United States · spring (Mar-May)
Spring in Los Angeles: Best Things to Do (Mar-May) — Trip Planner
Your Los Angeles plan for a spring trip — when to go, how long you need, and what to prioritise. Blossom and garden walks, spring festivals, outdoor markets and shoulder-season crowds in Los Angeles — the best bookable spring activities before summer prices hit.
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Spring experiences in Los Angeles
Bookable through GetYourGuide. Skip-the-line, verified guides.
What's actually worth your time in Los Angeles
Griffith Observatory charges nothing to enter, offers the cleanest Hollywood Sign sightline from its lawns, and bills only about $10 for a planetarium show. The Walk of Fame is a photo stop and very little else. The Getty Center's tram ride, gardens, and Brentwood ridge view justify the trip before you reach any art. Venice and Santa Monica are two distinct beaches.
What to eat in Los Angeles
Tacos are the civic dish, and the spinning al pastor trompos of East LA and Boyle Heights beat anything served in a hotel. Grand Central Market downtown stacks a century of immigrant counters into one hall. Koreatown handles barbecue and late-night stew, Thai Town does boat noodles, Sawtelle does ramen. Langer's number 19 pastrami has a real case against Katz's.
What things cost in Los Angeles
Transit caps at $5 a day and $18 a week. Museum admission can genuinely total zero across the Getty, the Broad, the California Science Center, and Griffith Observatory, with parking the actual charge, at $25 at the Getty. Two street tacos cost a few dollars. The real Los Angeles line item is the rental car plus parking, not tickets.
What first-timers get wrong in Los Angeles
Metro costs $1.75 a tap with a $5 daily and $18 weekly cap and now accepts contactless cards directly, but it will not reach most of what brought you here. Getty and Broad admission is free while parking and reservations are not. Westbound sunset means an hour of glare on the 10. Nothing is fifteen minutes away at five in the afternoon.
Los Angeles's museums, and which one to pick
The Broad is free on a timed ticket, with Koons, a Kusama Infinity Mirrored Room, and a standby queue for walk-ups. The Getty Center is free as well, and you pay $25 to park, falling to $15 after 3pm, $10 after 6pm, and nothing after 6pm on Saturdays. LACMA, the Academy Museum, and the La Brea Tar Pits sit within blocks of each other on Wilshire.
When to go to Los Angeles
| Best months for spring | Avg daily high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| June | 28°C / 82°F | 1 days |
| May | 25°C / 77°F | 2 days |
| October | 28°C / 82°F | 2 days |
The month to avoid is August — around 32°C (90°F) with roughly 1 rain days. Prices and crowds track the weather here: June is the sweet spot, August the month most people skip.
Pack for peak season: Summer clothes, plus one light layer for air-con and evenings, High-SPF sunscreen, sunglasses, and a refillable water bottle, Comfortable walking shoes — every guide on this site assumes you'll use them.
Where to base yourself in Los Angeles
- Santa Monica — Beach, walkable, the pier.
- Hollywood — Walk of Fame, Griffith Park, the tourist core.
- West Hollywood — Food scene, nightlife, design district.
- Echo Park — Hip, hilly, indie food and music.