Walking Routes Through Los Angeles
Los Angeles is not one walkable city; it is a set of walkable neighborhood bubbles seven or more miles apart. Walking between Hollywood and Downtown along commercial strip malls and freeway overpasses is exhausting and covers nothing worth seeing. Stick to one route per outing.
Downtown: Historic Core to Bunker Hill, 2.5 miles
Start at the 1939 Mission Moderne Union Station, cross Alameda St to Olvera Street, then walk south on Broadway to Grand Central Market for lunch among its 40-plus vendors. Cross to the 1893 Bradbury Building for its free sky-lit atrium, then walk to 4th and Hill to ride the 298-foot Angels Flight funicular ($1, or 50 cents with a TAP card) up to California Plaza. From there, cross to The Broad and Walt Disney Concert Hall, both free to enter. Los Angeles Conservancy runs guided Historic Downtown walking tours every Saturday at 10am for $20 to $25, covering the Broadway theater district and the Bradbury Building in more depth than a self-guided walk.
The Venice Canals and boardwalk, 3 miles
Park near Washington Blvd and Pacific Ave and enter the Venice Canals Historic District, engineered in 1905 by Abbot Kinney and modeled on Venice, Italy. Walk Dell Ave, Carroll Canal, Linnie Canal, Howland Canal and Sherman Canal over arched wooden footbridges, all free public sidewalks open 24/7. Continue west to Ocean Front Walk for the Muscle Beach gym, the skate park and street art, ending at Venice Pier. Book a Venice Beach and canals walking tour on GetYourGuide if you want the neighborhood’s history explained along the way.
Hollywood Boulevard’s historic cinema walk, 1.5 miles
Starting at the Hollywood & Highland B Line station, walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame to the TCL Chinese Theatre’s celebrity forecourt, then the Dolby Theatre, home of the Oscars, and the 1926 El Capitan Theatre. Finish at the Egyptian Theatre, site of Hollywood’s first film premiere in 1922, restored and now operated by the American Cinematheque.
Griffith Park’s Ferndell Nature Trail
A shaded two-mile round trip from Ferndell Park, climbing along a small creek through tree ferns and sycamores before opening onto the East Observatory Trail up to Griffith Observatory, hours and grounds access at griffithobservatory.lacity.gov . Free and open around the clock, and far cooler than the exposed chaparral trails elsewhere in the park.
The verdict
Downtown’s 2.5-mile circuit fits the most sights per mile of any route here; save Venice for golden hour and the Hollywood cinema walk for a weekday morning before the sidewalks fill. For lodging near Union Station, compare Downtown LA hotels on Booking.com . Pair a walking day with the activities guide for more of Downtown’s food and architecture.
Before you go
Wear real shoes and carry water; Griffith Park’s trails have zero canopy shade and summer midday temperatures routinely exceed 90°F.