Hi my dad and I are visiting LA this coming weekend from friday to monday. I'm 16 and want to do all the touristy-cliche things while in LA. We've gone to SoCal countless times, specifically to New Port,Catalina, Glendale, and South Pasadena because of relatives, but we've never done "the tourist thing"

I looked into tours with starline, and it seems like you can see all the main hollywood attractions in 5 hour tours (Rodeo drive, melrose avenue, the walk of fame, the chinese theater etc...) But i was wondering what other things are worthwhile to visit during the other 2 or 3 days we'll have to actually be in LA. (We're driving down from Berkeley and taking 101, so it'll take the whole day to drive)

Thanks so much!

Here are some typical touristy things to do:

Venice Beach
Third Street Promenade (Santa Monica)
The Grove and the Farmer's Market
Old Pasadena
Disneyland
Universal Studios
Studio tour
Attending a taping
Dim Sum in Chinatown (for lunch on Sunday)
Griffith Observatory (you'll recognize it from Charlie's Angels 2)
La Brea Tar Pits
Getty Museum

Personally, I'd also suggest going to downtown Manhattan Beach. It's a very cute beach town with great boutiques. Mangiamos is a great place to eat.

I would second Venice Beach -- there is no where else quite like it, plus it is very close to Santa Monica and Third Street Promenade so you could spend the whole day checking out the scene, walking along the ocean, eating, etc.

If you are looking for a fun thing to do in the evening, I would see a movie at the ArcLight cinemas in Hollywood. It is quite posh and very LA. It is adjacent to the Cinerama Dome theater and close to Amoeba Records, which you will love if you are into music.

If you are interested in shopping but want to avoid the mall stores in favor of more unique boutiques, check out the shopping on Melrose Ave (you will probably want to spend more time looking around than a 5-hour tour would allow) or Robertson.

Can you give us more of an idea of some of things you are interested in doing?

Well the Santa Monica Pier/promenade sounds great, along with Venice. I think we'll spend sunday occuping ourselves there, and i'll definatly look into the ArcLight cinemas; it sounds like the perfect way to end an evening in Hollywood.

I love beachy things- in and out of the water. I don't think we'll have time to rent kayaks or the like, but walking along the water is a favorite, along with shopping of all kinds (preferably not at overly-expensive boutiques/stores, although they are still great for window shopping!) Melrose sounds right up my alley.
I wouldn't object to meusems, although I looked up the exhibitions at the Getty's none of which particularly interest me. Another favorite is, of course, great eating! As far as breakfast goes, we'll be staying with relatives so meals won't be a problem, although I'm sure we'll be out and about, and want to try new places. Other than having Dim Sum on sunday, we don't have any other plans for meals; any suggestions would be great. (we're pretty open to anything- Italian, Classic american, Chinese, Japanese, Californian, Mexican etc...)

as far as a loose itinerary goes, Friday will be spent driving down (gaping at the beautiful scenerey), Saturday will be the Hollywood day- A tour (or two), shopping at Melrose, and possibly a movie at the ArcLight.
Sunday - Santa Monica pier/promenade, walking along the beach (renting bikes?), dim sum, and Venice beach. Then monday driving back up and more gaping at the beautiful scenery.

Although we have a loose plan, we're still totally open to suggestions (especailly places to eat), again, Thanks so much!

p.s. does anyone know if the Haunted Hollywood tour on starline is good? My dad and I are very into the whole old-hollywood mysteries

Since you mention old Hollywood mysteries, I have a tip for you. The Hollywood Forever cemetary which is very old and very cool has outdoor movie screenings during the summer. You pay $10, bring blankets, low lawn chairs and a picnic spread and then you get to sit on their lawn and watch a film that is screened on the side of the moseluem. It sounds creepy, but it is actually really fun. My only advice is to get there at least one hour prior to the doors opening -- it sells out fast. This weekend is a screening of Fast Times at Rigdemont High. Check out www.cinespia.org for more info. I think there are some old hollywood movie stars buried there as well, but I'm not sure.

I would also recommend El Cholo in Santa Monica for dinner. Great mexican food and lively atmosphere.

a few suggestions:

1.universal walk - this is the shopping/dining promenade just outside the Universal Studios
2. rodeo drive/beverly hills-for possible celeb sightings. you can hang out in one of the cafes there for some quick snack or coffee
3. tour of stars' homes in beverly hills and bel air area. you can also DIY, there are some streetside vendors of maps to these homes.ask where you might find them.
4. hollywood walk of fame and grumann chinese theater - view the handprints of some famous stars and you can shop for some hollywood-themed kitsch
5. getty museum - if you're into art
6. Ronald Reagan library in Simi Valley - this is a little bit further north of downtown LA. there's also now an Air Force One parked in a hangar within the library grounds that's open to the public if you're curios about what these presidential planes look line from inside.

a few suggestions:

1.universal walk - this is the shopping/dining promenade just outside the Universal Studios
2. rodeo drive/beverly hills-for possible celeb sightings. you can hang out in one of the cafes there for some quick snack or coffee
3. tour of stars' homes in beverly hills and bel air area. you can also DIY, there are some streetside vendors of maps to these homes.ask where you might find them.
4. hollywood walk of fame and grumann chinese theater - view the handprints of some famous stars and you can shop for some hollywood-themed kitsch
5. getty museum - if you're into art
6. Ronald Reagan library in Simi Valley - this is a little bit further north of downtown LA. there's also now an Air Force One parked in a hangar within the library grounds that's open to the public if you're curios about what these presidential planes look line from inside.
hope you have a great time in L.A.

Hire a driver.

I'm not sure if you're interested in theater, but Wicked is playing at the Pantages in Hollywood. If you can get tickets, it's a FANTASTIC show and the current cast is amazingly talented. I went while visiting friends in April and we all loved it, my friend who lives in San Diego has since seen it again.

I'm not sure about dim sum the same day as the beach cities. I think most of the dim sum places are in downtown LA -- about 30-45 minutes away from Venice/Santa Monica.

I think a 5-hour tour on Saturday is a great way to pack in some of the major tourist sights you want to hit. Two in one day seems like a lot, though.

La Brea Tar Pits
Melrose Avenue
Farmers Market
Olvera Street
Chinatown
Chinese theater/walk of stars
Venice Beach
Santa Monica/pacific palisades

Wow thank you guys so much for the replies! I'm thinking we're going to do a shorter 2 hour tour (my dad wants to focus mainly on Hollywood instead of the whole of LA)This would cover the chinese theater, the walk of fame, the Hollywood sign, Melrose ave, Sunset strip, and Celebrities' homes. This would leave time so we could do some investigating ourselves- and then maybe do the hollywood haunted tour. (I've been to Olvera st. and the Tar Pits on previous trips) Ahhh I'm so excited! the Hollywood Forever cemetary show sounds PERFECT. you have no idea =] I hope we get there early enough- thanks so much for the tip!

Wicked also sounds great- I'm not sure if we'll have time, but I didn't know it was playing down there! I missed it when it was in S.F. and all my friends got to see it... Needless to say I was pretty jealous- but maybe I won't need to be anymore!

Mmm this dim sum thing is a little problematic- I was thinking we'd do it on sunday- but surlygirl pointed out that there aren't a lot of places near by the beach cities for Dim sum. I'm thinking either we could maybe just find somewhere that serves dim sum on mondays for the trip back? Or maybe just get dim sum on saturday after the tours... haha or just have it when i get home =)

Saturday: dim sum? Tour 1 of Hollywood, shopping on Melrose ave. and Rodeo drive. Tour 2 - the Haunted Hollywood tour. Dinner (?) Then the Cemetary Screening at 9, but get there at 7:30 to ensure good seats =)

Sunday: Beach day in Santa Monica- Pier/promenade/shopping, maybe rent bikes, Venice beach, Dinner (El Cholo), and possibly Wicked if we think it's possible to fit it in. (I found a place that serves dim sum in santa monica- "Royal Star Seafood", does anyone know if it's any good? The reviews were all very mixed)

I think that about packs in everything, but as I said before, suggestions are still welcome =] (especailly about dinner on saturday)

Encore- Merci Beaucoup! (I thought i'd mix it up un peu hahaha)

acutally just kidding- we could just have a picnic dinner at the movie screening =)

Dim sum in Chinatown is part of the experience. If you can't get all the way there, I'd say skip it until your next trip. So-so dim sum will just turn you off to it.

I would not chance dim sum at a place with mixed reviews. Dim sum should be 100% magnificent.

The Hollywood Forever Cemetery is the final resting home for alot of Hollywood and Los Angeles names, from Bugsy Segal to Cecil B. DeMille to Rudolph Valentino to Pete, the Our Gang dog. Check out their web site for all the names: www.hollywoodforever.com

RedLine tours give a great 90 minute or so tour of Hollywood ... Graumans, the walk of fame, Hollywood and Highland, El Capitan, the Egyptian Theater, etc. Their web site is www.redlinetours.com.
I highly recommend them!

Enjoy your time here!

While in Hollywood, go to Musso and Frank's for lunch or dinner, it's a real 'old Hollywood' experience.

You can get tickets to see Jay Leno's Tonight Show, if you don't mind going there first thing in the morning to stand in line. They are free, and it's fun.
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Maybe you could go to dimsum downtown LA Sunday brunch (it will take only about 20 minutes to get there on the 10 Freeway) and go to the beach after. It's usually a bit foggy in the morning anyways. Two of the better places downtown are Empress Pavilion or CBS Seafood. Don't go too late or there will be a wait! Most places start at 10 or 10:30 am but you don't necessarily want to be the first ones there because the good stuff isn't out yet.

Let's hope Pirkle brought her laptop and is on the internet, because it sounds like she's already here and at the Arclight tonight! Although they should have gone to see Wicked, yes!