How Many Days in Los Angeles? A 5–7 Day Route by Area

How long to stay: 5 to 7 days, and pick your base first

The guide recommends 5 to 7 days for Los Angeles, and more if you add theme parks. This plan follows its four-day route (Hollywood and Griffith Observatory, Universal Studios Hollywood, the Getty Center with Santa Monica and Venice Beach, then Disneyland or Downtown), and shows how to use a fifth day for the day-4 option you skipped.

LA is huge and car-centric, so the key is one area per day. Walking works well within an area, but you need wheels to get between them, which makes your hotel location shape the whole trip.

Check the days of the week, too. Griffith Observatory (the building), the Getty Center and The Broad are closed on Mondays, so if your trip includes a Monday, reorder the days to visit these three on another day.

• Hollywood (first visit, sightseeing): close to the Walk of Fame and theaters, with Metro stations nearby, so it's easy without a car. Busy streets that can feel a bit rough at night
• Santa Monica (beach, relaxed pace): beach, promenade and shopping streets within walking distance, but hotels are pricey
• Koreatown (food, central location): conveniently between Hollywood and Downtown, with reasonably priced hotels
• Downtown (arts, transit): museums, concert halls and rail lines meet here, but blocks vary a lot, so check the exact hotel location and reviews
• Beverly Hills / West Hollywood (shopping, calmer feel): relatively quiet, at the highest hotel prices

• Full Los Angeles travel guide →
• First trip to the US West Coast: LA vs San Francisco →
• New York vs Los Angeles for a first US trip →

Day 1: LAX → Koreatown → Walk of Fame → Griffith Observatory

At LAX, ride-hailing cars and taxis don't pick up at the curb. Take the free shuttle or walk to the dedicated pickup lot (LAX-it) next to the airport. Pickup locations may change with airport construction, so check official LAX information. The ways into the city are listed below.

After you land, eat in Koreatown, where Korean barbecue, soft tofu stew and more fill one neighborhood. In the afternoon, walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame and its stars set in the sidewalk. Costumed characters may ask for money after photos; just decline if you don't want one.

Around sunset, head up to Griffith Observatory, a free viewpoint over the Hollywood Sign and the city. Sunset is the best time, and parking fills up, so arrive early.

• Ride-hailing app: about 30-60 min to Hollywood or Downtown depending on traffic, about $40-80; the fare shows in the app beforehand
• FlyAway bus: airport express buses to Union Station downtown and other stops, about 40-60 min, about $12-13; cheap for solo travelers, check routes and schedules on the official site
• Taxi: boards at LAX-it; similar to ride-hailing or a little more, with a metered fare plus a tip as normal
• Metro Rail: take the free shuttle to LAX/Metro Transit Center station, then the Metro C or K Line; transfers depend on your destination, so check routes and fares in Metro's official trip info

Day 2: a full day at Universal Studios Hollywood

Give day two entirely to Universal Studios Hollywood, with its studio tour and rides. Lines are long in peak season, so buy tickets ahead and arrive at opening.

If you'd rather not drive, hotel shuttles or tour packages take the stress out of it. The guide's high budget (about $700+ per person per day) includes theme park fast passes, so keep that in mind when planning costs.

End the day with an easy evening stroll, for example along a shopping street. Freeways jam at rush hour, so allow plenty of time to get around.

Day 3: Getty Center → Santa Monica Pier → sunset at Venice Beach

Start at the Getty Center, a hilltop museum with striking architecture, gardens and views. Admission is free and parking is paid. It is closed on Mondays, so check the day first.

In the afternoon, move on to Santa Monica Pier, with its seaside amusement park and beach promenade. Downtown-Santa Monica is also served by rail, and Santa Monica itself is great on foot.

Venice Beach, with its eclectic boardwalk and small canal neighborhood, is reachable on foot or by bike from Santa Monica. Finish with the sunset on the beach; Santa Monica Pier is especially lovely at sunset too.

Day 4: Disneyland or Downtown, or both with an extra day

Pick one of two for day four. Disneyland is southeast of LA in Anaheim, about an hour by car depending on traffic, so start early and plan a full day. Hotel shuttles or tour packages take the stress out of driving.

If you'd rather see the city, go Downtown. The Broad, a contemporary art museum, has free general admission, but timed reservations may be required, so check the official site ahead (closed Mondays). For lunch, Grand Central Market, a historic food hall, has cuisines from around the world under one roof. Hollywood-Downtown is served by rail.

With a fifth day, add the day-4 option you skipped. That way you see both Disneyland and Downtown, and if you want more theme parks, add more days.

Before you go: getting around, budget and weather

A rental car is the easiest way to cover several areas, but hotel and attraction parking fees are often extra, so budget for them. Read parking signs carefully for day and time limits (tickets and towing are expensive), and never leave bags visible in a parked car; lock them in the trunk or take them with you. Without a car, ride-hailing apps are the go-to, and key routes such as Hollywood-Downtown and Downtown-Santa Monica are served by Metro Rail. Pay for Metro Rail and buses with a TAP card or the mobile app. Late at night, take a ride-hailing car rather than walking through quiet streets or empty stations.

Per person per day, budget about $130-170 with a hostel, tacos and public transit, about $300-400 with a mid-range hotel, restaurants and ride-hailing (rental car and parking extra), and about $700+ with a luxury hotel and theme park fast passes. Tacos from trucks and small shops run about $3-6 each, and a burger meal about $10-20. Tipping of usually 15-20% of the pre-tax bill is standard at restaurants, and listed prices usually exclude sales tax.

The weather is mild most of the year, but March-May and September-November are the most pleasant. Per NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), U.S. Climate Normals (Los Angeles International Airport station, 1991–2020), March-May has highs of about 19-21°C and lows of about 11-14°C, and September-November highs of about 22-25°C and lows of about 12-18°C. December-February gets the most rain of the year at about 57-76 mm a month, and of these February is the wettest at about 76 mm.

• May-June: coastal areas are often overcast
• July-September: hot and dry (about 0-3 mm of rain a month); wildfires can occur from late summer into autumn, so check local conditions before you go
• The sun is strong, so carry sunscreen and water
• US entry requirements such as ESTA can change, so check official US government sources before you travel

• Incheon → Los Angeles flights →
• Renting a car abroad for the first time: a checklist →

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