How to Spend A Perfect Day (or 4) in Los Angeles

Four L.A. Day-Trip Itineraries for Every Kind of Traveler That Are Guaranteed to Keep You Out of Rush Hour Traffic on the 10 Freeway

Oh, Los Angeles. It always does seem to elude definition. After all, it is still a young city in a constant state of perpetual flux (and with a pre-pubescent enthusiasm for shiny objects). Every visit to this ‘city of stars’ yields new finds, from thrift-shop jeans to new contemporary art museums that tower over familiar roads and disappear just as quickly [See The Main Museum].

There is certainly so much to discover here in Los Angeles from Ice Age Mammoths to mammoth-sized shopping districts to everything in between. Yet, as a tourist, you may find yourself unceremoniously deposited in your hotel/Airbnb in the heart of Hollywood, on the beach-front side-lines of Santa Monica, or, if you are lucky, among the booming yet assuming skyline of Downtown, with no earthly idea of ‘what to do next’ and a prescription for rush hour traffic to tackle.

“Los Angeles is 72 suburbs in search of a city.”

— Dorothy Parker

Many tourists make the mistake of trying to see “all of L.A.” in a single day. What they actually end up seeing is… a lot of the 10 freeway. As a local, you need to trust me when I say you’ll want to avoid the 10 freeway between the hours of 12:00 am and 11:59 pm.

To avoid this common pitfall, I have crafted four potential itineraries for your days in Los Angeles that are built on the neighborhoods that make this city so unique. What does that mean? It means these itineraries will keep you out of rush hour traffic, out of tourist traps (looking at you Hollywood Blvd.), and, for the most part, off the freeway, as you explore a segment of this ever-changing city.

Below you’ll find the perfect itinerary for your ‘Day in L.A.’, whether you have one day or several, whether you are staying on the ‘Eastside’ or the ‘Westside’, and whether you prefer sightseeing or sight-eating. (No judgment.)