We spent two days exploring Los Angeles on our California road trip. To be honest, this city of extremes, home to the fabulously wealthy and yet with almost 70,000 homeless people, was not one of my favourite places. We spent one day in the city itself, divided between downtown Los Angeles and Griffith Park. On the second day, we headed slightly further afield with a visit to the awesome Getty Center followed by some time on Santa Monica Beach.
Los Angeles in 2 days Itinerary
| Day 1 | Downtown Los Angeles Grand Park Walt Disney Concert Hall Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral City Hall Lunch in Little Tokyo Angels Flight Railway Griffith Park Griffith Observatory Hollywood Sign |
| Day 2 | Getty Center Santa Monica Beach Muscle Beach Santa Monica Pier End of Route 66 |
Los Angeles Day 1
Downtown Los Angeles
We start our visit to Los Angeles visiting some of Downtown Los Angeles‘ most famous attractions. My itinerary covers a two mile loop. We take the Metro B Line to Civic Center/Grand Park. We have to stand, as the seats have homeless people sleeping on them. The level of homelessness is shocking; every bench, every piece of grass, every staircase has a rough sleeper on it. I googled LA homelessness, the total is a staggering 67,777. And this in a town where so many incredibly wealthy people live.
Grand Park
We start with a wander through Grand Park with its fountains and flower beds. This 12 acre civic park is also known as Gloria Molina Park.
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The it’s on to enjoy some of the wonderfully bonkers architecture of Frank Gehry. The Walt Disney Concert Hall was built in 2003 and named after the famous film maker following a donation from his wife. It’s all silver and glass with plenty of weird shapes and angles.
Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral
Next, on to the ultra modern Our Lady of The Angels Cathedral, which was build after its predecessor was destroyed by an earthquake in 1994.
City Hall
Then, the imposing City Hall. The 27 storey Art Deco Building dates back to 1928. Once the tallest building in LA, this iconic structure has featured in many movies, from Superman to War of the Worlds. It has an observation deck which is open to the public.
Lunch in Little Tokyo
We continue our walk through Little Tokyo, which appears to have a photo of George Takei on every lamppost. With its abundance of restaurants, this is the ideal place to stop for lunch.
Angels Flight Railway
Angels Flight Railway is a funicular railway, which dates back to 1901. Dubbed the world’s shortest railway, it takes passengers on a 91 metre long ride between Hill Street and Grand Avenue on Bunker Hill.
Angels Flight is open seven days a week from 6.45 am to 10 pm. The fare costs $1.50 each way.
Griffith Park
From here, we take a bus up the hill to Griffith Park to visit the Observatory. You can take the Metro B Line from Pershing Square to Vermont/Sunset, then pick up the bus to Observatory/Los Feliz.
Griffith Observatory
The Griffith Observatory is fascinating, even if a lot of the science goes right over my head. The range of exhibits is broad from high tech to a piece of the moon to a representation of the Big Bang in jewellery. The Big Picture, mapping our place in the universe, is mind blowing stuff.
The observatory is open daily except Monday from midday (10 am at weekends) until 10 pm. General admission is free.
Hollywood Sign
No visit to Griffith Park would be complete without the obligatory selfie with the Hollywood Sign. It’s a long way off, so a little underwhelming. You get a good view of the sign from the observatory cafe.
Los Angeles Day 2
It’s our last day in the USA. I get up and buy breakfast; everything bagels and strawberry cream cheese. It’s a weird combination. I hadn’t realised everything includes onion and garlic. Strawberries and garlic are not a pairing I’d recommend, although Heston Blumenthal probably has an ice cream that flavour.
Getty Center
Today, we are heading 16 miles west of downtown LA to the brilliant Getty Center – an example of what you can create when money really is no object. If J P Getty had been born a century later and not struck oil, he would probably have ended up on one of those TV programmes about hoarders. But instead, he became the world’s richest man and amassed a formidable collection of art. Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Turner, Monet, Manet, Degas. It’s all here.
One of the highlight of the collection is Van Gough’s Irises.
There’s also sculpture, furniture, stained glass… It goes on and on. From the funicular railway which transports you from you car to the museum, so you don’t have bother with troublesome walking, to spectacular gardens endowed with sculptures to JPG’s huge art collection, it really is a spectacle.
Santa Monica Beach
We round the day off heading 8 miles south for one last jaunt to the ocean. To Santa Monica Beach for a picnic on the beach and a wander along the boulevard.
Muscle Beach
We pass the renowned Muscle Beach with a disappointing lack of muscle on display.
Santa Monica Pier
Finally, a stroll along the iconic Santa Monica Pier. The century old wooden pier contains an amusement park, food and drink concessions and areas for views and fishing.
End of Route 66
The iconic Route 66 terminates in Santa Monica. The famous road ran for 2,448 miles across the country, starting in Chicago Illinois. The end of the trail is marked with a sign by Santa Monica Pier. (Technically, Route 66 terminated a little further inland. But who’s counting?)
- Trip taken: March 2018
- Updated: October 2026
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
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