Luxury hotels in Los Angeles

Los Angeles guide

Los Angeles: from the Getty to the Pacific Coast Highway

Hollywood, the Griffith Observatory at sunset, art on the hill and the beaches of Malibu.

The Griffith Observatory, with its view of the Hollywood Sign and the whole city, is the most cited sight in Los Angeles, best at sunset and free to visit. Hollywood's Walk of Fame and a studio tour show the film industry from inside.

The Getty Center, on its hilltop above Brentwood, combines art, architecture and gardens, and the Broad and LACMA are downtown and on Museum Row. Then drive the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu, or walk from Santa Monica to Venice. LA traffic shapes the day, so we plan by neighbourhood.

Hollywood and the studios

A studio tour in Burbank or Culver City, visiting sound stages and backlots where films and series are made, is one of the most cited experiences in Los Angeles; the deluxe versions include lunch and smaller groups. Universal Studios Hollywood combines a studio tour with a theme park.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, in a building by Renzo Piano, tells the history of cinema, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the TCL Chinese Theatre, with handprints of the stars, are on Hollywood Boulevard.

Malibu, Santa Monica and the Getty Villa

Driving the Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Monica to Malibu is one of the most cited experiences in Los Angeles: the Santa Monica Pier, Venice's boardwalk and canals, and the beaches of Malibu, such as Zuma and El Matador, with their sea stacks.

The Getty Villa, a reconstruction of a Roman villa in Pacific Palisades, holds the Getty's collection of Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities; entry is free with a timed reservation. Lunch overlooking the ocean in Malibu completes the day.