Los Angeles, United States

City · United States

Los Angeles

Pacific light, cinematic neighbourhoods, beaches and an enormous urban landscape make Los Angeles a destination best explored by areas rather than as one centre.

Travel by Ildy tip

Architecture

In Silver Lake, find the Music Box Steps: 133 public stairs between Vendome Street and Descanso Drive where Laurel and Hardy hauled a piano in The Music Box; a plaque is set into a lower step.

Best time to visit

Best time to travel

March to May and September to November are often pleasant for sightseeing with milder temperatures.

Travel tips

Travel by Ildy tips

  • Skip the car for the airport leg: the Metro K Line stops at LAX/Metro Transit Center, where a free Metro Connector shuttle runs to the terminals, while the FlyAway bus runs non-stop between LAX and Union Station for the downtown side.
  • Stop at Porto's in Glendale for Cuban pastries and cakes: Rosa Porto left Cuba in 1971, baked from home in Los Angeles, opened in Silver Lake in 1976 and moved to Glendale in 1982.
  • Climb the 282 steps of the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook in Culver City late in the afternoon; from the top deck the view sweeps to downtown LA as the light turns gold.
  • In Watts, Simon Rodia, an Italian immigrant tile mason, spent 33 years (1921–1954) building the Watts Towers alone, embedding steel and concrete with tile, glass, bottles and seashells; the tallest reaches 30 metres.

Travel by Ildy recommends

Follow the rhythm of the place first, then shape the journey around the experiences that feel most like your own.

Location

Los Angeles on the map

United States

Open larger map

Interactive map: Los Angeles

Loading this map requires partner-content consent. Enabling it connects your browser to OpenStreetMap and also enables partner content used elsewhere on Travel by Ildy.

Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors

Where to stay

Stay ideas — Los Angeles

Los Angeles, United States

United States

Los Angeles