A Week in Los Angeles
/Beverly Hills. Hollywood Walk of Fame. Highway 1. Malibu. Downtown LA. Venice Beach. The Grove. LAX. Rodeo Drive. Griffith Observatory. Skidrow. Disneyland. Santa Monica. Runyon Canyon. Universal Studios. All the places that makeup one of the best cities in the world. The City of Angels, Los Angeles.
Back in 2010, my Dad and I spent three weeks in California, where we stayed with my Uncle and Auntie at their house in Thousand Oaks. Then, as a part of my American road trip in 2015, I spent another week in La La Land, visiting all the sights and re-living those special memories from 2010.
In this post I’ve compiled a list of things to see and do from both trips, to make the perfect weeks itinerary in this incredible city. Enjoy!
Driving From San Francisco to Los Angeles on Highway 1
There are three main routes from San Fran to LA. You can either use the US-101 or the I-5 which are the quick routes. There is also the famous coastal road CA-1, which takes the longest but the view is incredible the whole way - of course, this is the way we went! It took a gruelling 8 hours in total and it’s the first time I’ve ever used a whole tank of petrol without stopping the car. We filled up in San Fran and had to fill up again just as we entered LA.
Highway 1 is a relatively slow road with sharp bends, ocean views and at parts, you’re driving right on the edge of the cliffs. There are many notable places to stop along the way, including Santa Cruz, Monterey, Lucia, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and Bixby Creek Bridge shown here.
We chased the sunset and stopped at many viewpoints at the side of the road. We had the Pacific on the right side and mountains on the left. You could easily spend days travelling along this coastline, visiting the small towns and beaches along the way.
Beverly Hills/Hollywood
There really is something special about picking up a hot coffee from Starbucks and driving around Beverly Hills. We drove down the palm-tree filled streets and amongst the houses of the superstars. It felt like a dream!
Another fun way to experience the lifestyle of the rich and famous is to use one of the many celebrity home tour groups. We were picked up in an open-top bus and taken around the hills. Driving past the houses of David Beckham, Sharon Osbourne, Christina Aguilera, Michael Jackson and the Playboy Mansion.
Most of these tour groups operate from Hollywood Boulevard, which is where you’ll find the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. We walked along the stars of Marilyn Monroe, Britney Spears, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Matthew McConaughey to name a few. This is also where the Chinese Theatre is situated.
The Chinese Theatre is famous for holding many film premieres and having concrete hands and footprints of many famous stars. Including Will Smith, Eddie Murphy and George Clooney. We also found the Dolby Theatre which is where the Oscars are held! The Hollywood and Highland outdoor mall is right by here which boasts a great view of the Hollywood Sign!
Santa Monica
After a long day in the city, there’s nothing better than heading to the beach to cool off and take in the fresh air. The beach is where my Dad and I feel most at home. Even if ‘home’ is 5,000 miles away.
Santa Monica is the perfect place to watch the sunset. Santa Monica pier is full of entertainment - buskers, street acts and fair rides. The pier is also where Route 66 finishes! Sitting on the beach, paddling our feet in the ocean and watching the sunset into the horizon. Bliss!
Universal Studios
You can either drive to Universal Studios or take the metro to Universal City/Studio City. At the time we paid $110 each for the entrance fee - the prices vary on different demand days.
Going to Universal was by far the highlight of both of my LA trips. There are many rides, film props, shows and you get to take a tram ride on the Studio Tour, which goes through many famous film sets including Jaws, King Kong, War of the Worlds and Fast and Furious. My favourite ride is Jurassic Park - you get soaked!!
Try visiting mid-week as the queues are much quieter. At weekends you can spend an hour or more queuing at the popular rides! After going on our favourite rides a gazillion times, it was time to watch the Waterworld show. Lots of action, drama and fire - a must see!
Just outside the entrance of Universal Studios is the City Walk which is a street full of restaurants and entertainment. We managed to get a table at the Hard Rock Café for dinner - the interior is awesome plus there is memorabilia on display from many iconic musical artists.
Duke’s Malibu
One of the best restaurants I’ve been to! Hawaiian cuisine and located right on the coast of Malibu. There is a gorgeous outside patio with undisrupted ocean views. Or if you opt to sit inside, you can watch the waves crash against the rocks and windows!
Disneyland
The happiest place on earth? Absolutely yes! I remember going to Disneyland Paris when I was a child, but just like everything else, the LA version is bigger and better! THE place to unleash your inner child - rides, entertainment, Disney characters and all the food!
Hiking to the Hollywood Sign
Runyon Canyon is probably the most famous hiking trail in the Hollywood hills. However, from the Griffith Observatory which overlooks the whole city, you can hike to the Hollywood sign. You can see it clearly in the distance, however, it was further away than we anticipated…
The temperature just after midday was nearly 40 degrees and we only had half a bottle of water with us. We walked over the steep mountains, through smoking bushes and we lost track of the path many times. It’s safe to say we should have picked a cooler day to hike. After a gruelling few hours under the hot sun, we made it close enough to the sign. The view was incredible, however, I was starting to hallucinate and could not walk another step. Luckily we walked down to a residential street and a lovely couple offered to take us back to the Observatory. They could see how exhausted we were.
We were sandy, sweaty, dehydrated and exhausted from the heat. After safely getting back to the Observatory and downing a litre of water each, we decided to head back to Santa Monica beach and Venice beach for a relaxing afternoon. It felt amazing to cool off and swim in the ocean - a
t some points the waves were over 8 feet high!
Los Angeles to San Diego
San Diego is only a two-hour drive away from LA. We decided to visit Sea World which was an incredible experience however I wouldn’t ever return. It’s awful seeing such beautiful animals living in small spaces when they should be in the ocean. Even though it was spectacular to see them up close.
Hiking in Malibu
My uncle and auntie live in Thousand Oaks which is tucked behind the Malibu hills. We walked from their backyard straight into the wilderness. There are lots of paths to follow and the views are incredible.
LA Angels Baseball
There’s nothing better than going to see a baseball match to feel like a true American. My uncle and auntie are huge supporters of the LA Angels.
We saw them play at home against the Seattle Mariners. The stadium was full and so were our bellies after eating all the hotdogs, nachos and ice cream. It was amazing to feel a part of something however I had no clue what was going on. All of a sudden the stadium would erupt with celebration, my dad and I would have to pretend we knew what just happened…
Griffith Observatory
One of the best viewpoints of Los Angeles at night is from the Griffith Observatory. The Observatory is a free tourist attraction for the space geeks. We went when the sky was clear and the moon was full. It was the perfect place to spend an evening looking around the telescopes and exhibits.
The Grove
The Grove is the go-to shopping area in the city. It’s one of the most popular places in LA, located in West Hollywood. A retail complex full of shops, restaurants and entertainment. You certainly won’t come away empty handed.
