Los Angeles is the ultimate insider's city, as first-time visitors quickly discover. The sprawl of strip malls and apartment buildings can seem anonymous and daunting until you consult friends or online guides who can direct you to the city’s electric cultural and artistic life. Los Angeles’s racial and ethnic diversity make it one of the most exciting culinary destinations in America, whether your appetite leads you to Korean, regional Mexican, or Persian food. One day may bring you to Venice Beach or the Santa Monica Pier for a stroll, and the next day on a strenuous hike in Topanga Canyon. Downtown Los Angeles’s art museums attract global attention for their forward-thinking collections. You can also spend several days walking — yes, walking — around Silver Lake or Beverly Hills, dipping into boutiques and stopping at cafes.

Getting There

Traveling to one of the world’s largest cities is not hard. Thousands of direct flights arrive and depart LAX, the main Los Angeles airport, every day. If you’re staying in the northern part of the city, look for flights to the small, less crowded Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR). The city operates stations for national train and bus routes as well. Los Angeles is a car city, and even driving between neighborhoods that look close on a map will take more time than you expect. If you’re staying in an outlying area such as Glendale or Long Beach, a car is a must. You’ll find car rental agencies near every point of arrival. However, if you’re staying in a central neighborhood, the LA Metro subway and light rail system is easy to navigate, the city’s bus system is extensive if slow, and rideshares are plentiful.

Weather

Idyllic weather is one of the reasons Los Angeles became the film industry capital, and you can count on heat and sun for most of the year. There’s a reason so many Angelenos wear sunglasses and carry water bottles. After a hazy month of June (the locals call it “June Gloom”), LA’s hot season lasts between July and late September, when the average daytime temperatures are in the 80s Fahrenheit. Spring and fall deliver weather that is slightly cooler, but still pleasant enough for short sleeves and light clothing. December through February is the rainy season, when the lows can dip into the 40s. Your consolation is seeing the city’s gold hills turn bright green.

Don't Miss

Los Angeles’s biggest park is more of a district, with more than 4,000 acres of trails, attractions, and serene picnic spots. You can wander around the famous Griffith Observatory, the backdrop to dozens of famous movie scenes, or bring your children to the historic Merry-Go-Round carousel. The western edge of the park includes several steep trails climbing to the Hollywood Sign.

You’re more likely to see a celebrity at some vegan cafe in Silver Lake than here, but the frayed glamour of Hollywood and the Sunset Strip still exerts its charm. Check the schedule to see if the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre is offering tours and screenings, or wander along Hollywood Boulevard, looking down to see whose famous handprints are pressed into the concrete.

Half of the reason people take the tram up to the Getty is for the museum’s art collections, which favor Greek and Roman statues and European paintings from the medieval era through the 19th century. The other is the setting: You can spend an hour or two meandering through the cultivated gardens, admiring a landscape that stretches to every horizon.