Los Angeles is a lie. Well, parts of it are. If you land at LAX thinking you’re going to spend your days spotting A-listers while sipping a $18 latte on Rodeo Drive, you’re in for a massive, smog-filled reality check. Most people get the must do things in LA list completely wrong because they follow the same tired scripts written by people who haven't stepped foot in the Valley or Boyle Heights in a decade.
Traffic is real. It’s a physical weight. You don't "go" to LA; you negotiate with it. To actually enjoy this sprawling mess of a city, you have to stop treating it like a single destination and start treating it like a collection of sovereign states.
Honestly, the best way to see the city isn't from the back of a Star Map van. It’s from a dusty trail in the Santa Monica Mountains or a plastic stool in a strip mall in Koreatown.
The Tourist Traps vs. The Real Los Angeles
Let's address the elephant in the room: the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It’s dirty. It smells like desperation and old hot dogs. If you must go, go for the Chinese Theatre’s architecture, then leave immediately. Instead, if you want that classic cinematic feeling, head to the Griffith Observatory.
Yes, it’s popular. Yes, the parking is a nightmare. But standing on that terrace as the sun dips behind the Pacific and the city lights blink on like a million tiny diamonds? That’s the real deal. It’s one of the few must do things in LA that actually lives up to the hype. You can see the Hollywood Sign from there without having to hike the rugged back-trails, though if you have the glutes for it, the Brush Canyon Trail offers a much better angle for your photos.
The Griffith Reality Check
Don’t try to drive to the top on a Saturday night. You’ll sit in your car for two hours just to turn around. Use the DASH bus from the Vermont/Sunset Metro station. It costs pennies, and you’ll bypass the line of frustrated influencers in their rented Mustangs.
Why You Shouldn't Skip the Museums
Most people think of LA as a cultural wasteland of reality TV stars. They're wrong. The Getty Center is basically a billionaire’s fortress of art perched on a hill, and it’s free (minus the parking fee). The architecture by Richard Meier is all white travertine and sharp angles, looking out over the 405 freeway.
But if you want something weirder, something more LA, go to the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City. It’s hard to describe. Is it art? Is it science? Is it a prank? It’s a series of dimly lit rooms containing micro-miniature sculptures and exhibits about bats that can fly through walls. It’s unsettling and brilliant.
Then there’s the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. If you actually care about movies—not just the celebrity gossip, but the craft—this is non-negotiable. They have the shark from Jaws. They have the Ruby Slippers. It’s a massive tribute to the industry that built this town.
The Food Scene: Strip Malls are Sacred
If a restaurant in LA has a valet and a velvet rope, the food is probably mediocre. The soul of the city’s culinary world is hidden in neon-lit strip malls.
Take Koreatown. It’s the highest density of 24-hour businesses in the country. You haven't lived until you've had late-night Korean BBQ at a place like Parks BBQ or tucked into a bowl of cold noodles at Sun Nong Dan.
Then there's the taco situation.
- Leo’s Tacos Truck: Look for the al pastor spit topped with a pineapple.
- Mariscos Jalisco: Their tacos de camaron (shrimp tacos) are legendary.
- Guerrilla Tacos: Started as a truck, now a brick-and-mortar, showing how high-end ingredients meet street style.
Eat a Danger Dog. That’s the bacon-wrapped hot dog sold by street vendors outside concert venues. Is it health-code compliant? Probably not. Is it a must do thing in LA? Absolutely.
🔗 Read more: Whats the Temp in Las Vegas Today: Why Most Tourists Get It Wrong
The Beach Paradox
Everyone goes to Santa Monica. It’s fine. The pier is iconic, but it’s also a sensory overload of screaming children and overpriced churros. If you want the beach experience you see in movies, drive north.
Malibu is where the coastline actually gets dramatic. El Matador State Beach has sea caves and enormous rock formations that make you feel like you’re on the edge of the world.
If you want a "vibe," go to Venice, but skip the Boardwalk’s cheap sunglasses stalls. Walk the Venice Canals instead. It’s quiet, weirdly beautiful, and tucked just a few blocks away from the madness. It was built by Abbot Kinney in 1905 to bring a slice of Italy to SoCal, and while it’s now surrounded by multi-million dollar modern homes, it still feels like a secret.
Navigating the Neighborhoods Without a Car
People say nobody walks in LA. That’s a lie; we just walk in very specific places. Silver Lake and Echo Park are actually walkable if you don't mind hills.
The Echo Park Lake pedal boats are a bit cheesy, but looking at the downtown skyline through the lotus flowers is genuinely peaceful. Afterward, walk over to The Broad in Downtown LA (DTLA). It’s the contemporary art museum with the "honeycomb" exterior.
DTLA is a Different Beast
Downtown isn't like a traditional city center. It’s patchy. One block is the Grand Central Market (go to Sari Sari Store for the Filipino rice bowls), and the next block is... well, it’s rough.
But you have to see The Last Bookstore. It’s housed in an old bank building, and the second floor is a labyrinth of books arranged by color, hidden rooms, and a literal tunnel made of novels. It’s one of those places that reminds you LA still has a soul beneath the glitter.
The Reality of the "Must Do" List
We need to talk about the must do things in LA that people fail at.
👉 See also: Finding Your Way: Red Bank NJ Directions and How to Actually Get There
- The Hollywood Sign Hike: People try to do this in flip-flops with no water. Don't. It’s a real hike. It’s hot. There are rattlesnakes.
- The 405 Freeway: Avoid it between 7:00 AM and 10:00 AM, and again from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. If you ignore this, your vacation will be spent looking at the bumper of a Prius.
- Disneyland: It’s not in LA. It’s in Anaheim. That’s a different county. Plan for an hour-plus drive each way.
The Sports Culture
Even if you aren't a sports fan, a game at Dodger Stadium is a masterclass in LA culture. It’s about the Dodger Dogs, the sunset over the San Gabriel Mountains, and the diverse crowd that represents every corner of the city. It’s much more "LA" than any red carpet event.
Hidden Gems You’ll Actually Like
If you’re tired of the crowds, head to the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino. It’s technically just outside the city, but it’s 120 acres of specialized gardens. The Japanese Garden and the Desert Garden are world-class. It’s where you go to breathe when the smog gets to be too much.
For a weird bit of history, check out the Old LA Zoo ruins in Griffith Park. You can literally walk into the old stone cages where lions used to live. It’s spooky, overgrown, and a favorite spot for local picnickers.
Actionable Steps for Your LA Trip
Stop trying to see everything. You won't. You'll just get angry at a GPS.
Pick one "region" per day. If you’re doing Santa Monica and Venice, stay on the Westside. Don’t try to do the Getty and then dinner in Silver Lake; you’ll spend three hours in the car.
Download the ParkWhiz or SpotHero apps. Parking in LA is a predatory sport. These apps save you from the $40 "event pricing" lots.
Check the "Eater LA" heat map. Before you eat, check what’s actually good right now. The food scene here moves faster than the traffic.
🔗 Read more: That Viral Icon of the Seas Video: What the Photos Don't Show You
Bring layers. The "desert" part of our Mediterranean climate means it drops 20 degrees the second the sun goes down. You’ll see tourists in shorts shivering at the Griffith Observatory every single night.
Visit a Farmers Market. Not just the "Original Farmers Market" at 3rd and Fairfax (though that’s great for a Cornbread from Magee’s), but a local one like the Hollywood Farmers Market on a Sunday. It’s where the chefs shop, and the produce will make you realize why people pay such high rent to live here.
Los Angeles is frustrating, beautiful, expensive, and chaotic. But if you stop looking for the Hollywood you saw on TV and start looking at the city that actually exists, it’s one of the best places on earth. Just don't expect to get anywhere in fifteen minutes. It’s physically impossible.