How to Explore Los Angeles During a Layover at LAX

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On a layover, the question always is, what am I going to do in between flights? How am I going to keep from going stir crazy? If you have a longer layover at LAX in Los Angeles, you are in luck. Los Angeles International Airport is near several stunning beaches, cute ocean towns, shopping, and much more.

Things to Do During a Short Layover at LAX

If you have a short layover at LAX, there are a few things you can do without leaving the secured area. For example, while at LAX, you can grab a bite to eat at one of the new restaurants, get a massage, go shopping, or relax at an airport lounge.

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Use the airport lounge during a layover

You should take advantage of your credit card perks like Priority Pass offered to Chase Sapphire Reserve cardmembers or the Platinum American Express that gets you into the Centurion Lounge during your layover. Plus, when you book a business class or first-class ticket, you might be able to access the corresponding airline’s lounge for free.

Several airlines even allow you to purchase a day pass to their lounge. Having a comfortable place to relax, a drink, or a snack can be worth the cost of admission, especially when the airport is crowded.

Lounges usually offer at least a few things to eat and drink for free. By the time you buy a sandwich and a drink, it might be close to the same price as a day lounge pass. Also, do a quick Google search to see if companies like Groupon are offering any discounts before you purchase your day pass.

Navigating between LAX terminals can be complicated. Check with an airline employee for the fastest way to get from one terminal to another without leaving security. In some cases, it’s quicker to walk than waiting for the shuttle.

Things to do During a Long Layover at LAX

For those with a layover of at least six hours (but eight hours would be better), the city is your oyster. You will have time to do an activity or two on the list below. However, I caution that traffic can be brutal, so make sure you leave enough time to get back to the airport and through security.

1. Head to the Beach During Your LAX Layover

LAX is about a 10-minute drive to Manhattan Beach, and in my opinion, one of the best beaches in Southern California. Manhattan Beach is a wide sandy beach with terrific weather most of the year. Spending a couple of hours on the beach is a perfect way to enjoy the afternoon.

You might ask, how can I enjoy the beach without a beach towel or a chair. I have good news for you. There are a couple of companies that offer rentals. Surf Food Stand in El Porto (north end of Manhattan Beach by the parking lot) offers rentals if you are looking for something easy. If you are looking for a more luxurious setup, check out Beachonista who can do a full beach setup for you a little farther south.

Now, what’s a visit to Los Angeles without a surf session. There are numerous companies in Manhattan Beach that offer surf lessons. For more information about surf lessons and things to do in and around Manhattan Beach, check out my guide to the South Bay.

2. Go for a Bike Ride or Walk on the Strand During your LAX Layover

A bike ride through the South Bay is a must-do activity. The South Bay is home to a 22-mile bike path along the beach that runs from Santa Monica to Palos Verdes. Because the bike path runs through several towns, you have multiple options to choose from when selecting your route. You could start in Santa Monica, ride through Venice into Marina Del Rey, or start in El Porto and ride south through Manhattan, Hermosa, and Redondo Beach. The bike path is an excellent way to see our local coastal towns and even get some exercise.

There are several different places to rent a bike. The Metro Bike Share program has a few bike rental stands on the Strand. Alternatively, you can rent an e-bike from Manhattan Beach E-Bike Rentals in Manhattan Beach or a regular bike in Hermosa Beach at Hermosa Cyclery. For those of you who do not enjoy bike riding, you can also walk along the Strand and enjoy the ocean view on one side and beautiful homes on the other.

While you’re out and about, be sure to stop in the local towns and check out the shops, boutiques, and delicious restaurants!

3. Visit a Museum on your LAX Layover

Los Angeles is home to several world-class museums. A couple of my favorites are The Broad (downtown Los Angeles) and The Getty (mid-city), which, on a clear day, offer stunning views. Several other museums are also clustered together in Exposition Park so that you can visit more than one in an afternoon. Here is a list of popular museums in Los Angeles:

Art: The Broad (see the infinity room), The Getty, The Getty Villa (in Malibu with beautiful ocean views), Los Angeles County Museum of Art (near the original Farmers’ Market)

Science: California Science Center, where you can see the Space Shuttle Endeavour

History: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and California African American Museum

Book your museum reservations in advance. Many of the museums require a reservation at a specific time.

4. Spend your LAX Layover Site seeing in Hollywood

During an 8+ hour layover in Los Angeles, you can take the opportunity to see some of the most famous tourist attractions in Los Angeles. You can either see Hollywood yourself or take a Hollywood tour. On a self-guided tour, here are a few things you may want to see along the way:

Griffith Park Observatory

The iconic Griffith Park Observatory sits on top of a hillside overlooking Los Angeles. Not only are the views of Los Angeles amazing, but there are two other things to do here as well. First, take the time to walk through the Griffith Park Observatory, especially if you are with kids. The second, and most popular, is to see the Hollywood sign. An easy walk (unpaved) on the Charlie Turner Trail gives you a view of the Hollywood sign. However, please note, you will not be able to access the sign. The sign is locked behind gates and not accessible to the public. If you have time, you can walk the entire 4.5-mile (2 hours) loop to Dante’s Peak, where you will pass the Berlin Forest, The Tiffany & Co. Foundation Overlook, Mount Hollywood, Captain’s Roost, and Griffith Observatory.

TCL Chinese Theatre

Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (now called the TCL Chinese Theatre) is one of the most well-known movie theaters in the world. The TLC Chinese Theatre has and continues to host movie premiers where A-list celebrities walk the red carpet while adoring fans get a glimpse of the stars. At the foot of the ornately decorated theatre are heaven dogs to ward off evil spirits and cement hand and footprints of some of Hollywood’s elite dating back decades.

Walk of Fame

After spending time seeing whose hand and footprints have been immortalized, you can head down the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard to find your favorite celebrity’s star.

5. Take a Helicopter Tour of Los Angeles

The quickest way to see the sites in Los Angeles is by, what else, helicopter. A helicopter tour of Los Angeles gives you a bird’s eye view of the city. Most people never see the city from the sky, making this type of tour even more special. Take in stunning views of places like Beverly Hills, Bel Air, and the Hollywood sign during your helicopter ride. Some helicopter tours even offer a secluded mountain top landing where you can enjoy a glass of champagne.

6. Enjoy a Shopping Spree During your LAX layover

Beverly Hills

The most famous place to shop in Los Angeles is Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. The famed street and the surrounding stores have been featured in several movies, including the iconic, Pretty Woman. You can shop the high-end stores like Van Clef & Arpels, Cartier, Dolce & Gabbana, and Louis Vuitton on Rodeo Drive. While you might not have the budget to shop in the stores, it’s still fun to window shop!

Santa Monica

Another popular place for shopping is Montana Street in Santa Monica, where there are cute boutiques and local restaurants. While in Santa Monica, you can head west toward the ocean for more shopping around 3rd Street Promenade. Here you will find more national chain stores, a Westfield Mall, and several restaurants that run the spectrum from casual to fine dining.

Venice

For those who prefer a more trendsetting vibe, then Abbott Kinney is likely your best option. Abbott Kenny in Venice offers shoppers both high-end and casual stores in an eclectic setting.

7. Go for a Scenic Drive Up the Coast on Your Layover

During a long layover at LAX, you might have time to rent a car and go for a drive along the coast. There is nothing like a Los Angeles coastal drive. Can you imagine the wind blowing in your hair as you enjoy some fresh air? The drive along Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) is incredible. The water line is close to the edge of the road giving you unobstructed views of the ocean. The weather in Los Angeles is pretty good most of the year, which means renting a convertible for the afternoon is a viable and fun option.

Route selection is vital when you are deciding where to go. For this coastal drive, when you leave the airport, head toward Malibu.

Coastal town drive

You can either take surface streets and drive through Marina Del Rey, Venice, and Santa Monica or take the 405 North to the 10 West until it ends. Once you come around the curve on the 10 West, you will see the ocean.

Mountain driving

If you enjoy canyon driving, drive along the coast until you hit Topanga Canyon. Make a right and enjoy the twisty, turning curves as you head up and over the canyon before dropping into the San Fernando Valley. Once you come out the other side, you can drive back over the canyon or take the 405 South back to the airport. For this drive, you will need at least 2-3 hours, depending on traffic.

8. Enjoy a Memorable Meal with a View of the Pacific Ocean

While on your Los Angeles layover, you might get hungry. Since Los Angeles is home to an incredible number of terrific restaurants and a beautiful coastline, I’d suggest combining the two for a memorable meal. Here are a couple of suggestions:

Where to go close to LAX

The Strand House offers delicious upscale American cuisine steps from Manhattan Beach and the pier. Enjoy lunch or dinner while you take in the beach and ocean views. After your meal, you can stroll through town and shop at the local boutiques or grab a cocktail at one of the local bars like the StrandBar, Shellback, or Culture.

Take a drive out to Malibu

If you have time, you can head out to Malibu for a terrific meal and the scenic drive I mentioned above. Here are my top picks for Malibu:

One of my favorite sushi restaurants in Los Angeles is Nobu in Malibu. The food is so delicious that Nobu is where I choose to celebrate my last milestone birthday. Not only is the food creative and spectacular, but the views, ambiance, and people-watching is off the charts.

For steak lovers, you might want to visit the upscale Mastro’s Ocean Club. You are sure to have an exceptional experience with excellent food and views. Side note, there is a dress code.

Malibu Farms is also very popular. It’s at the end of Malibu Pier. I haven’t eaten there, but locals rave about the food.

Another option is to have a drink at Rosenthal Wine Bar & Patio. Rosenthal Wine Bar & Patio is a fun place to enjoy a glass of wine, listen to live music, chill out, and maybe play a few games.

You should make a reservation at Nobu or Mastro’s Ocean Club. Both book up quickly.

9. Hike the Santa Monica Mountains During Your Los Angeles Layover

About 30-minutes north of LAX, you will find spectacular hiking trails, many of which have fabulous views of the Pacific Ocean. My favorite trail is Los Liones, just off Sunset and Pacific Coast Highway. This moderate out and back trail is a single track at the bottom and turns into a fire road about halfway up. At the top of the trail is a bench where you can sit and take in the unobstructed views of the ocean. You should be in decent shape to give this trail a go. All in, it’s about 7 miles and takes 3.5 hours. I love this trail, but I’m slightly biased. I enjoy hiking most of the trails in the Santa Monica Mountains.

A shorter but still popular hiking trail in the Santa Monica Mountains is Temescal Canyon. It is a moderate 1.5-hour hike that is more single track than fire road. The Temescal Canyon loop trail offers ocean views at the top as well. For quick access to the trailhead, drive in as far as you can and park instead of parking on the street.

I like to use the AllTrails app to find a hike that suits my hiking ability. AllTrails will give you directions, information about your hike, including how long the hike may take to complete and the difficulty level.

10. Go Stand Up Paddle Boarding During Your LAX Layover

There are two places near LAX that are perfect for stand-up paddleboarding: Mother’s Beach and King Harbor. Mother’s Beach is at the end of the marina in Marina Del Rey and offers a calm spot to enter the water.

The second option is to go paddleboarding in King Harbor in Redondo Beach. Here, it’s easy to enter the water next to the dock slips. For those who like to take their SUP in the ocean, King Harbor offers quick ocean access. I am not that brave and prefer to stay behind the break wall.

At both spots, you can paddle around the marinas and check out the boats. In King Harbor, you are likely to see sea lions. You know you are getting close by the smell.

I would suggest you paddleboard in the morning or early afternoon because the wind can pick up later in the day, making it a little more challenging to get back to where you started your paddleboard adventure.

Los Angeles has so much to offer visitors during a layover at LAX. If you are in Los Angeles a little longer, check out my list of the most luxurious things to do in Los Angeles or if you plan to stay overnight, you might enjoy my post about the best places to stay in the South Bay.

You may also enjoy a post about Exploring the City of Angels: 11 Unique Things to Do in Los Angeles for New Locals where The Trav Nav was named a top Los Angeles, CA local expert by Redfin.

Do you have any other suggestions for things to do during a layover at LAX? Let your fellow travelers know below.