See the Sights of LA in One Day: 24 Hour LAX Layover
See the Sights of LA in One Day: 24 Hour LAX Layover
Are you travelling via Los Angeles and have decided to make it a layover? While one day is hardly enough time to experience everything LA offers, seeing some of the main sights with a well-planned itinerary is possible. We did this recently, so read on to see how to make the most of your one-day adventure in LA.
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Los Angeles 101
When we first picture LA, many of us will think of beaches and the glitz and glam of Hollywood. But there is so much more to LA than that. One thing you need to be aware of is Los Angeles is BIG and SPREAD OUT. So, you need to plan what you really want to see, and how you are going to get to those places.
Do you want to see Hollywood? Beverley Hills? Beaches? Santa Monica Pier? The Hollywood Sign? The Griffith Observatory? A hiking trail? A theme park? Think about this before you get there because, in reality, you may only get to do a couple of those things in a one-day layover.
TIP: download Google Maps and save the spots you want to go to so you can use this offline
Do I need a car to get around LA?
This depends on where you want to go. For one day, probably not. It may be more convenient to get around places, but you also have to think about parking and traffic (if you’re not used to spending time in a big city, this could be stressful).
However, unlike London or New York, LA is not a city where public transport easily connects all the main attractions. We used a combination of walking and Uber/Lyft, which was more economical for one day in LA than hiring a car and paying for gas and parking.
What we did: Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Runyon Canyon and LAX
Our layover was just over 24 hours. We landed in LAX mid-afternoon from New Zealand and were jet lagged. We caught the Big Blue Bus (read about that here) from LAX to Santa Monica to save some money. We stayed in the Hilton Santa Monica that night and explored Santa Monica that evening.
Santa Monica
If you have seen images of LA, there’s a good chance you have seen the iconic Santa Monica Pier. If timing allows, try to go there at sunset. If you arrive in LA in the morning, you could add this part to the end of your one-day itinerary. Stop in for a drink and food somewhere close to the pier, or like us, go to Bubba Gump (super touristy, but fun!). The food and beer were good here, and you could look over the beach (just don’t order the sangria).
You could also hire bikes to go further along to Venice Beach (which only takes around 10 minutes). We wanted to do this but were pretty tired after 12 hours of flying.
TIP: In late April, it was COLD walking on the pier. Bring layers!
We also went to 3rd Street Promenade, as I remembered this as a bustling shopping street, only to find the shops were half vacant. We wouldn’t recommend going there now unless there is a shop or eatery that you specifically want to visit. We also stopped at Trejos Tacos in this area. They were nice, but we probably wouldn’t return unless it were happy hour (currently 3 pm – 5 pm Monday to Friday).
Eat at a Diner
The following morning, we started our day at Mel’s Diner, mostly because I’m a big Lana Del Rey fan. There are a few of these around LA, and we would highly recommend them. The atmosphere is fun, and you can sit at a table with your own jukebox. The breakfast was huge, which set us up for the day. My Lana shake was YUM, and I drank it while listening to West Coast on the jukebox. Perfect.
Beverley Hills
After our huge breakfast, we caught an Uber to Rodeo Drive, which took around 20 minutes. We arrived around 11 am, which was very quiet; the shops were just opening (if you have the budget to shop there!).
We wandered around and then headed for the Beverly Hills sign via Erewhon (to see what all the fuss is about). The line to order the Hailey Bieber Smoothie was so long we didn’t bother, saving us $20! Honestly, I prefer Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.
The Beverly Hills sign had a few people around, but not too many, so it was a perfect time to take a picture there.
Hollywood
We then caught an Uber to the Hollywood Walk of Fame and found a few of our favourite stars. You can also see the TCL Chinese Theatre here. We stopped in for a drink at the Hard Rock Café (we collect the pins), and it was very worthwhile because the locals sitting next to us told us about a great view of the Hollywood sign just around the corner. That’s where we headed next (we’ve pinned this below; it was close to the Hot Topic store).
Runyon Canyon
After viewing the Hollywood sign, we walked to the Runyon Canyon trailhead start for an easy and short hike to get a different viewpoint of LA. This was quite pleasant in the April weather, and you can see stunning views of LA from here. You could also walk a bit further, depending on your schedule and if you’re in the right outfit.
LAX
After the walk, we headed back to Santa Monica to pick up our bags, as we were headed for LAX that night. But if you arrive in the morning, you could spend some time at the Santa Monica Pier. Or you could go to one of the other attractions on your list for LA.
It took well over an hour to get to Santa Monica and then on to LAX. Please make sure you keep travel times in mind when visiting LA.
We were actually quite excited to get to LAX because we like planes (as lame as that sounds!). If you’re the same, there is a fantastic spot to watch them fly right overhead. It’s next to an In and Out, so you can enjoy a burger while doing it – win-win. This was an absolute highlight and a fantastic way to end a day trip around LA.
What else could you do with a 24-hour layover in LA?
A lot! It really depends on your personal preference. The most important thing is to plan what you want to do and how you will get to and from each place. Don’t forget to allow time for the LA traffic, especially when you are heading back to LAX to fly out again.
Some other places you may want to check out include:
- Griffith Observatory
- The Getty
- Hollywood Sign
- Grand Central Market
- Original Famers Market
- Warner Brothers Studio Tour
- Universal Studios
- Disneyland
- Malibu
- Museums
- The Grove
- Hollywood Bowl
- Sports events
While it’s impossible to see everything LA offers in one day, we hope you enjoyed these tips and tricks. Hopefully, our experience will help you plan your own trip - happy exploring!
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