Los Angeles Places to Visit: 20 Must-See Sights

Los Angeles and its surroundings do not revolve around a single centre: Hollywood Hills, Downtown, Mid-Wilshire museums and the Pacific coast work better on separate days. Explore these 20 places by area and interest. Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Burbank, Malibu and San Marino are separate municipalities, so allow for journeys rather than rushing between all the stops.

Jump to the 20 places ↓

Bonus stop: the Lakers and Kobe Bryant statue

Basketball fans can add the area around Crypto.com Arena to a Downtown outing. Kobe Bryant has a statue in Star Plaza; a separate memorial outside the arena depicts Kobe with his daughter Gianna. Visiting the exterior does not include arena admission or a Lakers game ticket. Allow roughly 30–45 minutes for photographs and a short walk. To watch a game, check the home schedule for your travel dates and use official ticket links. Event setup and security arrangements can affect outdoor access, so do not assume fixed visiting hours. This optional stop is additional to the main 20 places.

How many days do you need in Los Angeles?

Allow 5–6 days for a first visit. Treat Universal Studios as a full day and Getty or Huntington as substantial half-day visits. On a shorter trip, choose two or three areas rather than targeting every one of the 20 places.

Tickets and access

Griffith building admission and its planetarium, Urban Light and LACMA galleries, and studio tours and theme parks have different access rules. Check repair closures at the end of Malibu Pier.

Getting around by area

Group Downtown sights, give Mid-Wilshire museums their own outing and combine Santa Monica with Venice for a coastal day. Allow extra travel time for Malibu and San Marino. Map links open locations; check live traffic and transit services before timed entry.