Los Angeles
The beaches, the hills, the studios and the sprawl, under a sky that is usually blue.
Los Angeles is less a city than a region: beach towns from Malibu to Long Beach, the hills with their sign and their observatory, Hollywood and the studios, downtown's revived core, and the Mexican, Korean and Armenian neighbourhoods that feed it. It is spread out, car-bound and sunny, and takes a few days to understand.
Why go
For the coast and the light: Santa Monica's pier, Venice's boardwalk, surfers at Malibu, the sunset from the Pacific Coast Highway. And for the film city, from the studio tours to the Hollywood Bowl to a screening in a picture palace.
And for the art and the food: the Getty on its hill, the Broad and the Disney concert hall downtown, tacos from a truck, sushi in a strip mall and the farmers' markets that supply the restaurants.
Highlights
What people go for, in no particular order.
01Santa Monica and Venice
The pier with its Ferris wheel, the beach and the bike path south to Venice's boardwalk, canals and Abbot Kinney's shops and restaurants.
02Griffith Observatory and the sign
The art deco observatory on the hill with the city below and the Hollywood sign across the canyon, especially good at sunset; trails through Griffith Park climb to the sign itself.
03Hollywood and the studios
The Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theatre's handprints, a tour of a working studio in Burbank or Culver City, and a summer concert at the Hollywood Bowl.
04The Getty and the museums
The Getty Center's travertine terraces and gardens above the freeway, the Getty Villa's antiquities by the sea in Malibu, LACMA and the Academy Museum on Wilshire, and the Broad downtown.
05Downtown
The Disney concert hall, the Broad, Grand Central Market, the Arts District's warehouses and the old theatres of Broadway, in the core the city has rediscovered.
06Malibu and the Pacific Coast Highway
The drive north past Malibu's beaches to Point Dume and the canyons, with the Getty Villa on the way and Zuma's sand at the end.
07The food
Tacos in Boyle Heights, Korean barbecue on Wilshire, the original farmers' market at Fairfax, and the taco trucks and strip-mall counters that the city's chefs revere.
Areas
Where to base yourself, and what each area is like.
Santa Monica and Venice
The beach on the doorstep, walkable streets and the ocean air. The easiest base for a first visit.
West Hollywood and Beverly Hills
Hotels, restaurants and nightlife on the Sunset Strip, central between the beach and downtown.
Hollywood and Los Feliz
Near the studios, the Bowl and Griffith Park, with a neighbourhood feel in Los Feliz.
Downtown
Converted lofts and grand old hotels, the museums and the Metro, for a city rather than a beach stay.
When to go: Los Angeles
- SpringMarch – May
- Warm, clear and green after the winter rain, with the marine layer some mornings on the coast.
- AutumnSeptember – November
- Warm, dry and often the clearest air of the year, with the sea still swimmable into October.
- SummerJune – August
- Hot inland, cooler and sometimes overcast at the beaches in the mornings; the season of outdoor concerts and full beaches.
- WinterDecember – February
- Mild and mostly sunny, with the year's rain in a few storms and snow on the mountains behind the city.
Getting there
Airports
Three airports in our search serve Los Angeles. Distances are measured in a straight line.
- LAXLos Angeles International
- BURHollywood Burbank/Bob Hope · Burbank
- SNAJohn Wayne Orange County International · Santa Ana
Distance from
- JFKNew York3,960 km
- LHRLondon8,740 km
- CDGParis9,080 km
- SYDSydney12,080 km
- DXBDubai13,390 km
- BOMMumbai13,990 km
- SINSingapore14,110 km
- JNBJohannesburg16,690 km
Getting around: Los Angeles
A car or ride-hailing is the reality for most journeys; distances are long and traffic shapes the day. The Metro rail lines link downtown, Hollywood, Santa Monica and the airport area.
Within a neighbourhood — Santa Monica, Venice, downtown, Hollywood — walking and bikes work well. Group the sights by area and cross the city as few times as possible.
Practical facts
The country, its currency and languages, the time zone and the time there now.
- Country
- United States
- Currency
- USD · United States Dollar
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- Pacific Time
- Local time now
- Calling code
- +1
The atlas
Los Angeles in figures
The figures under this guide: the climate on modelled 2001–2020 averages, how far it is from the UAE, and the places around it.
Climate
The weather in Los Angeles, month by month
- Jan17°
- Feb17°
- Mar19°
- Apr21°
- May23°
- Jun27°
- Jul30°
- Aug30°
- Sept29°
- Oct25°
- Nov21°
- Dec17°
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
Good for going, on these averages: March to November.
Mean highs run from 17°C in December to 30°C in August, with about 332 mm of rain in a year.
These are modelled averages for 2001–2020; the seasons described above are our own reading of a typical year.
Month-by-month climate for Los AngelesModelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020.
The model's grid cell sits about 306 m higher than the town, so real temperatures there run a little warmer than these.
Airports
How far it is from the UAE
From DXBLos Angeles
13,390 km
16 hrs 30 mins · Estimate
From AUHLos Angeles
13,470 km
16 hrs 35 mins · Estimate
The great-circle distance, and a rough flying time: the distance at an average 850 km/h plus 45 minutes for take-off and landing. Real flights follow airways, meet headwinds and wait for traffic, so schedules differ.
On the map
Places near Los Angeles
In pictures: Los Angeles
Plan this trip: Los Angeles
Open the trip builder with Los Angeles already filled in. Flights, stays and everything else are priced together in one quote, prepared by a person on our team.
