City guide · United States
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is the most populous city in the U.
4 ready itineraries · 3, 5, 7, 10-day plans
Los Angeles is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Southern California. With an estimated 3.87 million residents within the city limits as of 2025, it is the second-most populous city in the United States, behind New York City, and the largest city in the Western United States.
The city has an ethnically and culturally diverse population, and is the principal city of a metropolitan area of 12.9 million people (2024). Greater Los Angeles, a combined statistical area that includes the Los Angeles and Riverside–San Bernardino metropolitan areas, is a sprawling metropolis of over 18 million residents. right|250px|thumb|Grauman's Chinese Theater, Hollywood Entertainment is what has earned L.A. its fame, so it's no surprise that many come for the sights of Hollywood, where you will find such landmarks to film as Grauman's Chinese Theater and the Hollywood Walk of Fame or gaze up at the Hollywood Sign perched on the hill.
- Best for
- First-time visitors who want Los Angeles without a car. The 3-day plan stays inside walking range of City.
- Skip if
- Skip Los Angeles if you only want a beach week or an airport layover. This cluster is for people who will walk most days.
Pick a trip length
One plan per length — open it and walk the days in order.
- 3days3-day itineraryA long weekend walking Los Angeles.Open plan →
- 5days5-day itineraryPopularA first visit to Los Angeles with room for one extra neighborhood.Open plan →
- 7days7-day itineraryA slower week in Los Angeles, with one day outside town.Open plan →
- 10days10-day itineraryFirst-time visitors who want a full Los Angeles trip with day trips.Open plan →
5-day preview
Skim the walking days, then open the full plan.
- 1
City
Walk City in Los Angeles. Start at Saint Mary's Catholic Church, then Church of the Precious Blood and First Congregational Church. Stay on foot.
Saint Mary's Catholic Church · Church of the Precious Blood · First Congregational Church · Saint Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral · …
- 2
City
Walk City in Los Angeles. Start at Epiphany Chapel, then Ivy Chapel and Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church. Stay on foot.
Epiphany Chapel · Ivy Chapel · Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church · Antioch Temple Baptist Church · …
- 3
City
Walk City in Los Angeles. Start at Divine Providence Convent, then Jesus of Nazareth Undenominational Church and Ward African Methodist Episcopal Church. Stay on foot.
Divine Providence Convent · Jesus of Nazareth Undenominational Church · Ward African Methodist Episcopal Church · Bible House of Los Angeles · …
- 4
City
Walk City in Los Angeles. Start at Church of the New Jerusalem, then First Baptist Church of Los Angeles and First English Lutheran Church. Stay on foot.
Church of the New Jerusalem · First Baptist Church of Los Angeles · First English Lutheran Church
- 5
Day trip toward Orange County (California)
Leave Los Angeles for the day. Come back to the same bed.
Orange County (California) · Disneyland · Knott's Berry Farm
Where to stay
Bases that fit the walking plan.
The centre
3 to 5 nights
First-time visitors
Stay inside walking range of the first-day stops in Los Angeles.
Getting there & when to go
Lock timing and airport basics early.
Best time
Los Angeles works year-round for a walking trip. Shoulder months are easier on crowds and hills.
- Shoulder months
- High season
- Low season
- Rain days
Airport
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
thumb|right|350px|Metro Rail and Busway map The Los Angeles area's Metro Rail subway/light rail system opened its first line in the 1990s and has been expanding since. Most prominent neighborhoods and sightseeing destinations can be reached using Metro Rail, including Downtown L.A., Koreatown, Hollywood, Universal Studios, Chinatown, Pasadena, Exposition Park, Wilshire, Culver City, Santa Monica, and Long Beach. For these areas, public transportation can be preferable to the gridlock that often occurs on freeways and streets. The Metro Rail system consists of two subway lines, four light rail lines, and two bus rapid transit lines, with operating hours and frequencies varying from one line to another.
- Public transit from LAX30 to 60 minutes · Local ticket price. Check the operator the week you fly.
- Taxi or licensed ride hail20 to 45 minutes · Treat any number you see online as an estimate, not a quote.
Practical notes
Short reads before you book.
Understand
The city of Los Angeles is huge, stretching from the suburbs of the San Fernando Valley in the north to the Port of Los Angeles in the south, a distance of almost . And that's just the primary city; the sprawling L.A. metropolitan area spreads across portions of five counties and includes numerous smaller cities, some of which are regional centers of their own, like Burbank, Pasadena, Long Beach, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Riverside and San Bernardino.
Some of these cities were founded around the end of the nineteenth century and grew alongside Los Angeles, and even today retain distinct identities. Such is the nature of Los Angeles: because it is so spread out and its individual cities and neighborhoods are so distinct, the city is often thought of less as a cohesive whole than as a collection of disparate communities.
Get in
The Los Angeles metro area is served by five major commercial airports and more than a dozen private airports. Three of the major airports are in L.A.
County proper while the other two are nearby. thumb|right|300px|The iconic Theme Building at LAX * Los Angeles International Airport ( ), 1 World Way, +1-310-646-5252.
Get around
thumb|right|350px|Metro Rail and Busway map The Los Angeles area's Metro Rail subway/light rail system opened its first line in the 1990s and has been expanding since. Most prominent neighborhoods and sightseeing destinations can be reached using Metro Rail, including Downtown L.A., Koreatown, Hollywood, Universal Studios, Chinatown, Pasadena, Exposition Park, Wilshire, Culver City, Santa Monica, and Long Beach.
For these areas, public transportation can be preferable to the gridlock that often occurs on freeways and streets. The Metro Rail system consists of two subway lines, four light rail lines, and two bus rapid transit lines, with operating hours and frequencies varying from one line to another.
Stay safe
For emergencies in Los Angeles County, dial 911 toll-free from any phone including payphones. Dialing 911 from a cellphone will place you in contact with the California Highway Patrol.
Most tourist destinations within the Los Angeles area tend to be fairly safe, including Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Westwood, and West L.A. However, walking at night in some areas of the city (and some suburban cities as well) should be conducted with caution; and depending on the area, in groups.
Related guides
Helpful next pages for Los Angeles.