What to see in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles. A name, a reason, and a WOW. A city so full, so rich, and so vibrant that sometimes the very idea of visiting it can feel intimidating, because you don’t know where to start. And in a way, that’s absolutely true: Los Angeles is huge, diverse, and packed with many different attractions to visit. But with a bit of planning, it won’t seem quite so complicated.

What to see in Los Angeles?

We tried (we really tried!) to put together a list of things to see in Los Angeles, the same places that travelers on our California trip, or our USA and Great Parks trip, often visit. It’s not a complete list, but rather what you could realistically manage to see in 2 or 3 days.

Hollywood Sign

Let’s start here, with the Hollywood Sign, because it’s such an iconic and fascinating landmark. It’s the famous “Hollywood” sign standing on the hillside of Mount Lee, and it immediately highlights L.A.’s strong connection to the film industry. Since it’s set on a hill, it can be seen from many places across Los Angeles. But if you want to see it truly up close, there are specific viewpoints for that. And one of the questions we’re asked most often is exactly where to go to photograph the famous sign. We talk about it in this article, if you’d like to take a look.

Universal Studios Hollywood

And since we were just talking about Hollywood and movies, here’s the second must-see in Los Angeles: a visit to Universal Studios Hollywood, a theme park that lets you step onto some of the most famous movie sets and relive their most important scenes, complete with special effects. The quality level is so high that it rivals Disneyland for the title of best theme park in California. And that says it all.

Hollywood Walk of Fame

Staying with the Hollywood theme, here is one of the most famous star-studded walks in the world—perhaps the most famous of all: the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where more than 2,400 entertainment figures are immortalized on the sidewalk with symbolic stars.

Santa Monica

Let’s completely change scenery and move to a much more relaxed atmosphere: Santa Monica. What makes this destination famous are undoubtedly its Baywatch-style miles of beaches and the celebrated amusement park on the pier (Pacific Park, on the Santa Monica Pier). You know the famous Ferris wheel on the pier? That’s where you’ll find it. Not to mention that Santa Monica is also home to one of the most famous road signs in all of America: the final point (or starting point, depending on your route) of the legendary Route 66.

Warner Bros. Studios

If you’ve always wanted to see how Hollywood’s biggest film and TV hits are made, a visit to Warner Bros. Studios could be just right for you. You’ll be able to explore the behind-the-scenes of some of the most successful productions made there and discover the secrets behind a Hollywood production. Unlike Universal, you won’t find rides here, because this is not an amusement park. Other studios of the same type include Paramount Studios and Sony Pictures Studios. To help you choose, you can read our article on which Hollywood studio tour to pick.

Beverly Hills

Come on. No one says it out loud, but let’s admit it: how great is it to see those huge luxury homes in person, in the richest neighborhood of L.A.?! Beverly Hills definitely deserves a spot on the list of things to see in Los Angeles. It’s worth stopping by even just to see the neighborhood featured in hundreds of films, such as Pretty Woman, Beverly Hills 90210...

Venice Beach

For a long time, Venice Beach was known as the most eccentric part of California, the kind of place where “if you didn’t go to Venice Beach, you haven’t really been to California.” As soon as you arrive, you’ll find plenty of artists, skateboarders, and bodybuilders busy with their open-air performances. The area, which attracted many members of the Beat Generation in the 1950s, was designed in 1905 by a developer (Abbot Kinney) whose goal was to recreate a sort of new Venice. The result was the Venice Canal Historic District, with as many as 30 km of canals. It can be really cool to spend the day walking along the Venice Boardwalk (Venice Ocean Front Walk), a wide waterfront promenade with beautiful views of L.A.

There would be so many, so many more things to see in Los Angeles. But instead of reading lists of things to do and see, wouldn’t it be better to take a trip to California and enjoy the city for yourself? With us at Sto Gran Tour, you can do just that by joining a California Trip, a USA and Great Parks Trip, or even a USA Camper Trip.