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Los Angeles Travel Guide: Where to Eat, Drink, Stay, and Explore

A view of the Los Angeles cityscape from Griffith Observatory with the title Los Angeles City Guide

Everything you need to know for visiting Los Angeles

Los Angeles isn’t one city, it’s a universe of its own.

LA is sprawling, surreal, and somehow both gritty and glitzy. A palm-lined labyrinth of freeways, film sets, smoothie shops, street art, and sunny beach towns. If you’re visiting for the first time – prepare to be surprised by its weirdness and wonder. Somehow it manages to deliver what you expect, while also being better, and so much worse, all at the same time.

Below, you’ll find my top picks for eating, drinking, and exploring the best of Los Angeles.

Planning your visit to Los Angeles

Essentials to know

  • Currency: US Dollar ($). Cards accepted almost everywhere, but cash useful for markets and parking.
  • Language: English. Spanish is also fairly common. 
  • Plugs: Type A & B (120V). Standard US sockets.
  • Weather: Mostly sunny, mild to warm year-round. Coastal areas can be cool and foggy at times.
  • Etiquette: Tipping is expected (18–20%). Traffic is serious – build time in. Reservations at restaurants are often required.
  • Local Events/Festivals: LA Film Festival in spring, LA Pride in June, LA County Fair in summer, Halloween Carnival in Oct, Hollywood Christmas Parade in Dec.

When to visit Los Angeles

LA is famously mild year-round, but there are meaningful differences season to season worth knowing before you book.

  • Spring (March–May): Perfect beach and hiking weather. Crowds are manageable and the city feels energised.
  • Summer (June–August): Coastal “June gloom” gives way to warm, sun-soaked days. Busy everywhere, especially the beaches. Book everything in advance.
  • Autumn (September–November): The best-kept secret. Warm, dry, and golden. Santa Ana winds can bring fire risk but also clarity and sunshine. Crowds start to drop.
  • Winter (December–February): Cool evenings, fewer tourists, and locals reclaiming the city. Pack an extra layer for cooler nights.

Getting around

There is really no getting around it: LA is a car city. The freeway system is how the majority of people get around, and while there are alternatives, having access to a car or being willing to spend on taxis will transform your trip. And yes, the traffic is as bad as you’ve probably heard.

  • Car: Renting a car is one of the most common bits of advice I ‘d seen before visiting LA, but I’m here to tell you it is doable without one. If you don’t drive (like me) or want to avoid the hassle of car hire and navigating parking, you can absolutely get around without your own personal set of wheels. You just need to be tactical about planning your itinerary and be willing to spend on taxis. Whether you’re driving or taxi-ing, the traffic is no joke – avoid the freeways between 7–9am and 4–7pm wherever possible.
  • Taxis & Ride-shares: Uber and Lyft are convenient and widely used. Costs can add up quickly across a full trip so planning your itinerary is key to minimise your milage.
  • Walking: I’m a big fan of a walkable city so this is one of LA’s major downsides in my book. The city is massive so walking between (most) neighbourhoods is out of the question and some areas are simply not pleasant or don’t feel safe to walk around in. That said, LA is walkable within some of its neighbourhoods – Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Abbot Kinney, and the Arts District are great to explore on foot.
  • Metro: My personal experience of the LA metro wasn’t positive and have since avoided it. I might have been unlucky, but I’m not going to recommend you try it out. Its coverage is limited, but can come in handy for certain routes – the Purple/Red Line connects Downtown to Hollywood, Koreatown and beyond. 
  • Bikes: Metro Bike and various dockless e-bikes are available. Dedicated lanes are growing but still patchy, some areas are better equipped than others – for example the beach path from Santa Monica to Venice.

What to see and do in Los Angeles

The biggest mistake in LA is trying to pack in too much and spending the whole time in traffic. Pick a neighbourhood or two per day and explore what they have to offer. Here’s my recommended mix of the unmissable and the underrated.

Don’t miss:

  • Griffith Observatory & Park
    • The best views of the city and the Hollywood Sign, set within a sprawling park that also has hiking trails. It’s a great vantage point to get a sense of the vast scale of the city, and the observatory museum is well worth a visit.
    • Visit: griffithobservatory.org
  • Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
    • Film buffs will adore this collection of famous props, costumes and exploration/celebration of movie making.
    • Visit: academymuseum.org
  • Santa Monica
    • A little kitschy but fun. Ride the Ferris wheel at sunset and embrace your inner tourist.
  • Downtown LA (DTLA)
    • Home to the majority of the city’s rooftop bars, along with food and coffee spots – sketchy in places but also cooler than people give it credit for.
  • The Last Bookstore
    • Well worth a visit for literary lovers, the labyrinthine store filled with new and used books is a joy to explore.
    • Visit: lastbookstorela.com
  • Echo Park
    • Record shops, independent bookstores, excellent coffee, and gloriously walkable to enjoy exploring on foot.
    • Visit:
  • Silver Lake
  • TCL Chinese Theatre

Where to eat in Los Angeles

I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure I’d be that impressed by LA’s food scene but was glad to be proven wrong. Reservations are essential at anything above casual – often weeks in advance.

Some top picks include:

AM

  • Valerie
    • Excellent Echo Park bakery – for coffee, pastries and lunch you can’t go wrong here.
    • Visit: valerieechopark.com
  • Fred 62
    • A Los Feliz institution that’s been feeding the neighbourhood for decades. A proper American diner done with character and genuine craft. Brilliant for a lazy weekend brunch.
    • Visit: fred62.com
  • Tartine Sycamore
    • Pastries you’ll dream about. Order as much as you can handle because it’s all good.
    • Visit: tartinebakery.com

PM

  • Grand Central Market:
    • One-stop flavor fest. If you’re short on time or indecisive this brings everything to you. Grab ramen, oysters, and an egg sandwich all under one roof.
    • Visit: grandcentralmarket.com
  • Cassell’s Hamburgers
  • Musso & Frank Grill
    • Hollywood’s oldest restaurant – open since 1919 – and still one of its most characterful. Suited waiters, perfect martinis, and a menu that hasn’t changed in decades. Required eating.
    • Visit: mussoandfrank.com
  • Hama Sushi
    • Tiny 20 seat sushi spot in Little Tokyo, it fills up fast but highly recommend getting a spot if you can.
    • Visit: instagram.com/hamasushidtla

Where to drink in Los Angeles

For coffee:

  • Intelligentsia Coffee
    • The Silver Lake original is one of the founding institutions of serious third-wave coffee in LA and the coffee is still as good as ever.
    • Visit: intelligentsia.com
  • Alfred Coffee
    • Cool casual spot to start your day with coffee, juice or a sweet treat. Multiple locations in the city.
    • Visit: https://alfred.la/
  • Canyon Coffee
    • Started as a passion project and has grown into one of the most respected roasters in the city, specialising in single origin and regenerative organic coffee beans.
    • Visit: canyoncoffee.co

For drinks:

  • The Normandie Club
    • One of the city’s finest cocktail bars, situated in the Hotel Normandie in Koreatown. Dark, intimate, and serious about its drinks.
    • Visit: thenormandieclub.com
  • Stile Downtown Rooftop Bar
    • The former Ace Hotel may now be in new hands, but it’s rooftop bar remains one of the best to take in downtown views with a drink
    • Visit: stilehotels.com
  • Covell
    • A small but serious natural wine bar in Los Feliz.
    • Visit: barcovell.com

Where to stay in Los Angeles

Where you stay shapes the whole experience. LA is so spread out that location really does dictate your days – pick somewhere that anchors you in the part of the city you most want to explore.

Hotels:

  • The Line Hotel, Koreatown
    • Arguably the coolest hotel in the city. Designed by Sean Knibb with a menu of LA-relevant cultural programming, a stunning pool, and Openaire on the roof. Sitting in the heart of Koreatown, it’s the perfect base for exploring one of LA’s most exciting neighbourhoods.
    • Visit: thelinehotel.com
  • The Hoxton, Downtown LA
    • The London-born boutique group’s LA outpost, housed in a landmarked building in the Arts District. Characterful rooms, a buzzing ground-floor restaurant (Sibling) and bar, and the Hoxton’s signature unfussy coolness. An ideal base for Downtown and east side exploration.
    • Visit: thehoxton.com

Apartments:

  • Airbnb
    • For some of the more residential neighbourhoods like Echo Park or Silver Lake, renting an apartment is a great way to feel like a local.
    • Visit: airbnb.com