THINGS TO DO IN LA

Planning a trip to LA? Then it’s probably best to think about putting an itinerary together as there’s so much to do! I’ve been to LA twice now and both times I got to spend around 3 days to myself exploring. The first time I went with family and the second for a blog project and I’ve actually managed to see quite a few key touristy parts now! LA is such a cool place to visit, the weather is amazing pretty much all year round and you’ll have endless amounts of fun. I thought, because I’ve been twice that I would put together a list of things to do in LA to kick start your trip planning!

THINGS TO DO IN LA

VENICE BEACH

Venice Beach is one of my favourite places in LA. I remember going there for the first time a few summers ago and the feeling it gave me strolling down the beach. I felt a sense of freedom and it let me forget everything for a second; and for once in a long time, felt content. You’ll find lots of people on the streets showing off their amazing talents to earn money from passers by, artists creating cute touristy buys, lots of graffiti, muscle beach and the longest strip of sand from the shops to the sea. Both times I visited Venice Beach, the skies were blue and the vast view was beautiful. It’s not like any other places I’ve visited, and very different to the rest of LA. It’s amazing how one huge place can have so many different parts to it. Venice Beach can be done in a few hours, and I’d recommend going during the day.

ABBOTT KINNEY

Abbott Kinney is a little street about 15 to 20 minutes walk from Venice Beach, so I’d definitely recommend visiting both of these on the same day. It’s a really cute street with lots of healthy food places and quirky boutiques. The street isn’t that long, it only takes about 15-20 minutes to stroll down it slowly, so I’d say give yourself an hour or two if you wanted to mooch about in the shops and grab a coffee.

THE GROVE

I visited The Grove at Christmas time, so I’m going to be a bit bias as it was so beautiful with it’s huge Christmas tree and heavily decorated shops. However, if you’re looking for somewhere pleasant to shop I’d definitely pop it on your itinerary. You will find shops such as: Sephora, Nordstrom, Topshop, Zara, GAP and more! So a nice variety of shops for everyone.

RODEO DRIVE

Regardless of how much money you have to spend, I would say to everyone to visit Rodeo Drive, purely because it’s so interesting to see how the street differs from ones like Melrose Avenue for example. Rodeo Drive is for the wealthier… It features shops such as Dior, Chanel, Tiffany’s etc… It’s a street full of designers and expensive cars. If you’re into your makeup though there is a really big Sephora close by, so I’d definitely recommend strolling down Rodeo whilst daydreaming of designer buys and then carry on to Sephora!

FAIRFAX AVENUE

Fairfax Avenue is basically for guys, but it’s a very cool street. You’ll find lots of urban, streetwear shops like Supreme and Independent shops selling Yeezy. I did love this street, as I’m in to all of that and I purchased a few treats for Robin. If you’re a huge dog lover as well, then you HAVE to go to Bark n Bitches, it’s a pet adoption shop, SO YOU CAN PLAY WITH THE DOGGIES!! I definitely spent like half an hour just sitting with the dogs!

Every Sunday on Fairfax, you will also find the Flea Market, situated at the high school. It looks tiny when you first walk in, you think oh there will be like 20 stalls. NOPE, there are SO many, you can literally spend all day strolling around the market! There’s even food stalls and a stage where artists perform! It’s a really fab day out if you like handmade, vintage and homeware goods. I think it cost me $3 or $5 for entry, but everything is really cheap when you’re inside and you can barter. Some stalls have card payments via an app on their phone, but it’s best to bring cash for purchases!

MELROSE AVENUE

You will find Melrose Avenue just off of Fairfax, so these two streets can be done at once. Melrose features more women’s shops, still along the same fashion as Fairfax: street and urban. You’ll find stores such as Urban Outfitters, Adidas, American Apparel and lots of independent ones. I loved this street because it was just so quirky and reminded me of Camden in London.

HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD

You all know that Hollywood is a must see when you visit LA. From the Walk of Fame to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (pictured above), there’s lots to see and do! And whilst you’re in the area, you must drive up to see the Hollywood sign! You get a really cool view of LA from up there.

WARNER BROS STUDIO

If you’re into your American TV shows and movies then you have to visit Warner Bros. Studios. I was so lucky when I went because Pretty Little Liars was filming and I got to see a few of the characters! The whole experience is a tour and you get taken around to see the film sets and costumes and props. It was so interesting to hear that so many movies had been filmed there!

DISNEY

Now I had never been to Disney before LA, so it was a definite on my itinerary. I can’t compare it to any of the other Disney’s but I can say that it was amazing! The weather was beautiful and it wasn’t actually too busy in the park. We spent the whole day there and even watched the evening light show and fireworks. OMG BEST FIREWORKS EVER. They were literally magical!

SANTA MONICA PIER

Last but not least, Santa Monica Pier. After watching all of those movies which have scenes at the pier, you have to visit it! The beach is beautiful to stroll along or even rent a bike and there are lots of rides on the pier you can have fun on. Definitely go on the ferris wheel as you get a lovely view of the beach.

So they’re my top things to do in LA. One thing I would say is that you need a car to get around, or access to Uber. Uber is brilliant out there and really cheap. I think the longest journey I did was for about 45 minutes and it was about $20. So not bad at all! If you’re heading off to LA soon, I really hope my list has helped!

Peace
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