Los Angeles, USA 6 Day Itinerary

The Universal Studios Horror Make-Up Show does not exist in Hollywood, it only ever ran at Universal Orlando in Florida, and closed there in May 2026 for a full reimagining anyway. That’s the kind of mixed-up detail that gets copied between itineraries for years without anyone checking, and it’s worth clearing up before you build a day around a show that was never on this coast.

Day 1: Arrival and Griffith Park

Check into somewhere central, downtown near L.A. Live works if you want easy Metro access rather than relying on a car from the start. Take the B Line, formerly called the Red Line, from Union Station to Hollywood/Vine, this is one of the rare LA attractions genuinely well served by rail. Griffith Observatory is free to enter and the view over the basin is worth the trip alone, but get there early, the parking lot fills by mid-morning and overflow parking means a longer walk up. If you want to hike toward the Hollywood Sign, start at the Charlie Turner Trailhead near the observatory lot, it’s roughly a six mile round trip to the best viewpoint across the canyon, and there is no legal route onto the letters themselves, the area is a restricted, monitored zone despite what influencer photos suggest. Go at sunrise if you want to beat both the heat and the crowds. In the evening, walk Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame, then eat nearby, Hollywood has good pizza and casual Mexican options within a few blocks of most mid-range hotels.

Day 2: Hollywood and Sunset Boulevard

Morning at the TCL Chinese Theatre and the handprints in the forecourt costs nothing to see from outside, a guided tour inside is worth it only if a classic film screening happens to be running that day. In the afternoon, renting a car starts to make sense once you’re heading toward Sunset Boulevard, the Chateau Marmont and the stretch of clubs and venues near the Comedy Store are better experienced by car than transit given how spread out they are. Lunch at a gourmet burger spot in the area covers the middle of the day well. In the evening, a stand-up show at The Improv or The Comedy Store is a genuinely LA thing to do, both venues have hosted essentially every major American comedian’s early career, book ahead for weekend shows since they sell out.

Day 3: Santa Monica and Venice Beach

Head west, by car or bus, stopping at Venice Beach first for the boardwalk’s specific brand of chaos, muscle beach, street performers, and skate park, before continuing to Santa Monica. Pacific Park’s Ferris wheel on the pier runs on solar power, a detail that surprises people given how much neon it’s covered in, and riding it at dusk gives you the best light for photos over the water. Third Street Promenade is solid for an afternoon of shopping and people-watching, and seafood along the pier or nearby covers lunch and dinner both. My honest opinion: skip trying to also fit in a long Venice stay if you’re doing Santa Monica properly, pick one to linger in and treat the other as a shorter stop, both deserve more than a rushed hour each.

Day 4: Museums and Beverly Hills

The Getty Center is free to enter but requires a timed-entry reservation booked online in advance, walk-ins without one can be turned away at busy periods. Parking runs 25 dollars, dropping to 15 after 3pm, and during the summer stretch from mid-June to mid-July it drops further to free after 5pm, worth timing an evening visit around if your schedule allows it. The architecture and gardens alone justify a slow few hours before you’ve even looked at the art collection. Lunch in Beverly Hills, then Rodeo Drive for a walk past storefronts most people can’t afford but everyone wants to see anyway. In the afternoon, choose between The Broad, free but requiring its own reservation, and LACMA, both strong for contemporary and modern art, rather than trying to squeeze in both on top of a full Getty morning. Dinner in Venice at a farm-to-table California spot closes the day well.

Day 5: Universal Studios Hollywood

Take the Metro B Line to Universal City station rather than driving, a free shuttle runs from there up the hill to the park roughly every 15 minutes, and it sidesteps both parking costs and the notorious congestion on the surrounding freeways. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and its flagship ride remain the park’s biggest draw, arrive at opening to ride it before the midday line stretches past an hour. Three Broomsticks is the obvious lunch stop for the Hogsmeade theming, though it’s priced like theme park food everywhere, expect to pay for the experience as much as the meal. WaterWorld, the stunt show, runs seasonally and occasionally closes for refurbishment, so check the day’s show schedule at the gate rather than assuming a fixed time slot, and skip any itinerary, including older versions of this one, that promises a Horror Make-Up Show here, that attraction has only ever existed in Florida.

Day 6: Departure and the Farmers Market

Check out and store luggage with the hotel if they offer it, then head to The Grove and the adjacent Original Farmers Market, which predates The Grove itself by decades and is worth visiting on its own merits rather than as an afterthought to the shopping center next door, the produce stalls and food counters here have been running since the 1930s. Grab lunch there before the airport run. Budget more time than feels necessary getting to LAX, traffic on the surrounding surface streets backs up unpredictably regardless of time of day, and a rideshare pickup zone that adds another 15 to 20 minutes of walking and shuttle time is standard at LAX now, not the exception.