The Perfect 3 Day Los Angeles Itinerary
Image: Santa Monica Proper Hotel
Los Angeles often gets a bad rap, plastic, vapid, lacking substance. And sure, if you stick to the tourist traps or, heaven forbid, board a celebrity homes bus tour, you might leave believing the clichés. But insiders know better.
Today’s LA is a city of world-class restaurants and cult wellness rituals, design-led hotels, high-end fashion, and landscapes that stretch from Pacific surf breaks to desert hills. Even die-hard New Yorkers are decamping west for the sunshine and the scene.
This is a city of contradictions. Old-Hollywood haunts with fascinating pasts alongside sound baths in Silver Lake, Michelin stars next to neon dive bars, freeway frenzy dissolving into pristine coastline; and that’s precisely the magic.
This guide skips the Walk of Fame and takes you straight to the LA locals love, where to eat, shop, sweat, and play like you belong.
3 Day Los Angeles Itinerary
Image: Petit Hermitage West Hollywood
Day 1: West Hollywood
Start your morning with a hike up Runyon Canyon. A people-watching paradise where Lululemon-clad locals and the odd celeb jog alongside incredible views stretching from the Hollywood sign to Catalina Island.
If you’d rather sweat it out indoors, Barry’s Bootcamp is the cult-favourite gym where you’ll be sprinting beside models and music execs. Afterwards, head to The Butcher’s Daughter for a plant-based brunch before browsing Melrose Avenue, where indie-cool thrift stores like the RealReal and Wasteland sit comfortably alongside Bottega Veneta and Vivienne Westwood. For coffee that tastes genuinely antipodean, Alfred Coffee makes a near-perfect flat white.
Then, settle in for a long lunch at Chateau Marmont, Hollywood’s most legendary hideaway, where everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Jim Morrison once checked in. The Italian-American menu is solid, but the real feast is the people-watching; Hollywood lore and modern scandal still drift through its leafy, garden-like terrace. Just don’t plan on documenting it, photos are forbidden. As the old saying goes, if you don’t want to be seen in Hollywood, go to the Chateau.
In the afternoon, take in art, architecture, and manicured gardens at The Getty Center, then swing by Griffith Observatory for panoramic city views and a quieter glimpse of the Hollywood Sign.
For a mind and body reset, detour east to Silverlake for a session at The Soundbath Center, where quartz bowls and gongs deliver one of the city’s most immersive sound therapy experiences, a distinctly Angeleno wellness experience.
Dinner: Somni is an intimate, two-Michelin-star menu of molecular gastronomy where the 20-plus course tasting experience feels like edible theatre - Chinese caviar, bone marrow, black truffle, and plenty of surprises in between. The cocktails are just as clever. At $645 a seat, it’s a serious investment, but for one of the most extraordinary dining experiences in the city, it earns its price tag.
Image: Petit Ermitage Hotel
Where to stay nearby: Petit Ermitage
If Chateau Marmont is Hollywood’s brooding legend, Petit Ermitage is the eccentric younger cousin with impeccable taste and a wicked sense of humour, (spot the jar marked Quaaludes at reception or the neon “Hello Darkness” sign glowing in the lobby).
Tucked between the Sunset Strip and Santa Monica Boulevard, this boutique hideaway channels decadent European guesthouse energy: mismatched art, moody corners, and Parisian-chic rooms - no two alike, though each stocked with indulgent details like Balmain hair dryers and rain showers.
The rooftop is a bohemian dreamscape. A lush garden terrace opening onto a pool lined with striped loungers and white parasols. Come nightfall, retreat to The Wiggle Room, a velvet-draped alcove where candlelight, cocktails, and elevated comfort food (smash burgers, New York steak) keep the mood deliciously louche.
Image: Santa Monica
Day 2: Venice & Santa Monica
Lean into LA’s wellness obsession with a pre-beach stop at Erewhon, where Hailey Bieber’s Strawberry Glazed Skin Smoothie will set you back $20, but it’s all part of the experience (and, admittedly, delicious).
Then explore Abbott Kinney, Venice’s chic shopping stretch, where global names like Aesop, Huest and Rag & Bone sit alongside quirky Cali-cool trinket stores, where you’ll pick up everything from mood rings and sage sticks to potted cacti and vintage handbags. Rent a bike and cruise the boardwalk down to Santa Monica Pier, with retro-carnival energy and some of the best views over the region via the iconic Pacific Wheel, the world’s first solar powered Ferris Wheel.
At sunset, make your way to Elephante, the open-air, see-and-be-seen, spot for dinner with a coastal Italian twist. Book ahead and sweet-talk your way onto the front balcony for sensational ocean views. Sit back over the whipped eggplant, puffed bread and a Cadillac Margarita and keep your eyes peeled for the frequent A-list guests.
Images: Santa Monica Proper Hotel
Where to stay nearby: The Proper, Santa Monica
Just a few blocks from the ocean, The Proper feels like a coastal sanctuary reimagined through Kelly Wearstler’s legendary artistic lens. Sculptural design, sunlight and sea-breeze converging in one space. Interiors balance raw textures with contemporary art, while rooms invite a sense of calm with muted palettes, expansive windows, and stone-clad bathrooms that feel more gallery than guestroom.
The rooftop is the hotel’s social anchor, with a pool, cabanas, and a bar that hums from late afternoon through nightfall, framed by views of ocean and city. On the dining front, Onda offers inventive Mexican, while Calabra upstairs pairs Mediterranean plates with some of the best cocktails on the west side. Location is another strength - close to the beach and pier but far enough from the boardwalk for peace and quiet.
Images: Malibu Surfrider Hotel, Malibu Farms and Malibu Beach
Day 3: Malibu Beach
When you’re done with the city, Malibu is where Angelenos go to reset. Start with a surf lesson at Surfrider Beach, birthplace of California’s surf culture. Book a local instructor (Hana Paddle Boards is the go-to) and ride the waves like a true Malibu kid.
Post-surf, head to Malibu Farm, located right on the pier, for farm-to-table dishes with ocean views - zucchini crust pizza and squash lavash are local health-conscious staples. Spend the afternoon drifting between coves and beach houses, or simply stake your claim on the sand and soak in the California sunshine.
Where to Stay nearby: The Surfrider Hotel
Designed by Australian Emma Crowther Goodwin, The Surfrider blends her Byron Bay roots with California surf culture in a boutique beachfront stay.
Rattan, blonde timber, and relaxed coastal touches sit alongside 1960s Le Corbusier and Picasso line drawings. Rooms are minimal, with paired back design that’s careful to not detract from the ocean views.
The rooftop deck is a local favourite for sunset cocktails and fresh, organic Californian cuisine. Breakfast features healthy treats like Rawnola with Blue Majik, while dinner highlights the coconut-crusted halibut. Wash it down with an Endless Summer cocktail. Los Sundays coconut-infused tequila blanco, lime, agave, and coconut flakes, and soak in that view.
Quick tips for LA:
The city is sprawling and Angelenos drive everywhere. Rent a car or use Uber/Lyft; the public transport isn’t particularly reliable.
Tipping is expected and part of the culture. 15-20% at restaurants is standard, so keep some cash handy.
Book restaurants well in advance. Hot spots fill up fast.
For walkable neighbourhoods, stick to West LA: Santa Monica, Venice, and West Hollywood.