Are you planning your Los Angeles family vacation and looking for the best things to do? You’re in the right place! We visited LA with our 3.5-year-old and 4-month-old boys. This was the last stop on our two-week California road trip. From relaxing beaches to unique cultural attractions, we found so many great things to do in Los Angeles with kids, which we shall share below!
LA WITH KIDS QUICK PLANNING:
Best Time of Year to Visit:
Between March and May or September and November.
Ideal Trip Length:
A minimum of 3-4 days. Allow 5-7 days if you’d like to do theme park trips.
Getting Around Los Angeles:
Hiring a car is best for exploring easily. Compare rental car prices here.
Other Areas of CA to Visit:
Turn your visit to LA into a road trip. We also have guides on Santa Barbara
and San Diego.
Family Hotel Recommendations:
The Biltmore
Freehand Los Angeles
Hotel Indigo
Top Sights to See:
Angels Flight Railway
Santa Monica Beach
Hollywood Sign
Hollywood Boulevard
Activities to Book:
Universal Studios Hollywood
Disney World California
Griffith Observatory
PIN FOR LATER:
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Where to Stay in Los Angeles with Kids
Los Angeles is a large, spread-out city. The public transport system is not great, so you really need a car to get around. Compare rental car prices here.
We stayed in Downtown LA. This made a great base and allowed us to explore the rest of Los Angeles easily. There is not much free parking available in LA, so make sure to factor in that additional cost.
A few family-friendly hotel recommendations include: The Biltmore, Freehand Los Angeles and Hotel Indigo. These all have family rooms and on-site parking (unfortunately, for an additional fee).
Staying in Downtown allowed us to explore Downtown Los Angeles on foot and then drive to explore other areas.
Angels Flight Railway
How Long do You Need in Los Angeles?
We spent five nights in Los Angeles during a family vacation to California. This was a good amount of time to see the best of LA without being rushed, but if you have longer, you could definitely find more things to do!
Santa Monica Pier
The Best Things to Do on Your Los Angeles Family Vacation
Ride Angels Flight Railway
Angels Flight Railway, or as I like to call it, the best $1 you’ll spend in LA, is a must-do during your family trip to Los Angeles. This is the world’s shortest railway and is such fun for all the family. It is just a short ride, but tickets are only $1 each way. Our 3-year-old and baby were free! This was a real highlight of the trip for our toddler!
You can take on a stroller (pushchair), but it will need to be quite a compact one. We used ourJoolz Aer+ travel stroller on this trip, and I would highly recommend it.
Taking Angels Flight can also save you from walking up quite a steep hill, which, when you’re pushing a stroller, is well worth $1.
READ MORE: OUR FULL GUIDE TO ANGELS FLIGHT RAILWAY
Angels Flight Railway
Relax & Play in Santa Monica
We loved visiting Santa Monica! It is less than a 20-minute drive (traffic dependent) from Downtown Los Angeles, so we took a day trip here. We parked right by the pier, which cost $15 for the day. It’s a large car park; it gets busy later in the day, but people seem to always be coming and going.
First, we explored the pier, which kids and adults will both enjoy. There is an arcade and lots of rides for toddlers, older kids and adults. Don’t forget to take a photo by the iconic end of Route 66 sign as a memento from your Los Angeles family vacation!
On the day we visited, there was a stall giving out free ice cream, which we all enjoyed.
Then we headed down to Venice Beach for some relaxation time, which is just next to the pier. It was fairly busy, but it’s a nice sandy beach that is perfect for families. Kids will enjoy playing in the sand and splashing in the sea in the sunshine.
Explore the Venice Canals
While you’re in Santa Monica, you should check out the Venice Canals. You’ll find them towards the end of Venice Beach, furthest from the pier.
Honestly, they’re nothing like the canals in Venice, Italy, but it’s still a beautiful area to explore when you need a break from the beach.
We left our car at the Santa Monica Pier and walked to the canals, stopping for lunch en route. It’s a nice walk, but it took around an hour, of course, driving would be much quicker!
Venice Canals
Find the Best View of the Hollywood Sign
Looking for the best free place to see the Hollywood sign? Lake Hollywood Park. Parking is free, but be prepared, you might have to take a spot a little way down the hill and walk up.
There is also a small playground here that kids will love. After a run about we took our family selfies.
The Hollywood Sign
Star Spot in Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is a small city in Los Angeles County and is definitely worth adding to your Los Angeles family vacation itinerary. It’s known for being home to the rich and famous. You’ll also find lots of designer stores and premium cafes, bakeries and resteraunts here.
There are a few streets in Beverley Hills where you can park for 2 hours for free. You can find a list of those here. 2 hours is long enough to have a quick wander and grab a coffee, but you can easily spend longer.
Visiting Beverly Hills was more of a “me” activity rather than a kid’s activity. Saying that, our toddler ended up having the best time. He loved walking up Rodeo Drive and climbing on these steps. He was a prince and I was a princess. We ended up with some great photos together!
Rodeo Drive in Beverley Hills
We then went to Chaumont Bakery for a coffee and spotted Kelly Rutherford. As we live on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, I was freaking out inside while my son was only interested in his pastry! Just around the corner is Reeves Park. It’s a very small playground, but good enough to burn a bit of toddler energy.
Star Spotting and Coffee in Beverley Hills
Walk Down Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood is another famous area in Los Angeles to explore on your family trip. This is a very touristy activity, but I still feel like it’s something to tick off your bucket list. Kids will enjoy looking for the names of their favourite celebrities. In my son’s case, Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse.
It gets very crowded here, there was also quite a lot of trash and dirt around. We didn’t end up walking the whole Boulevard. It is probably best to go early to avoid the crowds.
Mills is our family name, so a star with THE MILLS BROS. written on it was just perfect for them!
Enjoy the Free Views from City Hall
This is an amazing FREE activity for all the family. Head to the visitor’s entrance on 201 N Main Street. You need to go through security, show your ID and get a visitor’s pass from the front desk.
With the stroller, we had to take three elevators to get to the top. Once you make it up there, you can see panoramic views over L.A. It’s hard to see in the photo but you can see the HOLLYWOOD sign in the distance!
Open Monday – Friday. Closed on the weekends.
Eat Sweet Treats at Sweet Laurel Bakery
This one was another for me. I can’t resist a cute pink cafe! But my boys didn’t take much persuading when there was cake on offer. The aesthetic is beautiful and the treats were delicious.
Address: 5279 Sunset Blvd, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
Sweet Laurel Bakery
Eat at In-N-Out Burger
I’ve heard people rave about In-N-Out Burger. It’s a popular budget-friendly burger chain with outlets mainly in California. We tried it for the first time in Los Angeles. Honestly, we didn’t get the hype. Yes, it’s cheap, but it wasn’t of very good quality. In our opinion, Shake Shack is much better.
It is, however, a good place to eat with kids. Service is quick, and it’s busy and noisy, so it doesn’t matter if your kids are as well!
Other Things to Do in Los Angeles with Kids
There are a few more things to do in LA that are great for kids; we didn’t do them, but I’ll still list them below:
- UNIVERSAL STUDIOS – one of the most popular attractions in LA. Our kids haven’t seen any of the Universal Movies, so we took them to LEGOLAND California instead!
- DISNEY WORLD CALIFORNIA – another extremely popular attraction, located about an hour’s drive from LA. I’m sure our boys would have loved Disneyland, but we couldn’t fit it in on this trip.
- GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY – This is a great FREE activity located in East Hollywood, LA. Note: it is closed on Mondays, which is why we didnt make it there!
- NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF LOS ANGELES – We visit the New York version often, so felt OK to skip this one, but it’s always a fun activity for kids!
Map Of Los Angeles with Kids
Below is a map of your Los Angeles family vacation. I have pinned everywhere I have shared in this post; just click on the top right-hand corner to open it in Google Maps.
That concludes our guide on the best things to do with kids on your Los Angeles family vacation! I hope it helps you plan your California trip!
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Happy Travelling,
A London mum sharing stylish, family-friendly travel guides.
I In our travel guides, I show you that you can still travel as a family and create beautiful memories, even when trips aren’t full of kid-centric activities.
When I’m not planning our next adventure, I also share timeless style inspiration and ideas for living more thoughtfully and sustainably.