Experience the best of Los Angeles in three smart, snackable days.

Los Angeles spreads out like a film set between mountains and sea, so a good weekend plan is less about racing everywhere and more about stitching a few neighborhoods into one coherent story. This three-day blueprint does exactly that. It focuses on places that reward a booking, walks that deliver real views, and food that locals line up for even when parking looks like a prank.

Before You Get There

LAX is big but straightforward if you know one trick. The easiest airport transfer without a rental car is the FlyAway bus to Union Station. Tickets are purchased with a card and the service runs daily from early morning into the night. Once in town, public transport is useful for downtown and Hollywood hops. Plan routes via the LA Metro trip planner and load fares onto a TAP card or the TAP app. Rideshares fill the gaps and remain the most time-efficient way to connect the dots in a weekend.

Base yourself near where you’ll spend evenings. For a classic Hollywood address with history and a scene around the pool, look at The Hollywood Roosevelt. If a design-forward downtown base suits the itinerary, Downtown L.A. Proper puts you near galleries, bars and the Metro. Prefer ocean air and sunsets with your checkout? Hotel Erwin is steps from the Venice Boardwalk and Santa Monica is anchored by the breezy Santa Monica Proper.

Day One

Downtown and Hollywood, Old Icons and New Energy

Start where Los Angeles tells its contemporary art story for free. Reserve timed tickets for The Broad and give the collection an hour to reset the senses. From there, ride a piece of living LA history on Angels Flight Railway, the 1901 funicular that still shuttles between Bunker Hill and Hill Street. At the bottom, the food hall’s neon glow is your compass—wander, snack and caffeinate at Grand Central Market, where newcomers and institutions share counter space.

After lunch, step into a movie location that doubles as a love letter to late-19th-century light and ironwork. The Bradbury Building is as atmospheric as the photos suggest and a quick visit keeps the afternoon light on your side. When the sun tips westward, head to Griffith Park. The vantage point at Griffith Observatory frames the basin, downtown’s skyline and the Hollywood Sign in one sweep. Exhibits are engaging, the planetarium shows are worth the ticket, and parking fills early so plan for rideshare drop-off at the top if timing is tight.

Dinner should feel special without being fussy. In Mid-City, the cathedral-like space and French-leaning menu at République deliver that exact balance—book ahead and arrive a few minutes early to admire the 1928 tilework and pastry case. If the day runs late, pivot east for a reservation at Bestia in the Arts District, a modern Italian benchmark where charcuterie boards and wood-fired pastas keep the room buzzing every night.

Round off the evening with a Hollywood time-warp. A nightcap at the storied Musso & Frank Grill comes with red booths, martinis done properly, and a century of film lore. It’s not a gimmick if the steak is cooked right and the service never blinks.

Day Two

Museums, Movies and a Classic Sunset

Cut north to the Brentwood hills for a morning of art and architecture at the Getty Center. The funicular ride up the ridge sets the tone, Richard Meier’s travertine terraces supply city-to-sea panoramas, and the Central Garden turns every phone into a landscape camera. Weekend spots can go fast—timed entry is free, but reservations help secure a sensible arrival window.

Back down on Museum Row, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is the anchor. Urban Light’s grid of streetlamps earns the selfies. The galleries pay the dividend. If film history speaks louder than painting, swap or stack with the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Its exhibits pull back the curtain on costumes, effects and the craft behind the screen, and the theater programming often sneaks in restorations you won’t stream next month.

This is also the right day to let a studio walk you through its backlot. The Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood mixes working sets, prop archives and a few unabashed crowd-pleasers. Two to three hours is typical. Afternoon slots keep the morning free for museums and land you back on the street before dinner.

Eat near where you’ll watch the sky change color. If dinner on Abbot Kinney sounds right, Gjelina still packs a room with market-driven plates, charred-edge pizzas and a wine list that leans European. If Venice is your base, drifting upstairs to Kassi on Erwin’s rooftop for a post-meal drink gives you the Pacific in widescreen via Hotel Erwin. Prefer a coastal stroll after eating. The Santa Monica Pier is a short ride away and feels better after dark when the wheel lights up and buskers set the tone on the planks.

Day Three

Beaches, Bikes and a Final Lap Through Hollywood

Begin slow and local. Coffee matters here, so pick a neighborhood standard and join the line. On Abbot Kinney, the Venice bar from Intelligentsia Coffee pulls consistent shots from early morning. In the Arts District, the minimalist bars run by Maru Coffee are all clean lines and excellent pourovers. For something handheld and celebratory at midnight or noon, join the faithful at Leo’s Tacos Truck for al pastor shaved straight off the trompo.

Work it all off with an easy ride along the coast. The Marvin Braude Bike Trail runs roughly 22 miles along the bay, linking Santa Monica, Venice and the South Bay on a flat ribbon of concrete. Pick up bikes near the pier and cruise south past volleyball nets and open water before looping back for a late brunch.

If legs prefer dirt to pavement, get the last views up high. Runyon Canyon Park is a quick-hit hike in the Hollywood Hills with sweeping skyline views and plenty of friendly dogs. Go early for cooler temperatures and easier street parking around Fuller Avenue. Late afternoon light makes photos pop and the trails are simple to follow.

Close the weekend with something unabashedly cinematic. Book the big room at the TCL Chinese Theatre—the IMAX screen suits action, the forecourt handprints suit nostalgia—and then wander the Walk of Fame long enough to understand why locals dodge it and visitors love it. If live music’s more your speed, the summer calendar at the Hollywood Bowl is a local ritual. Pack a picnic, ride the shuttle, and pretend the shell was built just for your encore.

Practical Tips that Save Minutes and Money

Reservations are your friend. Book dining at République and Bestia as soon as plans firm up. Museum tickets with timed entry—The Broad, the Getty Center and the Academy Museum—reduce waiting and keep your day moving. Studio tours sell out on weekends so buy directly at Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood.

Transit is viable for dense clusters. Downtown to Hollywood is an easy hop by rail and short-haul bus lines run frequently. Use the Metro trip planner and pay with TAP. For the airport run, the FlyAway from Union Station is a straightforward, no-transfer solution. When it’s time to lock in a bed, compare direct rates with major aggregators and then choose what makes sense.

A Bonus Loop for Architecture Fans

If the morning is free, stitch a compact walking circuit downtown. Start with Angels Flight for the novelty and the view back to Bunker Hill. Duck into the Bradbury Building to watch sun pour through the skylight onto wrought iron balconies and birdcage elevators. End at Hill Street again and cut across to Grand Central Market for a late breakfast. It’s easy, efficient and hits three generations of LA history within four blocks.

Where to be Decisive

Aim for one anchor each day and build around it. Downtown on Friday. Westside on Saturday. Hollywood and the hills on Sunday. The rest is flex—coffee, tacos, sunsets and shows are movable parts. If a place resonates, stay longer and drop the filler. The only bad weekend in LA is the one spent chasing everything everywhere at once.