Los Angeles is one of those places that birthed what we now know as an “influencer”. There are tons of photo-worthy spots that will be sure to brighten up your instagram feed. But in a city that’s so spread out with such terrible traffic and hardly any public transportation, it can be very tricky to cram all of the best spots into one trip. Here’s how I managed to pack as many photo spots into my three days in LA:
ARRIVAL DAY
Most flights from the East Coast to the West Coast get you into LA in the morning hours, so when I landed at 11amPT, I still had plenty of the day left ahead of me. I was starving since it felt much later to me, and I went immediately for food.
In-N-Out Burger
A West Coast staple and a bucket list food spot, In-N-Out is the perfect first stop. There’s one pretty much right across the street from the airport, so I went straight there, luggage and all. If you’re wanting to take a ton of photos of you eating your iconic burger, this might not be the spot since it’s a really busy location, but at least you’ll get to finally try their Animal Style burger! May I also suggest getting the Neapolitan shake?
Santa Monica Pier & Beach
After dropping off my luggage, my friend drove us down to Santa Monica Pier. We parked in one of the many shopping center parking garages and walked the few blocks to the pier, which was much easier than trying to find a spot any closer. We walked down Ocean Avenue to get to the pier, and had a gorgeous view overlooking the ocean. That’s actually where I ended up taking my picture, so that you could see the whole pier in the background.
There’s so much to do on the pier that you could spend a good couple of hours there. Since we had no interest in going on any rides at Pacific Park or eating at any restaurants, we just took a walk around the pier to people-watch and take in the sights.
We walked down off the pier and onto the beach, where we walked down to the water and stuck our feet in the Pacific Ocean. There were lots of people on the beach and even in the cold water, with a nice view of the pier behind them. It’s a beautiful beach for a nice long walk or to get a spot by Muscle Beach to observe the people working out.
Venice Beach
Although I didn’t head to Venice Beach on this trip because I’d already seen it, it’s pretty close to Santa Monica so it’s perfect to add on here. You can either take a nice long walk, hop on one of the many scooters from various scooter-sharing apps, or you can drive down Ocean Avenue and then fight for some parking. It’s only about 2 miles so it’s up to you. It would also be fun to rent bikes for the day and ride all along both beaches.
There’s a lot of people-watching and souvenir shopping here, and it reminds me a lot of South Beach in Miami, only a little weirder. It’s a really fun spot to walk around and explore, and if you get tired of the craziness, the beach is always right there for a swim or some sunbathing. Both Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier would be great places to watch the sunset over the ocean.
DAY TWO
Rodeo Drive
Home to some super high-end shopping, Rodeo Drive is one of those iconic LA places that is fun to explore. The most notable photo spot is at the corner of Dayton Way and Rodeo Drive. There weren’t that many people taking pictures when I was there, but there were definitely tourists admiring the street.
You can walk up Rodeo Drive and do some fun window shopping in stores like Gucci, Cartier, Tom Ford, and more. If your budget allows you to actually buy something, it will always be fun to remember you bought it on the famous Rodeo Drive. For me, it was fun enough to just look.
Beverly Gardens Park
Right at the end of Rodeo Drive and across Santa Monica Boulevard is a nice little park and the famous Beverly Hills sign. It’s a cool photo to have because it’s such a classic LA fixture, and it’s so close to Rodeo Drive that it’s a cool little stop. There are a lot of tourists here all trying to get their own picture, so it will require some patience.Don’t let that deter you though!
Beverly Hills Hotel
About a 15 minute walk up the road from the park is the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel. Its pretty sign is so aesthetically pleasing, and the rest of the hotel is too. I didn’t mind walking around, but you could easily take an Uber up to it. The hotel is a cute LA landmark, and it can be a quick stop if you just want to snap a quick photo like I did. Of course staying there or dining poolside are great options for getting the most out of this hotel.
West Hollywood
While there are definitely an abundance of cool spots in West Hollywood, I picked out one that I really wanted to see and then walked around a little bit to explore the area. I took an Uber from the Beverly Hills Hotel to a Starbucks across from the restaurant/bar called PUMP (owned by Lisa Vanderpump from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills).
One of THE most iconic photo spots in all of Los Angeles is the Paul Smith Pink Wall right on Melrose Avenue. It’s hard to find an influencer who’s gone to LA and NOT taken a picture there, so of course I had to check it out. They actually have some pretty strict rules and I wasn’t allowed to use my camera and tripod in the parking lot of the wall (they literally have a parking lot attendant there to yell at people). As a solo traveler, this was a huge bummer and there was no one around to take my photo for me. I felt so defeated until I decided to get a little creative. I sat on top of a cement road block, had my tripod on the sidewalk, and took my photos with the wall in the background. It’s manageable to work around the rules, but be prepared if you show up alone with your tripod and you aren't allowed to use it.
Across the street from the Pink Wall is Carrera Cafe, which has a really cute interior and a mural of its own right outside. It’s a cute place to grab a coffee or a snack and enjoy watching every take pictures across the street.
Griffith Observatory
After an action-packed day, take a nice little rest before getting back up to watch the sunset at Griffith Observatory. Lindsey and I drove all the way up the mountain and found parking along the side of the road. It was a bit of a hike up to the top, so wear comfortable shoes and park as close as possible.
The views from the top are all worth it though, especially at sunset. You might recognize the Griffith Observatory from famous movies like La La Land, and believe me, it’s so much more gorgeous in person. There are so many spots to get an incredible view, so we checked out a ton of them. It gets pretty crowded up there, so be prepared to fight your way through other tourists to claim a spot of your own. There are spots on the roof, on various patios, and a little ways back down the hill from the observatory that will all give you beautiful views. Just try not to be the annoying tourists who decide to stop in the middle of the stairs to watch the whole thing.
Once the sun had set and it was dark, we went into the observatory itself, which was completely free unless you want to watch one of the IMAX movies, and you can buy a ticket. There are also lines up on the roof to go in and look through the telescopes, which open at certain times for viewing different things, depending on the time of year.
Tortilla Republic
A long day of exploring the city required a nice meal to end the night. Right in West Hollywood is a great Mexican restaurant called Tortilla Republic. They had these amazing fresh margaritas and all of the food was incredible. And for LA, it wasn’t even that pricey. It was a super reasonable meal and it was filling and delicious.
I was tempted to try one of the touristy spots, like SUR Lounge or PUMP, just to satisfy my inner Real Housewives fangirl, but the general consensus online was that those places were overpriced for just-okay food, so you’re much better off choosing somewhere else where you know you’ll have a good meal. Plus, you can always stop into one of those places for a drink before or after dinner!
DAY THREE
The Last Bookstore
For my final day in Los Angeles, I decided to explore the downtown area. It’s kind of far from everything else, but there’s quite a bit of cool stuff to explore. My first stop was to the Last Bookstore, a whimsical two-floor store full of every kind of book you might possibly want to buy, as well as crafts, art, and music. The first floor is pretty much just a standard book store, but on the second floor, there’s a maze of winding shelves and sculptures made from books. The most iconic photo is in and around the book tunnel, but I unfortunately didn’t have someone to take my photo, and they made me check my tripod at the door.
You could easily spend a few hours in there, browsing books, sitting in one of the cozy nooks, or getting lost in the labyrinth. It’s a very cool and FREE attraction, so I would definitely recommend stopping in.
Walt Disney Concert Hall
One of the coolest buildings I’ve ever seen is the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The building itself is a massive, shiny, metal wave, looking like anything but a building. On the inside, it’s just as magnificent and no doubt has some great acoustics. There wasn’t any show I was dying to see and I didn’t want to commit to a full tour, but you are able to walk into the lobby/food court area to get a feel of the stunning architecture.
I took a lot of photos of the exterior because I was so blown away. It’s a truly unique place to visit and experience, so if you end up in Downtown LA, put it on your list.
Goddess Mural (700 S. Flower Street, Los Angeles)
Colette Miller is a super talented artist who has a global wings project and paints these cool murals all over the place. The angel wings literally beg you to take photos, so I set off to find one of them. The closest one to the Walt Disney Concert Hall was the Goddess Wall, so I set off to find it. When I finally got it, I was a little disappointed.
The mural is on a caddy-cornered corner of a building, with only a few feet of space in front of it at the intersection of a busy street. To seriously fit the whole mural in a photo you would need to be standing in the street. I messed with my tripod for probably twenty minutes before I was finally able to get a decent shot, but it wasn’t really that great.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend going to this wall in particular, because it isn’t the best for photos, but check out some of Colette’s other wing murals around LA and in other cities!
Intercontinental Hotel, Downtown Los Angeles
As I was taking a break from my picture-taking, a nice gentleman approached me and noticed that I had my tripod and camera. He told me about the Intercontinental Hotel and how the lobby is on the 70th floor, so it’s free to go up for a look around. I had a full view of LA, and it was so cool to see from the mountains to the beach. Instead of paying to go to other places with high viewing areas, check out this spot and enjoy a drink at the rooftop bar with views that can’t be beat.
A Show at the Greek Theater
Lucky for me, I was able to plan my trip around a concert at the Greek Theater. Lindsey and I saw Maggie Rogers at this stunning outdoor venue on my last night, and now I believe that going to a live show should be on your to-do list. Whether it’s the Greek Theater or the Hollywood Bowl, or I guess any number of other venues, it’s fun to go on vacation and have an activity like a concert, that you might not really think to look into. It was a really cool venue up in the mountain near the Griffith Observatory, and we had a great end to my trip.
Los Angeles is quite the photogenic city, and one where you definitely have to document everything you do. It can seem overwhelming at times since it’s just so big, but my advice is to do your research focus on what you most want to see, and plan your days by neighborhood. Sometimes you need to choose practical over trendy, but no matter where you go or what you see, you’ll leave LA with a new love for the West Coast.
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