What to see in Los Angeles and the surrounding area?
First of all – rent a car.
When planning a trip to Los Angeles, you should definitely think about renting a car – if you are patient to deal with a local traffic jam, your car will definitely make travelling easier. Relatively cheap or free parking spaces (usually up to 90 minutes) are close to the main tourist attractions. Some of the attractions even require tourists to have their private mode of transport.
Malibu and the road to LA
Malibu is almost as popular as Los Angeles, however you have to be really patient if you want to visit this place. Beautiful beach, wonderful estates, pretty cafes on the pier and equally good chance to meet with American stars – all these factors are the reasons why you should visit Malibu. It is worth mentioning that the road between LA and Malibu is famous – it is one of the most spectacular American highways, where you can find a lot of amazing views.
Santa Monica Pier
The road from Malibu to one of the major attractions of Los Angeles – the first concrete pier on the west coast, opened 110 years ago – Santa Monica Pier, will take no more than 35 minutes. This optimistic option can be real if you do not want to rest on one of the endless golden beaches. It will be very difficult because Santa Monica State Beach is a place where you can see the blue ocean, feel the hot sand under your feet and admire the wonderful view of the city with the amazing mountains in the background. You can also spend the whole day at the pier in Santa Monica, because there are shops, restaurants, art performances and even a small family theme park with the famous Ferris wheel. Among all these attractions, it is worth finding a popular place where you can take a photo – a sign with information about the end of the most popular American road, Route 66.
Ocean Front Walk and Venice
When moving along the coast, you will come across a 4-kilometre-long seaside promenade – Ocean Front Walk, which leads to a very interesting and charming district – Venice. This place is full of artists, beautiful crafts, unusual cafes and shops, and amazing people. You should also be prepared for groups of strange and noisy travellers, but you won’t find a grey city and a rush for sure.
Hollywood
Even if you avoid a typicall tourist and crowded places, a trip to Los Angeles won’t be complete without two important places in Hollywood – the boulevard and the famous inscription over the city.The biggest attraction of Hollywood Boulevard is, of course, the well-known Walk of Fame, where you can find over 2,600 stars commemorating famous celebrities from different industries – music, cinema, theatre and a few fictional characters, like Mickey Mouse. Along the boulevard, there are plenty of tourist points, among others: the Hollywood Museum, the Wax Museum, the Chinese Theater, and the Dolby Theater, known for the annual Oscars award ceremony.
How do you choose the perfect place for a photo with the Hollywood sign?
The duty of every tourist in LA is to take a souvenir photo with the famous Hollywood sign on Mount Lee. There are a few popular points in the city where you can take a photo with the Hollywood sign, The easiest way to see photos of other tourists on the Internet and decide which place will meet your expectations. However, the most important places are the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and North Highland Avenue, Lake Hollywood, a ride along Beachwood Drive or Griffith Observatory (this place is also worth seeing, you can see the California sky through the historic Zeiss telescope or enjoy the view of the city).
Hollywood sign and Mulholland Highway
If you want to see the Hollywood sign up close and you like hiking, you should check the road leading to the famous letters or go along the Mulholland Highway, cross the narrow streets and then approach as close as possible to the sign (as the landmark you can enter The Last House on Mulholland) – here you should be careful when it comes to parking lots. It’s better to look for a free and legal place because parking tickets are very expensive.
American dream
There is no better place than Los Angeles to fully understand the American dream – expensive cars, glamorous houses, shopping areas of the largest and most expensive designers in the world and celebrities. On the other hand, there are also many dangerous places, many homeless people on the streets, strange places created for the needs of tourists and strange people who have not fulfilled their American dreams. The City of Angels is a must-visit spot on the US map, as in a real action movie, even a few-day trip will be related to many attractions and California sun. Cut! We got it.
