Los Angeles Guide
Not one city but a dozen, strung along freeways that decide how much of it you actually see.
Distance is measured in minutes, not miles, and those minutes double between 7–10am and 3–7pm. Pick two adjacent neighbourhoods per day — Westside in the morning and Downtown at night is a plan that eats an hour of your evening.
Los Angeles business directoryHills to the pier, end to end
Illustrated
Drawn by hand for the KEY2 Los Angeles guide
Where to stay
Hotels
The KEY2 list
Happy Hour
Daylight
Hotel Pools & Pool Clubs
Eat
Best Food
Mornings
Breakfast & Brunch
Recover
Health & Wellness
After dark
Nightlife
Arenas
Sports
Tonight
Concerts & Comedy
Say it here
Weddings
Book the room
Event Spaces
Experiences
100 Other Things To Do
Los Angeles explained
Hour-by-hour plans drawn by hand — pick one and follow it from first coffee to last call.
24 Hours in Los Angeles
Sunrise at the Observatory, a Downtown food hall lunch, and cocktails in a hidden Downtown bar.
48 Hours in Los Angeles
Two days moving from the Eastside food scene to the Westside coast and back through Hollywood nightlife.
Los Angeles travel guide
The practical layer: when to come, how to arrive, how to move, where to base yourself and what it costs.
Best time to visit
March to May and October to November bring the clearest air and mildest temperatures, ideal for hiking Griffith Park and driving the coast without summer's crowds and haze.
Getting in
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is 20 to 45 minutes from most Westside and Downtown hotels depending on traffic. The LAX FlyAway bus runs to Union Station for around $10; a taxi or rideshare to the Westside costs $35 to $55, more to Downtown or Hollywood.
Getting around
Los Angeles is built for driving, and a rental car is genuinely useful if you plan to cover more than two neighbourhoods. Metro's B and D subway lines and the E line to Santa Monica cover some corridors, but rideshare fills most gaps. Traffic peaks 7 to 10am and 3 to 7pm, so plan freeway trips around those windows.
What it costs
Mid-range hotel: $180 to $280 a night. Dinner for two: $110 to $170. A rideshare across town, say Hollywood to Santa Monica, typically runs $30 to $45 given the distance.
Where to stay
- West Hollywood
- Central for nightlife and dining, walkable pockets, good base for Beverly Hills and the Sunset Strip.
- Santa Monica / Venice
- Beach access and a more relaxed pace, best for visitors prioritising the coast over Hollywood sights.
- Downtown LA
- Closer to Union Station and museums, good value, less walkable at night in parts.
- Hollywood
- Near the classic sights and the Bowl, convenient but touristy and busier after dark.
Traveller tips
- Rent a car if your itinerary spans more than two neighbourhoods; without one you will spend real money and time on rideshare.
- June brings overcast mornings along the coast known locally as June Gloom — expect it to burn off by early afternoon.
- Reserve tables at popular restaurants several days ahead, especially on the Westside and in Downtown's Arts District.
- Parking is often valet-only at restaurants and hotels; budget $10 to $20 per stop.
- Tipping is 18 to 20% at restaurants and $1 to $2 per bag for hotel porters.
- Wildfire smoke can affect air quality in autumn; check conditions before planning hikes in the hills.
The Los Angeles calendar
The dates that actually move prices, crowds and opening hours.
January
Awards season
Hotel and restaurant demand in Beverly Hills and West Hollywood peaks around the ceremonies.
March
Wildflowers & clear coastline
Post-rain green hills in Malibu and Griffith Park — the best hiking weeks of the year.
April
Coachella weekends
Not in LA, but it empties and refills the Westside hotel and club scene both weekends.
June
LA Pride & June Gloom
Hollywood fills for Pride while coastal mornings stay overcast until noon.
August
Peak beach season
Inland valleys hit 100°F; the coast stays 20 degrees cooler and parking lots fill by 10am.
November
Dia de los Muertos & film-festival season
Hollywood Forever and East LA programming; the most pleasant weather of the year.
Seasonal highlights
- Spring (Mar–May)
- Green hills, clear air, wildflowers — the best time to be outside anywhere in the basin.
- Summer (Jun–Aug)
- June gloom mornings, then heat inland; beaches and rooftops run at capacity.
- Autumn (Sep–Nov)
- The warmest ocean and the clearest skies; Santa Ana winds bring sharp, hot spells.
- Winter (Dec–Feb)
- Mild, occasionally rainy, and the quietest for restaurants outside awards weeks.
Off-peak intel
- Mid-week trips cut both traffic and hotel rates; Sunday nights are the easiest for hard reservations.
- Late January to early March is the cheapest stretch, minus awards weekends.
- Beat the beach: arrive before 10am or after 4pm for parking at Santa Monica and Malibu.
- Build days by neighbourhood cluster and let the freeway decide the rest.