For the American traveler, Los Angeles CA is rife with exciting activities! From catching breathtaking views of local landmarks to savoring traditional cuisine and world-renowned hospitality, there are plenty of amazing experiences not to be missed out on. Here’s a list of 10 must-see attractions guaranteed to make your trip unforgettable!
Best Thing to Do in Los Angeles CA
Universal Studios Hollywood
- Address: 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (132592)
- Phone: +1 800-864-8377
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PMTuesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PMWednesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PMThursday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PMFriday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PMSaturday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PMSunday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

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TOP 10 Fun Things to Do in Los Angeles CA

Santa Monica Pier
- Address: 200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA 90401, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (98603)
- Phone: +1 310-458-8900
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMTuesday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMWednesday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMThursday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMFriday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMSaturday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PMSunday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Reviews:
Had a great time here! Be ready for the crowds of people that come here and bring your jacket because it can get pretty cold. There are many great spots to take pictures and spend time with family and friends here. We enjoyed the views entering the pier area and leading down to the actual pier. There are a variety of food options and many vendors providing custom gifts. We had some amazing funnel cakes and bought souvenir pictures for our group. This is a great spot for a day or night experience.By Sandy B (7 months ago)We went on a Sunday. Beautiful weather and plenty to do. It was just a day trip, so we only spent a couple hours there. I can’t wait to go back so we can take our time and experience more. Great place to spend the day. Very kid friendly, we took our 10 year old. The beach is clean and wasn’t too crowded. It was really nice and worth seeing, even with limited time.By Maria J (3 months ago)Lively place, full of entertainment with so many fun activities nearby happening. Amazing place to roam around in the evening time specially. Always remains crowded, mainly due to the pacific park in the pier which is super cool with tons of rides and games to enjoy. Ample parking places available nearby, so parking is not a problem here. Probably one of the most happening night beach in California. Highly recommended to visit while in LA.By Anthony Merchak (10 months ago)Santa Monica Pier is fantastic place to visit both for tourists and locals. I’m sure locals don’t come here on a busy weekend evening but our friends who live in Malibu come here quite a bit when its not crowded.
It really is a fun and historic place… from being the last stop on Iconic Route 66 to the food shops available, street food, street performers and fantastic sunsets, this pier is huge with tons of life and activities.. You can easily spend 4 hours here so plan accordingly. The parking can be tricky as the weekends are very very busy but there are many underground nearby parking lots and if you don’t mind taking a walk there is lots of parking deeper into Santa Monica away from the beach. The pier is just lots of fun and easily top destination when visiting Southern California. Also, the cost of trinkets and souvenirs is not that high since there is a lot of competition. Overall people are very friendly and patient.. everyone is here to enjoy themselves and eventually wait for the beautiful sunset.. so plan to get your spot on the pier to record an amazing California sunset.By Topher Ellis (a month ago)This is a neat place to visit. There weren’t many people when we came because it was right after the tsunami warning expired. It was nice to casually tour without too much foot traffic. Parking costs, so be prepared for that. We paid $10 and parked across the street in a garage. It’s a nice place to see if you’re a tourist.By Mary Mitchell (a year ago)
Griffith Park
- Address: 4730 Crystal Springs Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (58866)
- Phone: +1 323-913-4688
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: Open 24 hoursTuesday: Open 24 hoursWednesday: Open 24 hoursThursday: Open 24 hoursFriday: Open 24 hoursSaturday: Open 24 hoursSunday: Open 24 hours
- Reviews:
OMG! 🙏🏻💜😎 Visited this beautiful place! Bring back the most important and wonderful memories of my youngest part of my life… Been years since I came!🤔😉Well it’s so beautiful! If anyone would like to visit, do it… Never regrets to enjoy hiking and just relaxing! Whatever you want to enjoy, just visit and enjoy as much as you can 😉😎By Claudia Elizabeth Zuñiga (LIZBETH) (5 months ago)Absolutely breathtaking views. This adventure we parked at the old zoo exhibit, had a picnic in the grass under a tree, then explored the upper terrain and even ventured off the beaten path to get even more of a scenic overlook. These photos were shot from the east side of the park, looking eastward towards Glendale, and Eagle Rock. By far a fun quick nature getaway in the urban area of LA. Thanks, parks and recreation!By Corey Johnson (6 months ago)Fantastic view – visited during sunrise, day, sunset and night. In every single time was different and beautiful – most unique was night- sunrise. Parking costs 10$ per hour – quite expensive but is worth visiting. Is a beautiful spot, visiting the inside is also worth doing at least once. Pictures with the bronze wings is a must have for a trip in city of angels. Nice touch!By Carmina Heilla (3 months ago)So excited this is back open to the public for all the inside activities and shows! It’s free, fun, educational and beautiful on the inside. The architecture and interior alone is a work of art that continues to carve its pathway in the importance of history! Be sure the catch the demonstration of the Tesla Coil, and a must see is the Planetarium show. Sunsets on the top of the West terrace, and moon rises via the Zeiss telescope on the East deck! 💞By brittney mcdaniel (8 months ago)Great location for seeing the Hollywood sign and hiking up from the hills below. Great views of the city landscape and really nice houses in the hills area. Up at the top, when the observatory is open, there are tours to see the telescopes and learn about the area, however, this is not open every day and sometimes is closed for private events. Park down in Griffith park and walk the mile up to the observatory on a dirt path (can also walk to the sign from there). There is a water bottle filling station at the observatory to the right of the parking lot when facing away from the observatory.By J (5 months ago)
Universal CityWalk Hollywood
- Address: 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (56246)
Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Address: Hollywood Boulevard, Vine St, Los Angeles, CA 90028, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4 (39006)
The Getty
- Address: 1200 Getty Center Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90049, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.8 (25767)
Los Angeles Zoo
- Address: 5333 Zoo Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.4 (16910)
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- Address: 5905 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (16527)
The Broad
- Address: 221 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (12178)
La Brea Tar Pits and Museum
- Address: 5801 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (11407)
Venice Canals
- Address: Venice, CA 90292, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (9889)

That’s it for our list of the best things to do in Los Angeles CA! If you have any arguments or additional information, please leave a comment. We love to hear from our readers. And don’t forget to check out some of the other posts on our blog for more travel inspiration. Happy traveling!
Holiday decorations were plentiful and all around very well done. While I can’t fit on most of the rides at Universal the ambiance and overall feel was awesome to walk around and enjoy. The blocks of time for nighttime tree lighting and Hogwarts displays were done very well. Really helped make it so you didn’t feel like you’d miss anything. To maximize the day I’d recommend arriving at park opening, just allows a few quick near walk-ons in the opening hour.
Food options a plenty and can be had on a whim for the most part. Mobile order? Who needs it, if you’re hungry just walk up and grab food (well save for some popcorn stands and Starbucks). As a quick-tip if you’re looking for the Minion holiday popcorn bucket, head to Minion Cafe and get it there, then take the receipt to any popcorn cart to get filled.
For safety stuffs: Security and Vaccine/Negative test checks were easy and quick (though still thorough). I’d say most guests were masked and in general all around very pleasant. No fuss, no issues, it was an all around chill atmosphere with everyone enjoying.
All around 10/10 – if you want a holiday theme park visit this fits the bill nicely.
I love this place! They always keep updating the attractions. There is a significant variety of food options to choose from. I would definitely try to avoid going there on the weekend if possible, especially during spring break. It gets super busy. But the thing that I love the most about this part is how efficient everything is. Compared to other theme parks such as Magic Mountain, the people that work here are very good at making sure everything stays organized and moves quickly. Customer service is outstanding, if not exceptional. Everyone is very friendly. I would definitely recommend getting an express pass, especially on the weekend. It will save you a lot of time and misery, especially in the summer. Definitely recommend visiting here
First time here and it was magical! All the staff are helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. The park is fairly easy to navigate with the front/back lots and the upper/lower lots. We were able to go to every attraction and show and each was unique and fun. This park has lots of fun for all ages.
It’s important to note that unlike the other universal studios this one has a huge lot tour, where you’re able to see different sound stages and behind the scenes sets. Due to this, they have less thrilling rides compared to other locations. Highly recommend coming here and would also highly suggest the express pass to bypass the lines!
The park was absolutely amazing and fun! We had a blast! Must try the Transformer, mummy ride, and Harry Potter inside the castle. Those are the absolute best! I recommend upgrading to the express unlimited tickets. Cost was like $307 each but we did not have any wait times and rode rides back to back and the same people were still standing 1hr plus away after we would pass through like 2 times. We completed the park by 5pm and had arrived at 9:30am. We were only able to do this because we had the express.
Amazing place to go and feel the hollywood.. I love this place! They always keep updating the attractions. There is a significant variety of food options to choose from. I would definitely try to avoid going there on the weekend if possible, especially during spring break. It gets super busy. But the thing that I love the most about this part is how efficient everything is. Compared to other theme parks such as Magic Mountain, the people that work here are very good at making sure everything stays organized and moves quickly. Customer service is outstanding, if not exceptional. Everyone is very friendly. I would definitely recommend getting an express pass, especially on the weekend. It will save you a lot of time and misery, especially in the summer. Definitely recommend visiting here