Los Angeles has been on my bucket list since I moved to Tucson, Arizona in 2018. Finally I got the opportunity to see this beautiful city in March of 2021. I planned my visit for a 3 days trip to  Los Angeles, California. Though it is not enough time to explore this interesting city. I will share my experience of 3 days trip to Los Angeles and help you plan your itinerary.  LA View from Griffith Observatory.

Transportation

I started my drive from Tucson, Arizona on Friday morning around 6AM and I arrived at my hotel around 1PM. It was around 7 hours drive from Tucson to Los Angeles. Traffic in LA is crazy and finding parking is even crazier and expensive. Public transportation is well developed if that is an option for someone planning to explore LA. I was using my own car to drive around. My advice, for people deciding to drive around LA , is to keep quarters with you for parking in city. 

Accommodation

I spent 2 nights in LA. Initially I was planning to stay in Santa Monica but I wasn’t able to get a hotel room for those dates. I usually stay in Hilton Hotels using points and I look at all available hotels within my destination. Staying inside the city could be expensive and almost all the hotels charge for parking. I stayed in the city of Whittier at Double Tree, which was 30 minutes drive from the city center. The hotel was nice, well maintained and in a beautiful neighborhood.

Activities / Attractions

Day 1:

Redondo Beach:

After checking into my hotel at 1 PM, I took a nap and refreshed myself from 7 hours drive. I went out to grab an early dinner in the afternoon and decided to relax on this beautiful beach. Redondo beach is one of the three adjacent beaches on Santa Monica Bay. It is a clean and nice beach with a relaxing boardwalk. I walked on the beach to enjoy the beautiful sunset. I spent the evening on the beach and returned to my hotel around 10PM.

Day 2

Griffith Observatory 

On 2nd day, I headed towards Griffith Observatory after breakfast at my hotel. Expect this place to be crowded with both locals and visitors. Parking at the bottom is free and at the top is $25. First I drove to top to enjoy the beautiful and scenic drive and drove back to park for free and enjoy the 0.67 mile walk from the parking lot. The walk to the top is easy and highly recommended. On my trip, the Griffith Observatory was closed for visitors but the trails were open. From the top the LA view was incredible. You can see the Hollywood sign right in front of you or you can walk up close to the sign if you want to walk further. 

Hollywood and Universal Studios

After a good morning hike, I headed to Universal Studios. Unfortunately it was closed as well due to pandemic. I drove around just to explore the studios. They have huge posters of their new released projects and movies. They also offer different tours. Since the studios were closed so I decided to drive around the Hollywood neighborhood and have a feel of Hollywood.

Hollywood Walk of Fame

After driving around Hollywood, I headed to Hollywood Walk of Fame. Parking on the roadside was $3 for an hour and a half. There are public parking garages if you cannot find parking on roadside. Due to pandemic it was not crowded and I could easily walk around and enjoy the vibe. I started at one end and returned on the other side of the road. Both sides of the road are occupied by local artists, displaying their talents. There are also alot of options to eat and shop.

Santa Monica Beach

After enjoying lunch in little Bangladesh, I drove to Santa Monica Pier. It was a Saturday afternoon and everyone was trying to catch a glimpse of sunset on this crowded beach.  It was hard to find parking but we got lucky to find a spot in one of the garages on the beach. The parking was $6 for 2 hours. You can also park on the beach but that can cost you around $20. You can enjoy live performances of local artists and grab a bite of local vendors, offering unique hotdogs and spicy Mexican delights. I enjoyed the sunset and walked along the beach to relax. Water was too cold for me to jump into it. After spending a couple of hours, I headed towards my hotel.

Day 3

Beverly Hills  and Rodeo Drive

On my 3rd day, I woke up early and checked out after breakfast. I headed towards Beverly hills. I drove around this beautiful neighborhood and appreciated the uniquely designed houses. I parked right behind the Beverly Hills sign and walked to Rodeo Drive ,which is home to all high-end designer stores. It was an early Sunday morning and most of the stores were closed but the restaurants were open for breakfast.

Venice Beach

After a good morning walk in Beverly Hills, I headed to Venice Beach to grab a glimpse of this beautiful beach. This beach is beautifully designed and very relaxing. Skate park is next to the beach,  which is crowded with young population. I spent an hour at this beautiful beach and grabbed lunch before heading home.