What do you want to do/see in LA?

Sounds like you're trying to get a quick little view of L.A. before leaving town. Saturday or Sunday early morning is definitely the best time to do this, but you won't see much via Freeway 10 east and then 101 north. Mostly you'll see other cars, but maybe your goal is just an introduction to freeway driving? If so you'll be fine getting out so early in the morning. However, twisting, winding Mulholland would not be my choice of adventures the first time "driving on the other side of the road". Use extreme caution, because other drivers more familiar with the twists and turns sometimes do NOT use much caution.

On Saturday , freeway 210 to 15 north will get busier after 9am with many people driving to Las Vegas (and I think that's national rodeo weekend in Vegas). Expect delays. Tune your car radio to 1070am that morning for traffic reports along the way and have a map with alternate routes available.

I meant to add that a surface street from Santa Monica to downtown would be much more interesting, say Wilshire Boulevard. Early on a Saturday morning should be easy breezy. People have posted videos on youtube of driving Wilshire Blvd if you want an introduction.

Thanks for the alternate routes, I'll look at other surface streets as well. Yes, we just want an introduction, have driven on the other side of the road in Tokyo, New York and Paris, but imagine that LA's freeways are fierce.

What we want to see in LA is more the Layout, and the natural geography. Apart from Santa Monica where we are staying, we are so time poor this trip, we will leave the rest until next time.

We are just aiming for an interesting orientation drive, and we want to see the 'Hollywood' sign.

For a look at the topography and the Hollywood sign, head for Griffith Park.

Thank you for that

I would take Sunset Boulevard from (north) Santa Monica. At Laurel Canyon, shift north a couple of blocks to Hollywood Boulevard and continue east. At Western, again shift north to Los Feliz Boulevard and continue east. At Vermont, turn north into the hills to visit the Observatory for an amazing last view of Los Angeles, then go back down Vermont to Los Feliz and continue east to the 5 Freeway.

From there, go north a few miles on the 5 Freeway and then east on the 134 Freeway which will take you directly to the 210 Freeway.

I now have a few minutes to explain why I suggested the route starting on Sunset Boulevard.

Sunset is one of the longer streets traversing most of the L.A. basin, stretching from the ocean to downtown Los Angeles. It passes through wealthy Pacific Palisades, Brentwood (location of the Getty Center), Westwood (location of the University of California Los Angeles - UCLA), Bel Air and Beverly Hills. The Sunset Strip in West Hollywood is well-known for its upscale shops and nightlife. Many young celebrities choose to live in the hills overlooking the Strip.

The Hollywood Boulevard section of the drive would take you past all of the iconic sights -- Grauman's Chinese Theater, Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood & Vine, Columbia Records building, etc.

Los Feliz is an area where film people and the wealthy lived before western parts of L.A. became more accessible and popular. Many of the old estate homes remain, some designed by prestigious architects of the early 20th Century. The drive up to the Observatory will take you past the Greek Theater where open-air performances are held from spring to fall.