3-Day LA Itinerary

Morning: Arrive early at Santa Monica Pier, walk the beach, rent bikes and ride to Venice. Late morning: Explore Venice Beach Boardwalk, Venice Canals. Lunch: Gjusta or Gjelina Take Away on Abbot Kinney. Afternoon: Shop Abbot Kinney Blvd. Sunset: Back to Santa Monica beach. Dinner: Cassia or Tar & Roses.

Morning: Hike Runyon Canyon (go early). Brunch: Republique or Sqirl. Midday: Walk Hollywood Blvd (Chinese Theatre, Walk of Fame — 1 hour is enough). Afternoon: Drive to Griffith Observatory (hike or drive up). Golden hour: Watch sunset from Observatory. Evening: Thai Town dinner (Jitlada), then Hollywood bar (No Vacancy).

Morning: The Broad or Walt Disney Concert Hall. Explore Grand Central Market (try Eggslut). Afternoon: Arts District — walk, coffee (Maru), galleries. Late afternoon: Little Tokyo or Koreatown. Dinner: Bestia (book ahead) or Korean BBQ (Parks). Evening: Rooftop drinks at Perch or The Varnish cocktails.

Replace Runyon with Griffith Park train/merry-go-round. Add Universal Studios (full day). Santa Monica Pier rides. California Science Center (Space Shuttle). The Broad is kid-friendly. Skip Venice Boardwalk if with young kids. In-N-Out for an easy dinner. LA Zoo if extra time.

Day 1: Venice beach, Gjusta, Gjelina dinner. Day 2: Sqirl brunch, Grand Central Market, Bestia dinner. Day 3: K-Town brunch (Sun Nong Dan), taco crawl (Guisados, Leo's), Providence for splurge dinner. Add: Farmers markets, Thai Town, SGV dim sum trip.

Stay on the Westside for beach days, DTLA for urban exploration. Don't underestimate traffic — add 30min to all drives. Book dinner reservations before your trip. Start early each day (traffic, parking, crowds). End at rooftop bars for city views. One studio tour is enough. Save Beverly Hills for a quick drive-through.