What to do in Los Angeles in 1 day

Los Angeles has so many attractions that it is hard to believe that you can visit them all on the same day. The truth is that this is not possible. What can be done is to get to know the most attractive places in the “City of Cinema” in 24 hours or less and for this we have prepared this article on what to do in Los Angeles in one day.

1. Malibu

Let’s start with the beautiful and famous coastline of Malibu. The list of things to do in Los Angeles in one day could start with Malibu, a drive that includes a beautiful stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway.

You must make a brief stop to admire the landscape of Matador Beach, the closest sandbank to Malibu with rock arches to the north that serve as a background for photographs.

Starting the day with breakfast on the pier will be exquisite. For this, there is the Malibu Farm Café, practically on the ocean, where you can order yogurt with granola, a quinoa oatmeal with coconut milk and maple syrup, free-range eggs scrambled with smoked ham accompanied by wheat toast and seasonal vegetables.

Part of the breakfast menu is a fried egg sandwich with bacon, arugula, baby potatoes, Havarti cheese and a lemon aioli sauce.

2. Wilshire Boulevard

Wilshire Boulevard is a tour of the architectural styles that characterize Los Angeles, a walk to admire the googie (populuxe) style inspired by the space age that became fashionable in southern California in 1940-1960, represented in the 431 of Wilshire Boulevard by Zucky’s Restaurant.

The promenade also includes the Wadsworth Theater, a Spanish Colonial Revival-style building built in 1939 and restored in 2002, home to Broadway shows, theatrical productions, movie premieres and musical concerts.

Take a look at Hancock Park, the Los Angeles Museum of Architecture and Design, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the George C. Page Museum and the Pellissier Building with the Wiltern Theater, a relevant example of the art deco style in the city. town.

3. Getty Center

This center houses the most important art collection in Los Angeles bequeathed by the millionaire, Jean Paul Getty.

The building designed by the famous American architect, Richard Meier, one of the winners of the Nobel Prize for Architecture, the Pritzker Prize, is a tourist attraction in itself.

The building was built with 4 pavilions arranged according to the cardinal points. Go where the great masters or works that interest you the most are located.

For Spain there are Goya, Bartolomé Murillo and Joaquín Sorolla; through France, the great luminaries of Rococo, Romanticism, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism (Watteau, Gericault, Manet, Monet, Degas, Pissarro and Renoir). There are also paintings by Rembrandt, Edvard Munch, and Thomas Gainsborough, as well as drawings by Michelangelo and Andrea del Sarto.

This visit is one of the best things to do in Los Angeles for free. We recommend you stay until 1 or 2 pm before going to lunch.

4. Lunch at In-N-Out Burger

During the day you will have to stop for lunch and for that you are invited to the In-N-Out Burger, an emblem of California fast food.

Although there are many restaurants in the city of this chain founded in 1948, you must visit the one in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood, at 4444 Van Nuys Boulevard, as it is the closest to the next attraction of our day.

In-N-Out Burger is known for its speed in delivering your orders, so don’t worry if there’s a long line on your visit.

You can also eat at the Getty Center restaurant after viewing some of the art collection. A restaurant with large windows serving gourmet cuisine and vegan options.

5.Warner Bros Studio Tour

Among the things to do in Los Angeles in one day, we must include a tour of one of the theme parks of the film industry, which represents an icon of the city and one of its main economic supports.

Our recommendation is the tour of Warner Bros. An attraction in the greater Los Angeles area with a standard tour of between 2 and 3 hours.

It will be convenient for you to book the tour at 3 in the afternoon so that your program in the city continues without any setbacks.

An alternative that will require more time is the tour of Universal Studios. A theme park that explores the fantastic world of Harry Potter and his friends, including high-tech flyovers of Hogwarts Castle.

Another drawback of including Universal and not Warner Bros, is that for scheduling reasons the Getty Center would probably have to be excluded and that would be a shame.

6. Sunset at Griffith Observatory

The Griffith Observatory is the jewel in the Los Angeles crown and cannot be left off the list of things to see in Los Angeles in one day.

The route to the building passes through the residential sector of the Los Feliz district with its attractive buildings. Taking a detour down Glendower Avenue it will be possible to see the well-known Ennis House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and inspired by Mayan architecture.

The astronomical observatory is in Griffith Park, a vast green space with canyons, groves, picnic areas, trails, Mount Lee with the famous Hollywood Sign, and other attractions.

The observatory building is a beautiful Californian example of art deco architecture. If you have time, walk to the Hollywood sign to enjoy beautiful views of Los Angeles from another perspective.

The Autry Museum of the American West, the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, the Los Angeles Zoo or the Los Angeles Botanical Gardens are places near the observatory that you can also quickly explore.

7. Hollywood Night

In an itinerary of things to do in Los Angeles in one day, the night has to be a movie, it has to be Hollywood.

Unlike what is customary, our tourist program for the mecca of the film industry will be at night, to enjoy all its lights.

You can attend a summer concert at the Hollywood Bowl or a movie performance at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Cinerama Dome or El Capitan, Hollywood landmarks. You will always be invited to have a drink in some of the well-known bars on Calle Sunset.

Hollywood Boulevard must see:

house janes
Pantages Theater

Masonic Temple
Bar Pig ‘n Whistle
Scientology Center

Hollywood Wax Museum
Hotel Hollywood Roosevelt
Hollywood walk of fame

Hollywood and Highland shopping area
Dolby Theater (Oscar Awards venue)

8. Dinner in Daikokuya (Little Tokyo)

We’ve reserved dinner at Little Tokyo for you to experience another attractive and historic neighborhood in Los Angeles, 12 km from Hollywood Boulevard.

It is the most important Japanese neighborhood in the United States, declared a National Historic District in 1995. It was founded at the beginning of the 20th century and was depopulated when Japanese residents in the US, including those born in the country, were interned in concentration camps after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

After its revival starting in the 1970s, it became a charming neighborhood with natural and cultural attractions.

One of their best Japanese cuisine restaurants is Daikokuya, which has taken ramen to another level. It started in Little Tokyo and has spawned several branches for the quality of its cuisine and service.

If you prefer sushi, in “Little Tokyo” you will find many specialty establishments. In almost all they prepare the “California Roll” invented in the neighborhood.

How many days in Los Angeles

Although you can visit some of the best attractions in the city in a single day, it is also true that many of the visits will not be of quality because time will always be short. Therefore, for a complete and quality tour of Los Angeles, at least 5 days are needed.

In 120 hours you will be able to visit other equally fabulous places such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, the Los Angeles Central Library, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles City Hall, the Mormon temple, the Farmers Market, the Runyon Canyon Park, Zuma Beach, Long Beach, and several museums.

What to do in Los Angeles in one day: Theme Building

Assuming you are traveling through Los Angeles International Airport, it will only take you minutes to observe and photograph the Theme Building, one of the leading examples of googie architecture in the city.

The building was built in 1961 with the appearance of a flying saucer. The Los Angeles City Council declared it a historical-cultural monument in 1993.

Do you find this itinerary with things to do in Los Angeles in one day interesting? What recommendations could you make to improve this program?