Only Have 1 Day? Guide To Los Angeles’ Must-See Places
Perhaps you are passing through Los Angeles as part of a California road trip, or you are visiting for work purposes, and you can only spend 1 full day touring the city of angels. I would like to share my itinerary and some tips from a 1-day trip in LA with my family. Keep reading to find out how I planned my route.
How To Get Around LA
Firstly, I recommend renting a car for the following reasons:
- Greater convenience and flexibility
- You get to choose the type of car to drive
- Avoid expensive Ubers (car rentals could cost about US$50 per day)
- More efficient means of getting around compared topublic transport
Some rental companies to consider: Enterprise, Advantage, and others. I used Hotwire to book because the rates were cheaper. This website does not tell you which car you are getting when you book the car, you only know the category of the car (e.g. SUV/Convertible/etc.). Most car rental pickup locations are within a shuttle bus ride from the LAX airport.
Remember to book the car rental ahead of time to get better rates.
For reference: A Ford Mustang day rental cost around US$120 (before insurance).
For more tips on car rental:
- How To Choose The Best Car Rental – Turo, Zipcar, Hertz
- California Car Rental: 7 Easy Tips You Need To Know For Road Trips
1 Day Itinerary in the City of Angels
11 AM: Venice Beach
After having breakfast and picking the car up from Advantage near LAX, take a short drive to Venice beach. Choose the route that passes through Venice Canals, a network of canals surrounded by beautiful homes, such that one is reminded of Venice in Europe. There is a flurry of activity in Venice beach, even at 11am.
Things to do: Visit the skate park, walk along the boardwalk, see muscle beach
Alternative: Santa Monica beach just 10 min away
1 PM: Beverly Hills (Rodeo Dr)
When you think of LA, surely Beverly Hills comes to mind. Occasionally, people spot celebrities here, and exotic cars are commonly seen in this affluent city. The streets are lined with luxury brand shop fronts, and walking down Rodeo Drive was a cool experience.
We also stopped by Cheesecake Factory, a popular restaurant known for their cheesecake desserts.
Things to do: Take pictures with expensive cars (if you are allowed to), window shop, enjoy feeling like a million bucks
Alternatives: The Grove, 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, other shopping malls like Century City
3 PM: Lunch @ Shake Shack (Hollywood)
Outside of the US, especially in Singapore, there is some kind of hype around Shake Shack burgers. Fortunately, they are everywhere in LA! Here’s one in Hollywood, and I recommend the Shroom Burger for yummy mushroom and cheese goodness.
4 PM: Explore Hollywood
Hollywood is actually a neighbourhood in LA, and here are some of my suggestions for things to do.
Things to do: Shopping at The Hollywood & Highland Center (on Hollywood Blvd), see the Walk of Fame, eat at In-N-Out
530 PM: Lake Hollywood Park
Now we start to look for views of the Hollywood sign, and here is a park where you can have unobstructed views of it, presenting good photo opportunities too! On your drive to this park, you will also pass by some beautiful homes, perched atop the Hollywood hills.
Things to do: Take pictures, take a walk in the park, drive around the neighbourhood to see houses
630 PM: Sunset @ Griffith Observatory
Sunset time was 740pm that day, and we wanted to be at the observatory about 1 hour beforehand to catch the golden hour. This is the best time to take pictures and enjoy panoramic views of Downtown LA on one side, and the Hollywood sign on the other. The observatory is also a beautiful work of art and very picturesque. Seeing it glow during sunset was truly magical. One downside was the crowd, as it became difficult to get good pictures (people kept entering the frame).
Fun fact if you did not already know – this place was featured in the La La Land movie. It is a very romantic place, definitely take your date here for sunset 😉 Remember to stay a little while after sunset to see the colours of the sky change.
Things to do: Take pictures, explore the observatory, enjoy views of the city, watch the sunset, look through telescopes that volunteers bring out
830 PM: Dinner @ BCD Tofu (Korea Town)
As the final activity of the day, I highly recommend a visit to Korea Town. One of my first meals in LA was tofu soup and I think everyone should try it. I believe most restaurants in KTown are good, and it is so close to Griffith, why not?
Alternatives: Beverly Soon Tofu, Jae Bu Do (Seafood BBQ), any Korean BBQ, Sun Nong Dan (famous beef hot plate), Yupp Dduk LA (famous Korean rice cake)
Worthy Mentions
- Universal Studios Hollywood, Disneyland
- Getty Center
- Downtown LA: The Broad, Walt Disney Theatre, Staples Center, Grand Central Market
The highlight of my day was watching the sunset and taking pictures at Griffith Observatory! If you have limited time, I hope that this 1-day itinerary was useful for you. Feel free to leave a comment or DM me on Instagram if you want to know more.
Read more:
