Los Angeles is synonymous with glamour, movie stars and luxury. It might appear to be an expensive city, but there are tons of things to do in Los Angeles that don’t cost much. Los Angeles is a really big city with so many things to do, there are options for everyone. If you’re planning a trip to LA and don’t want to spend too much, read this list of top things to do in Los Angeles on a budget.
Things to do in Los Angeles by CheapOair
Los Angeles is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California and the second-most populous in the United States. When traveling to cities as big as this one, it is sometimes difficult to plan your itinerary and know what are the best things to do.
As a solution to this, CheapOair has launched a video series called Things to Do, hosted by “The CheapOair Travel Guy” Beau Rials: https://youtu.be/20GS_MKcLnw. CheapOair will be releasing a new video every month introducing the audience to little known facts and insights about different destinations around the globe.
To introduce you to what things to do in Los Angeles, I recommend watching Things to do, Los Angeles video by CheapOair on their Youtube channel.
Make sure you subscribe to CheapOair’s YouTube channel so you are aware of the next videos of the series. Also, CheapOair will be giving followers the chance to participate in a very exciting opportunity in the coming months… the details will be revealed soon so stay updated by following them not only on YouTube but also on Facebook , Twitter, and Instagram as their followers will get the first notice about this exciting opportunity!
If you’re not familiar with CheapOair, it’s an online travel agency which focuses on flights. Their website offers different features that help you find the cheapest flights online so it’s perfect for budget-savvy travelers.
Top things to do in Los Angeles on a budget:
1. Find your favorite stars at the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood offers many things to do for free and one of them is to find your favorite celebrities names at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You can see the stars embedded in the sidewalks with the names of more than 2,500 stars including musicians, actors, directors, and others.
The sidewalk is located at Lanewood Ave &, N La Brea Ave and it is entirely open to the public and free to visit.
2. Grauman’s Chinese Theatre
This famous theatre, known as TCL Chinese Theatre, is located on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame and has been home to many movie premieres. You can tour the theater for $18 or just see it from outside for free.
3. Griffith park and observatory
Griffith Park is the second largest park in the U.S, and is great for hiking or just relax looking at the city. You can hike right up to the Hollywood sign from Griffith Park.
Griffith Observatory is the perfect place to enjoy amazing views of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Sign. The observatory sits on the south slope of Mount Hollywood and allows visitors to look through telescopes for free!
Also read: Ultimate West Coast road trip itinerary
4. Rodeo Drive
Rodeo Drive is a shopping street in Beverly Hills where designer stores are located. Of course this is not a cheap place but, you can visit it for free and maybe spot celebrities shopping. Rodeo Drive was one of the filming locations of Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts.
5. Visit LACMA
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art offers a massive collection of art from ancient times to the present. One of the most famous artworks at LACMA is Urban Light, an art installation of restored street lamps from the 1920s and 1930s located at the entrance of the museum.
Tickets are $25 but the museum offers free admission every second Tuesday of each month.
6. Santa Monica Pier and Beach
A visit to L.A. wouldn’t be complete without a stroll down the Santa Monica Pier. Located west of Downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica is the perfect place for those looking for fun, restaurants and nightlife.
Santa Monica Pier has an amusement park and food stands and offers some great views. Santa Monica beach is famous for many beach scenes in Hollywood movies.
7. Venice Beach
One of my favorite places when I visited L.A. was Venice Beach, a beachfront neighborhood. If you walk down the Venice Beach boardwalk, you will be able to spot all sorts of characters like street performers, skaters, surfers and more. I think it’s a great place to just have a walk and observe people.
8. Relax at the beach
If you want to spend some time at a less crowded or at least less touristy place, you can visit Newport or Huntington beach. Many travelers just stay in L.A. downtown and don’t visit the surrounding areas but I really loved this areas so I recommend you make some time to visit them.
Newport Beach is known for its surfing and sandy beaches, beachfront mansions and the beautiful Balboa Pier.
9. Warner Bros. Studio Tour
This is not the cheapest thing to do in Los Angeles but you can only visit the real Warner Bros. studios here, so it is worth the visit. Warner Bros. Studios are located in Burbank, close to Hollywood and part of the greater Los Angeles area. The Studio Tour offers visitors the chance to see the original film studios where some of the most famous shows like Friends, The Big Bang Theory and The Ellen DeGeneres Show were filmed.
10. Visit the happiest place on earth
Another not-so-cheap thing to do in Los Angeles is to visit Disneyland in Anaheim, just outside L.A. This is the first park opened in 1955. It is one of the most fun places to visit in the city, specially if you’re traveling with kids or are a Disney fan as me. There are two parks in Disneyland Resort: Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.
A single day ticket price for one park ranges from $104 to $149, depending on the day of your visit.
As you can see L.A. is packed with things to do on a budget and it’s perfectly possible to see the city without spending too much if you plan on advance and book your flights on CheapoAir.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by CheapOair, but all opinions are my own
Other posts that you might like:
- Ultimate West Coast road trip itinerary
- How to get last minute Alcatraz tickets
- The ultimate guide for visiting Yosemite National Park
- 4 days in Chicago
14 comments
[…] North America […]
I was a sucker for Santa Monica! Especially the boardwalk to Venice Beach. Damn, that would feel free to skate right now.
These all look so great. I had the opportunity to visit LA a few years ago, but only for a day. I would love to go back and have more time. I’ll save your great suggestions for when that happens 🙂
LA has been on my bucket list for way too long! Your pictures and Pinterest graphics are so beautiful that I am even more tempted to go now.
Beautiful photos with great article, I really appreciate your innovative sharing style.
I have visited and loved LA but I keep thinking of coming back and explore some more – Saving your great list for when I return.
Pinned for future trip planning for when I finally visit LA.
The streetlamp installation at LACMA is new from when I last visited – it looks fab. Will have to go back!
This is such a great round up! I love visiting LA. Such a fun city!!
I am from LA and I love all these suggestions!
Ooh I miss LA! There are a few things on this list I didn’t get to do when I visited – which I guess just gives me another excuse to go back!
LA is surely not the cheapest city, so these tips are very useful! I have been to Venice beach and loved it – beautiful place! Walk of Fame is also a great place to hang out, especially after dark 🙂
I like to call Venice Beach “muscle beach” for all the working out that happens there. It’s definitely good free entertainment!
Great pictures! We haven’t done much in Los Angeles, but we will next time 🙂