Los Angeles Walking Tour: 50 Free Video Stops

This Los Angeles walking tour links 10 sights and 50 short video stops narrated by Clarissa, from Santa Monica Pier and the Venice Boardwalk to the Getty Center, Rodeo Drive, the Original Farmers Market, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the TCL Chinese Theatre, Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood Sign and Universal Studios Hollywood. Los Angeles is a city of neighbourhoods spread between the Pacific and the mountains, so the notes below group the stops into areas you can explore on foot and add the timing, transport and ticket details that make the city easier to enjoy. For official visitor information and events, also check Discover Los Angeles, the official tourism website of Los Angeles.

Los Angeles is too big to cross on foot in one go, so this tour works as a series of walks linked by short rides. Each stop is a compact area where you can leave the car or the train behind, follow the five videos in order and use the Map button to reach the next one.

Route 1, the coast (stops 1 and 2). Start at Santa Monica Pier, opened in 1909, with its arched entrance sign, the Pacific Park fairground, the historic carousel in the Looff Hippodrome and the sign that marks the end of Route 66. Walk south along the beach path to the Venice Boardwalk, Ocean Front Walk, for street performers, Muscle Beach, the skatepark and the murals, then turn inland to the quiet Venice Canals and the shops of Abbot Kinney Boulevard.

Route 2, art and style on the Westside (stops 3 to 5). Ride the tram up the hill to the Getty Center, designed by Richard Meier and opened in 1997, for its European paintings, its Central Garden and wide views over the city and the ocean. Continue to Beverly Hills for Rodeo Drive, Two Rodeo and Via Rodeo, the Beverly Wilshire hotel and Beverly Gardens Park. Finish at the Original Farmers Market, open since 1934, and the Grove beside it, with its trolley and fountain.

Route 3, Hollywood (stops 6 and 7). Walk Hollywood Boulevard along the Walk of Fame, where more than 2,700 brass stars are set in the pavement, past the Dolby Theatre, home of the Academy Awards, the El Capitan Theatre and the Capitol Records Building on Vine Street. Then stop at the TCL Chinese Theatre, opened as Grauman’s Chinese in 1927, where film stars have left their handprints and footprints in the cement of the forecourt. This is the busiest stretch of any Los Angeles walking tour.

Route 4, the hills and the studios (stops 8 to 10). Climb to Griffith Observatory in Griffith Park, opened in 1935, for the Foucault pendulum, the telescopes, the planetarium and the sunset over the city. Look for the Hollywood Sign from Lake Hollywood Park or the trails toward Mount Lee, then finish at Universal Studios Hollywood, a working film studio and theme park. If you only have one day, Routes 1 and 3 make the best free walking tour Los Angeles offers on foot.

For photos, the best viewpoints on this Los Angeles walking tour are the pier and the Ferris wheel at sunset, the Getty’s terraces over the basin, the stars and the theatre fronts of Hollywood Boulevard, the Hollywood Sign from Lake Hollywood Park and the city lights from the lawn of Griffith Observatory.

A three-day Los Angeles walking tour works well as Route 1 on day one, Routes 2 and 3 on day two and Route 4 on day three, with a full day at Universal Studios if you want the rides as well as the Studio Tour.

Los Angeles has a mild, dry climate, so any season works for a Los Angeles walking tour. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable, with warm days and clear skies. Late spring and early summer often bring a grey morning haze on the coast, known locally as May Gray and June Gloom, which usually burns off by midday. High summer is hot inland, especially in the valleys, and the short winter rainy season can bring heavy showers.

Start early at the beach and the Getty, before the crowds and the heat, and keep Griffith Observatory for the late afternoon and sunset. Hollywood Boulevard is busy day and night. The Getty is closed on Mondays and needs a timed reservation, and Griffith Observatory is closed on some weekdays, so check each official website for opening times before you plan each day of your Los Angeles walking tour.

Driving is the usual way around Los Angeles, but traffic is heavy at rush hour, so plan the longer rides outside the morning and evening peaks. Metro Rail also reaches several stops: the E Line runs to Downtown Santa Monica near the pier, and the B Line stops at Hollywood/Highland for the Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theatre, and at Universal City/Studio City for Universal Studios. Pay with a TAP card or a phone wallet.

Buses, ride-hailing and taxis fill the gaps, and the beach path between Santa Monica and Venice is perfect for a rented bike. From LAX, the FlyAway bus runs to Union Station and other hubs. Use the Map button at each stop to check travel times, and group the stops by area so your Los Angeles walking tour spends more time walking than driving.

Along the Walk of Fame you will meet costumed characters and people selling tours and mixtapes. They often expect a tip for photos, so agree before you take one, and politely say no if you are not interested. Tipping is customary in the United States, in restaurants, bars and taxis.

For food, the Original Farmers Market is the easiest place on this Los Angeles walking tour to try many dishes at once, from doughnuts to gumbo. Los Angeles is famous for its tacos and food trucks, its Korean barbecue in Koreatown, its sushi and its burger stands. Grand Central Market downtown is another food hall worth a detour.

Los Angeles is generally safe for visitors, but use normal city sense. Watch your bag in crowded places such as Hollywood Boulevard, the Venice Boardwalk and the pier, don’t leave valuables visible in a parked car, and keep to busy, well-lit streets at night.

Wear sunscreen, a hat and comfortable shoes, and carry water, because the sun is strong even when the air feels cool, and the hike toward the Hollywood Sign has little shade. In the hills, stay on marked trails and respect signs that close paths during fire risk. This is the practical side of a safe Los Angeles walking tour.

Many stops cost nothing at all. Santa Monica Pier, the beach and the Venice Boardwalk, Rodeo Drive, the Farmers Market and the Grove, the Walk of Fame, the forecourt of the TCL Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Sign viewpoints are free to visit. The Getty Center has free admission with a timed reservation, although parking is charged, and entry to the building and grounds of Griffith Observatory is free, with planetarium shows ticketed.

The rides at Pacific Park, a film inside the TCL Chinese Theatre and Universal Studios Hollywood need tickets. That is why this free walking tour Los Angeles visitors can start at any stop works so well: the 50 videos are free, and you only pay for what you choose to enter. Always confirm current prices and opening hours on each official website before your Los Angeles walking tour.

For accessibility, the Santa Monica and Venice beach paths, Rodeo Drive, the Grove and Hollywood Boulevard are flat and paved, which suits wheelchair users and strollers. The Getty’s tram and buildings have step-free access, and Griffith Observatory has lifts and accessible parking. The trails toward Mount Lee are steep and unpaved, and the theme park has its own accessibility service, so check the details before you go.

When you finish this Los Angeles walking tour, carry on with more free walks: the San Francisco walking tour, the Las Vegas walking tour, the New York walking tour and the Vancouver walking tour. You can browse every city on the Free City Tours home page.