How to spend 1 day in LA
Admittedly, creating Los Angeles with all its sights in one day is utopian. Or should we say better - a challenge.
To shoot one and a half hours of concentrated blockbuster power sometimes takes months. It doesn’t take more than a day to explore the highlights of Hollywood’s dream factory Los Angeles. The city certainly offers enough attractions for a longer stay. Still, especially if you just want to have a quick espresso with George Clooney or prefer to invest the precious time during the road trip in national parks, you can explore the city in one day.
1. Beach 26 (Venice)
A bit kitschy, but definitely with great attention to detail, is the “Beach 26” café. You can go there for breakfast and have their French toast. That also seems to be the breakfast specialty of the house, as the breakfast menu consists mainly of French toasts in a wide variety of variations. You can have some kind of French toast with croissant and cinnamon or French banana toast with strawberries. Both dishes are extremely rich and generous. Those who go to Beach 26 for lunch will also find dishes such as burgers, pasta or pizza there.
2. Go to the Griffith Observatory for sunrise
The Griffith Observatory is THE viewpoint in Los Angeles. From there you have a perfect view of the whole of LA and the Hollywood Sign. It is correspondingly popular, especially at sunset it gets packed here. Double on the weekend. If there is an event in the Greek Theater, you can multiply the number of visitors by 3 again. Very early in the morning at sunrise, the Griffith Observatory is still empty and the atmosphere is really magical. If the parking lot is still closed, you can park on the roadside and walk the little way up. The exhibition in the observatory itself is still closed at this time. Parking is free.
3. The Hollywood Sign up close // Best Hollywood Sign Viewpoint
Whole books have probably already been written about how to get as close as possible to the famous Hollywood Sign in the most sensible / best / next way. The fact is: Google Maps does not provide any useful information for this; only the Hollywood Sign itself or a place called Hollywood Sign Hike Parking are stored. The latter, i.e., approaching the sign by mini hike, can be done, but it actually eats up too much time for a day trip in Los Angeles.
The best place to get as close as possible to the Hollywood Sign is Lake Hollywood Park. Enter Lake Hollywood Park as the destination address on Google Maps, drive on Canyon Lake Dr. there and look for a parking space on the side of the road and walk a little further up. Canyon Lake Drive turns into Mulholland Hwy after the curve over, here you continuously get closer to the Hollywood Sign.
4. Mulholland Drive through the Hollywood Hills
Basically, you are now almost in the famous Hollywood Hills; you get the full roar when you drive west on Mulholland Drive. Mulholland Drive is THE scenic road from Los Angeles and offers an amazing view of the whole city along the whole route. The drive through the Hollywood Hills is particularly spectacular and if you have the time, you can make a stop in Runyon Canyon Park on the way. Runyon Canyon offers a great view over the whole of LA and is very popular with hikers and joggers. Tourists, as well as locals, meet here, and anyone who is somehow famous on Instagram and (therefore, of course) in LA has to take a photo of themselves in sportswear. Otherwise, that was probably the fame.
5. Zinque (West Hollywood)
There are some Los Angeles restaurants where you can run into a few celebrities. Most of these cafes and restaurants are in West Hollywood. One of them is the zinque. Directly at the western end of Melrose Avenue is the cool restaurant, where celebrities like Gigi Hadid or Kendall Jenner like to stop by. You should go for lunch and have their burger and fries. A cool spot with a varied menu.
6. Hollywood Walk of Fame
After that is done, whether with or without a stop at Runyon Canyon, you head straight for the next station: Hollywood Boulevard or Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is probably the tourist center of Los Angeles and you should take your time here. Not because it is so great here, but because it is so crowded that you cannot whiz through quickly. Walking speed = strolling through town. Along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, you will find the Chinese Theater and the Dolby Theater, where the Oscars take place every year. Don’t let all the people talk to you who want to sell you some nonsense or any tour, you don’t have time for that anyway and you are already on your personal sightseeing tour.
7. Rodeo Drive
Head west to Beverly Hills to Rodeo Drive. The famous luxury shopping street should be familiar to everyone since Pretty Woman at the latest. Parking around Rodeo Drive is chargeable, but quite affordable. Most have a parking meter with a time limit, but the time is usually easy.
8. Bel Air
The same, in other words, amazement, also applies to Bel Air. Basically, there is not much to say about the Los Angeles district, it is the district where the beautiful and rich finally live. Walking is not intended here, which is why there are no sidewalks at all in many places, and the properties are protected from prying eyes by meter-high fences and hedges. You won’t see celebrities here, the only people on the street are probably the gardeners and housemaids. Nevertheless, Bel Air worth seeing and fascinating for a short detour by car, because it corresponds exactly to the idea that many of us have of Los Angeles.
9.Santa Monica and Venice Beach
When the day is slowly coming to an end, you can head to Santa Monica and Venice Beach. Strictly speaking, the two towns no longer belong to Los Angeles, but the transitions are seamless in the mega-agglomeration of LA County anyway. And this is really a must for everyone who is in and around Los Angeles!
10. Qeepl luggage storage
If you on a 1 day trip you need a luggage storage for your bags. Qeepl luggage storage can be found all over Los Angeles.
Our luggage storage service costs $5.90 per bag/per day - there are no weight and size restrictions.
You can download our mobile app or use this link to find and book luggage storage points near you. We will make your day even more exciting!
