The perfect day in LA: how to spend 24 hours in the City of Angels

20.08.2024 - 08:11 / lonelyplanet.com

Aug 16, 2024 • 6 min read

With only 24 hours in Los Angeles, you’ll still have time to stroll the beach, take a surf lesson, explore the Santa Monica Mountains by horseback and have something of a spiritual experience slurping up handmade pasta. The trick to making it happen: you’ll have to stick to the city’s Westside. 

Some LA locals will be up in arms by the suggestion to spend all your time in Santa Monica and Venice (hey, I myself live on the Eastside and love it), but with so little time, you don’t want to squander valuable minutes in traffic (which, okay, some may argue is the authentic LA experience). 

In the interest of both your precious vacation time and making the most of this multifaceted metropolis, here’s how to spend the perfect day in LA.

Normally I’d say renting a car is pretty crucial, but if you’re only in town for a day and sticking to one area – like the Westside, as detailed below – using public transportation and/or rideshare apps can totally work.  

The cheapest choice to get you from LAX to downtown Santa Monica is the Big Blue Bus. Ride the Rapid 3 route on weekdays, or take Route 3 seven days a week – both options cost only $1.10 for a single trip. 

For a faster yet pricier option ($40 and up), use a rideshare app like Uber or Lyft. You’ll still have to take a free shuttle from baggage claim (they run every seven minutes), but you’ll be dropped at a designated rideshare area for an organized pickup.

Head to your accommodation and stash your bags; a hotel front desk will store them until your room is ready. If you’re traveling with extra baggage or oversized sports gear (like golf clubs or skis) and don’t want to lug everything, LAX Luggage Storage can help you out. They’ll even meet you at your arrival terminal to pick up the bags, then meet you at your departure terminal to return them to you.  

The Sandbourne Santa Monica is conveniently located within striking distance of LAX and a walk away from the Santa Monica – and Urth Caffe (more on this below). It also has style and local charm in spades. The onsite restaurant, Marelle, is helmed by Santa Monica native Raphael Lunetta who celebrates California cuisine through the menu. Guests can take a pottery lesson by the pool, soak up ocean views and peruse LA-made souvenirs in the lobby shop. Basically if all you did was park yourself at this hotel, you’d still get a decent LA experience. 

Hit the ground, errr, sand running, as LA’s Westside is up early and active throughout the day. Though if you wanted to pare down your itinerary to only one or two of the activities below, nobody would blame you for lingering longer by the pool or beach.

Expect to see joggers, cyclists, and rollerbladers out and about on the beachside boardwalk.

Eat: