Traveling in Los Angeles is living the dream, whether it's beach days followed by city nightlife, chasing the trail of Hollywood stars or gazing up at the twinkling sky. The city has beautiful outdoor spaces for easy garden strolls or heart-pumping hilly hikes. The flavors of the world are all within easy reach, and are plentiful enough to sate the appetite of the most voracious foodie. LA is a study in contrasts, with the only constant being the city's year-round favorable weather, making this the perfect place to savor and explore at any time.
1. Hollywood celebrities
For your best shot of a celebrity sighting, plan to catch the recording of one of the many TV shows filmed in LA with a live studio audience, including Dr Phil, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the Price is Right, and Wheel of Fortune. Secure your space in the crowd by requesting tickets online.
Otherwise, your best bet for tracing the (literal) footsteps of famous celebrities is at the Forecourt of the Stars at the TCL Chinese Theater. It's been said that visiting Los Angeles and not seeing the Chinese Theater, a nearly 100-year-old institution that's been the site of countless star-studded red carpet Hollywood film premiers, would be like visiting China and not seeing the Great Wall.
It's the only place in the world where you can say with certainty that you're standing in the exact spot where famous stars have once stood, thanks to the theater's one-of-a-kind collection of handprints and footprints of the top celebrities from the past century to today. This outdoor display, known as the Forecourt of the Stars, is free. With paid tickets, you can see movies in the IMAX and MX4D theaters and take a VIP tour of the history of cinema in Hollywood. So step on up into Jackie Chan's footsteps or place your hands on Melissa McCarthy's prints.
Your best bet for finding stars – pink marble stars decorating the sidewalks in honor of popular Hollywood greats, that is – is at the Hollywood Walk of Fame starting by the Hollywood & Highland Center. With more than 2600 stars stretching over a handful of city blocks, you're sure to encounter some favorites you'll want to stop and take a picture with.
2. Pacific Coast beaches
If catching sea stars, anemones, and other sea life in action is your idea of the perfect beach activity, you'll enjoy Malibu's El Matador State Beach, Point Dume State Beach, and Leo Carrillo State Park. If you'd rather people-watch and snack on food-stand fare, consider Santa Monica or Venice Beach (or fit both neighboring beaches into one day). Check out the Top 10 beaches in LA for even more ideas of how to plan your day(s) of catching or watching waves.
Read more: How to spend a perfect weekend in LA's Westside
3. Amusement rides
An epic ferris wheel ride overlooking the Pacific Ocean awaits at Santa Monica Pier. Attracting millions of visitors each year, the Pier's Pacific Park has 12 rides, so you can make an afternoon of it. While you're here, take a spin on the carousel housed in the National Historic Landmark, the 1916 Hippodrome building, as featured in the movie The Sting. (Note: The carousel and Pacific Park are operated by two different companies.)
Many people visiting southern California for the first time combine LA with the number one attraction in the greater SoCal area: Disneyland. While it's possible to fit in the theme park as a side trip from Los Angeles, you'll want to arrange your visit to the "happiest place on earth" at the start or end of your stay and plan on securing accommodations close to the park for the night(s) of your Disney excursions because, as any LA commuter knows, the drive between LA and Orange County (where the park is located in Anaheim) isn't an easy one.
4. Walks and hikes
Exercise like an Angeleno by getting out on one of the city's many great hiking trails. Go straight to the top of the list with a visit to LA's 100-year-old Griffith Park, which is five times the size of New York City's Central Park and packs in a lot for tourists and locals to enjoy, including 53 miles of hiking trails offering some of the city's best views of the Hollywood sign, as well as the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens, and the Griffith Observatory. Look inside its planetarium and through its free public telescopes; it's the perfect way to catch those other stars in action.
For a more leisurely pace, wander through Beverly Gardens Park, offering a nearly 2-mile walking tour of some of the ritziest blocks in all of LA. Don't miss the 40ft Beverly Hills sign, one of the area's most photographed sites.
Read more: Top free things to do in Los Angeles
5. Observation decks
OUE Skyspace LA, LA's tallest observation deck, offers downtown aerial sightseeing. If your tolerance for heights can handle it, go for a ride on the accompanying see-through outdoor slide that connects the building's two viewing floors.
To visit the highest open-air bar in the western hemisphere, ride the elevator up to the top of the InterContinental, home of Spire 73. In addition to the skyline views, you can indulge in bar bites and cocktails. Just be sure to familiarize yourself with the bar's dress code and entry fees.
For LA heights that overlook the beach, Penthouse – a lounge and restaurant with Pacific Ocean views, located atop the Huntley Hotel – is a go-to in Santa Monica.
6. Live sports and theater
You can catch any number of sporting events throughout the year. Head to the Dodger Stadium for baseball and to the Staples Center for games with the Los Angeles Sparks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Los Angeles Clippers basketball teams, and hockey with the Los Angeles Kings. The list doesn't end there – LA is also home to the Los Angeles Galaxy and Los Angeles Football Club soccer teams and the Los Angeles Bobcats, Los Angeles Chargers, and Los Angeles Rams football teams.
The city has plenty to choose from when it comes to the most popular non-sporting events, too, like comedy at the Comedy Store and Upright Citizens Brigade, plus concerts at the Greek Theater and Hollywood Bowl as well as other theaters, independent cinemas, and more.
Read more: Why LA's Fashion District is the city's hippest 'hood
7. Cosmopolitan food
If the occasion calls for a high-end meal, look into snagging a table at one of LA's Michelin-starred restaurants, such as Providence. Otherwise, follow in the footsteps of average LA locals by finding meals that are anything but average at one of the area's highly satisfying farmers markets. Try the busy Santa Monica Farmers Markets on food truck nights, like Abbot Kinney Boulevard's First Friday, or the perennially popular open-air food market Smorgasburg. Alternatively, head indoors at Grand Central Market, a marketplace packed with eateries.
8. Iconic photo opportunities
The city's most iconic backdrops include the Hollywood sign (best viewing spots are from the Hollywood & Highland Center or on a Griffith Park hike); the Venice sign (at the intersection of Windward Ave at Pacific Ave) and the area's nearby Venice Canals (modeled after the Venice Canals in Italy); and the appropriately named Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) outdoor exhibit Urban Light, a beautiful collection of vintage LA street lamps.
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