Los Angeles

Los Angeles: 24-hour itinerary

Los Angeles Insider

The Grove is an awesome place to shop and celeb spot

"Since your time is limited, head to Beverly Boulevard to get find national retailers such as Gap, Anthropologie, Pottery Barn, etc. If you have deep pockets, Rodeo Drive is for you."

Corey Carter

Los Angeles Insider

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itineraries Los Angeles United States California

If you're staying for only 24 hours and want to pack in as much as possible, I recommend choosing one part of Los Angeles and really exploring it versus waiting in our infamous traffic for most of your day. Here's a great way to see the west side of Los Angeles in 24 hours.

Grab coffee and brekkie at La Grande Orange in Santa Monica. It has tasty food and quick service, and there is a stop for Starline's "Hop-on, Hop-off" double-decker bus one block away. Get a nice latte (Aussies will find this coffee is a little more like home) and a morning bun and catch the two-hour Yellow Loop for a ride over to Beverly Hills. You will experience LA with an open-air view from the top as you pass through Brentwood en route to Beverly Hills.

Get off at the Rodeo Drive stop to have lunch. I recommend Jack and Jill's of Beverly Hills if you have the family or just want somewhere casual. Feeling posh? For a true "ladies who lunch" experience head to Spago or the Beverly Hilton's restaurant, Circa 55.

If you're a clotheshorse, take your time here and definitely pop in Barneys New York on Wilshire. Since your time is limited, head to Beverly Boulevard to get find national retailers such as Gap, Anthropologie, Pottery Barn, etc. If you have deep pockets, Rodeo Drive is for you.

After lunch and shopping, hop back on the bus and head back to Santa Monica and get off at the Pier. Take a moment to drink in the views and then rent a bike at Blazing Saddles and cruise south on the bike path to Venice Beach.

Now you have an option: either turn around and head back to Santa Monica or continue on to Marina del Rey to check out LA's boating culture. There are several dining options and I would recommend the Cheesecake Factory if you have kids or Shanghai Reds for harbour-view cocktails. The additional trek to Marina del Rey will add about 30 minutes onto your bike ride each way.

Head back to the Pier to drop your bikes and if you have kids, head to the 3rd Street Promenade.

No kids and just feel like a relaxed drink at a real dive? Stop by the rooftop at Santa Monica place, the new mall in town. Zengo has great city views and margaritas, while Sonoma Wine Garden has lovely outdoor seating. Just be careful not to get to spend happy after a few drinks with Bloomingdales and Nordstrom next door.

Have you tried any of the places on this itinerary? Got any ideas we haven't thought of? Have your say using the comments form, below.

Next: 48-hour itinerary

User comments

This is a fine list if you want a very touristy approach to L.A.- and nothing more. There is so much more to see than different shopping areas! And food choices! We have some of the best food- please don't go to the Cheesecake Factory! It's good, but it's typical mass production of food. My friends and I did 24 hours in L.A. and gave great tips on how to do it all, see hiking and beaches and eat fish tacos, try the best cupcakes, where to get breakfast- where you will see celebrities, and feel like a local. It's the best of the best. We even threw in Hollywood stuff that is touristy and showed you how to do it in a short amount of time,so you can get back to the good stuff! check it out! vagabond3.com and look under Los Angeles

la is a town that will let you be anything your heart desires,great mixture of kitch,class,anything goes culture,this is definetly one town worth exploring,one place to eat is an unassuming chinese restaurant across the road from the walk of fame where the statues are,catch a reliable,key word here,stars home tour,drop into viper room,venice beach,universal studios,try to spot a REAL,read not logies related,cellebrity at a movie premiere,we did,the only way to get around is in a car,forget the bus,taxi crap,crap,crap,try to find one of the masssssssssssive outlets within city limits,ask for directions,the prices and choice will make you want to vomit in terror at the outragous prices and communist era yugoslavia lack of choice over here

Definitely do the Grove. You could spend a week there. Try the Cheesecake factory, two of us shared a caesar salad and when we were totally full, we took a pic of the remains ~ it still looked as though it was waiting to be eaten. It was exquisite! We made sure to do 3rd Street in Santa Monica. Keep an eye on parking, I think the first 3 hours are free and then you get hit like Brisbane or Sydney prices. Just go out and move the car... Santa Monica Pier. Pictures Galore. A great Mexican restaurant at the end of the pier with scrumptuous food. Go to the nasty end of Sunset Blvd and do Olivera Street where the Mexican heritage is strong. Have a wander. Head back towards the beach on Sunset Blvd. Stop near the Scientology Centre (situated right next to the Self Realisation Fellowship). A couple of blocks west you'll get to the Chinese Theatre and the Kodak Theatre for more photo ops. Look for the Chateau Marmont, and the Hollywood sign. Take more pics. 24 hrs. done.