Los Angeles, the City of Stars is one of my favourite places to visit. Every time I plan a visit to Los Angeles, it’s a little less about the ‘vacation’ aspect of it and more of me discovering different parts of LA.
2019 will be a year of travel and discovery for me. Discovering more of myself and what I really want out of life, work, love and my blog! With that in mind, my friend Flora and I hopped on a plane to ‘sunny’ Los Angeles for 5 Days!
*post with updated info and links from October 30, 2019
I have always travelled to LA by myself, which is why this time around felt so different. As a solo female traveler, I am always very cautious when it comes to exploring certain spots in LA.
Mainly because:
- I don’t know exactly what parts of LA is the safest and what parts aren’t
- I’m also very tiny
This trip, I was able to relax more and truly explore areas of Los Angeles that I haven’t been able to before.
On that note, here is my travel guide on How to Spend 5 Days in Los Angeles :
To starts things off, contrary to popular belief, LA DOES get cold
I packed shorts, cute dresses and tank tops but the best thing I brought this trip was pants and my giant fluffy coat! I’ve traveled to LA in the summer months and it’s definitely hot. It’s even still hot in the late Fall (October this year) if I’m comparing it to the temperature in Vancouver. Just a good note to keep tabs on the weather if you do plan on heading to California in the late/early parts of the year, be prepared to bring a coat. Oh, and perhaps a small travel friendly umbrella!
GO TO A LIVE TAPING OF YOUR FAVOURITE SHOW
I am a huge fan of The Late Late Show with James Corden! I have pretty much watched every single episode of Carpool Karaoke and Crosswalk Musical on YouTube and so, I wanted to try my luck at scoring tickets to the live taping.
I mean, why not if we’re already in LA right?
And to my surprise, I got 2 tickets! (Not once, but both times that I tried)
The weather gods shined on us too because the day of the taping happened to be the rainiest day of our visit there, so we could stay indoors without feeling bad.
I read a bunch of reviews online prior to the show and Flora and I were so lucky because they chose the two of us to sit in the front, middle row. Basically, we were front center and could see James, and the guest: Claire Foy right up close!
PS: In case you’re wondering how I scored tickets, visit the 1iota website. They have tickets for most shows in LA and you can request them there. Be mindful that you’re still trying your luck until they confirm it.
SPEND A DAY (OR TWO) IN DISNEYLAND
I don’t know about you, but I LOVE Disneyland!
I can’t stop saying how fortunate we were for this trip because we managed to work with DISNEYLAND during our visit. It doesn’t get crazier than that.
We spent a full day exploring Disneyland, California Adventure and Downtown Disney. It was a workout for the entire body but you can’t not be a kid and have the best time when you’re there. I even got me some Minnie Ears! It was $30 USD but whatever. YOLO. We were initially planning on switching hotels to one in Anaheim midway but decided against it. It was too much moving, and also we were only planning on doing one full day in Disneyland.
Also, as someone who is terrified of heights, I personally CHOSE to get on 3 different roller coasters WILLINGLY and it was so much fun.
PS: The new Incredibles’ Roller Coaster beats Space Mountain hands down.
If you are looking at spending one full day in Disneyland California and want to see everything and plan your day out efficiently, I’ve written a post just on that!
I’m sharing everything from the best times and seasons to go, the best strategy to get on the rides you want and important steps to ensure you make the best of your one day in Disneyland!
I share my tips on how to spend one full day at Disneyland in my post HERE!
SPEND SOME TIME EXPLORING KOREATOWN
Koreatown is one of the places that I have always wanted to explore but never really got the chance!
If you’re from Vancouver, Koreatown bears very strong similarities to Lougheed or the area further down Robson Street. There are clusters of delicious Korean BBQ restaurants, bubble tea shops and very fun bars!
We spent our night out at Lock & Key (Vermont and Third St.) , and if you ever go, I’d definitely recommend it for a good night out of dancing, drinking and screaming!
EAT YOUR HEART OUT
I, basically spent ALL my money on food. No jokes, and not exaggerating. All my money. Eating. (Reminded me of my trip to Japan)
But totally worth it!
Fratelli Café
This cute café is located on Melrose and is a must-go for brunch!
Thanks to the kind folk at Fratelli, we had a full on spread with 6-7 dishes shared between Flora and I.
One of their most popular items is the French Toast but I personally liked the Salmon Eggs Benedict and Croissant Sandwiches! Oh, and they also do Vegan substitutes.
Sugarfish
We had to fill our sushi cravings at Sugarfish TWICE. It’s that good!
It’s the first time I’ve had Omakase and also, the first time that I’ve had my sushi rice warm.
I’m salivating while writing this.
We wanted to go to Nobu BUT I think Sugarfish is a cheaper, but as delicious alternative. We went to Nobu when we were in Hawaii!
Butcher’s Daughter
Every single time I visit LA, I keep hearing all these AMAZING things about The Butcher’s Daughter but the line ups are always way to long.
We visited the location in Venice on the one rainy day in LA during our stay and it was divine. I ordered the Carbonara. It’s all vegetarian so the dish came as squash noodles, potatoes that looked like bacon bits and a perfectly poached egg.
This is also the day that I was starting to feel sick and had a tiny bit of a scratchy throat. So, I chose the Immunity Latte which is a mix of turmeric, ginger, honey and cardamom.
Kreation Organic
A yummy location for organic food and power juices! We visited the location on Abbott Kinney while we were waiting for an Uber.
They have the coolest ‘shots’ filled with power juice from anything ranging from Diabetes, to Kidneys to Colds etc. They are packaged in these syringes with labels that make it look exactly like medicine, but all it is, is good ol’ juice!
Also, get the curry chicken and the cauliflower! So yummy!
Fig & Olive
We had our first dinner with my new LA friend, Yuki at Fig & Olive. They serve Southern France, Italy and Spain inspired food. We stuffed our bellies as everything on the menu is divine.
Korean Barbecue
I love Korean Bbq! It’s just so good and people keep telling me that K-Town is the best for it (well, duh).
There are a TON of barbeque places if you’re looking. We used Yelp and Google to find a spot but honestly, I think everywhere must be good.
Pearl’s Rooftop
Fancy a glass of bubbly with yummy oysters?
I honestly would have missed it if I just walked by as the sign is pretty small but it’s one of my recommended spots for happy hour.
The bottom half is a bar and you will walk up a flight of stairs to find the cutest, most Insta-worthy rooftop lounge.
Souffle’s LA
Known for their souffles, this quaint little spot is located in Koreatown. They have soufflés, shaved ice, the most delicious egg bennies and great teas, bubble teas and coffees!
LOVE SHOPPING? GREAT!
Abbott Kinney in Venice
Great for more unique, independent boutiques and stores! You can find cuter stores that you don’t usually see elsewhere here.
Wildfox
Wildfox has a beautiful, pink, standalone location on Melrose. Melrose is also fantastic for shopping though I found the stores a little more spread out on Melrose than it is on Abbot Kinney!
It’s great if you’re looking for cute and comfortable sweaters, jackets, and unique swim pieces
The Grove LA
The Grove is like Disneyland for shopping in my opinion!
A beautiful, outdoor shopping experience with brands that you’ll probably be familiar with! There’s a beautiful movie theatre that bears similarities to how a Broadway theatre would look. Right across from it, is a stunning water fountain surrounded by shopping and restaurants.
Venture further in and you’ll find a Farmer’s Market, and just across the street is Trader Joes! (yes, it’s important to point this out)
Rodeo Drive
If you’re heading to LA to drop some major cash, Rodeo Drive is the place to go for luxury shopping!
I believe Rodeo Drive is part of West Hollywood (I think) and it’s a beautiful area. A designer shopper’s heaven basically. Oh, and the Sprinkles cupcake machine is here!
Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard, in my opinion, is way overly-hyped and glamorized than it actually is. It’s a collection of stars on the ground of the biggest names in Hollywood.
That said, it can be enjoyable to walk along the street and verbally mouthing all the big names you see. That, and if you’re looking for ‘overpriced’ souvenirs.
But if you haven’t been, totally check it out!
VISIT THE POPULAR INSTAGRAMMABLE LOCATIONS (EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT AN INSTAGRAMMER)
The famous lights at LACMA
Getty Museum
The Griffith Observatory
The Hollywood Hike
Venice Beach
Santa Monica
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I hope this 5 Days in Los Angeles guide helps you to navigate your way through the city! 5 Days is definitely a good amount of time because taking into account the traffic in LA and the distance between locations, you’ll still be able to fully experience the city!
Want to see more Travel Guides from me?
Till next time,
Xoxo
Sam