UltimateCity Guide Los Angeles
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Griffith Observatory above Los Angeles at sunset Griffith Observatory above Los Angeles at sunset The Hollywood Sign on Mount Lee Santa Monica Beach and the Pier Boutiques on North Rodeo Drive

The city guide to Los Angeles, California

Best of Los Angeles

Griffith Observatory above the city lights, the stars of Hollywood Boulevard, the grand hotels of Beverly Hills, and the Pacific from Santa Monica to Malibu.

Where to eatWhat to see

Your trusted, one‑stop guide to Los Angeles

Los Angeles is a city of neighbourhoods: Hollywood and its Walk of Fame, the grand hotels and boutiques of Beverly Hills, the music clubs of the Sunset Strip, the beaches of Santa Monica, Venice and Malibu, the museums of Museum Row and the Getty, and a downtown reborn. We’ve checked every listing against the venue’s own website or an official source, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Getty Center

World-class art

The Getty on its hilltop

Brentwood·Art museum

Ride the tram up to the Getty Center for European masterpieces, the Central Garden and views from the ocean to downtown, then visit the Getty Villa on the coast.

Plan your visit

Los Angeles by neighbourhood

From Beverly Hills to the beach: each area has its own guide.

Boutiques on North Rodeo DriveNeighbourhood guideBeverly HillsRodeo Drive and grand hotelsThe Sunset Strip at nightNeighbourhood guideWest Hollywood & the Sunset StripMusic clubs and rooftopsA star on the Hollywood Walk of FameNeighbourhood guideHollywoodThe Walk of Fame and the Chinese TheatreGriffith Observatory in Griffith ParkNeighbourhood guideGriffith Park & Los FelizThe Observatory and the trailsSanta Monica Beach and the PierNeighbourhood guideSanta MonicaThe Pier and the beachThe Venice Beach boardwalkNeighbourhood guideVenice BeachThe boardwalk and the canalsPacific Coast Highway in MalibuNeighbourhood guideMalibuBeaches and the Getty VillaThe downtown Los Angeles skylineNeighbourhood guideDowntown LAGrand Avenue, Broadway and the Arts District

Plan your trip

The practical things to know before you go.

The Theme Building at LAXBefore you goLos Angeles essentialsMoney, tipping and getting aroundA Metro B Line train at Hollywood/HighlandGetting aroundGetting aroundLAX, Metro and rideshareThe TCL Chinese Theatre on Hollywood BoulevardItineraryA day in HollywoodThe icons in a dayChateau Marmont above Sunset BoulevardLuxury guideLuxury Los AngelesThe finest addresses

Beyond Los Angeles

Deserts, islands and the coast, within a few hours.

Palm Springs and the San Jacinto MountainsBeyond Los AngelesPalm SpringsDesert mountains and mid-century styleJoshua trees in Joshua Tree National ParkBeyond Los AngelesJoshua TreeBoulders and Joshua treesMission Santa BarbaraBeyond Los AngelesSanta BarbaraThe Mission and the coastThe coast at North Laguna BeachBeyond Los AngelesLaguna BeachCoves and galleriesSleeping Beauty Castle at DisneylandBeyond Los AngelesDisneylandThe original Disney parkAvalon Harbor and the Catalina CasinoBeyond Los AngelesCatalina IslandAvalon by ferry

In depth: Los Angeles’ back stories

Hollywood, the Strip, the Getty and the city’s great hotels.

The Sunset Strip at nightThe back storyThe Sunset StripRock and roll on SunsetThe Outer Peristyle garden at the Getty VillaThe back storyThe two GettysHilltop and seasideThe Hollywood Sign seen from Hollywood Forever CemeteryThe back storyHollywood’s cemeteriesWhere legends restThe Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunset BoulevardThe back storyThe grand hotelsPink palaces and castlesThe Hollywood Sign on Mount LeeFun factsLos Angeles fun factsThings you might not know

ULTIMATE City Guides: Europe & beyond

Planning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.

The Acropolis of Athens by day, seen from Philopappos HillGreeceULTIMATE AthensThe Acropolis and the Plaka, rooftop bars facing the Parthenon, the Athens Riviera and the Greek islands: our original guide, and our deepest.Visit the guide The old town of Belgrade above the Sava, with the spire of the Cathedral Church of St MichaelSerbiaULTIMATE BelgradeWhere the Sava meets the Danube: a buzzing capital of art, classical music and famous nightlife, with a new waterfront and the mountains of Zlatibor and Kopaonik.Visit the guide The Romanian Athenaeum in its gardenRomaniaULTIMATE BucharestBelle Époque palaces, concerts at the Athenaeum, a buzzing food and coffee scene, and the castles and mountains of the Carpathians.Visit the guide The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the DanubeHungaryULTIMATE BudapestThermal baths, grand coffee houses, ruin bars and MICHELIN-starred dining on both banks of the Danube, with day trips to the Danube Bend and Lake Balaton.Visit the guide Oia’s white houses and blue domes on the rim of the Santorini calderaGreeceULTIMATE Greek IslandsIsland hopping made easy: Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos, Milos and the Cyclades, plus Crete, Rhodes and Corfu, with ferries, beaches, hotels and tavernas.Visit the guide The Blue Mosque at nightTurkeyULTIMATE IstanbulTwo continents, one city: Hagia Sophia and the bazaars, Bosphorus ferries, meyhanes and rooftop bars, Sinan’s hammams and the car-free Princes’ Islands.Visit the guide The Triple Bridge over the LjubljanicaSloveniaULTIMATE LjubljanaSlovenia’s green, car-free capital of river cafés and Plečnik’s bridges, an hour from Lake Bled, the Julian Alps, the caves and the Adriatic.Visit the guide The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth TowerUnited KingdomULTIMATE LondonRoyal palaces and the Thames, world-class museums, West End theatre, grand hotels, and the restaurants and bars of Soho, Mayfair and the City.Visit the guide Yachts in Puerto BanúsSpainULTIMATE MarbellaWhitewashed lanes and orange trees in the Old Town, the yachts of Puerto Banús, beach clubs on the Golden Mile and day trips to Ronda and Gibraltar.Visit the guide Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountainsOur sister guideULTIMATE MonacoThe Casino and Monte-Carlo’s palace hotels, the Prince’s Palace on the Rock, superyachts in Port Hercule, Larvotto’s beach clubs and the Grand Prix streets.Visit the guide The Millennium Bridge over the MoračaMontenegroULTIMATE PodgoricaMontenegro’s relaxed capital of rivers and café terraces, and the gateway to the Bay of Kotor, Lake Skadar, Cetinje and the mountains.Visit the guide The Sebilj fountain and the square of BaščaršijaBosnia & HerzegovinaULTIMATE SarajevoWhere East meets West at a line in the pavement: an Ottoman bazaar, Habsburg boulevards, Bosnian coffee and the 1984 Olympic mountains, with Mostar two hours away.Visit the guide The Stone Bridge over the VardarNorth MacedoniaULTIMATE SkopjeA 15th-century stone bridge between a 21st-century square and an Ottoman bazaar, Kenzo Tange’s concrete city, Matka Canyon, and Lake Ohrid three hours away.Visit the guide St Alexander Nevsky CathedralBulgariaULTIMATE SofiaRoman streets beneath the city, golden domes, warm mineral springs and a mountain at the end of the main boulevard.Visit the guide Skanderbeg Square with the Et’hem Bey MosqueAlbaniaULTIMATE TiranaAn Ottoman mosque painted with waterfalls, museums in bunkers, Blloku’s cafés and the Dajti cable car, with Berat, Gjirokastër, the Alps and the Riviera within reach.Visit the guide The spires of Zagreb Cathedral above the rooftopsCroatiaULTIMATE ZagrebCroatia’s elegant capital of cafés, museums and markets, and the gateway to Plitvice Lakes, Istria, Dubrovnik and the islands of the Adriatic.Visit the guide Goat Cay and the turquoise shallows of the ExumasOur sister guideULTIMATE The BahamasSeven hundred islands: Nassau and Paradise Island, the Exuma Cays and the swimming pigs, Harbour Island’s pink sand, marinas and island hopping.Visit the guide The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. JamesOur sister guideULTIMATE BarbadosThe Platinum West Coast and Sandy Lane, UNESCO-listed Bridgetown, rum where it was born, Friday nights in Oistins and the wild Atlantic east.Visit the guide The Las Vegas Strip at duskNevadaULTIMATE Las VegasThe Strip and its shows, MICHELIN dining, Sphere and Fremont Street’s neon, with Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon beyond.Visit the guide Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami BeachFloridaULTIMATE MiamiSouth Beach and the Art Deco district, Wynwood’s murals, the Design District, Little Havana’s cafecito and the beaches of Key Biscayne.Visit the guide Sunset at the Naples PierFloridaULTIMATE NaplesWhite-sand beaches and sunsets on the Gulf of Mexico, Fifth Avenue’s terraces, grand beach resorts and golf, with the Everglades and Marco Island close by.Visit the guide Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed PitonsOur sister guideULTIMATE St LuciaThe UNESCO Pitons and Soufrière’s drive-in volcano, Marigot Bay, Rodney Bay and the Gros Islet street party, reefs, rum and cocoa.Visit the guide An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the MaldivesOur sister guideULTIMATE MaldivesUndersea restaurants and overwater bars, Hanifaru Bay’s mantas, the whale sharks of South Ari, private islands and the little capital, Malé.Visit the guide The ramparts of Galle FortOur sister guideULTIMATE Sri LankaColombo, the ramparts of Galle Fort, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, the tea country by train, Sigiriya and leopards in Yala.Visit the guide

HOT TOPICS · Have Your Say

The latest from our readers: visitors and locals talking about Los Angeles, its restaurants, theatres, museums and neighbourhoods.

    Have your say in HOT TOPICS

    Hollywood Forever Cemetery

    This week's pick

    Hollywood Forever Cemetery

    Hollywood·Historic cemetery

    Día de los Muertos at Hollywood Forever is on Saturday 24 October 2026, from noon to midnight: altars, music and dance across the cemetery. It is ticketed, so book ahead and go by rideshare.

    Find out more

    Every list in the guide

    Plan your day

    The TCL Chinese Theatre on Hollywood BoulevardItineraryA day in HollywoodOne day, on foot, by Metro and by carSanta Monica Beach and the PierItinerarySanta Monica, Venice and the beachOne day, on foot and by bikeThe Getty Center from the Central GardenItineraryMuseum Row and the GettyOne day, by Metro and carPacific Coast Highway in MalibuItineraryMalibu and the Getty VillaOne day, by carHomes in the hills of Bel AirItineraryA property viewing day: Beverly Hills to MalibuOne day, by car

    Know your neighbourhoods

    Our favourites right now

    Restaurants

    1. 1Eating in Los Angeles: the back storyLos Angeles · In depth
    2. 2ProvidenceHollywood · Seafood tasting menu
    3. 3SomniWest Hollywood · Contemporary tasting menu
    See all 30

    Cafés

    1. 1Alfred CoffeeBeverly Hills · Coffee
    2. 2Go Get Em TigerLos Feliz · Coffee
    3. 3GjustaVenice · Bakery and deli
    See all 6

    Bars & Music

    1. 1The Sunset Strip: the back storyWest Hollywood · In depth
    2. 2Rainbow Bar & GrillWest Hollywood · Rock bar and restaurant
    3. 3Tower BarWest Hollywood · Bar and restaurant
    See all 21

    Hotels

    1. 1The grand hotels of Los Angeles: the back storyBeverly Hills · In depth
    2. 2Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills (A Four Seasons Hotel)Beverly Hills · Grand hotel
    3. 3The Beverly Hills HotelBeverly Hills · Grand hotel
    See all 25

    Sights

    1. 1Hollywood’s historic cemeteries: the back storyHollywood · In depth
    2. 2Día de los Muertos in Los AngelesHollywood · In depth
    3. 3Griffith ObservatoryGriffith Park · Observatory
    See all 23

    Museums & Arts

    1. 1The Getty Center and the Getty Villa: the back storyBrentwood · In depth
    2. 2Film schools in Los AngelesLos Angeles · In depth
    3. 3Getty CenterBrentwood · Art museum
    See all 34

    Parks & Beaches

    1. 1Griffith ParkGriffith Park · City park
    2. 2Runyon Canyon ParkHollywood Hills · City park
    3. 3Palisades ParkSanta Monica · Clifftop park
    See all 18

    Walks

    1. 1Santa Monica Pier to Venice BeachSanta Monica · Beach walk
    2. 2Palisades Park along the bluffSanta Monica · Clifftop walk
    3. 3The Venice CanalsVenice · Neighbourhood walk
    See all 11

    Shopping

    1. 1Rodeo DriveBeverly Hills · Shopping street
    2. 2Two RodeoBeverly Hills · Shopping street
    3. 3HermèsBeverly Hills · Designer boutique
    See all 25

    Health & Wellness

    1. 1Emergencies: call 911Los Angeles · Emergency number
    2. 2Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterBeverly Grove · Hospital
    3. 3Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical CenterWestwood · Hospital
    See all 13

    Property

    1. 1Buying in Los Angeles: the back storyBeverly Hills · In depth
    2. 2The AgencyBeverly Hills · Brokerage
    3. 3Hilton & HylandWest Hollywood · Brokerage
    See all 18

    Developments

    1. 1One Beverly Hills and Aman Beverly HillsBeverly Hills · Mixed-use development
    2. 2Lucas Museum of Narrative ArtExposition Park · Museum
    3. 3LACMA’s David Geffen GalleriesMiracle Mile · Museum building
    See all 8

    Motoring

    1. 1Bentley Beverly HillsBeverly Hills · Bentley dealer
    2. 2Lamborghini Beverly HillsBeverly Hills · Lamborghini dealer
    3. 3McLaren Beverly HillsBeverly Hills · McLaren dealer
    See all 7

    Getting Around

    1. 1Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)Westchester · Airport
    2. 2Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)Burbank · Airport
    3. 3Van Nuys Airport (VNY)Van Nuys · Private aviation
    See all 10

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