a world-class chance to see them up close and personal. Their exhibits are complemented with Dinosaur Encounters, a live show that runs Thursday – Sunday for a small additional charge beyond your entry ticket.
Less than a 10-minute drive from the Natural History Museum you can still get that LA hot dog fix with a trip to Earl’s. For over 30 years, they have been grilling and slicing their dogs to get all that yummy charred flavor and you won’t be disappointed!
Best Viewpoints
You can walk off all of today’s calories with a hike at Griffith Park or park up by the Griffith Observatory and enjoy your focus on the stars. You’ll have one of the best views of the Hollywood sign from the entry to the observatory but the real beauty of this great spot comes out at night when you’ll have an amazing view of the city lights of downtown LA! The observatory is open until 10 PM on most nights. If you can’t make that another vantage point with great views is Mulholland Drive. This scenic route through the Hollywood Hills has multiple hikes and turnout points with overlooks that will help visitors appreciate the area.
Best Neighborhoods
Some of the best places to give your visitors a taste of the expected Los Angeles scene include Hollywood Boulevard and The Hollywood Walk of Fame where they can see stars on the sidewalk of some of their favorite Hollywood elite. They can see if their hands fit in the handprints of famous movie stars or gawk at the TCL Chinese Theatre or visit the site of the Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre. The El Capitan Theatre is a must-see stop if you are Disney fans. Owned by Disney they put together a show as only Mickey can. Tickets are $12 and up but the extra expense is worth it as they often have Disney artifacts on display that are connected to the movie showing. There are also live performances before the screen lights up so be sure to show up early! You can enjoy the theatre restored to its 1920’s glory, view artifacts from Disney movie sets, listen to the Wurlitzer organ, and watch a live stage show all before the room goes dark and your movie plays. It’s a true one-of-a-kind experience.
Get Your Travel Goals Newsletter & BONUS Workbook
You can’t have a list of the best neighborhoods in Los Angeles without mentioning Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive. Shopping immediately comes to mind when anyone says Rodeo Drive and it’s not without reason. This is a two-mile road packed with high-end shopping experiences. Keeping with the high-end theme you can also visit elite mansions and their gardens. If you want to do something a little less expensive you can visit art exhibits, and public parks, or take a narrated trolley tour.
Venice Beach And Santa Monica Pier
We chose to take our crew to enjoy the afternoon at Venice Beach and the Santa Monica Pier. This is one of the best areas to get the sun, surf, and sand that southern California is so famous for. The world famous Venice Beach waterfront is filled with an ecclectic mix of people. While walking along the paved bicycle and pedestrian path we saw trapeze artists, beach volleyball games, a packed skate park and obviously this is one of the best areas to people watch.
You easily can walk along the pedestrian path to the Santa Monica Pier. Here you can enjoy all the typical fair food and rides alongside popular street performers and fishermen. Catch a quick spin on the famous Ferris Wheel, ride the West Coaster, or just enjoy wonderful views of the Pacific.
Frogtown
Another amazing, but often overlooked neighborhood in Los Angeles is Frogtown. This Elysian Valley area is situated along the LA River and has tree-shaded pedestrian and bike paths that flow alongside for you to enjoy a taste of the outdoors. This section of LA is like no other, with homes and art studios right alongside tasty cafes and artisan breweries. It got its name from the hundreds of little green creatures that used to come into the neighborhoods from the water. Scientists now speculate that they were actually toads but Frogtown stuck.
You can park alongside Marsh Skate Park and walk through the entrance to Lewis MacAdams Riverside Park. Walk past the exercise track toward the arched pathway. You can picnic there by the statue of Lewis MacAdams and check out the beautiful gate that fronts the bike path. Walk along the bike path toward Morning Service Coffee Shop. You can grab a high-quality coffee and pastry in the shop then enjoy the patio and watch the bicyclists fly by. A food truck sits right outside if you want a bigger meal.
Get Your Travel Goals Newsletter & BONUS Workbook
You can drive up to Elysian Park for great views of Dodger Stadium or get up close and personal by taking a tour of the stadium and catching a game! This family-friendly venue is where I saw my first baseball game and it’s a gem in Los Angeles. Catch a Friday night game and you’ll get fireworks along with your Dodger Dog and garlic fries! But be sure to remind your tourist visitors, as with a trip to many stadiums, to leave the camera in the hotel room. Professional-style photography is not allowed.
Smogasburg
If you’ve got a couple of teens with you on this trip to Los Angeles then be sure to check out Smorgasburg every Sunday in Downtown LA. Enter on 7th Street between Central and Alameda and be ready for a sensory overload! This open-air market is a hot spot for unique local eateries and beverage booths. You are guaranteed to find something for everyone!
During our last trip, we hit up Cheezus for a gourmet grilled cheese with truffle jam (aaahmazing!) and washed it down with a lychee drink at Sweetgrass. I now have dreams of growing my own sugar cane thanks to them. Tacos 1986 had the best Tijuana-style carne asada on homemade tortillas. Cali Dumplings served us fantastic soup dumplings. Vegan options abound! And then there are the dessert choices. Thank you Lei’d Cookies for having so many cookie flavors that I had to order a box full! Needless to say, if anyone leaves here hungry they just don’t have a soul.
There are many more vendors at Smorgasburg Los Angeles and every third Sunday of the month they also sport a Record Row. If you have a teen who has recently rediscovered vinyl then this is a hot spot for you! You’ll wade across your own nostalgia as you flip through boxes of records, not just from the US but older releases from around the globe.
On Your Way Out
This is the last day of your ultimate 3-day itinerary for Los Angeles. The Getty Museum is worthy of a day to itself. The Getty’s beautiful location gives your visitors not only a wonderful collection of European art from the Middle Ages to modern times but also great views of Los Angeles. They have also kicked off their outdoor concert series called “Off the 405” for the first time since Covid. So you can plan a longer stay by enjoying the exhibits then having a picnic on the lawn before the show starts at 6 PM. The Getty is free but timed reservations are required for entry.
The Getty Villa is also an option if your visitors are heading up the Pacific Coast Highway. Just north of Santa Monica on the PCH this villa is a recreation of an ancient Roman villa. Housing a collection of both Greek and Roman art you can explore this amazing spot, the original home of the Getty Museum. Walk along the reflecting pool, take in the gardens and imagine what life would be like in an ancient countryside villa.
Plan far in advance as each of these Getty venues are very popular. Have proof of vaccination ready, a photo of your card will suffice and at the time of writing masks were required indoors. Concert tickets for “Off the 405” can be purchased up to two weeks in advance.
Have kids with you and don’t think they can handle another museum, then why not take them to Universal Studios instead? This is a great last-day adventure. Be prepared for loud fun, rollercoasters, and simulation rides based on popular movies like Minions, Jurassic Park, and Harry Potter.
Looking for a calmer way to enjoy a wrap-up of the city you can take your guests to visit The Last Bookstore and Grand Central Market. The Last Bookstore in downtown LA no Spring Street isn’t just an Insta-worthy pit stop. This amazing bookstore is staffed with great people who are passionate about reading. Get your bearings on the first floor and enjoy its fabulous wall art or check out the vinyl collection. It’s here you’ll get a sense of just how big this place is with over 250,000 books on offer. But head to the second-floor Labyrinth to see the one-of-a-kind art installations designed as perfect backdrops for getting lost in a novel. Be respectful of passionate readers if you are going to take photographs and don’t use your flash. There are plenty of people who crash into the space to grab their Instagram shot and then leave so honor these hard workers, their amazing space, and the literacy they are so passionate about by purchasing something before you leave.
Just a six-minute walk around the corner you can see the neon signs glow at the entrance to Grand Central Market. You could come here each day of the week for a month and still not do more than scratch the surface of this hot spot for foodies. Not just about the food, they host community and concert events as well so be sure to check out their website to see what’s on offer when you plan to come.
Get Your Travel Goals Newsletter & BONUS Workbook
Ultimate 3-Day Los Angeles Itinerary – What’s Next?
To explore all that the City of Lights has to offer in just a couple of days, this ultimate 3-day Los Angeles itinerary can help. From Hollywood and Beverly Hills to Downtown LA and Venice Beach, you’ll get a taste of the best that the city has to offer. And if you want to see more of California, be sure to check out our other posts for ideas on what to do and where to go next!
Nothing says California coastal beauty like the cozy beach town of Cambria. Let us help you get the most out of your stay in this wonderful coastal spot. But don’t stop there! The Pacific Coast Highway is California’s perfect road trip. We show you how to enjoy the highlights in our post that guide you from Big Sur up to the northern California Redwoods!