Los Angeles City Guide

This is your free Los Angeles City Guide!  It’s a huge sprawling mass of a city and you’ll need a car to see it, but it’s worth the effort!  It can feel a little soul-less but we think our personal recommendations of what to do will help you to get the most out of your visit…

WHAT TO DO IN LOS ANGELES

Hollywood Boulevard – In recent years the Hollywood Boulevard area has been really spruced up.  Take a walk along the street to see the pavement stars, known as the “Walk of Fame”.  They run from Gower Avenue to Le Brea Avenue and you’ll also find some on Vine Street. The centre piece now of this area is the Kodak theatre where the Oscar’s take place each year.  It’s also surrounded by shops and restaurants.  The other must-see highlight on Hollywood Blvd is still Grauman’s Chinese Theater which is next to the new shopping complex.  More info, pics, links & map…

Grauman’s Chinese Theatre – Outside this fascinating ancient cinema on Hollywood Boulevard you’ll find the hand impressions of movie stars in the paving slabs.  You can spend a long time just looking at them for free, but we’d recommend you take the tour of the cinema too.  It was built in 1927, it’s still the home of many of the Hollywood premieres and it’s got a real story to tell.  More info, pics, link & map…

Santa Monica – Not technically part of Los Angeles, but great for a laid back afternoon of shopping, eating and seeing the sea.  You’ll recognise the Santa Monica pier because it’s been used in many a movie, although we wouldn’t recommend it at night when it becomes a hang out zone for local youths.  The shopping/eating area though is a great place to be day or night and has a fantastic atmosphere.  Take a walk along the beach path to see Muscle Beach or drive up the coast road (Highway 1) to see places noted for celebrity houses like Malibu.  More info, pics, links & map…

Warner Brothers – In our opinion, this is the best genuine studio tour you can do.  No roller-coasters, just your chance to go behind-the-scenes at a working movie studio. You’ll see the “back lots”, the sets of films being shot at the moment, the scenery departments and even a little collection of movie vehicles like the “Batmobile”.  Our guide was fantastic and whole thing was a real insight into movie making.  It’s not cheap, but it’s worth it.  Weekdays only – follow the signs for “VIP Tour” from Warner Boulevard. You may need to take your passport with you for security.  More info, pics, links & map…

The Getty Center

The Getty Center – This is an oasis of calm, high up on a hill with stunning views of Los Angeles.  It’s an art gallery and café, but it’s also fascinating to walk around with beautiful gardens and striking architecture.  Best of all, it’s free!  Closed on Mondays.  It’s signed from the Interstate 405 with the main gate on Sepulveda Boulevard.  More info, pics, links & map…

The Hollywood sign – You won’t find this in most tourist guides because you can’t get to the sign itself.  We wanted a photo as close as we could get in a car though, and here’s where we did it. You’ll need to find Canyon Lake Drive which is near the Hollywood Reservoir. Follow Barnham Boulevard from the 101 to Lake Hollywood Drive.  Turn right and follow the road as it goes around the reservoir. Turn left at Tahoe and then right on to Canyon Lake Drive.  You’ll see a Dog Park so you’ll know you’re in the right place.  More info, pics, links & map…

Beverly Hills/Bel Air – You can buy “star maps” in gift shops and from street sellers.  These are great fun to follow around to see the houses of the rich and famous, but don’t expect to see the stars themselves!  In most cases, you just get to see the gates to the houses, but we’d still recommend following a star map as it’s a great way to see the wealthy parts of LA.

Universal Studios – It’s basically a theme park with rides and attractions, but the twist is that the “Studio Tour” part does actually take you through the working studios and the “backlot”.  You’ll see the outside set for Desperate Housewives, the square used in “Back to the Future”, the plane crash set from “War of the Worlds” etc.  Universal is signed well from Highway 101.

Disneyland – The original Disney “Magic Kingdom” in Anaheim.  The park is much smaller than Florida, and the castle is tiny, but you have that feeling when you’re walking around that this is where it all began.

The Queen Mary

The Queen Mary – This ship is moored at the end of Highway 710 in Long Beach.  If you’ve ever wondered what the Titanic might have been like, the ship will give you a clue.  The Queen Mary is younger, but she’s a relic of the age of trans-Altlantic crossings and you get to walk around lots of the ship on a self guided tour.  You can’t help feeling that the whole thing could be done better, but we still enjoyed our visit.  The Russian Submarine moored here too is fascinating to explore.

OUR TOP TIP IN LOS ANGELES

As the sights of Los Angeles are all spread out and it doesn’t really have a centre, we’d recommend staying in Santa Monica and driving to all the places you want to go.  This gives you somewhere nice to base yourself, plus the beach is nearby and you can still get to all the major attractions of LA.  One point to note though, Disneyland is quite a long way away from Santa Monica.

GETTING AROUND LOS ANGELES

If you want to see the sights and get the most of out of LA, there’s not really any alternative to hiring your own car.  Most of the main roads are wide and slow, but the highways are a bit scary at first.  Take a good map or Sat Nav. Two down sides – the traffic jams on the highways and the parking fees!