Today I want to share my itinerary for a long weekend in Los Angeles with you. The City of Angels and the county around it are home to some of the most iconic places in California. If you have several days in town, you can see the highlights. From the Hollywood Sign to Downtown LA and Beverly Hills, my itinerary will show you a mix of the major landmarks and local hotspots. I’m here now and I can’t wait to show you what I find. I’ve included a map, too.
Long Weekend in Los Angeles
The great thing about going to Los Angeles for a long weekend is that you’ll have time to see the big sightseeing attractions and get to experience the local side of the city. LA and the area around it cover a wide geographical expanse, and having four days in town will give you a chance to explore both the urban highlights and the coastal areas.
Whether you’re excited about seeing Hollywood, going to the beach, shopping, dining, or soaking up the LA vibes, you’ll find plenty to keep you busy you throughout your trip to Southern California.
My itinerary covers a range of things to do and see. It’s a great guide for both first-time visitors and repeat ones. As with all my Los Angeles itineraries, it will give you a good introduction to the city and tempt you to come back again for more.
Where to Stay
If you’re spending a long weekend in LA, there’s no shortage of places to call home-away-from-home. Whether you want to stay in the heart of downtown, in Hollywood, or by a beach, there are plenty of hotels, apartment rentals, and other accommodation available.
On this itinerary I’ve rented a unique place called The Bernardi House with friends. Not only does it have stunning design, but it’s also in an ideal location in an area called Silver Lake. I love the decor, the swimming pool and hot tub, and the views. Which is to say nothing of the nearby restaurants, bars, and shops on Sunset Boulevard. If you want to follow in our footsteps, you can book it here.
If you’d like to take a look at more options, you can see some of the best hotels in Los Angeles here. There are lots of good places to stay in and around the city for every travel budget and style.
Saturday
After a late arrival on Friday, my friends and I start our first day in LA with a trip to the market. Every Saturday (and every Wednesday) the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market takes over Arizona Avenue at 2nd Street.
Dozens of stalls bring locally-grown produce and flowers direct from farms in California. The market is frequented by local celebrity chefs, and it’s great place to shop and people watch.
After parking in a nearby garage and picking up coffees at Blue Bottle, we make our way to the market. From fresh fruit to crisp vegetables and ripe berries, the local produce is the stuff of culinary dreams. We browse the stands and pick up a feast to cook for dinner later in the trip.
After the market we explore the local area. We walk out to the ocean, taking in the beach and the famous Santa Monica Pier from Palisades Park.
Venice
From Santa Monica we drive to Venice for lunch. We head to Abbot Kinney Boulevard, one of my favorite streets in LA. This place is packed with restaurants, shops, and cafes. It’s a great place to spend an afternoon.
We settle in at a table in the airy dining room at The Butcher’s Daughter. This vegetarian restaurant in Venice has everything from all-day breakfast dishes to pizzas, salads, and sandwiches. We tuck into a delicious meal of burgers and bowls before heading out to explore the area.
We browse the shops on Abbot Kinney, then walk over to Venice Beach. We take in the souvenir shops, check out Muscle Beach (where Arnold Schwarzenegger once pumped iron), and watch the games on the basketball courts that featured in White Men Can’t Jump.
After walking along the beach itself, we head back to the car and drive to Echo Park for shopping, exploring, and dinner.
Echo Park
Right near where we’re staying in Silver Lake, Echo Park is a fun local area in LA. It’s packed with restaurants, shops, and bars, and it’s a great place to discover.
After browsing the boutiques on Sunset Boulevard, we walk over to the green space called Echo Park. There are swan boats and a fountain in the lake here, and it’s beautiful at sunset.
Dinner is at Quarter Sheets in Echo Park. One of my friend’s cousins lives in LA and knows all the best restaurants. He’s brought us here to try the famous pizzas.
Quarter Sheets has a cult following, and we’re lucky to have gotten a reservation. It’s been named one of America’s Best 50 Restaurants by the New York Times and one of the 101 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles by the LA Times.
We pile into a table in the pint-size dining room, soaking up the buzzing atmosphere as we share everything from salads to pizzas and princess cake. It’s all as good as its reputation suggests, and we leave happy and full.
Sunday
The next morning my friends and I start our second day in LA with another trip to the market. Smorgasburg in Downtown LA provides a platform for around 100 small businesses every Sunday. They’re curated from the next wave of SoCal’s food, beverage, and shopping scene.
We park in the big garage at ROW DTLA (it’s next to the market), then walk into the huge courtyard in search of food. The vendors are arranged in a big circle around the perimeter, with a few dotted among the picnic tables in the middle.
After taking a loop around the place, we settle on a feast of barbecue, mac and cheese, and falafel. It all goes down a treat, and afterwards we browse the wares at the clothing and jewelry stalls.
ROW DTLA
After eating we explore ROW DTLA. Called Downtown LA’s “creative city within a city”, this place features a unique blend of independent shops, dining concepts, creative offices, and other cool spaces.
We walk around the complex, popping into vintage clothing stores, home goods boutiques, and shops selling all kinds of paper goods. Eventually we pick up coffees at one of the cafes before heading out to explore more of LA.
Downtown LA
After lunch we do a bit of shopping and exploring in Downtown LA. We start at The Last Bookstore, a cavernous place where the titles become works of art. It’s one of the most unique bookshops I’ve come across on my travels, and we have a good time browsing the wares and taking in the atmosphere.
Afterwards we drive through DTLA to see the sights. From the stunning Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall to The Broad museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and City Hall, we see a lot of the area’s famous cultural institutions and architectural highlights.
Dinner
After all the sightseeing we’re ready for more food. My friend’s cousin has booked a table at award-winning Budonaki, a neighborhood izakaya in East Hollywood’s Virgil Village. It offers inventive “drinking snacks” alongside beer and creative cocktails.
We’re seated at a big round table in the low-lit dining room. Soon small plates of everything from sushi to wings, skewers, and noodles grace the table. It’s all delicious, and we wash it down with cocktails that come in cute animal-shaped mugs.
Monday
The next morning our long weekend in Los Angeles continues with some classic sightseeing. After a quick stop for espresso drinks at Picnic Coffee in Silver Lake, we drive out to Beverly Hills. Cruising down Rodeo Drive and the mansion-studded streets between Santa Monica Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard, we take in the scene.
Lunch
From there we head over to lunch at Luv2eat Thai Bistro. Set in an unassuming strip mall on Sunset, this classic LA establishment has come highly recommended by my friend’s cousin. It doesn’t disappoint. Everything from the curries to the fried rice dishes and meat is delicious.
The Grove
After lunch we drive to The Grove. This famous shopping-and-dining complex is known for everything from its big-name stores to its double-decker trolley and historic food stalls. After seeing the dancing fountain and popping into a few shops, we walk around the Original Farmers Market.
Dating back to 1934, this open-air place is a beloved institution in the City of Angels. It’s home to restaurants, shops, and vendors selling food in a covered area. We shop for everything from spices to kitchenware, letting our taste buds be tempted by all the food outlets we pass.
Dinner
In the evening we cook up a big feast with the food we bought at the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market. We supplement the fresh produce with meat and fish from the nearby Erewhon supermarket. It all goes down a treat at our outdoor table with a view of the Hollywood Sign.
Tuesday
The next morning is our last in LA. We start with a trip to Griffith Observatory, where we take in sweeping views of the city skyline.
From there we drive over to get a good view of the Hollywood Sign. Up winding roads we go, stopping to get out of the car and snap a few photos when we find a good vantage point.
Lunch
After seeing the sign up close, we drive over to Mercado La Paloma for lunch. This indoor food market has all kinds of small restaurants. We’re here to eat at Holbox. This famous Yucatan-style seafood place has great Mexican food, and we tuck into everything from fish tacos to octopus, scallops, and heaping plates of ceviche. It’s delicious.
Silver Lake
In the afternoon we explore Silver Lake. We walk up and down Sunset Boulevard, taking in the shops and restaurants as we go. There are quirky colorful stairways here, not to mention great boutiques and colorful courtyards.
Afterwards a couple of us walk up the steep hills to the Silver Lake Reservoir. This body of water is a popular place for locals to stroll around, and it’s beautiful at sunset.
Evening in Downtown LA
In the evening we head to Downtown LA. We start with drinks in the Arts District. Death & Co is a famous bar serving inventive cocktails in a low-lit subterranean space. Our drinks are to our liking, and they send us off to dinner on a high note.
Dinner is at a nearby restaurant called Baroo. This modern Korean place has been named one of the 38 most influential restaurants in America by Eater.
We sit down for a tasting menu, and we enjoy course after course of thoughtfully-prepared dishes in the airy, minimalist dining room. The wine pairing and Korean sool pairing go well with the food, too.
Long Weekend in LA
The next morning we say good-bye to LA with heavy hearts. It’s been a great long weekend getaway, and we can hardly believe how much we’ve seen, done, and eaten in our short time here.
I hope my itinerary has helped you plan how to spend your time in and around the City of Angels. This is one of my favorite places to visit in California, and it’s worth a special trip.
Itinerary Map
As promised, I’ve created an interactive Google map of all the places I visited on my long weekend getaway. You can find it here. I hope it helps you plan your trip to the city!
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