Best Fun Activities in Los Angeles and Santa Monica
Browse more guides: United States travel | Americas destinations I've been to Los Angeles four times now, and the city still surprises me. My first trip was a rushed two days at the end of a San Diego work conference. My most recent run was eleven days with my wife and our seven-year-old nephew, split between a Santa Monica hotel and a downtown LA stay so we could see both sides without spending half our lives on the 405. This guide pulls together what I learned, with real prices I paid in 2025 and 2026. Greater LA covers about 4,750 square miles. You'll not see all of it on one trip. Pick a base, pick a handful of activities, leave time for the beach and a long lunch. How I Plan an LA Trip Now I split the days into beach days, hill days, and theme park days, and I never mix them. Beach days mean Santa Monica, Venice, and Manhattan Beach. Hill days mean Griffith, the Hollywood Sign hike, the Getty, Beverly Hills, and Rodeo Drive. Theme park days mean Universal or Disneyla...