Only ONE Day in Los Angeles? Here’s How I’d Spend It

If you only have one day in Los Angeles, my first recommendation is to find a way to stay longer. Seriously. I spent five years living in Westwood while going to UCLA, and I was STILL finding new hikes, beaches, restaurants, and viewpoints when it was time to leave.

I always say that people either love LA or hate it, and having someone show you how to do LA makes a massive difference. This city is basically ten smaller cities in one, with mountains, beaches, skyscrapers, and completely different neighborhoods spread between them. If you arrive expecting to walk between all the main sights like you would in a European city, you’re going to spend a lot more time getting acquainted with traffic than you intended.

Normally, I recommend spending each day around one area: a beach day around Santa Monica and Venice, a Hollywood and hills day, a day exploring Downtown, and honestly so much more. But if one day is all you have, I still want you to see a good amount of what makes this city special. There’s a reason I have a whole category of adventurous itineraries on this blog – you’ll be tired, but you’ll have seen a lot!

So this one-day Los Angeles itinerary starts around Hollywood, heads up into the hills, stops at my beloved Getty Center, and finishes by the ocean. There will be a hike, some very recognizable photo spots, good food, and a proper California sunset. Relaxing? Probably not the word I would use. But a pretty great day in LA, if you ask me.

Before You Start: Where to Stay and How to Get Around

For this itinerary, I recommend staying around Hollywood or West Hollywood so you’re close to the morning stops. Somewhere around Sunset Boulevard with a view over the city would be a pretty perfect introduction to LA, especially if it’s your first visit. You’ve got restaurants nearby, the hills rising behind you, and plenty to look at before you’ve even started exploring. Hollywood is also what most people think of when they think of LA, so it’s a good place to start.

Have your coffee, enjoy that view, and get yourself ready for a full day out. If your usual hotel downtime includes a book, a scroll through your photos, or choosing to play slots with bitcoin at mBitcasino, that fits around your own downtime rather than the sightseeing route. We have a LOT of actual Los Angeles to get through today.

A car or rideshares make the most sense for the inland part of this itinerary, followed by walking or cycling once you reach the beaches. Public transport in LA? Don’t make me laugh! Sadly, this is VERY MUCH a driving city.

Think of the stops below as a loose route rather than appointments you need to rush between. The optional detours are genuinely optional depending on *your* vision of LA, and lunch can happen at the Getty or in Santa Monica depending on how hungry that morning hike makes you.

The route: Hollywood breakfast → Walk of Fame → Griffith Park and Observatory →Optional Beverly Hills Stops→ Getty Center → Santa Monica → Venice → sunset and dinner.

1. Start with Breakfast Around Sunset Boulevard

Breakfast around Sunset is a good place to begin, especially if you’ve found somewhere nearby to stay. There are plenty of cafés, patios, and classic diner breakfasts around here, so you can choose between something light and a very American plate of pancakes. Personally, I love a cute café—but I also understand the appeal of going all in on the diner experience when you’re visiting the US.

Dialog Cafe is one I have tried myself (and loved – its a total vibe), and it’s a good option for coffee and breakfast around West Hollywood. The Butcher, The Baker, The Cappuccino Maker is another lovely choice on Sunset, with outdoor seating and colorful latte art that might require a photo before your first sip. And The Griddle Cafe is the one for a classic American diner-style breakfast with elaborate pancakes and French toast. You do have a hike coming up, so interpret that information however you like.

Start reasonably early rather than turning this into a long brunch. I love a long brunch, but I also love getting to the beach before the sun has disappeared. Today we’re trying to do both the hills and the coast, so breakfast gets us going.

2. Have a Quick Wander Along the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Head over to Hollywood Boulevard for a look at the Walk of Fame and the famous theatres before going up into Griffith Park. Find a few names you recognize in the pavement, see the TCL Chinese Theatre and its courtyard of celebrity handprints, and have a look at the Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars take place. For your first time in LA, these are some of those sights you’ve seen on a screen so many times that it’s kindof a must-see at least once.

Hollywood Boulevard is busy, touristy, and a bit chaotic, and that’s part of the experience. A short wander works well here rather than dedicating half your day to it. Get your photos, find your favorite star if you’re particularly committed, and then we’re heading up above all this.

3. Start the Active Part of Your Day with a Griffith Park Hike

There’s nothing more LA than starting your day with a hike, so obviously we’re including one. Griffith Park has trails climbing through the hills above the city, with views of the Hollywood Sign, the downtown skyline, and the sprawling neighborhoods below. It’s a pretty good introduction to just how HUGE Los Angeles actually is.

For this itinerary, take a hike up to Griffith Observatory from the Fern Dell area. The West Observatory Trail gives you that proper hills-and-city-view experience and brings you to one of LA’s most recognizable buildings. You’ll get a workout, see the sign from a distance, and arrive somewhere that’s worth exploring in its own right.

I love the way the Observatory looks against the skyline: those cream-colored walls, the bronze-colored domes, and the long lawns out front. Walk around the terraces to see Downtown, the surrounding hills, and, on a clear day, the coast stretching away in the distance. Griffith is one of my favorite viewpoints in Los Angeles, although our next main stop has my number-one spot.

The Observatory building opens at noon Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. on weekends , and it’s closed Mondays, but the grounds are open daily. On a weekend, a morning hike can line up nicely with opening time. During the week, enjoy the outside views and keep going unless the exhibits are something you really want to make time for.

A little Hollywood Sign tip: if getting closer to the sign is your priority, choose a front-facing Hollywood Sign viewpoint or hike instead of the Observatory hike. You don’t need to hike all the way behind it just to say you got closer – I much prefer actually seeing the letters from the front. Going behind it adds a lot more time and walking, and with only one day in LA, we’ve got other places to be.

Optional Photo Stops Between Hollywood and the Getty

For the main itinerary, I’m taking you straight from Hollywood and Griffith over to the Getty. But if you love a famous photo spot, there are a few possible detours south through Mid-Wilshire and Beverly Hills. Choose whichever you’re most excited about rather than assuming you need to collect all three.

• LACMA’s Urban Light: the rows of vintage streetlamps outside the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. You’ve probably seen these in approximately a million LA photos, and the repeating rows do make a really cool backdrop.
• The Beverly Hills sign: find the sign and lily pond in Beverly Gardens Park on Santa Monica Boulevard. This is an easy one to understand the appeal of… sometimes you just want the classic photo.
• Rodeo Drive: have a short wander past the designer shops, immaculate storefronts, and whatever very expensive cars happen to be parked outside. Window-shopping is probably the more realistic activity for most of us, haha.

4. Explore the Getty Center – My Favorite View in LA

Okay, the Getty. I absolutely LOVE the Getty, and it’s one of the first places I recommend when someone visits Los Angeles. Even with only one day, I think the combination of the views, architecture, gardens, and art makes it one of the best stops you can choose.

While I was at UCLA and living in Westwood, I used to bring my laptop up here and sit on a patio to work. That’s how much I loved spending time here. Most people think of it as somewhere to go and look at art, but I was quite happy making it my office for the afternoon.

The Getty Center sits on a hill in Brentwood, with pale travertine buildings, angular terraces, and gardens looking out across an enormous stretch of LA. You can trace the city from Downtown through the neighborhoods below, out toward Santa Monica and the ocean, with the mountains rising alongside it all. It’s in a great spot to get ocean views along with city… and that’s where we’re heading next!

Wander through the courtyards and gardens, spend some time on the terraces, and head into whichever galleries catch your interest. The architecture alone is ridiculously photogenic, especially with the city spread out behind those clean white lines. I know I’ve already made my opinion quite clear, but yes, the Getty would absolutely get my vote over squeezing Downtown into this particular day.

This is also a sensible place for lunch after your morning walk. The Getty Center Café has indoor and outdoor seating, so you can eat here before heading to the coast rather than arriving in Santa Monica starving. If you’re still going strong from breakfast, save lunch for one of the coastal spots below. You might not have time for my favorite activity – a bottle of wine while picnicking in the Getty grass – but that just means you’ll have to come back.

Admission to the Getty Center is free with a timed-entry reservation, although parking costs extra, and it’s closed Mondays. If your one day in Los Angeles happens to be a Monday, give the beaches more time instead. And please come back for the Getty -I’m clearly quite invested in you seeing it.

5. Head to Santa Monica for the Pier, Promenade, and Ocean Views

From the Getty, head down toward Santa Monica for the beach portion of the day. This is where you finally get the palm trees, wide sand, and Pacific Ocean that probably featured somewhere in your mental picture of LA. After the hills and city views, it feels good to get down to the water.

Walk along Third Street Promenade for a little shopping, then make your way to Santa Monica Pier. The Ferris wheel and amusement rides make it instantly recognizable, but I also like walking farther out along the pier and looking back toward the coastline. You can see the beach stretching away on both sides, with the mountains rising beyond Santa Monica Bay.

For lunch, Élephante is a gorgeous option nearby, with Mediterranean-inspired interiors and ocean views from its rooftop setting. Pizza with a view of the Pacific? Yes, that’s very much the sort of LA lunch I can get behind. There are other amazing dishes too, it’s mainly the vibe and view we’re after.

If you ate at the Getty, use this time for the pier, shops, or a walk on the sand. Santa Monica is an area where you could happily spend a whole day, which is precisely why I keep telling people to stay longer. For now, we’re following the beach south.

6. Bike, Walk, or Rollerblade from Santa Monica to Venice

One of my favorite suggestions for this itinerary is to rent a bike and follow the beachfront path from Santa Monica toward Venice. You’re moving between two of the main stops while looking at the ocean the whole way, which is a fairly major improvement on another stretch of traffic. And after your morning hike, a beach bike ride makes this a very active LA day indeed – again, like a true Angeleno.

Rollerblades are another option if you want to go a bit retro about it, or you can walk along the beachfront instead. Walking takes longer, so cycling is my pick for this particular day. An Uber also works if your legs have decided the morning was quite enough exercise, thank you.

As you approach Venice, spend some time around the skatepark, where watching people drop into the bowls and launch themselves into tricks can be surprisingly absorbing. Then wander along the boardwalk toward Muscle Beach, the famous outdoor gym. Between the skaters, murals, shops, performers, markets, and people working out, there’s a LOT going on along this stretch of sand, and it’s a very LA type of organized chaos.

7. Find the Venice Canals and Wander Abbot Kinney

The first time I learned that Venice Beach had actual Venice-like canals, I was genuinely surprised… even after living in LA for a bit. I’d associated it with the boardwalk and beach, and then there were these little waterways, footbridges, and beautiful houses tucked just inland. Some of the houses are ridiculously lovely, so a walk here may involve a bit of imagining what your life would look like if you lived in one.

The canals are one of my favorite surprises to include for a first visit, and they also appear in our guide to hidden gems in Los Angeles. Walk over a few of the bridges and follow the paths beside the water. It’s such a different little pocket of Venice from the skatepark and boardwalk you’ve just come from.

Next, head toward Abbot Kinney Boulevard for boutiques, coffee, cute bars, and some extremely LA shopping. This is the part of Venice where I feel like I should have put a little more thought into my outfit before walking into the shops. The interiors are beautiful, the clothes are beautiful, and sometimes the price tags require a second look to make sure you read them right.

Great White is another food option nearby on Pacific Avenue, with a beachy café feel and a menu that works for more than just coffee. It has several locations now, but the Venice one fits neatly into this route. If you happen to be visiting on the first Friday of the month, Abbot Kinney’s First Fridays food trucks are another fun way to spend part of the evening.

8. Finish with a Venice Rooftop Sunset and Dinner

After a full day of hiking, wandering, and crossing LA, I think we’ve earned a drink overlooking the ocean. Head up to Kassi Venice Beach at Hotel Erwin, the rooftop previously known as High Rooftop Lounge. The views stretch over the beachfront and Pacific, which is exactly where I want to be as the sun goes down. I’m absolutely shocked I couldn’t find a rooftop sunset photo from here in my archives, because I used to go a lot… so go ahead and just close your eyes and picture this one until you see it yourself 😛

You’ve seen LA from the hills and the Getty, and now you get the coast turning golden beneath you. Watch the palm trees become silhouettes and the sky change color over the water, hopefully with something delicious in your glass. This is the part of the day I’d be particularly reluctant to rush… and something all Californians hold sacred.

Kassi serves food too, so staying for dinner is an option if you’re very happy where you are. Otherwise, head back to Abbot Kinney for Gjelina, where you can order seasonal vegetable dishes, seafood, and other plates alongside its pizzas. If lunch was already pizza, you do have choices… I promise I haven’t deliberately written an all-pizza itinerary.

And if you want more ideas for this part of the day, I spent a good chunk of my five years here hunting down the best sunset spots in Los Angeles. There are ocean views, hilltop views, and rooftop drinks in there. Clearly, I took this particular area of research very seriously.

If You Rightfully Decide to Come Back for Longer

One day in Los Angeles will give you a taste of the city, but there are so many other neighborhoods, beaches, and hikes to explore. Next time, spend a few days around the coast and a few around Hollywood or the city, giving each area the time it deserves. .. before making your way to downtown, koreatown, olvera street, Silverlake, Burbank… and so much more. LA needs time to get to know properly! My Los Angeles day-trip ideas include plenty of outings within LA as well as places farther afield.

LA is also a great stop on a longer road trip, especially if you want to keep following the coast. Have a look at my Pacific Coast Highway road trip stops for beaches, little towns, and coastal detours, or my California road trip itinerary to combine the cities with mountains and national parks. There’s a lot more of California to show you after this.

Let me know which stops you made it to – and whether you loved the Getty as much as I do!