Visiting LA, whether it’s your first time or your fifth time, can be an extremely daunting proposition. There’s a lifetime’s worth of activities but also a lifetime’s worth of traffic and somehow you have to put it all together without going crazy or broke. Think of this plan for how to spend three days in LA as a “sampler”… you’ll get a little of this, a little of that, and plenty more to see on your next trip.
I’ve seen some other bloggers’ 3 day Los Angeles itineraries, and to be honest some of them are downright unrealistic. Obviously as a visitor you want to squeeze in as many wonderful experiences as possible, but some suggestions just aren’t really possible once you consider traffic, opening hours and other pesky issues.
Tips to plan your 3 day Los Angeles itinerary
- To make the most of your time, you’ll almost certainly need to rent a car – you may be able to get it cheaper by bundling with activities. I’ve put together my best tips for you to read over before you make any arrangements.
- Choose a hotel with good freeway access to make your exploration more efficient. I’ve shared some recommendations below.
- While I’ve outlined this itinerary sequentially, you can order the days however you like. In particular, I suggest planning Day 3 for a weekday (you’ll find out why later on!).
- Depending on which hotel you choose, you could opt to fly into either LAX or BUR. Burbank is a much quicker airport to deal with but doesn’t have the same volume of non-stop flights as LAX. Be sure to check out my guide for which LA airport to choose.
- Clothing in LA generally runs casual and you’ll be on your feet a lot, so choose comfort over fashion.
Where to stay for 3 days in LA
To make the most of your limited time, I suggest choosing a hotel that’s central located and has good freeway access. Both of the hotels I’ve recommended here also have great Metro access in case you want to take the train downtown instead of driving.
One great option is The Shay in Culver City, where our family stayed on our most recent trip. It’s just off the 10 freeway and not far from the junction with the 405. The hotel staff is incredibly welcome and the lobby has something for everyone: a bar, a game room, meeting space and more. There’s also a rooftop pool next to the restaurant (the formal restaurant was under construction during our visit). Culver City itself offers plenty of great restaurants and a fun atmosphere within walking distance. It’s also well-located if you decide to add on a day at Disneyland.
If you plan to add Universal Studios to your itinerary, instead consider shifting to The Garland in North Hollywood. This boutique hotel has a fun vibe and plenty of different room types to choose from. It’s just a few minutes from both Universal and Warner Brothers, and a straight (though sometimes crowded) drive to downtown.
Day 1: Westside
As a long-time Westsider, this is a day that’s easy for me to recommend because we did a version of it so many times over the years!
You can grab breakfast at your hotel in the morning or swing by Belwood Bakery in Brentwood for delicious pastries, breakfast sandwiches and smoothies.
Start your day in earnest with a visit to The Getty Center in Brentwood, which begins with a beautiful tram ride up the mountain. This incredible museum boasts an impressive collection of painting, photography and sculpture but is also an architectural gem that you’ll love to stroll. When you finish in the galleries be sure to allow time to visit the lovely gardens as well, and you may want to have lunch in the Restaurant or one of the Cafés (we usually opt for the main Café thanks to the diversity of high quality options and huge light-filled seating area).
The Getty Center opens at 10am Tuesday through Sunday and is free but requires reservations. There’s plenty of parking, which will run you $25 per car.
Assuming you’ve got that perfect LA weather, when you leave the Getty you’ll spend the rest of your day outside. I’ll give you two options to choose between depending on how traffic looks and how much time you want to spend in the car.
Option #1: Drive through the crowds of the Valley and the light at the end of the tunnel is beautiful Malibu. Hike the bluffs of Point Dume (1.5 miles, easy), which should take you about an hour – but I won’t blame you for taking your time at the top to enjoy the views! There are beautiful wildflowers in the spring, great bird watching, and often sea lions visible below you.
After you finish the hike, park yourself in the sand on Westward Beach (often just though of as the end of Point Dume State Beach or Zuma Beach). It’s not nearly as crowded as the beaches closer to the city and the water is a few degrees warmer – still too cold for me. Keep your eyes peeled, as we’ve spotted pods of dolphins swimming near shore here! Be sure to bring a travel towel so you can park yourself on the sand comfortably.
Parking here can be up to $15, but thankfully you won’t have to move your car between the hike and the beach.
The great news is you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg for a good dinner in Malibu. Drop in to Malibu Seafood for fresh catch prepared as you like, whether that’s fried, grilled or in a taco. It’s right across PCH from the ocean so grab a patio table and enjoy the golden sky as the sun dips down. Just be sure to bring a jacket, because it gets chilly in LA at night!
Option #2: Head to Pacific Palisades and Santa Monica instead of Malibu. It’s much closer and very pretty but generally much more crowded because of it. If you haven’t already eaten at The Getty Center, there are dozens of great choices in the adorable Palisades Village. Have a bite and then make your way to Temescal Gateway Park. The main loop here is 4 miles and generally considered moderate, so bring plenty of water. You’ll be rewarded with epic coastal views plus a waterfall, spring flowers and more.
It’s an easy 10 minute drive downhill to get to Will Rogers State Beach, one of the less crowded options in this stretch of Los Angeles. It’s a pleasant beach we’ve visited many times precisely because it’s easier to find parking and empty sand than many other spots. Alternatively, we love going to the beach at the Annenberg Community Beach House if we can find parking because it offers a grill for beachside snacks and well-maintained restrooms along with a splash pad and play area for the kids. If you need a second lunch, you can get it here at Back on the Beach.
Since you’re probably covered in dirt, sand and saltwater we’ll skip some of the fancier dining options in the area. For fresh, light “California” fare I recommend hitting up Tender Greens in Santa Monica. Since you’ll already be near 3rd Street, you can watch the sunset from the bluffs in Palisades Park or take an evening stroll to catch some live performances on the Promenade or check to see what events are going on. For a heavier (and absolutely delicious) meal, stop in for Mexican food at Gilbert’s El Indio – this has always been our favorite post-beach dinner.
Head back to your hotel to shower and rest up, tomorrow is another busy day!
Day 2: Downtown LA
I confess that DTLA isn’t my favorite part of the city. I spent a decade working there and watched as it morphed from “don’t go after sunset” to a hip hangout complete with swanky restaurants, happening basement clubs and even a crowded monthly art walk.
For a variety of reasons, both local and global, it has lost some of that positive momentum over the last few years… but it’s still worth visiting! Downtown LA remains the historic and cultural hub of Los Angeles and it would be a shame to miss it. You can also do a surprising amount on foot or with a few quick bus connections.
Is downtown LA safe? I would say it’s very safe during the day, though you’ll almost certainly encounter unhoused people and individuals using alcohol or other substances. At night it’s safe as long as you take typical personal safety precautions: have your wits about you, don’t walk alone, and if you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation just leave. Going for evening events at the Music Center, Disney Concert Hall or Staples Center (ok, Crypto.com Arena) is fine and safe.
Kick off your visit to Downtown LA with a visit to The Broad. This awesome free modern art museum opened nearly a decade ago and brings a totally different perspective on art than The Getty. Even if you don’t love art or art museums, The Broad is a delight. It stretches many visitors’ ideas of what constitutes art!
Be sure to reserve timed tickets in advance for Yayoi Kusama’s mirrored infinity room on the ground floor. I suggest getting the earliest tickets that you feel you can manage, as we waited in line to enter the infinity room even shortly after the museum opened. The combination of lights and mirrors is really transfixing, while the smaller color-changing installation upstairs (no tickets required) is more whimsical. There are also many great paintings and several huge Jeff Koons sculptures to check out upstairs.
In total we spent about 90 minutes at The Broad on our recent visit and felt like we saw everything. We opted to leave our car in the well-monitored museum parking garage ($17 weekends/$27 weekdays once you go beyond 3 hours). That allowed us to avoid driving the congested streets and also gave us more opportunity to explore. You can also park across the street at California Plaza for $16 flat, and sometimes cheaper if paying cash.
When you exit The Broad, cross Grand and walk along the front of the Museum of Contemporary Art (another good free art museum, but I won’t ask you to visit two in the same day). Cut through One California Plaza to get to the top of Angels Flight Railway. This historic funicular was built more than a century ago for the practical purpose of helping Angelenos manage the steep slope between Olive and Hill. While you can certainly walk the steps next to the iconic orange car, I think it’s worth the $1 per ride (just 50 cents with a Metro TAP card) for the experience!
Angels Flight deposits you conveniently at the back entrance of Grand Central Market, your next destination and a true piece of LA history. When it opened in 1917, Grand Central Market was the largest of its kind on the west coast. Just a decade ago, the Market got a major infusion of hot new foodie spots and has enjoyed renewed popularity among both visitors and locals.
Today you can buy your produce and spices alongside your vegan ramen, incredible coffee and award-winning tacos (purportedly the best in town, and we don’t disagree). Be sure to slow down and take in the frenzy, while also snapping pics next to murals of your favorite LA sports heroes! The biggest challenge will be limiting yourself, which we failed to do. We happily ate from Villa’s Tacos, La Frutería, Ramen Hood, Teddy’s Tiny Bites and probably a few more.
After you’ve stuffed your face, continue out the front side of Grand Central Market (opposite of where you entered) and it’s easy to hop across the street to the Bradbury Building. It’s a stunning architectural gem built in the late 19th century, at a time when downtown LA was emerging as a center of commerce. You’ve probably seen the Bradbury before, as it has starred in dozens of movies and TV shows ranging from Bladerunner and (500) Days of Summer to the Mission: Impossible series and plenty of 1980s music videos. These days it’s a regular office building, and you can pop in to marvel at its atrium for free during regular business hours (9-5 weekdays, 10-2 weekends). It’s also included in the LA Conservancy’s weekly walking tour of historic downtown.
Next you’ll head a few blocks over to the LA Central Library. While you probably won’t check out any books, the building itself is worth enjoying for its amazing design. It was built in the 1920s when Art Deco dominated the local landscape, but instead its architect opted for Mediterranean Revival with a twist of ancient Egypt. You can explore on your own or hop on a free docent-led tour almost any day.
To explore a different side of the arts and history, grab a bus (either Metro or DASH) down to the Grammy Museum at LA Live. This mecca of music history covers the famous award show but also the development of different musical genres and popular artists. It’s a multi-sensory experience, with plenty of music alongside tangible pieces of music industry history. If you’re ready for dinner when you’re done, LA Live offers tons of options.
Since live events are a big deal in LA, you can consider staying in downtown for the evening. Check out what’s on at Crypto.com and Peacock Theater (both near to the Grammy Museum, which also has a robust concert schedule) or head back toward the area where we started the day to take in a show at The Music Center, Disney Concert Hall or even the Colburn School (tickets here are either free or budget-friendly). As you can see, we snagged tickets to a Laker Game on our most recent visit – it was amazing!
Hopefully today has given you a great taste of what DTLA has to offer! Seeing LA’s past can be a helpful lens for understanding it’s present and imagining its future.
Day 3: Burbank + Mid-City
For your third day in LA, head to Burbank for the wonderful Warner Brothers Studio tour – I’ve written up some must-read tips to make the most of your visit. In addition to the narrated cart tour around the back lot, there are also really cool interactive exhibits now about how animation and special effects are done, Harry Potter rooms, DC Super Hero props and more. While the official tour is only an hour, I can tell you that our family spent two and a half hours enjoying all that the Warner Brothers Studio now offers visitors.
As I mentioned in my WB Studios tour tips, it’s best to do the tour on a weekday if possible. While traffic will be worse, the lot will be buzzing with shows in production. You can sometimes catch part of a taping (quietly!) while you’re on the tour.
After the tour it’s time to head into Hollywood to visit the expansive Griffith Park. Covering 4300 acres in the heart of Los Angeles, you could spend an hour or a day here depending on your interests. For a pretty little nature walk, stroll along the Ferndell trail. You can then drive up to the Griffith Observatory to enjoy the planetarium show and take in the expansive city views (including a great view of the Hollywood sign). But a word to the wise: don’t try to visit the Observatory on a weekend as the parking is far too crowded. Alternatively, if you’re a hiking maven you can take the entire 2.5 miles trail from Ferndell up to the Observatory (wear good shoes, bring lots of water and sun protection) and back down.
By now it’s definitely time for a late lunch and you’ll be heading into LA’s dense Mid-City area, which is a treasure trove for foodies. I won’t tell you exactly where to eat because there are probably 100 amazing restaurants and cafes to choose from along Melrose, Beverly and 3rd. So eat up and then grab your iced oat milk latte to go, because there’s still plenty more to see in this area! If you want a relaxing afternoon, you can always spend some time strolling and window shopping around here. There’s a lot of street parking in this area, and you can pay the meters using the ParkMobile app. Depending on where you choose for lunch you may be able to drop the car for a few hours and get around on foot.
One of the most iconic spots in this part of town is Urban Light, the huge installation of restored vintage SoCal street lamps that’s been welcoming visitors to the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA) since 2008. They’re beautiful whether you visit during the day, at twilight or at night – in this itinerary I have it slated for an afternoon stop, but you can always swing by again later! This is no doubt one of the most Instagrammable spots in LA.
Conveniently, you’re right next door to one of the most fascinating spots in the city (even if it isn’t as ‘gram-worthy). The La Brea Tar Pits are the ultimate throwback: there’s still an ongoing excavation site here to find more incredible Ice Age fossils! Yes, you can see an active paleontological dig going in smack in the middle of one of America’s largest cities. There’s no cost to walk the grounds and check out the bubbling asphalt puddles or see the life-size recreations of the mega fauna that have been discovered here. It’s one of the best free things to do in Los Angeles making it perfect for visitors on a budget.
By now it’ll be late afternoon and you’ll be winding down your quick visit to LA. This is a great time to swing by one of the popular shopping areas in Mid City, whether you prefer the manicured music-timed fountains of The Grove or the posh boutiques of Rodeo Drive in neighboring Beverly Hills.
If you want to wrap up your trip with an incredible meat-filled meal, there’s no better place than Argentinian steak house Carlitos Gardel on Melrose. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Crossroads Kitchen serves up gorgeous, artistic vegan dishes that will appeal to all types of eaters.
If you’ve still got steam, a fun and unique things to do in LA at night is take in a comedy show. There are so many to choose from! For a formal show it’s hard to beat The Comedy Store, which generally has multiple shows per night each with several performers. I haven’t been there but heard great things about Dynasty Typewriter (a relative newcomer, having only opened in 2018). I’ve had a great time at the improv shows presented by both The Groundlings and Upright Citizens Brigade.
Add-ons for 4 days in Los Angeles
If you’re debating spending a fourth day in Los Angeles, there are plenty of additional options to keep you busy! First, I always recommend taking advantage of LA’s natural offerings like beaches and hikes. If you look past the miles and miles of concrete towers there’s so much beauty all around, even without going 10 minutes outside of the urban areas.
Second, many people choose to add on a day at Universal Studios or Disneyland. Universal is much easier because it it’s smack in the middle of the city and most people can see everything they want to see in a single day since it’s pretty small. If you just want a taste, you can head south very early for a full day at Disneyland – on weekends you can get down there in about 40 minutes but expect big crowds in the parks, while weekday traffic can be heavier but the crowds will be lighter.
If you want an escape, you can also consider one of these great Southern California day trips! They vary in drive time so you can pick something that fits your preference.