chloedickensonLast Updated on 10th October 2023
This post about the ultimate 3 day Los Angeles itinerary contains affiliate links.
Are you planning to spend 3 days in LA for the first time but you’re not sure what to do? This perfect 3 day Los Angeles itinerary includes the city’s top sights and attractions for an epic weekend in LA!
Los Angeles is undoubtedly one of the most famous, popular and bucket list-worthy cities to visit in the USA, if not in the entire world.
With the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, the allure of designer brands on Rodeo Drive and the bountiful beaches of Malibu, Santa Monica and Venice, LA simply oozes luxe, elegance and fanciful adventures. Of course, there’s a rougher side to LA as well and it’s certainly not all sparkles and celebrities but for those seeking a city known for its famous people and sizzling sunshine, then Los Angeles is the place to be.
We spent a few days in and around Los Angeles exploring the city’s best sights and attractions and I’ve put together this huge guide all about the ultimate 3 days in Los Angeles itinerary. I’ve included all the best things to see, do and eat in LA in 3 days so that you can plan the most epic trip to the City of Angels!
Read more: The Ultimate 3 Month USA Road Trip Itinerary – New York to California
Best things to do in LA in 3 days
When it comes to finding the best things to do in Los Angeles in 3 days, you’ll have quite the mission narrowing it down to just a handful of activities to ensure that you can fit everything in.
For example, I’m sure you could easily spend a full day on Santa Monica Beach and Venice Beach alone, not to mention all the other beaches surrounding the city. Then, of course, there are tonnes of things to do in the city itself and before you know it, you’ve suddenly got an LA bucket list as long as your arm with only 3 days to see and do everything!
Therefore, I’ve compiled a list of the things that we managed to fit into our 3 days in Los Angeles itinerary, with a few bonus activities and attractions thrown in just in case you have longer than 3 days in LA!
Here are all the best things to do in LA in 3 days!
3 day LA itinerary summary
Get a copy of the full map to plan your 3 day LA itinerary here!
- Day 1: Hollywood Sign, Walk of Fame, Griffith Observatory, Beverly Hills & Rodeo Drive
- Day 2: Downtown LA, Santa Monica Beach/Pier, Venice Beach/Canals
- Day 3: Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood & Universal Studios
Day 1 – Hollywood, Beverly Hills & Rodeo Drive
Your first day in LA takes you on an exciting itinerary in the city’s famous Hollywood Hills to see the iconic Hollywood Sign, the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the impressive views of Los Angeles from Griffith Observatory. You’ll also be able to see the star-studded homes of Beverly Hills and shop until you drop on Rodeo Drive!
The Hollywood Sign – 3 day Los Angeles itinerary
As I was such a huge fan of ‘The Hills’ for many years when I was younger, another classic LA bucket list stop for me was the infamous Hollywood Sign.
While you can no longer walk right up to the sign (though people still try!), there are many spots around the city where you can see this iconic monument.
The letters of the Hollywood Sign are 45ft high and 350ft across and you can see them from so many different parts of the city, even if you’re over a half an hour’s drive away! However, it’s incredibly cool to see them as up close as possible, so we spent a long while trying to find the best viewpoints of the Hollywood Sign in LA.
We found Lake Hollywood Park to be our favourite spot to view the sign from as close as possible and we were delighted to discover that parking at Canyon Lane Drive was completely free! Parking at the side of the road does get remarkably busy, however, so it can prove to be a little tricky to find a good parking spot, especially in the summer months.
Lake Hollywood Park – 3 days in Los Angeles itinerary
I’ve already mentioned Lake Hollywood Park on this 3 days in LA itinerary, but I thought it was worth mentioning in its own section as well because it’s a truly great place to hang out in Los Angeles.
While seeing the Hollywood Sign from the park is obviously a huge selling point, the park itself is a gorgeous area in LA and it’s the perfect place to bask in the sunshine and take in the stunning surrounding views. Bonus points if you bring a picnic along with you!
Griffith Observatory
Seeing the Griffith Observatory and Park was one of the things that Matt and I were most excited to experience in LA and thankfully, it didn’t disappoint.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t actually go inside the Observatory itself as it’s only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and we were there mid-week, but we still managed to go to the top of the hill where the Observatory resides to check out the remarkable views of LA below.
We even timed our visit with the sunset which meant that we got to experience the city slowly transforming from day to night and even though that iconic Los Angeles smog is very much real, the sunset we saw was magical!
Parking at the Griffith Observatory costs $10 an hour if you park at the top of the hill next to the Observatory itself. Alternatively, you can park at the very bottom of the hill and make the 3-mile round-trip hike to the top of the hill from Vermont Canyon Avenue below, but it is quite the trek so be prepared for steep inclines and dusty paths!
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is yet another one of LA’s most famous and sought-after tourist destinations so, of course, it definitely needs to be on your 3 day Los Angeles itinerary!
Unfortunately, I was actually a little disappointed with Hollywood in general as it just didn’t feel quite as glamorous as I was expecting. While seeing the hundreds of stars dotted along the pavement all the way down the Hollywood Walk of Fame was very cool and surreal, Hollywood itself actually felt a little run down and not nearly as sparkly or as rich and lavish as I expected.
If you’re a huge movie buff, however, then seeing the Hollywood Stars are certainly a must-do and they’re completely free to see (once you’ve paid for nearby parking, of course!).
Eat a famous In-N-Out Burger
As the original In-N-Out Burger was located in Baldwin Park, California, just east of Los Angeles, it only felt appropriate to try our first-ever burger from this iconic franchise once we got to LA.
Thankfully, it didn’t disappoint and while it’s not exactly the nicest burger I’ve ever had, for a fast-food chain burger, I thought it was pretty good!
Depending exactly which In-N-Out Burger restaurant you visit will depend on how much you pay for a burger and fries, but I think we only paid around $4 for a cheeseburger and fries which is pretty cheap compared to some of the other top fast-food chains!
There are dozens of chains of In-N-Out all over LA, but the one on Sunset Boulevard makes the most sense to visit on this 3 day LA itinerary as you’ll be close by once you’ve spent some time in Hollywood.
The Chinese Theatre
Also residing down Hollywood Boulevard is one of Hollywood’s most notable cinematic icons; the TCL Chinese Theatre. It’s home to the world’s largest IMAX auditorium and it’s renowned for being the hub of many opening nights of hundreds of Blockbuster movies over the years.
Just outside the theatre, you’ll find dozens of famous celebrities’ autographs, handprints and doodles etched into the concrete. Spot the famous hands of actors from the Avengers franchise, the Harry Potter cast, the Twilight vampires and werewolves, plus many more actors and actresses who have all left their stamp on the concrete pavement outside the world-renowned theatre.
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is another one of the most famous neighbourhoods in Los Angeles and that’s largely due to the significant number of celebrities who call it their home.
One of the best things to do in Beverly Hills is to take a guided tour of some of the most notable celebrity homes in the area, but if that’s not really your thing, I’d still recommend driving around the neighbourhood and admiring all the spectacular houses, swaying palm trees and generally beautiful streets.
Rodeo Drive
Rodeo Drive is arguably most famous for being featured in the 1990 Hollywood hit ‘Pretty Woman’ thanks to Julia Roberts’ incredibly iconic scene with a woman who works in a store on Rodeo Drive.
As it’s one of my favourite films, I knew that I desperately wanted to see Rodeo Drive and while I certainly wasn’t in the business to do any actual shopping in this luxury shopping district, I did quite enjoy window-shopping and browsing all the different elegant stores. I even sort of felt like Pretty Woman at one point as we were looking in a store window and we received very odd looks from the security guards who clearly thought we didn’t belong there!
It was all good fun, though, and even if you’re not big into shopping, I’d still recommend adding a stop at Rodeo Drive to your list of things to do in LA as it’s one of the nicest areas of the city.
Parking at Rodeo Drive is also pretty cheap if you park in Brighton Public Parking as you get the first two hours free and then it’s $3 for every half an hour after that.
Day 1 – LA itinerary summary
- Hollywood Sign
- Lake Hollywood Park
- Griffith Observatory
- Hollywood Walk of Fame
- In-N-Out Burger
- Chinese Theater
- Beverly Hills
- Rodeo Drive
Day 2 – Downtown LA, Santa Monica, Venice Beach
On day 2 of your three day Los Angeles itinerary, you’ll explore Downtown LA, including the famous Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Grand Central Market before heading off to the coast to explore Santa Monica and Venice!
Downtown LA
Downtown LA itself didn’t impress me all that much as it’s a lot smaller than I initially thought and it was just a bit lacking in something compared to my other favourite US cities such as New York, San Francisco and Miami.
However, some of the buildings in the Downtown area of Los Angeles are pretty cool and while there didn’t seem to be an awful lot going on, I still enjoyed wandering around nevertheless.
It was also a good place to park for the day so that we could explore the nearby neighbourhoods of the city. We parked at Paragon Parking on S Hope Street, which is just opposite The Standard Hotel. We were there on a weekday and paid $10 for the full day which really isn’t too bad considering we paid $10 an hour at the Griffith Observatory!
Little Tokyo
Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo is a fabulous neighbourhood to explore, especially if you love Japanese cuisine as there are so many wonderful restaurants to enjoy.
It’s a really lovely part of Downtown LA, with so much good food to take advantage of!
Grand Central Market
Speaking of excellent food in LA, we came across Grand Central Market as we were wandering around downtown LA and I’m so glad that we did as we stumbled across some truly incredible places to eat!
The market hall is full of an abundance of fantastic food stalls that sell a vast array of different cuisines, including Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Japanese, German, Korean, plus much more. You’ll also find delights such as doughnuts (more on that below!), as well as ice cream, smoothies, candy and chocolate and so many more wonderful sweet treats and goodies.
I could have quite happily spent the entire day at Grand Central Market eating my way around the many delights on offer, but unfortunately, we only had time to sample a handful of the food there!
Matt got a burrito from Villa Moreliana for $11 which I initially thought was pretty steep for a burrito but it was absolutely delicious and 100% worth the money! I then set my sights on The Donut Man stall, especially after seeing the crazy long queue as I thought it must be good and after a very long wait and the loveliest, kindest server at the till, I was delighted to be rewarded with some truly divine doughnuts!
I went for the sprinkles doughnut ($1.50) and a chocolate glazed round doughnut ($1.50) and because the man accidentally gave us a filled doughnut with Bavarian cream ($2.75) instead of the initial chocolate glazed doughnut, he very kindly gave it to us for free which was an incredibly nice gesture!
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Walt Disney Concert Hall is renowned for being the home of the iconic Los Angeles Philharmonic, which in turn is known for offering the best of the best when it comes to all things classical, contemporary, world and jazz music.
If you’re a fan of music of any kind, you should definitely look into attending one of the many concerts and performances that are hosted at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and if not, be sure to quickly stop outside it anyway as you make your way around Downtown LA as the building itself is a truly fascinating structure.
Grand Park
The area of Grand Park was one of my favourite areas in Downtown LA. This 12-acre public park right in the heart of the downtown hub of the city is home to a gorgeous fountain, numerous seating areas and is surrounded by skyscraper views.
It’s a really lovely part of LA, right next to many of downtown’s sights and attractions so you can enjoy a leisurely mosey around and then spend some time luxuriating in the park’s beauty.
Chinatown – 3 days in Los Angeles itinerary
I’m always a huge fan of exploring a city’s version of Chinatown whenever I visit somewhere new and I really enjoyed wandering through LA’s version.
It’s hectic, it’s incredibly busy but it’s also full of wonderful places to eat, awesome market stalls and gorgeous buildings and monuments.
Santa Monica Pier – 3 day Los Angeles itinerary
Santa Monica Pier is an awesome place to spend a few hours in as part of your 3 day LA itinerary as it’s home to some incredibly cool fairground rides, amusement park attractions and fun-filled family treats and snacks.
It also marks the end of the old Route 66 (or the beginning I suppose, depending on where you start/end!) and it’s just an all-round fun place to hang out. Of course, it gets crazy busy in the summer months, but it’s still worth battling the crowds to see this iconic pier and maybe even have a whizz around one of the many fairground rides if you’re feeling particularly brave!
Venice Beach/Boardwalk
Just a 5-minute drive or a 30-minute walk from the famous Santa Monica Beach and Pier, you’ll find yet another one of Los Angeles’ most famous beaches; Venice Beach and Boardwalk.
Famed for its celebrities, fresh green smoothies and seemingly-endless stretches of gorgeous beach, Venice Beach is a hotspot for tourists and residents alike.
Surrounded by towering palm trees, lush white sand and a spectacularly blue ocean, Venice Beach was one of my favourite places that we visited as part of our 3 days in Los Angeles itinerary and I’d seriously urge you to add it to your LA bucket list.
Even if you’re not particularly beachy like Matt and I, Venice Beach Boardwalk is definitely a must-do and your feet barely even have to touch the sand!
We parked at the aptly named ‘Santa Monica Beach Parking’ car park where we paid $7 for the whole day on a weekday in March which is still classed as the winter season, but I think parking can cost up to $20 a day in the summer months and that’s if you can even get a space!
Win-Dow
Situated on Venice Boardwalk is one of the best places in the area to grab a bite to eat as you’re enjoying your day at the beach; The Win-Dow.
This tiny little window cafe serves up tremendous burgers and fries for just $3.95 each, plus fried chicken sandwiches, salads, grain bowls, smoothies, milkshakes and more.
We ordered a classic cheeseburger, fries and fresh lemonade and it was the perfect beach snack. The fresh lemonade in particular was a much-needed refreshment and I could have happily devoured litres of the stuff; it was so good!
Venice Canals
Just a short 5-10-minute walk inland from Venice Beach are the extraordinary Venice Canals. Resembling their namesake in Venice, Italy, these manmade canals are one of the coolest parts of Los Angeles.
While they’re not quite as beautiful as the real ones in Italy, they’re still a sight to see and the homes surrounding the canals are also truly amazing. They were created in the early 1900s by Abbot Kinney as part of his ‘Venice of America’ ploy and today, they comprise six main waterways known as Carroll, Linnie, Howland, Sherman, Eastern, and Grand.
There are nine pedestrian bridges and four bridges that local residents can use to access their homes via car. If you’ve got some spare time while you’re in the Venice Beach area, I’d highly recommend taking an hour or so to wander around the Venice Canals as it’s such a cool and unique thing to experience in the city.
Leo’s Tacos Truck – 3 day Los Angeles itinerary
While we were in America, Matt developed an almost obsession with Mexican food, so when he found Leo’s Tacos Truck on Google Maps on our way back from watching the sunset at Griffith Observatory, he was adamant that we had to try it out!
There are numerous Leo’s Tacos Trucks franchises all over LA and we visited the one on La Brea Avenue which looks like an awfully strange place to have a taco truck when you consider the fact that it’s right next to a petrol station but it somehow works!
The queue was also crazy long and we couldn’t find anywhere to park in the petrol station so we had to go all the way down the street! It was definitely worth the parking difficulties and the long queue, however, as the food was awesome.
Matt had a burrito ($9) and I had the Asada fries which were smothered in melted cheese and strips of steak ($12).
Day 2 – Los Angeles itinerary summary
- Downtown LA
- Little Tokyo
- Grand Central Market
- Walt Disney Concert Hall
- Grand Park
- Santa Monica Pier/Beach
- Venice Beach/Canals
- Leo’s Tacos Truck
Day 3 – Warner Bros. Studio Tour & Universal Studios
For your third day in Los Angeles, I’d recommend spending the whole day at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour and Universal Studios Hollywood!
The Warner Bros. Studio Tour lasts around 3 hours and then you can head straight to Universal Studios Hollywood! Many people prefer to spend longer at Universal Studios, but if you only have 3 days in Los Angeles, it’s a good idea to do both these attractions in one (very long!) day.
3 day Los Angeles itinerary – bonus things to do
As I mentioned above, 3 days in Los Angeles should be enough time for you to scratch the surface of this remarkable city, but if you have more time to spend in LA, here are a few bonus best things to do in the city.
- Go up the LA Observation Deck
- Take a celebrity homes tour in LA
- Check out the beaches in Malibu
- Spend time in Laguna Beach
- Visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
How to get to Los Angeles
We visited Los Angeles as part of our epic 3 month USA road trip, so we drove to LA straight after San Diego. Of course, if you’re visiting LA from other parts of America or indeed, anywhere else in the world, you’ll likely be flying into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
We usually use Kiwi.com to book our flights as they’re one of the best flight comparison sites. Flights to Los Angeles from London , for example, start at around £250 return per person, but they can sometimes cost upwards of £1,000 depending on when you’re travelling!
Where to stay – 3 day Los Angeles itinerary
Accommodation in LA certainly isn’t cheap, especially if you want to stay in a “good” part of the city. You also need to bear in mind just how bloody huge Los Angeles is; something that I really didn’t realise until we got there and started driving around!
We stayed at Park Cienega Motel which really doesn’t look like much when you first arrive; in fact, I was pretty sceptical about the whole place at first, but it actually turned out to be a great place to stay in LA. It’s around 20 minutes from Santa Monica Beach, 20 minutes from Downtown LA, a 15-minute drive from Rodeo Drive and 35-40 minutes from the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory.
We stayed at the beginning of March and paid approximately $95 a night (£75) which is much more than we’d usually like to pay, especially when we were travelling across America for 3 months and we’d already spent a huge chunk of money!
However, despite the hotel costing us almost $100 a night, it was actually by far the cheapest place we could find that fit our usual criteria for hotels/motels/hostels (a private room and bathroom, free parking, 7+ rated, air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, etc) and even though it wasn’t a very lavish accommodation option, I was pretty happy with it.
Booking.comHow to get around – 3 day Los Angeles itinerary
Once you’re in Los Angeles, getting around the city isn’t actually the easiest, especially compared to somewhere like New York or London, for example. The public transport system in LA isn’t the best and while driving can certainly be very hectic, I do personally think that it’s the best way to get around the city and see as much as possible.
We hired a car in Dallas, Texas and drove across New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and then eventually into California so we had the hire car for 28 days in total. While this meant that we did a lot of driving, it also gave us the freedom to see and do as much as possible during our incredible 3-month road trip and if you’re planning to visit numerous places in the US, I’d definitely recommend hiring a car.
Unfortunately, parking in LA isn’t always the cheapest, but you can find some spaces that are relatively affordable.
Where to park in LA
- Santa Monica Beach Parking – $7 all day (this price is just in the winter months, however, and it’s usually more expensive in the summer).
- Rodeo Drive parking at Brighton Public Parking – first two hours free and then $3 for half an hour.
- Griffith Observatory parking – $10 an hour at the top but free at the bottom of the hill, but it does get super busy and it’s pretty much impossible/not allowed on show/event days.
- Hollywood Sign at Lake Hollywood Park – free on Canyon Lane Drive but it gets super busy.
- Paragon Parking, S Hope Street – $10 for the day in Downtown LA.
Related posts:
- Ultimate 1 Month USA Road Trip Itinerary
- 111 Best Things To Do In New York City – Ultimate NYC Travel Guide
- Ultimate Miami Travel Guide – 25 Best Things To See, Do & Eat In Miami
- 40 Best Things To Do In San Francisco – Ultimate San Fran Travel Guide
- The Best Casino Hotels In Las Vegas – Vegas Travel Guide
Pin for later – 3 day Los Angeles itinerary
Have you ever been to LA? Do you have any other best things to do in Los Angeles to add to this list? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram at @imjustagirl_16.
