Every California girl knows about the best beach cities in Los Angeles right? I’m talking about Venice Beach and Santa Monica, two of my favorite California beaches, and a must-visit for anyone taking a trip to LA.
Maybe you’ve walked the boardwalk from Venice Beach to Santa Monica to take a ride on the Ferris wheel. Maybe you’ve seen a photo of one of your favorite actresses spotted at some swanky restaurant in Santa Monica. Maybe you’ve actually spotted a movie star while roaming around the city?! How exciting would that be?!
Ok, maybe you haven’t been there yet, but surely you’ve seen the famous Santa Monica Pier before. It can be spotted in movies like Iron Man and Forrest Gump. It has been spotted on tons of TV shows, and even in video games like Grand Theft Auto. I told you, it’s FAMOUS.
These are two of LA’s greatest gems, and if you haven’t heard of them, you are really missing out and I recommend you get there ASAP. You are seriously lacking the California dream.
Each time I take a road trip to Los Angeles I try to see or do something a little different because there’s just too much to do in that city I could never fit everything into one single day. This is one reason why I love Venice and Santa Monica so much because there’s always something new for me to see or do.
I’m going to show you one of my favorite day trip itineraries, which will take you from the start of the Venice Beach Boardwalk to the famous Santa Monica Pier. I recommend this itinerary if you are on a time crunch, or trying to stick to a budget. Follow along and let me know if you have any questions in the comments below!
One Day in LA: From Venice Beach to Santa Monica Pier
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What to Wear/Bring:
- Comfy shoes are a must since you will be walking a lot.
- Bring some dollar bills in case you decide to tip the street performers.
- On any day trip I usually bring a backpack with the following:
- Camera, extra battery, selfie stick, tripod, any other photography equipment
- Water, snacks, lunch
- Light sweater
Read more: What to Pack for a Trip to Southern California
Where to park:
There is free street parking near the Venice canals.
First stop: The Venice Canals
Since you are parking nearby anyways, it’s worth taking a stroll through the Venice Beach canals.
The original canals were built in 1905 and were built to recreate the look of the Venice, Italy canals. Most of the canals were eventually filled in to create roads, and the remaining left uncared for. The area was in poor condition for many years until rebuilt in 1993. The current canals are now an expensive area lined with multi-million dollar houses.
After your tour through the canals head west toward the ocean until you end up on Ocean Front Walk. This is the path that continues along the beach through Venice, and into Santa Monica. Once you hit this point turn right, and you will be on the Venice Beach Boardwalk.
Next stop: The Venice Boardwalk
The Venice boardwalk is an absolute must at least once in your life. Here are the spots along the boardwalk that are worth taking a look at:
Muscle Beach. You may have heard about the famous gym where Arnold Schwarzenegger used to work out. You can literally watch muscle men (and women) during their workout at this outdoor gym directly on the boardwalk. If you want, you can pay $10 for a day pass and join them.
Graffiti Art Walls. This is a great spot to get some cool looking photos! You can find them on the beach shortly after Muscle Beach. Just look for the walls and palm trees that have graffiti on them! You can appreciate the art walls for free, but if you actually want to paint you need a permit.
Skate Park. A little further north of the Art Walls is the Skate Park. Not much to see here unless you are into skateboarding, but it’s still worth taking a look at!
Street Performers & Artists. As you continue walking the boardwalk you will notice a lot of local artists selling their items. If you get lucky you may also come across a good street performer. If you find a large group of people gathering try to take a look and see if the performance is worth watching. This is where your dollar bills come in handy in case you want to tip them.
Venice Pride Lifeguard Tower. For an Instagram-worthy photo head over to the Venice Pride Lifeguard Tower. When you reach Brooks Avenue on the boardwalk look left and you should be able to find this rainbow-colored tower. Take a moment to relax and enjoy the beach. This might also be a good time to eat your lunch!
Read more: 7 Things You Cannot Miss on the Venice Beach Boardwalk
Next Stop: Bicycle Rentals
Since most of the action on the boardwalk is nearing the end, it’s time to decide if you want to walk the rest of Venice Beach to Santa Monica or rent bicycles. You can see the Santa Monica pier at this point, and it may look close but it is about a 2-mile walk.
Another great option is to rent a “Bird”, which is an electric scooter, and scoot your way to the pier!
On the Venice Beach Boardwalk, you can rent beach cruiser bicycles. Make sure to ask for a bike lock since you will need to lock it once you reach the Santa Monica Pier.
Once you are ready to ride or scoot, just continue north on the designated bike path towards the Santa Monica Pier. You will know you are on the bike path since there should be many other bikes, and the path itself looks like a street with the painted lines. Be cautious of pedestrians!
Next Stop: Santa Monica Pier
A trip to Los Angeles is not complete without a stop at the iconic Santa Monica Pier. It is on my Southern California Bucket List Challenge after all. This is the final point on the famous Route 66 and home to the only over-water Ferris wheel in California.
Right before the pier along the bike path, there are several places to lock up your bicycles. Find a spot and head on up to the pier. If you rented a Bird scooter, you can end your ride and drop it. You can find another one once you are ready to leave.
Take a moment to take in the scenery and snap a few photos!
Towards the beginning of the pier is the Route 66 sign, if you are patient you can try to get a photo at the sign. There are usually tons of people in this spot.
On the left side of the pier is Pacific Park, which is free to enter but you pay for each individual ride. The Ferris wheel is my recommendation since it offers the best views, plus it’s so iconic how could you not?! The ticket prices are currently $8 per person.
Read more: The Ultimate Southern California Bucket List
This might be a good time to take a lunch break if you haven’t already. The Pier has several food options from seafood to burgers!
Once you have seen enough of the pier remember to head back to return your rental bicycles before the rental time is up. After you return your bikes head on over to the last stop on the itinerary!
Last Stop: Venice Sign
Head back towards the beginning of the Venice boardwalk and once you reach Windward Avenue, take a left. One block up you will see the VENICE sign hanging over the street. This is a classic Instagram-worthy shot, but it might take you a few tries! Use the crosswalks to get different angles of the sign until you get one shot that you like.
This itinerary should give you a good overview of both Venice and Santa Monica. If you are not too tired hang out on the beach and wait for the sunset!
I hope you enjoy this day trip from Venice Beach to Santa Monica!
CHECK OUT THESE TOP THINGS TO DO IN LOS ANGELES!
Is there anything you would like to know more about? Have you been to these places and have a place to recommend that I didn’t mention? Let me know your comments!
READ NEXT:
7 Free Things you can’t miss on the Venice Beach Boardwalk
The Best Weekend Road Trips in Southern California
6 Reasons to Visit Orange County, California
coming from a developing country like indonesia, when i saw the title, i thought that $40 was still quite high to be honest. but then i suppose there’s a huge gap between the living cost here and there. 😛
however, i definitely love the scene there and it’s a really good idea about bike rental to stroll around. also, i suppose it’s gonna be a great idea to even arrange some picnics somewhere. maybe do something like BYOS. bring your own sandwich. *lol*
Hi Marya! Yes, $40 for a whole day in California was hard. Things get a little pricey around here, that’s why I am always looking for cheap and free things to do! Or like you said, BYOS! It’s the best way to save some money!
The pictures are breathtaking! Would die to go there! <3
http://beautifullyme.in/
Thanks for much for your comment Clara! Hopefully you can see it for yourself one day!
I have been in Cali several years ago and visited Venice and Santa Monica. Great tips and guide to these lovely places. Thanks for sharing it
Awesome that you have visited before! They are very fun and unique places! Thanks for commenting.
how many good memories you brought back to my mind, I was really entusiasti about this trip ?
Aww that’s great! Thanks for your comment!
i have ti visit venice asap!
Yes please! You will love it!
Great guide, Heather! Keeping this in my bookmarks because I think we’re planning a trip there soon. 🙂
Great, thanks Roxci! Enjoy it!
This is so cool, great tips! I am pinning for when I get to finally go out there 🙂
Thanks so much Tiffany, glad you enjoyed!
This looks so fun! I love renting bikes!
Me too! I really want to buy my own beach cruiser bike, but I don’t have enough room in my garage!
Hi, what a cool itinerary! but what do you mean when you say “If you rented a Bird scooter, you can end your ride and drop it. You can find another one once you are ready to leave.” My wife and I are planning to go there in a couple of months. We are from Mexico so excuseme if didnt understand that part. Do i just leave the bird scooter? i dont need to returner it?.
Thanks exactly what that means! They do have some stricter rules since the time I wrote this post, but basically, you pick one up wherever you find it and drop it off and end your ride whenever you would like. You will have to make sure you don’t drop it off/park it in certain areas (like in the street or middle of the sidewalk), but the app will tell you where it is safe to park it.
Great post! Thanks for sharing!
Ben
https://dygreencard.com/
Thanks for reading!