Trip Ideas VIDEO: Five Things to Do in Los Angeles By Travel Leisure Editors Travel Leisure Editors Since 1971, Travel + Leisure editors have followed one mission: to inform, inspire, and guide travelers to have deeper, more meaningful experiences. T+L's editors have traveled to countries all over the world, having flown, sailed, road tripped, and taken the train countless miles. They've visited small towns and big cities, hidden gems and popular destinations, beaches and mountains, and everything in between. With a breadth of knowledge about destinations around the globe, air travel, cruises, hotels, food and drinks, outdoor adventure, and more, they are able to take their real-world experience and provide readers with tried-and-tested trip ideas, in-depth intel, and inspiration at every point of a journey. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on February 16, 2016 Share Tweet Pin Email Glitz and glamour may have made this city famous, but there are plenty of free or cheap fun things to do in Los Angeles. Get up early and trek to the iconic Hollywood sign from Griffith Park Observatory. You’ll wind through the tangled shrubs covering the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains for stunning city views (and work up an appetite for hand-made tortilla tacos from Guisados or Project Taco’s lox breakfast taco). Active travelers will love the L.A. Conservancy’s walking architecture tours (Victorian mansions in Angelino Heights, Art Deco masterpieces like the 1928 City Hall building in Downtown), though it’s easy to admire the buildings on foot—for free. Related: 3 Days in Ojai, California Biking along the beach is another activity enjoyed by fit visitors and locals alike. Stick to the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, also known as The Strand, and cruise from Santa Monica south to Manhattan Beach. Not free, but hard earned, is the Bloody Mary that awaits you at MB Post. Hipsters know exactly what to do on the first Friday of every month: follow them to Venice for Abbot Kinney First Fridays to enjoy local art and hip shops. And don’t forget to make your reservation in advance for free admission to the buzzy new Broad Museum, next door to Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall. By Travel + Leisure By Travel + Leisure Staff Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit