Lol – I’m just a loud mouth about the limited number of places I know about.
(I probably know Marvin in real life because the Venn diagram overlap of people who would hang out here and at the Museum of Jurassic Technology is very small.)
But I think you’ve chimed in on almost every travel thread I’ve started, too!
We like the La Brea Tar Pits. 
Two days is not a lot of time in LA, especially if you spend it slogging through traffic getting from one activity to the next. I suggest picking two or three “formal” activities and then the spend the rest of your time at the beach or something.
Universal Studios, Getty, and Aquarium of the Pacific are pretty fun. You can also tour the Queen Mary right near the aquarium.
I recommend this tour to see a little bit of the most popular attractions: https://www.adayinlatours.com/la-city-tour-1/
You may want to wait until you know what the weather will be like to finalize plans.
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Besides the other great ideas mentioned, check out www.thegrovela.com. It is a shopping/dining/entertainment district, and beautifully decorated at Christmas time. There is a trolley that runs between The Grove and the Farmer’s Market.
The key with LA is to concentrate on one area per day to avoid the traffic. Also, at this time of year, be prepared for any kind of weather. It could be 80 or it could be 60, and at night it will be cold.
If you are staying in Burbank, I highly recommend the WB studio tour, it’s definitely one of the best. Griffith Park isn’t all that far away from Burbank, and has incredible views. Dinner down in Los Feliz, or Hollywood would be a good option. In Los Feliz I like Little Doms, and Hollywood Musso and Frank’s for an old school steakhouse. If you haven’t ever seen Hollywood, then a quick stop at the Chinese is fun, but it’s a huge tourist trap. That said, if you do actually want to see a movie, the IMAX there is one of the best theaters in town.
If you want to go to the beach, from Burbank, what I’d do is take the 101 up to Las Virgenes or Kanan Dume Road, then drive through canyons, and down PCH. It’s a stunning drive, and if you time it right, (during the late morning), not a bad drive. You can stop at any of the little beaches down PCH. I love Santa Monica, but for walking down the beach, you can’t beat the people watching in Venice. Anything on PCH will be pricey to eat at, but you’re really paying for the incredible views.
If you like ancient art and history the Getty Villa is wonderful:http://www.getty.edu/visit/villa/
Tar pit trivia: “La Brea” is Spanish for “The Tar.” So when you say “The La Brea Tar Pits” you are literally saying “The The Tar Tar Pits.”
Hi all, This is so helpful! I will be in LA for the first time with my family the end of January. We have one full free day and was thinking of doing the Warner Bros Studio tour and then head over to Griffith Observatory for sunset. Is there anywhere nearby someone could recommend a nice dinner or do you suggest heading back to downtown LA (we will be at Staples Center) and eating someplace there? Would you recommend Uber as the best mode of transport for this plan? Many thanks!
@HarvestMoon1, I’m just on the site for Shutters…it looks amazing!! If I’m guessing right, you recommend dining in “the Living Room”…was that just cocktails or a meal? Looks amazing!! I’m also going to google where The Farmers Market is…hope we can fit that in!!
Farmers Market or Grand Central would be great for a meal!
@tpcrd66 -yes it was the Living Room which is really the main lobby of the hotel. We actually were able to get a table on the balcony off the Living Room that overlooks the beach. It’s small with maybe only 8 tables but it was a beautiful evening and it worked perfectly for us. You can either do the lighter “Living Room” menu or the full menu from their restaurant Pica’s.
You can also just eat in the Living Room itself if you don’t have good weather or if the balcony is unavailable. They get the fireplace going in the evening and it really is a beautiful room:
https://exp.cdn-hotels.com/hotels/1000000/30000/22200/22125/22125_59_z.jpg
Hello all!! On our short trip to LA, we do plan to visit Santa Monica Pier. I was told we really should try and get to see the Venice canals while we are that close. I’ve been doing some research and not sure if we take an Uber from Santa Monica where do we say our destination is? In other words, where do we need to be dropped off to take this walk through the canals? Pardon my ignorance for any locals reading this but it’s all Greek to me from the east coast. 
On a short trip to Los Angeles, the canals in Venice are the last thing I would do. They are a little “meh” compared to so many of the highlights mentioned earlier. I live here, I’ve been there and can’t imagine encouraging anyone to do the same (even if you are nearby). What I would recommend is booking the restaurant at the Getty for dinner or lunch. Ask for a table by the window or if it’s a nice day —out on the patio and enjoy a great meal with one of the best views in Los Angeles.
I’ve been to LA often and have never yet seen these canals. Maybe we will attempt to see them at some point, but it isn’t high on my list either.
@goldenface, thanks for that. I’m getting overwhelmed with a short time frame.
The Getty on PCH is also close to Santa Monica. Uber up and down. I saw the canals…once…a long time ago. They have been cleaned up since then…but…Venice on the beach is cool. The canals…not so much.
Here is a link where you can book a table. http://www.getty.edu/visit/center/eat.html
the view from the cafe (as opposed to the restaurant) is not all that good
The Getty is pretty spectacular. The museum is free but parking is about $20. You park at the base and take a trolley to the top of the hill and the museum buildings. I think there are four or five buildings with a wide range of amazing art, furniture, sculpture, printed material, etc. the landscaped gardens and views are beautiful. There are tours of the gardens.
Someone said earlier that parking for the Griffith Observatory is crazy and I agree, although I braved the road to the top and found a spot easily. There seemed to be high turnover. It’s cool to see the Hollywood sign, but I didn’t think there was a lot to do within the observatory. 90 minutes was adequate unless you have a significant interest in astronomy.
If you go to Rodeo Dr. note that there are many other stores on the next block over (is it Beverly?) that are more mainstream (unless you can afford the bling on Rodeo) $-) there’s a good NY style deli in that area. Good for people watching, though I didn’t see any celebrities.
If you like classical music check the schedule for the Disney concert Hall not far from the staples center.
I’ve only been on the Warner brothers studio tour, but my brother (who lives in LA) says it’s the best one.
The Grove is nice for shopping and dining. If you park in the garage take the elevator to the top floor for a surprisingly good panoramic view.
Have fun and let us know where you went!! They’ve been getting a fair amount of rain lately- they don’t know how to drive in it though!!
@trojanchick99, Hello! Wondering if it would work to stop at Little Dom’s after Warner Bros Tour and before our visit to Griffith Observatory for lunch or any other suggestions in between/near those two spots? Thanks!!