Want to visit a pre-historic Tar Pit and attend a taping of The Tonight Show in the same afternoon? Travel no further than Los Angeles, CA, home of the Hollywood Hills and an incredibly diverse range of cheap attractions.
A vacation to Tinsel Town may seem like an idealistic retreat to some, but flights to Los Angeles can be surprisingly affordable. Virgin America offers many June flights from the East coast for less than $300. When I visited LA last May, my round-trip non-stop flight from Boston to LAX cost $179.
You could easily spend a year’s college tuition in the glitzy stores on Rodeo Drive, but those traveling on a shoestring will find plenty of cheap entertainment if you know where to look.
The Getty Center, a museum tucked away on a hill overlooking the 405 freeway in Brentwood, offers the chance to view a bounty of fine artwork with the mission of nurturing “critical seeing.” The Getty exhibits a multitude of European paintings (including an original Van Gogh), drawings and sculptures. You could expect to spend a bit of cash to “critically see” the exhibits at the Getty Center for yourself, but surprisingly, admission is free.
If fine art viewing isn’t exactly your idea of a good time, the Getty Center’s incredible views of Los Angeles’ sprawling landscape are more than worth the trip.
If a “true Hollywood” experience is more your thing, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Price is Right, Dr. Phil, and many more national TV shows are all taped in Los Angeles. There is seasonality to the tapings, with most primetime shows filming in the spring and fall, but you’re bound to find a show to attend year round.
The most popular shows can be a tough ticket, so reserve your seats online in advance if possible, and plan on waiting in line, devoting around 3 to 5 hours to your show of choice. Once you’re inside the experience can be extremely rewarding, planting you mere feet away from some of your favorite stars in an intimate studio setting. Best of all, TV tapings are free of charge.
Inexpensive food is easy to find in LA, a city jammed with fast food joints, hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants and taco trucks, and greasy diner grub. But if you’re in Southern California, you have to try In-N-Out Burger. In-N-Out Burger’s simple approach focuses exclusively on burgers, fries, and shakes, all with fresh ingredients (actually fresh – the company does not own a microwave, heat lamp, or freezer). If you like Burgers and fries, you won’t find a better meal for the $3 to $6 price tag.
Don’t forget to order off the not-so “secret menu” (viewable on the company website), where you can order a Double-Double (double cheeseburger) “Animal Style” (patties cooked in mustard, with pickles, grilled onions, and extra spread) with a Neapolitan milkshake.
Los Angeles is chock-full of beaches, but if you want to mix shopping, sunning and people watching, Venice Beach is a must-see. The boardwalk at Venice Beach is lined with niche shops, a variety of restaurants and as culturally diverse a crowd as you’ll find anywhere in LA. Artists of all shapes and sizes, fortune tellers, roller-skaters, meathead bodybuilders, and regular old tourists mesh to create an unforgettably off-center experience.
Take in all you can in between trying to figure out where that scene from your favorite movie or TV show was filmed.
For more cheap attractions in Hollywood, check out Cheapflights’ Los Angeles Travel Guide.
© Cheapflights Ltd (Photo credit: Kevitivity, Afternoon, Marcy Reiford)
