How to Spend 3 Days in Los Angeles, California

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Last Updated on December 28, 2023 by sydabroad

If you are planning a trip to LA, here is how to spend 3 days in Los Angeles. 

There is no shortage of things to do in this city and 3 days in Los Angeles is certainly not enough time to see it all but you can cover a lot in a short amount of time. Between the beaches, museums, sunshine, endless activities, and great food – LA has something for everyone. 

I’m sharing a perfect 3-day itinerary covering all of the hot spots in LA including Malibu, Santa Monica, Venice, and more. If you are looking for the best things to do in Los Angeles then keep reading! 

Looking for more California guides?

• How to Spend a Weekend in Newport Beach
• North Lake Tahoe Travel Guide
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This guide is all about how to spend 3 days in Los Angeles, California.

HOW TO SPEND 3 DAYS IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

DAY ONE: MANHATTAN BEACH & VENICE

Spend your first day exploring Manhattan Beach and Venice. Manhattan Beach is one of my favorite areas in LA and the perfect place to spend the morning and early afternoon. Head over for a coffee and breakfast, and then head to the beach. 

When you need a break from the beach spend some time browsing the cute boutiques along the streets in Manhattan. I’ve listed a few highlights of Manhattan Beach below. 

NOTE: If you are flying in and out of LAX, Manhattan Beach is pretty close to the airport so it’s a good place to spend some time if you need to kill time before hotel check-in. There is also an In-n-Out nearby, so if you want your burger fix before heading to the airport on your way out, it’s the perfect airport snack.  

BEST THINGS TO DO IN MANHATTAN BEACH: 

• Shop around
• Beach time on Manhattan Beach 
• Sugarfish for lunch 
• Verve for coffee 
• Manhattan Beach Creamery for ice cream

After you’ve spent a relaxing morning in Manhattan, get ready to head over to the Venice Beach area. Venice is known for its funky beach shops, street performers, skatepark, and colorful murals. There is so much to do here so plan to spend the rest of the afternoon and the evening in Venice. 

NOTE: Many guides won’t mention the tents and homeless problem in this area (and many other parts of the city) it’s not unlikely to see homeless people and tents around Venice so just keep that in mind. 

In Venice, go get apps and drinks at the Waterfront or Belles Beach House, check out the beach shops, and walk or bike along Venice Beach. Bike rentals are affordable and make for a fun way to explore Venice.

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Make sure to visit High Rooftop Lounge on top of Hotel Erwin for the best sunset spot in Venice. After that, head to Great White for dinner (amazing pizza!) and Bev to get a canned cocktail. If you are looking to go to a bar, Winston House is a fun place to spend the evening. They have live music and great drinks, it’s a fun place for a nightcap. 

And don’t forget to snap some photos in front of the iconic Venice Beach sign. 

BEST THINGS TO DO IN VENICE BEACH: 

• The Waterfront – great cocktails and apps
• Belles Beach House – such a vibe 
• Rent bikes or walk along Venice Beach 
• Winston House for drinks and dancing
• Venice Canals 
• Great White 
• High Rooftop Lounge 
• Sunset picnic on the beach 
• Photos in front of the Venice Beach sign. 

DAY TWO: DOWNTOWN & BEVERLY HILLS

During your second day in LA, I’d spend the day exploring downtown and a bit of Beverly Hills for all the sites & museums. Driving around downtown LA can be chaotic so it’s nice to start early. 

Start your morning with a hike to the Hollywood Sign – The Griffith Observatory hike is about 2 miles round trip. Then visit the Lacma Art installation and the Broad Museum (which is free!). I’ve listed a few other things to do near downtown LA below. 

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BEST THINGS TO DO IN DOWNTOWN LA: 

• The Broad Museum
• Griffith Observatory Hike to the Hollywood Sign
• Visit the Griffith Observatory
• LACMA light installation (“Urban Light”)
• Shopping at The Grove 
• Sunday at Melrose Trading Post
• Mr. Charlie’s Vegan McDonalds  
• Sunset Strip Blvd.
• Hollywood Walk of Fame
• Handrolls at KazuNori

Next, head to Beverly Hills to do some window shopping at Rodeo Drive and then get Italian for dinner at Jon & Vinny’s (they have a Beverly Hills location and a few others throughout the city) their food is incredible. 

BEST THINGS TO DO IN BEVERLY HILLS: 

• Rodeo Drive 
• Jon & Vinny’s  
• Walk around Beverly Garden Park

DAY THREE: MALIBU & SANTA MONICA

And for your final full day in Los Angeles drive up the coast to spend some time in Malibu and then use the rest of your day to see Santa Monica. 

I suggest driving to Malibu early to enjoy breakfast on the Malibu Pier at Malibu Farm and then visit Latigo Beach, a nice secluded beach in Malibu.

After spending time on the beach, head to Dukes for lunch with a view. It’s a restaurant right near the water and it’s delicious. They have a location in Waikiki in Hawaii as well that I have visited. 

BEST THING TO DO IN MALIBU: 

• Latigo Beach 
• Malibu Farm 
• Dukes 
• Aviator Nation
• El Matador Beach 

After a morning in Malibu, get ready for the afternoon/evening and head to the Santa Monica area. Start with a hard kombucha flight at JuneShine – it’s such a cute spot and they offer so many different flavors of their hard kombuchas. While you are on Main St., check out the fun boutiques, there are so many great places to shop around.

Next, go to Santa Monica Pier, hang out here, take some photos, and ride a few rides if you’d like. You can’t visit LA without stopping by the Santa Monica Pier. 

Once you’re ready for dinner you should head to this incredible Italian place, Uovo. It’s delicious, I had the cacio e pepe pasta and a side of mushrooms – 10/10. Elephante is another amazing restaurant in Santa Monica. Make sure to make a reservation beforehand.

After dinner, if you want to go out for drinks in Santa Monica, I suggest The Victorian. It’s a restaurant and bar located on Main St. and has such an eclectic atmosphere.

During the weekend, The Victorian transforms into a night scene with three floors of DJs. If you come earlier in the evening it’s the perfect place to sit by the fire with a cocktail or a glass of wine. The vibes here are great. 

On the other hand, The Bungalow is another fun place to go out in the evening (or during the day) in Santa Monica as well. 

BEST THINGS TO DO IN SANTA MONICA: 

• The Victorian 
• JuneShine Santa Monica
• Alfreds Coffee
• Uovo 
• Elephante 
• The Bungalow 
• Santa Monica Pier
• Shop on Main Street

WHERE TO STAY IN LOS ANGELES

There are so many options when it comes to where to stay in Los Angeles. I’d suggest deciding on what area you want to spend the most time in and choosing somewhere near there. 

I’ve stayed in a few different areas in LA but most recently I stayed in an Airbnb in Marina del Rey. I enjoyed this area because it was close to Santa Monica and Venice which is where we spent most of our time. I also thought Marina del Rey was a really nice place to be, if you have more time in LA it’s a place you’ll want to check out. 

I’ve listed a few boutique properties in Los Angeles below: 

Click here to book The Surfrider Hotel in Malibu

Click here to book The Hoxton in Downtown LA

Click here to book the Viceroy in Santa Monica 

Click here to book The Venice Beach House in Venice 

FIND A PLACE TO STAY IN LOS ANGELES

Booking.com

GETTING AROUND LOS ANGELES

LA is massive and traffic is usually horrible. If you are going to and from different parts of the city all day, you’ll spend the majority of the day in the car. So pick a couple of areas to stick around for the day and stay in the area. 

As for transportation, it would be really helpful to have your vehicle – rent a car. This will give you the most flexibility and Uber prices can add up quickly. 

However, I spent a weekend in LA using only Uber from place to place and it was fine. Just don’t expect to hit as many places in the city as you’d like to.

BEST TIME TO VISIT LOS ANGELES

Honestly, there isn’t a bad time to visit Los Angeles. The weather is pretty good year-round – staying warm and sunny. The low season in LA is in the fall and spring, which is a great time to visit before it gets too hot and too crowded. The temperatures are typically in the low 70s 

On the other hand, summer in Los Angeles is a very popular time to visit the city and the temperature will be in the 80s. 

And that’s a wrap on how to spend 3 days in Los Angeles. I hope this itinerary was helpful, and let me know if you have any questions about Los Angeles in the comments below!

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