Trip highlights
- 1Hollywood Walk of Fame and Griffith Observatory
- 2Santa Monica Pier and Venice Boardwalk
- 3The Getty Center
- 4Downtown LA's Grand Central Market
- 5Sunset over Malibu
Daily spend
Where you're going
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Language preparation
15 min/day for 8 weeks ≈ 672 useful words and phrases
Travelling to an English-speaking country?
If English isn't your first language, a few weeks of practice before you arrive builds real confidence — especially for asking directions, ordering in restaurants, and understanding regional accents.
Essential in United States
- 1.Excuse me, could you help me? — Polite way to approach strangers
- 2.Could I have the bill/check please? — Restaurant (bill = UK, check = US)
- 3.Which platform/track for [destination]? — At train stations
- 4.Sorry, I didn't catch that — asking someone to repeat themselves
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Day-by-day plan
Arrival & Hollywood
Monday, April 5
Est. spend
$230
per person
🌅 Morning
Arrive at LAX
Los Angeles International Airport
Rideshare or rental car are the practical options — LA's Metro doesn't reach most areas efficiently for visitors. The LAX-it rideshare lot is a short shuttle from the terminal.
A rental car is genuinely worth it in LA — the city's sprawl makes rideshare-only trips expensive and slow.
☀️ Afternoon
Hollywood Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre
Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood
The classic Hollywood Boulevard stretch — touristy but essential on a first visit, with thousands of stars embedded in the pavement and the ornate Chinese Theatre's handprint forecourt.
Visit before 10am to beat both the heat and the crowds — Hollywood Boulevard gets uncomfortably packed by midday.
🌙 Evening
Griffith Observatory at sunset
2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Feliz
Free public observatory with sweeping views over the city and the Hollywood Sign visible from the grounds — the best sunset spot in LA, especially as the city lights come on.
Parking fills up fast at sunset — arrive at least an hour early or take a rideshare to avoid circling for a spot.
🍽️ Meals
Airport or hotel breakfast
American · $15
Hollywood food truck
International street food · $14 · LA's food truck scene is genuinely world-class — check Roaming Hunger for what's parked nearby.
Los Feliz dinner
American/International · $40
Santa Monica & Venice Beach
Tuesday, April 6
Est. spend
$280
per person
🌅 Morning
Santa Monica Pier
200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica
The classic LA beach experience — the pier's Ferris wheel and arcade, the wide sandy beach, and the official end of Route 66.
Rent a bike at the pier and ride the beachfront path south to Venice — about 30 minutes and far more scenic than driving.
☀️ Afternoon
Venice Boardwalk and canals
Venice Beach, Venice
LA's most eclectic public space — street performers and Muscle Beach on the boardwalk, with a genuinely unusual network of residential canals a few blocks inland that most visitors miss.
Walk the Venice canals around Linnie Canal and Carroll Canal — a quiet contrast to the boardwalk, just a 10-minute walk away.
🌙 Evening
Sunset drive to Malibu
Malibu Pier, Malibu
A short drive up the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu for sunset — the Malibu Pier and surrounding beaches give one of the best ocean sunset views in the LA area.
Time the drive to arrive 30-45 minutes before sunset to find parking and a good spot on the beach.
🍽️ Meals
Santa Monica café breakfast
American · $16
Abbot Kinney lunch, Venice
International · $25 · Venice's curated shopping street has excellent, design-forward cafés.
Malibu dinner
Seafood/American · $45
The Getty & Downtown LA
Wednesday, April 7
Est. spend
$280
per person
🌅 Morning
The Getty Center
1200 Getty Center Dr, Brentwood
A hilltop art museum with free general admission, an extraordinary architectural setting by Richard Meier, and gardens with sweeping views across the city to the Pacific.
General admission is free — the only cost is parking ($25). The tram ride up from the parking structure is part of the experience.
☀️ Afternoon
Downtown LA and Grand Central Market
317 S Broadway, Downtown LA
A historic 1917 food hall in the heart of Downtown LA, with dozens of vendors covering everything from Mexican street food to Thai, oysters, and craft coffee — one of the best lunch stops in the city.
Eggslut and Sarita's Pupuseria are two of the most popular stalls — expect a short queue at peak lunch hours.
🌙 Evening
Downtown LA Arts District
Arts District, Downtown LA
Former warehouses converted into galleries, breweries, and street art — a genuinely interesting evening contrast to the beach and hills explored earlier in the trip.
🍽️ Meals
Getty café breakfast
American · $15
Grand Central Market lunch
International food hall · $20
Arts District dinner
American/International · $40
Final Beverly Hills Wander & Departure
Thursday, April 8
Est. spend
$200
per person
🌅 Morning
Rodeo Drive and Beverly Hills
Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills
A walk down the famous luxury shopping street, plus the surrounding tree-lined residential streets of Beverly Hills — a final taste of LA glamour before departure.
Window shopping is free and the architecture/people-watching is the real draw for most visitors.
☀️ Afternoon
Final lunch and souvenirs
Beverly Hills/West Hollywood
A final meal in Beverly Hills or West Hollywood before heading to the airport — both areas have a strong concentration of well-regarded restaurants.
🌙 Evening
Transfer to LAX
Los Angeles International Airport
Allow at least 2.5 hours before an international flight given LA traffic unpredictability. Avoid the 4-7pm rush hour window if possible.
🍽️ Meals
Hotel breakfast
American · $15
Beverly Hills lunch
American/International · $30
Airport food
American/International · $18
Before you go
📅 Best time to visit
March–May and October–November offer warm, dry weather without summer's heat or June's coastal 'May Gray/June Gloom' fog. Summer (Jun-Aug) is hot inland but can be foggy near the coast in the mornings.
🛂 Visas
US visa requirements depend on nationality — many countries qualify for the Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) for stays under 90 days. Apply for ESTA online at least 72 hours before travel.
💱 Currency
US Dollar (USD). Cards are accepted almost everywhere, including food trucks. Tipping 18-20% at restaurants is standard and expected, not optional.
🆘 Emergency numbers
police: 911
ambulance: 911
💬 Things you won't find in a guidebook
- A rental car is genuinely worth it — LA's public transit doesn't cover most visitor destinations efficiently given the city's sprawl.
- LA traffic is one of the worst in the US — build significant buffer time into any cross-city plan, especially during rush hour (7-10am, 4-7pm).
- The Getty Center and several other major museums have free general admission — only parking costs money.
- LA's food truck scene is genuinely excellent — check Roaming Hunger or Instagram for what's operating near your hotel on any given day.
- Marine layer (morning coastal fog) is common even in summer near the beach — it usually clears by early afternoon.
One thing worth not skipping
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