What To Do in Los Angeles: The Ultimate Bucket List for 2026

Los Angeles is not so much a city as a collection of worlds held loosely together by freeways and sunshine. It's the kind of place where you can hike above the clouds in the morning, eat tacos from a truck at noon, browse a world-class art museum in the afternoon, and catch a live show at night—all within a few miles of each other. There's no single, quintessential LA experience. There are dozens, and this guide covers the best of them.

Key takeaways

LA is vast, sprawling, and endlessly varied. Here's a quick map of what's waiting for you. 

Iconic landmarks and sightseeing

• Griffith Park and Observatory: Hike to sweeping views of the Hollywood Sign and the city below—free, spectacular, and one of LA's greatest experiences.
• Hollywood Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre: Classic Hollywood history along one of the world's most famous streets.
• The Getty Center: World-class art, stunning architecture, and panoramic views over the city—and free to enter.
• Santa Monica Pier: The symbolic end of Route 66, with a Ferris wheel, ocean views, and the best people-watching on the Westside.

Culture and museums

• LACMA and its iconic Urban Light installation, The Broad's contemporary collection (free admission), the Natural History Museum, and the La Brea Tar Pits are all within reach of each other.
• The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens in September 2026—one of the most anticipated cultural openings in LA in years.
• Grand Central Market combines great food with a slice of downtown LA history.

Outdoors and day trips

• Hike Griffith Park or Runyon Canyon, cycle The Strand's 22-mile coastal path, surf in Santa Monica or Malibu, or escape the city entirely with a day trip to Joshua Tree National Park.

Entertainment and theme parks

• Universal Studios Hollywood, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, and Disneyland Park (technically in Anaheim, but worth the 30-minute drive) all deliver full days of entertainment.

Neighborhoods worth exploring

• Venice and Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Silver Lake, the Arts District, Beverly Hills, Little Tokyo, Chinatown, and Koreatown each offer a completely different version of the city—and all are walkable once you're in them.

Food and nightlife

• LA's food truck scene, rooftop bars, comedy clubs, and live music venues—from the Hollywood Bowl to the Troubadour—make for some of the best nights out.

Big events in 2026 and beyond

• The FIFA World Cup comes to SoFi Stadium in June–July 2026, followed by Super Bowl LXI in February 2027 and the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

LA landmarks

Los Angeles doesn't have a single "city center" in the traditional sense. It's more of a network of distinct areas, each with its own personality. For each landmark below, we've noted the city area where it is located to help you plan your days geographically.

Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood Sign

• Area: Los Feliz/Griffith Park (East side)
• Budget: Free (parking fees may apply)
• Best for: Everyone—couples, families, solo travelers, first-timers
• Best time to visit: Weekday mornings or sunset

The Griffith Observatory sits on the south slope of Mount Hollywood and offers some of the most spectacular free views in Los Angeles—the Hollywood Sign to the west, the downtown skyline to the south, and on clear days, the Pacific to the southwest. Inside, the planetarium shows and astronomy exhibits are engaging for all crowds. 

The hike to the Hollywood Sign itself starts from several trailheads in Griffith Park. The most popular route is the Mt. Hollywood Trail from the Observatory parking area, about a six-mile roundtrip with significant elevation gain. You can't walk up to the sign itself, but the views from the ridge above it are the real reward.

Going tip: Don't attempt the Hollywood Sign hike in the middle of a summer afternoon. Start early, bring water, and check trail conditions beforehand. The exposed ridgeline gets very hot.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre

• Area: Hollywood (Central)
• Budget: Free
• Best for: First-time visitors, pop-culture fans
• Best time to visit: Morning, before the crowds hit

The Hollywood Walk of Fame stretches along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, with more than 2,700 stars embedded in the sidewalk honoring figures from film, TV, music, and radio. The TCL Chinese Theatre—with its famous forecourt of celebrity handprints and footprints—is the undisputed centerpiece.

Going tip: Hollywood Boulevard is one of the most touristy stretches in LA—fun to see, but an hour is generally plenty before you're ready to move on. Watch your belongings, and note the costumed characters who charge for photos.

Santa Monica Pier and the beach

• Area: Santa Monica (Westside)
• Budget: Free to visit; rides and attractions extra
• Best for: Families, couples, beach lovers
• Best time to visit: Late afternoon to evening

The Santa Monica Pier is the symbolic western terminus of Route 66, jutting out over the Pacific with a vintage Ferris wheel, an aquarium underneath the boardwalk, and some of the best sunset views in the city. The beach on either side of the pier stretches for miles and is one of LA's great public spaces.

From the pier, it's an easy walk south along the Ocean Front Walk to Venice Beach Boardwalk—a completely different energy, with street performers, outdoor gym enthusiasts at Muscle Beach, and the eclectic, unpredictable atmosphere that made Venice famous.

The Getty Center

• Area: Brentwood (Westside)
• Budget: Free; parking $25
• Best for: Art lovers, architecture enthusiasts, anyone who likes a view
• Best time to visit: Weekday mornings

The Getty Center is one of LA's gifts to its residents and visitors—a world-class art museum perched on a hilltop above the 405 freeway, with panoramic views of the city, the Santa Monica Mountains, and the Pacific Ocean. The collection spans European paintings, decorative arts, photography, and manuscripts.

Going tip: Go early on a weekday to avoid weekend crowds. The tram ride up from the parking structure is part of the experience, and the gardens between the pavilions are as much of a reason to visit as the art itself.

Things to do in LA for culture enthusiasts

Los Angeles has quietly become one of the great museum cities of the world. Here's where to start.

LACMA and the Urban Light installation

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is the largest art museum in the western United States, with a collection spanning thousands of years and dozens of cultures. But for many visitors, the first stop is outside: Urban Light, Chris Burden's forest of 202 restored cast-iron street lamps arranged in a grid on Wilshire Boulevard, is one of LA's most beloved public artworks—especially photogenic at dusk.

The Broad Museum (contemporary art, free admission)

The Broad in downtown LA is home to one of the most significant collections of contemporary art in the world, with works by Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Takashi Murakami. General admission is free, though timed-entry passes are recommended. The building itself—a striking white honeycomb structure—is worth seeing from the outside even if you don't go in.

The Natural History Museum and La Brea Tar Pits

Both sites sit on the same stretch of Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile neighborhood, making them natural companions for a single outing. The Natural History Museum houses one of the finest dinosaur fossil collections in the country. The La Brea Tar Pits next door are a unique experience—a working paleontological dig site in the middle of the city, where Ice Age animals are still being excavated from ancient asphalt.

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (opens September 2026)

One of the most anticipated cultural openings in LA's recent history, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art—funded by George Lucas—will house a sweeping collection of illustration, concept art, film art, and narrative painting, including original Star Wars artwork. It opens in Exposition Park in September 2026, making this year an ideal time to visit.

Grand Central Market for food and history

Grand Central Market has been feeding downtown LA since 1917 and today operates as a vibrant, diverse food hall with vendors serving everything, including Guatemalan breakfast, handmade pasta, and fresh-pressed juice. It's one of the best places in the city to eat well for under $15—and a genuine window into LA's multicultural food identity.

Outdoor activities and hiking in Los Angeles

For a city famous for car culture, LA has a remarkable amount of green space and outdoor activity on offer.

Hiking Griffith Park and Runyon Canyon

• Griffith Park is one of the largest urban parks in the United States, with over 50 miles of trails ranging from easy paved paths to strenuous ridge hikes.
• Runyon Canyon in Hollywood is smaller but just as popular, especially with the dog-walking, celebrity-spotting crowd. The upper ridge offers excellent views over the city.

Venice Beach Boardwalk and the Canals

• The Venice Beach Boardwalk is one of LA's most iconic stretches—chaotic, creative, and completely its own thing. Skaters, musicians, artists, and bodybuilders have been sharing this space for decades.
• Just a few blocks inland, the Venice Canals offer a completely different atmosphere: quiet, photogenic waterways lined with eclectic homes and connected by arched footbridges. This is one of LA's most pleasant and under-visited walks.

Surfing and paddleboarding in Santa Monica or Malibu

• Santa Monica and Venice offer beginner-friendly breaks with surf schools and board rentals right on the beach.
• Malibu—particularly Surfrider Beach—has more powerful waves and a legendary surf culture, and the drive up the Pacific Coast Highway is one of the great scenic routes in Southern California.

Cycling The Strand (22-mile coastal bike path)

• The Strand runs along the coast from Pacific Palisades to Torrance, passing through Santa Monica, Venice, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach.
• Bikes and e-bikes are rentable at multiple points along the route. It's flat, scenic, and one of the best ways to experience LA's beach culture end to end.

Day trip to Joshua Tree National Park

• About 2.5 hours from downtown LA (depending on traffic), Joshua Tree sits at the intersection of two desert ecosystems and offers some of the most otherworldly landscapes in the American West, including twisted Joshua trees, boulder formations, and skies so dark the Milky Way is clearly visible after dark.

Going tip: If you can, plan to spend the night. The stargazing alone is worth it, and the park at dawn—before the day-trippers arrive—is a completely different experience.

Entertainment and theme parks

Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios Hollywood is both a working film and television studio and a full-scale theme park. Highlights include:

• Super Nintendo World: An extraordinarily detailed, interactive tribute to the Mario universe, with the Mario Kart ride as its centerpiece.
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Hogsmeade, butterbeer, and Hogwarts Castle, all faithfully recreated.
• The Studio Tour: A behind-the-scenes tram ride through active backlot sets, including "Jurassic World", "Psycho", and the "Fast & Furious" experience.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood is one of the best behind-the-scenes experiences in the city—a walking tour through working sound stages and iconic sets, including the Central Perk set from "Friends", the exterior of the "Big Bang Theory" house, and extensive DC Universe and Harry Potter props and costumes. Book in advance—tours sell out regularly.

Disneyland Park (Anaheim, 30 minutes from LA)

Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, both located in Anaheim, are a 30-minute drive south of downtown LA and warrant a full day trip—or two. Plan accordingly, and factor in the drive and parking.

Going tip: Technically in Anaheim, not Los Angeles—but close enough to include in any LA trip. If you download the app, you can use it to assess wait time and book fast passes ahead of time. 

Neighborhoods worth exploring on foot

LA isn't known as the most walkable city. But one of the best things about LA is that once you're in a neighborhood, it's often very walkable. Here are the ones worth dedicating time to.

Venice and Abbot Kinney Boulevard

Abbot Kinney Boulevard is one of the most enjoyable streets in Los Angeles—a mile-long stretch of independent boutiques, design shops, coffee roasters, and acclaimed restaurants. It's been called "the coolest block in America," which means it's also fairly busy on weekends. Go on a weekday morning for the best experience.

Silver Lake and the Sunset Junction area

Silver Lake is LA's most creatively active neighborhood—home to independent record stores, bookshops, natural wine bars, and the city's best concentration of interesting small restaurants. The Reservoir at its center makes for a great walk, and the surrounding hillside streets are worth wandering.

The Arts District in downtown LA

The Arts District east of downtown has transformed over the past decade into one of LA's most compelling neighborhoods, with world-class street art, excellent coffee shops, breweries, and restaurants in converted warehouse spaces. It's also home to the Hauser & Wirth gallery and other art spaces.

Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive

Rodeo Drive delivers exactly what it promises: window-shopping among some of the world's most exclusive boutiques, impeccable landscaping, and a distinctly cinematic atmosphere. You don't need to spend any money to enjoy the experience, and the residential streets of Beverly Hills, with their extraordinary architecture, are worth a slow drive or leisurely walk.

Little Tokyo, Chinatown, and Koreatown

Three of LA's most distinct cultural neighborhoods, all within a short drive of downtown.

• Little Tokyo has excellent Japanese restaurants, a moving WWII-era museum, and a beautiful pedestrian mall.
• Chinatown is undergoing a creative renaissance, with new galleries and restaurants alongside its traditional markets and dim sum spots.
• Koreatown has some of the best Korean BBQ outside of Seoul, a thriving nightlife scene, and excellent karaoke—all available until late.

Food and nightlife in Los Angeles

Food trucks and street food 

LA's food truck culture is one of the best in the world. The Kogi BBQ truck was a pioneer in the Korean-Mexican fusion genre, and the city hasn't looked back. Apps like Roaming Hunger track where your favorite trucks are on any given day. For a more concentrated experience, Smorgasburg Los Angeles operates a weekend outdoor food market in the Arts District with rotating vendors.

Rooftop bars and cocktail lounges

A couple worth knowing: Perch in downtown for skyline views and Hotel Erwin's Kassi in Venice for an unpretentious rooftop with ocean views. The cocktail scene in Silver Lake and Los Feliz is also excellent for something more lowkey.

Live music at the Hollywood Bowl or the Troubadour

The Hollywood Bowl is one of the world's best outdoor music venues—a natural amphitheater in the Hollywood Hills where you can bring a picnic, watch the sun set over the stage, and catch everyone from film score orchestras to major pop acts. The Troubadour in West Hollywood is the intimate counterpart—a legendary 500-person venue with one of the best lineups of emerging and established artists in the city.

Comedy clubs (The Groundlings, Hollywood Improv)

LA's comedy scene is arguably the best in the country. The Groundlings in Hollywood is one of the most famous improv and sketch comedy schools in the world—Saturday Night Live has pulled a number of cast members from here. The Hollywood Improv on Melrose is one of the oldest comedy clubs in the country, with a consistently excellent lineup of stand-up.

Big events coming to LA in 2026

FIFA World Cup at SoFi Stadium (June–July 2026)

SoFi Stadium in Inglewood is one of 16 host venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with matches scheduled across June and July. If you're planning a summer trip to LA, this is an extraordinary backdrop for it—the energy across the city during World Cup weeks is unlike anything else.

Super Bowl LXI (February 2027)

Super Bowl LXI comes to SoFi Stadium in February 2027, making Los Angeles the center of the sports world for the week surrounding the game. If you're planning ahead, this is worth building a trip around—or worth knowing about so you can book accommodation before prices spike.

2028 Olympics and Paralympics

Los Angeles will host the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, its third time hosting the Games (also in 1932 and 1984). Events will be spread across iconic venues, including SoFi Stadium, the Rose Bowl, Crypto.com Arena, and venues in Long Beach and beyond. Ticket sales and travel planning for 2028 will open well in advance, so keep an eye out if you plan to attend.

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