I’ve had several people recently ask me about what to see, eat and do in Los Angeles and I’ve been giving them all the same information so I figured I should write up a post! Los Angeles is one of my favorite cities because it’s big, there’s a lot to do, there are beaches nearby, and the food is AMAZING! Check out the Ultimate Los Angeles Bucket List and let me know if I missed any of your favorite items. Enjoy!
What To Eat:
There are so many delicious restaurants, my favorite is Sanamluang Thai Cuisine.
Sanamluang Thai Cuisine has two locations: Claremont and Los Angeles. They serve classic dishes from Thailand and everything is delicious! I had the cashew nut chicken which comes with stir fried chicken with onion, dried chili, bell pepper, cashew nuts and carrots! I added a side of white rice because I love rice and It was SO TASTY.
Check out The Ultimate Los Angeles Food Bucket List for more recommendations!
What To See and Do:
Check out a beach
There are so many beaches in Los Angeles. I really like Dockweiler State Beach where the Summer Aerospace Games are held.
Check out The Broad Museum
If you like museums and art, I highly recommend The Broad Museum. There are so many cool exhibits and entry is free!
Hike or Drive up to Griffith Observatory
You also absolutely have to add Griffith Observatory as it is iconic! If you feel super active and fit, you can hike up to the top from the parking lot at the bottom but be warned it’s pretty steep. You can check out 13 photos to inspire you to hike here!
Experience the Los Angeles Philharmonic
If you like music and beautiful architecture, you have to check out the Los Angeles Philharmonic, an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. Their concerts are at the beautiful Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Pro-tip, if you go up to the roof of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, you can get great views of the city and see some beautiful sculptures!
Walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame
It was super fun to just walk around here (there were WAY more stars than I thought there would be). I found Emilio Estefan’s star!
Immerse Yourself in the Madam Tussaud’s Hollywood Wax Museum
Got the chance to check out Madame Tussauds in Hollywood and see the celebrity wax figures! Super awesome and they looked SO REAL!
Have a blast at Universal
If you love amusement parks you definitely have to check out Universal! Los Angeles has so much going on and I particularly love the theme parks! Check out some fun tips here to help you prepare for a visit!
Experience an Escape Room
We weren’t able to escape but it was SO MUCH FUN. I recommend this to everyone. We got locked up in a room and had 1 hour to escape using clues in the room. WE WERE SO CLOSE. I’ll be back and I will escape. If you are into solving puzzles and using clues/investigating, definitely try this!
Party in West Hollywood!
There are so many fun dance clubs in West Hollywood so I definitely recommend you check out that area!
Check out The Last Bookstore
California’s largest used and new book and record store is honestly a book lover’s dream. You can’t beat $1 books and awesome archways made of books. I was like a kid in a candy store.
Experience a concert at the Greek Theatre
We saw Tom Misch play at this iconic music venue and it was amazing!
Other surrounding areas to check out:
If you’ll be in Los Angeles area for a while, here are a few other locations nearby that you can check out.
Valencia, California
This was a very fun bucket list item to cross off because I LOVE ROLLER COASTERS. We came to Six Flags to celebrate my friend Joseph’s graduation from college. His girlfriend is so sweet and planned a surprise trip for him and invited his friends (us) to join. We were the first 250 to ride the brand new ride Twisted Colossus at Six Flags and we got special VIP pins! It was such an awesome ride, that I think it may be my new favorite ride!!!
Downey, California
Downey is a city in California that most people drive through on the way back to Arizona. We stopped here to get gas and discovered this super cute donut shop called Donas! It is a donut shop with a Latin flair. The donuts were delicious! Check out more photos here.
Glendale, California
If you are ever in Los Angeles and feel like checking out another part of California, I recommend that you drive the 25-30 minutes to Glendale, California and check out Brand Park. Brand Park is a 31-acre park featuring hiking & biking trails, a playground, a library & picnic facilities. It’s a great spot to hike, relax and take photos. Check out more photos to inspire you to visit here!
Long Beach, California
If you are ever in Los Angeles and feel like checking out another part of California, I recommend that you drive the 45-50 minutes to Long Beach, California as there is so much to do there too! Stay tuned for The Ultimate Long Beach Bucket List!
Malibu, California
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Malibu is home to some beautiful hikes. Check out two of my favorites that I highly recommend! Check out more photos here!
Palm Springs, California
There’s so much to eat, see and do in Palm Springs. Check out The Ultimate Palm Springs Bucket List for all of the inspiration!
Santa Monica, California
I love Santa Monica because it is home to Santa Monica Pier, a super popular spot in California! There’s rides, food, and amazing views of the ocean. Check out more photos here.
Thank you all for reading, and stay enthusiastic! 🙂
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-Maira