United States: 4-day Los Angeles travel guide

La région de Los Angeles est énorme ; c’est certain que quatre jours ne sont pas suffisants pour tout couvrir ce qu’il y a à voir et (surtout) ce qu’il y a à manger dans cette mégalopole américaine, mais ce guide vous donnera une bonne introduction à Los Angeles.

En plus, les journées sur cet itinéraire de quatre jours à Los Angeles se fractionnent très bien, puisqu’elles vous font découvrir plusieurs parties de la ville.

Donc, vous pouvez choisir de suivre une seule journée quand vous avez simplement une escale, par exemple.

En effet, Los Angeles est souvent une plaque tournante vers l’Asie ou l’Océanie et les horaires d’avion sont habituellement faits pour qu’on se retrouve avec plusieurs heures libres.

Los Angeles: a 4-day itinerary

Day 1: Hollywood & Beverly Hills

Quand on pense à Los Angeles, on l’associe tout de suite à Hollywood, car cette métropole est le berceau de l’industrie du spectacle ; c’est ici que ça se passe pour les célébrités et les artistes aspirants.

L’attrait touristique le plus fameux de ce quartier est sans aucun doute le Walk of Fame. Ce dernier débute à l’intersection de l’avenue La Brea et du Hollywood Boulevard ; en fait, les sites à visiter sont le long de cette rue.

Bien qu’il y ait beaucoup de personnalités connues à Los Angeles, elles se font souvent très discrètes, alors vous avez plus de chance de voir des « stars » sur le Walk of Fame ! Si vous cherchez une étoile en particulier parmi les 2 500+, vous pouvez utiliser ce site pour la repérer.

Next, a visit to the TCL Chinese Theather is extraordinary; this historic Los Angeles cultural landmark is also renowned for its parterre filled with celebrity footprints. The artists who have the privilege of putting their touch on the Chinese Theater are selected according to their impact on the industry; a ceremony is performed at the time of the prints, and it is a great honour to be there!

Then, I enjoyed my little guided tour at the Dolby Theater to see the backstage of the Oscars. Then, the majority of Disney movie premieres are held at El Capitan Theather; although you have to be invited to attend, you can also go there to watch a movie as part of a regular movie screening.

After a morning in Hollywood, I suggest you go to Beverly Hills and take a walk on Rodeo Drive; it’s the luxury of luxury! The major brands of the fashion industry are located here and it is the perfect place for window shopping.

You can also find a beautiful park in Los Angeles at Beverly Gardens Park. It is an ideal place for a break or a picnic.

Other iconic streets in this area are Melrose Avenue and Sunset Strip.

At the end of the day, I recommend a trip to the Griffith Observatory to watch the sunset; the views are breathtaking. There are also plenty of walking routes in the area if you want to spend a little more time in nature and away from the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Finally, the exhibitions at the Griffith Observatory are often very interesting and free.

The best place to see the Hollywood sign is at Griffith Park; there are multiple hiking trails on Mount Hollywood that start in the Observatory parking lot.

Day 2: Santa Monica & Venice Beach

After a day of sightseeing focused on movies and celebrities, the mood changes with a trip to the seaside. Los Angeles is associated with Hollywood, but also with big sun, surf and beach; the most iconic spots are Santa Monica and Venice Beach.

You can start with lunch and a stroll along the Third Street Promenade, a pedestrian street full of great restaurants and cafes.

Par la suite, le Santa Monica Pier est emblématique de ce coin de Los Angeles avec ses manèges ; la grande roue est opérée avec l’énergie solaire ! C’est un incontournable, même si vous n’êtes pas intéressé par les parcs d’attractions ; l’ambiance de carnaval est superbe et vous pouvez vous y déguster de nombreuses gâteries sucrées… les enfants adorent.

Laissez-vous tenter par une balade à vélo électrique dans Santa Monica!

Another particularity of Santa Monica is that it is the last stop on the famous Route 66 that crosses the United States from Chicago.

For art lovers, the Getty Center is an unusual and impressive museum.

Après une matinée à Santa Monica, vous pouvez prendre une marche sur le Ocean Front Walk pour rejoindre Venice Beach et son Bordwalk, qui sont très différents de Santa Monica. Ce coin de Los Angeles est plus hipster et… bizarre, mais intéressant!

Parmi les activités à Venice Beach, testez des cours de surf ou réservez une visite culinaire.

Day Three: Downtown Los Angeles

Le centre-ville de Los Angeles est immense et comporte plusieurs districts ; vous aurez besoin de consacrer plus d’une journée pour faire le tour. Ce coin sera particulièrement combler les gens qui aiment l’urbanisme et l’art.

L’hôtel de ville est un bel édifice pour les passionnés d’architecture et son observatoire est accessible sans frais.

Par la suite, deux salles de spectacles, soit le Walt Disney Concert Hall et le Dorothy Chandler Pavilion valent le détour, même si ce n’est que pour regarder l’immeuble de l’extérieur.

The Grammy Museum also offers several interactive exhibits related to all genres of music.

Then there’s the Grand Central Market, another unmissable Los Angelesactivity, where you’ll find a large number of stalls selling local produce, as well as counters where you can eat or snack at low prices.

Day 4: Malibu

After several days in the hustle and bustle of the big city, a short roadtrip to Malibu on the Pacific Coast Highway is definitely recommended. Malibu is a suburb of Los Angeles. Of course, it is preferable to rent a car to enjoy it fully and at your own pace.

This roadtrip starts from Santa Monica, and you will head to the northwest of Los Angeles. The first stop at the Malibu Pier is ideal for admiring Santa Monica Bay and the mountains in the background. There is also a beautiful little beach around a lagoon at Malibu Lagoon State Beach and Surfrider Beach for surfing enthusiasts.

Right next to the Malibu Lagoon, there are several small restaurants and stores where you can eat without breaking the bank. Then, the Malibu Country Mart is known as a place to spot celebrities. Indeed, many celebrities own a house or villa on the waterfront in Malibu.

Then, Zuma Beach is a good spot for surfing, and El Matador Beach offers a breathtaking landscape with its rock formations, cliffs and caves.

A little further down the road, you can find Neptune’s Net, an iconic seafood restaurant. We can recognize this establishment the first film of Fast & Furious.

Finally, you will complete the Malibu tour when you reach Point Mugu. Actually, Point Mugu is in another county, but it is the last point of interest on this roadtrip where you can rest at the beach or go hiking in the surroundings.

And why not take a van tour of Malibu with a driver-guide, including a wine tasting.

Los Angeles: other points of interest

It is certain that the itinerary proposed below is very condensed and does not include everything, but I tried to group as many attractions as possible.

If you have more time, the following sites are also worth a visit:

One of the must-do activities is a visit to Universal Studios Hollywood.

Finally, here are the best viewpoints in Los Angeles:

Where to eat in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles has no shortage of good restaurants; with a mix of multi-ethnic neighbourhoods like Little Tokyo, Thai Town, Koreatown, Little Armenia, etc., it’s very easy to find meals for every taste and budget!

Here are my recommendations, by sector, based on the itinerary suggestions in the previous section of this article.

Hollywood & Beverly Hills

Here are the restaurants I recommend in Hollywood & Beverly Hills:

Santa Monica & Venice Beach

Here are the restaurants I recommend in Santa Monica & Venice Beach:

Downtown Los Angeles

Here are the restaurants I recommend in Downtown Los Angeles:

Malibu

Here are the restaurants I recommend in Malibu:

What activities to book in Los Angeles?

Pour les cinéphiles, il n’y a pas de meilleurs endroits comme escapade que Los Angeles. Premièrement, les vedettes sont un peu partout en ville et il n’est pas rare d’en croiser lorsque vous prenez votre déjeuner dans un restaurant.

Pour ma part, j’ai aperçu Keanu Reeves dans l’autobus (!) et Julia Roberts dans le stationnement des studios de Warner Brothers. Cependant, il ne faut pas s’attendre à voir des célébrités non plus ; Los Angeles est immense.

Studio visits

À Los Angeles, les visites guidées des studios de production sont très intéressantes ; il n’est pas possible d’aller sur des plateaux de tournage lorsqu’ils sont utilisés, mais ces tours donnent une bonne idée de ce qui se passe en arrière-plan à Hollywood.

Ces derniers sont tellement grands qu’ils ont leur propre code postal distinct ! Par exemple, Warner Brothers est situé à Burbank, en périphérie de Los Angeles.

J’ai eu la chance de découvrir les studios de Paramount, Sony, Universal Studios et Warner Brothers. Celui-là fut mon préféré, de loin ; le célèbre Stage 24 de Warner Brothers est le plateau de Friends et vous pouvez encore visiter le site de tournage dans ce bâtiment.

Live filming

The majority of the shows are filmed in Los Angeles. So it’s possible to get tickets when there’s an audience, like at Jimmy Kimmel Live.

These tickets can be obtained by raffle, among other things; for years, I have been subscribed to the Seat Fillers and more newsletter, which offers me opportunities to attend some events in Los Angeles. However, these invitations are often last-minute!

Donc, la stratégie ici est de s’abonner et d’espérer recevoir un courriel en se croisant les doigts pour que ça concorde bien avec notre séjour à Los Angeles ou bien être prêt à acheter un vol pour vous y rendre rapidement!

Organized tours

Puis, étant donné que Los Angeles englobe une très grande superficie, j’avais réservé un tour de la ville sur GetYourGuide afin de couvrir plusieurs secteurs, comme Rodeo Drive et le quartier des manoirs des vedettes.

Si vous avez peu de temps (comme sur une escale par exemple), ces tours organisés peuvent être une bonne manière d’optimiser votre journée.

You can check out activities to book in Los Angeles with our partner GetYourGuide:

Where to stay in Los Angeles?

In the case of a stopover in Los Angeles, I suggest you choose a hotel in the vicinity of the airport; the traffic is terrible in the metropolis and public transportation will take you a long time.

Then, for several days in Los Angeles, it will depend on your interests and what you plan to do in the city; establishments near a metro station are usually a good option.

The iconic hotels

In Los Angeles, there are some hotels that are famous, very glamorous and frequented by famous people. These establishments have retained their original Hollywood charm and can often be seen in movies; a visit to their restaurant or lounge can be a great way to experience them for less.

Here’s our selection:

For me, staying at The Beverly Hills Hotel is part of my bucket list in Los Angeles; this facility is probably the most historic and takes us all the way back to the silent movie era with Charlie Chaplin.

The points strategy at these hotels will be based mainly on travel points applicable to expenses. The majority of these establishments are independent or cost a lot of points.

The best credit card to have in your arsenal if those Los Angeles hotels are in your sights is the Scotiabank Visa Infinite Passport Card; saving 2.5% on foreign currency conversion fees and collecting 6X points on this “travel” categorized expense is no small return.

Finally, this card offers a generous bonus to new customers, and you can use Scene+ points to pay off your purchase.

Marriott Bonvoy

Autour de LAX, il y a énormément d’hôtels, dont plusieurs de la chaîne Marriott Bonvoy. On y trouve notamment le Los Angeles Airport Marriott, situé à quelques minutes de l’aéroport.

Je me suis souvent servie d’un certificat de nuit gratuite lors de mes escales à Los Angeles. Ces certificats sont offerts avec la Carte Marriott Bonvoy^MD American Express^MD* et la Carte Marriott Bonvoy^MD Entreprise American Express^MD*, qui proposent également de généreuses primes de bienvenue.

See our review of the Westdrift Manhattan Beach, Autograph Collection, which is less than 15 minutes from the airport.

If you’re spending several days in Los Angeles, I’d recommend an establishment like The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, Los Angeles, which is very central and where you can use Marriott certificates.

Other hotels in the same area include :

How to get to Los Angeles for less?

Los Angeles Airport is one of the largest hubs in North America, so you have several options for getting there on major Canadian airlines.

Air Canada, Air Transat and WestJet provide direct flights to major cities across the country as shown on Flight Connections.

Si vous volez à bord d’Air Canada, soyez à l’affût ; si vous voyagez en classe affaires ou bien si vous comptez utiliser des crédits de surclassements, choisir son avion peut être payant pour se retrouver dans un lit-fauteuil pour ce vol transcontinental!

With travel points

Airfares to Los Angeles vary greatly depending on the time of year. In our experience, Air Transat often offers the best prices for direct flights from Montreal.

To save on these types of tickets, you’ll need travel points, which can be used to reimburse any airfare purchase, such as NBC points from the National Bank World Elite Mastercard^®.

If you’d like to use NBC Rewards points to save on your Air Transat flight to Los Angeles, it’s best to use the National Bank booking platform.

In fact, the prices are similar to what you can find on the company’s website and you can redeem your points on your travel purchase. By doing so, you benefit from a better redemption rate and earn bonus points.

These low rates don’t usually include baggage fees, but you can use your $150 annual credit to get reimbursed for this expense!

Then, by doing so, you will benefit from your credit card’s excellent travel insurance!

With points Aeroplan

When cash prizes are harder to digest, it may be more advantageous to use points. Aeroplan.

You’ll need at least 12,500 points Aeroplan, departing from Montreal, for a one-way economy flight to Los Angeles airport, according to Air Canada’s points predictor.

To get to Los Angeles with points Aeroplan, you could quickly accumulate them with the welcome bonus of the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite* Card.

What’s more, you’ll have the added advantage offree baggage check-in in case you get the urge to store on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles!

How to get around Los Angeles?

Metro and bus

Los Angeles is not very well served by public transportation (bus and subway), but it is not imperative to rent a car either.

From the Los Angeles Airport, the Aviation/LAX station is your gateway to the city’s network. However, you’ll need to calculate at least 1 h 15 and two line transfers to reach downtown Hollywood at the “Hollywood/Highland” station.

The first few times I went to Los Angeles, I travelled mostly by bus. So, it’s very doable though you will pay in time; I personally migrated to Uber on my most recent getaways and stopovers.

The bus is a pleasant way to discover the city. This comprehensive tour includes the Sunset Strip, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive and Bell Air.

Uber and Lyft

A bus connects the airport to the Santa Monica Pier, but the trip will take you around an hour compared to 20-30 minutes by Uber. Similarly, to get to the Griffith Observatory from downtown, you can spend 45 minutes on public transit or 15-20 minutes by Uber.

Without a car rental, you can use Uber and Lyft to get from one corner to the other. Sure, it’s not the most economical way, but it’s the best car-free option in Los Angeles.

Here’s a sample fare for an Uber ride between LAX airport and Santa Monica Pier, and for a ride between Hollywood and the Griffith Observatory.

I often transit through Los Angeles on my way to Sydney or New Zealand; each time, I ordered an Uber to get to a spot and spent the 8-12 hours I had before catching my connecting flight.

Depending on the location, it cost me about 50-60 USD for a round trip to LAX, and I used my Scotiabank Visa Infinite Passport to save on conversion fees.

Rental Cars

When it comes to car rentals, I give priority to TD Rewards points, which are easily accumulated through the TDR Welcome Bonus. TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite* Card. These points are best used on the Expedia for TD platform.

On the other hand, one should not neglect the parking fees which can add considerably to the bill. In fact, these costs can rise to over 20 USD per day if you do a lot of walking.

Finally, traffic is terrible in Los Angeles, especially during rush hour between 6:00 am and 9:00 am and again between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm, so it is recommended that you spend the day in a corner of Los Angeles. It’s up to you to see if it’s optimal to rent a car for your stay compared to Uber, as driving or not driving in Los Angeles is also a personal decision!

A travel guide to Los Angeles

Don’t forget to pick up a Los Angeles travel guide from the Ulysse bookstore!

Here are two travel guides about Los Angeles:

Bottom Line

The city of Los Angeles is the perfect destination for a short getaway of a few days for a diversified trip: beach, city, roadtrip, Disneyland, good food, etc.

Although big American cities can be expensive, there are many ways to cut costs when you play your (credit) cards right!

Did you like this guide? Check out the one on New York in 4 days!