Los Angeles Weekend Guide

As the big city to the south, there is always a healthy amount of competition and comparison between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The truth is though that the two cities couldn’t be more different and therefore should be celebrated in their independent beauty. After a few trips to Los Angeles, I have come to appreciate the expansiveness of the city and how every neighborhood is uniquely different. In L.A., you can find food from such a variety of communities and not at bad prices either. You can go to the beach or go to the mountains in the same day, though be careful of traffic! Though the culture of “the biz” (show business) permeates, in general the folks that I have interacted with here are down to earth and interesting.

Table of Contents

Some highlights not to be missed:

Chinese Theater and Hollywood Walk of Fame

If you have to get it out of your system, take a visit to downtown Hollywood to check out the handprints for famous celebrities as well as oggle at the outside of the Chinese theater (or buy tickets to one of the IMAX showings there!). The Chinese Theater is where many Hollywood premiers occur and it’s actors walk the red carpet.

Front view of a historic theater building with a green pagoda-style roof, ornate decorations, and two stone lion statues at the entrance.

Disneyland / Universal Studios / Californialand

If you love amusements parks, roller coasters, and a general appreciation for film studios and characters, then you have to take a trip to Anaheim to visit Disneyland or Californialand, or stop in Hollywood and take a tour of Universal Studios.

The image shows the front view of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, featuring blue rooftops and decorative banners.

Rodeo Drive

This is an impressive shopping area where you can stroll past impressive window displays from some of the highest end, luxury stores in the world.

A palm tree-lined city street with parked cars, storefronts, and a clear blue sky.

With more time, check out…

Santa Monica Pier

A Ferris wheel and amusement park rides on a wooden pier extend over the ocean under a clear blue sky.

Venice canals

A calm canal lined with greenery and palm trees, small boats on the water, and a white arched pedestrian bridge in the background.

Getty Museum

Aerial view of a walkway at a hilltop garden, with three people walking and a hazy cityscape in the background.

Griffith Observatory

Rebecca Friedland

Rebecca runs The Adventure Beckons, a travel and outdoor adventure blog based in Vancouver, British Columbia. As an experienced traveler to over 40 countries and counting, she provides her readers with practical travel itineraries from day trips to multi-week adventures. She strives to balance nature and hiking with the must-see tourist highlights that are genuinely worth your time and money.