Best of Los Angeles County
Studios, beaches, museums and neighborhoods across 88 cities and one huge county.
See things to do »Los Angeles County at a Glance
Los Angeles is less a single city than a patchwork. The City of Los Angeles itself sprawls from the San Fernando Valley to the port at San Pedro, but it is surrounded and interrupted by dozens of separate cities, from Beverly Hills and Santa Monica to Pasadena and Long Beach, all within Los Angeles County. For visitors that means two things: there is an enormous amount to see, and the distances between the highlights are real. Freeways tie it together, and a drive that takes twenty minutes at midday can take an hour at five o'clock. Plan your days by area, start early, and you will spend far more time seeing things than sitting in traffic. Each area in this guide can fill at least a full day on its own. A good trip picks a few areas and spends time in each rather than trying to cross the whole basin every day.
Hollywood is where most first-time visitors start, with the Walk of Fame, the TCL Chinese Theatre and views of the Hollywood sign from Griffith Observatory. Studio tours at Universal and Warner Bros. are a short drive over the hills. Downtown Los Angeles has been transformed over the past two decades, with Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Broad and Grand Central Market drawing crowds to a district that once emptied out after office hours, and Pasadena, a half hour northeast, adds the Rose Bowl, the Huntington and a walkable old town.
To the west, Beverly Hills and the neighborhoods around it hold Rodeo Drive, the Getty Center on its hilltop and a run of museums along Wilshire Boulevard, including LACMA and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Keep going and you reach the ocean: Santa Monica with its pier and promenade, Venice with its boardwalk and canals, and the beaches of Malibu stretching northwest along the Pacific Coast Highway.
In the south of the county, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary and the Aquarium of the Pacific, and its cruise terminal and the World Cruise Center in neighboring San Pedro send ships to the Mexican Riviera and Baja California. Ferries from both ports cross to Santa Catalina Island, part of the county, where the town of Avalon makes an easy day trip or a relaxed overnight.
This guide breaks the county into five areas, each with its own page of highlights and bookable tours, plus a dining guide and a calendar of events from the Rose Parade on New Year's Day to the holiday parade on Hollywood Boulevard. Los Angeles will also host the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028. A car is the most flexible way to get around, but the Metro rail lines now reach Hollywood, downtown, Pasadena, Santa Monica and Long Beach.
Explore Los Angeles County by Area
Top-Rated Things to Do in Los Angeles County
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ViatorTours, tickets, prices and reviews from Viator (a Tripadvisor company) and Tiqets — prices are per person, from, and were checked November 8, 2026. Best of Los Angeles County may earn a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you.
Where to Eat in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles is one of the best places in the country to eat, and much of its best food is casual: pastrami at Langer's, French dips at Philippe's, Oaxacan moles in Koreatown and Korean barbecue a few blocks away. Hollywood has storied old dining rooms, the Westside has celebrity-chef restaurants and the Original Farmers Market, and the beach cities and Long Beach serve seafood with a view of the water.
Los Angeles County dining guide »
Festivals and Events in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County's year starts with the Rose Parade in Pasadena on New Year's Day. Spring brings the LA Marathon and the Grand Prix of Long Beach, June is Pride month in Hollywood, summer is concert season at the Hollywood Bowl and Nisei Week in Little Tokyo, fall brings Day of the Dead celebrations, and the Hollywood Christmas Parade marches down the boulevard after Thanksgiving.
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Los Angeles County — FAQ
Where should I stay in Los Angeles?
It depends on your plans. Santa Monica suits beach-focused trips, Hollywood and West Hollywood put you near the studios and nightlife, Beverly Hills and the Westside are central for museums and shopping, and downtown has the best Metro connections. Long Beach works well before or after a cruise.
Do I need a car in Los Angeles?
A car makes the most sense for covering several areas, but it is not essential. Metro rail lines connect downtown with Hollywood, Universal City, Pasadena, Santa Monica and Long Beach, and rideshares fill the gaps. Allow extra time; traffic is heavy at rush hour and often beyond it.
When is the best time to visit Los Angeles?
Spring and fall have warm days and fewer crowds. Summer is reliably sunny inland, while the coast often starts the day under marine fog in May and June. Winter is mild, with most of the year's rain falling between December and March.
Can I visit the Hollywood sign?
You cannot walk up to the sign itself; it sits in a fenced, restricted area. The best legal views are from Griffith Observatory, Lake Hollywood Park and the trails in Griffith Park, and from the Hollywood and Highland area on Hollywood Boulevard.
How do I get to Catalina Island?
Catalina Express ferries run from Long Beach and San Pedro to Avalon and Two Harbors, a trip of about an hour. There is also a seasonal ferry from Newport Beach in Orange County, and helicopter service from the mainland.