Los Angeles’s top attractions include a cemetery-cinema, unconventional museums, a mega-shopping destination and outstanding urban hiking.

Los Angeles

19 Must-See Los Angeles Attractions

San Francisco is full of well-kept secrets and bustling tourist attractions. See all that it has to offer during your next visit to the City by the Bay.

California

20 Must-Visit Attractions in San Francisco

If you're looking for a more unique stay in the City of Angels, look no further than Culture Trip's guide to the best boutique hotels in LA.

The 10 Best Boutique Hotels in Los Angeles

Read our guide to some of the best hotels in San Francisco according to your budget.

San Francisco

The 25 Best Hotels in San Francisco

Continue reading for our top ten suggestions on what to do when visiting San Francisco's hip and happening Haight-Ashbury district.

10 Things To Do In San Francisco’s Haight District

Insider Travel Guides

Foggy and progressive, San Francisco is the crown jewel of Northern California. This compact, hilly city at the center of the wider San Francisco Bay Area has witnessed many of America’s most influential cultural moments, from hippie counterculture in the ’60s to the dot-com revolution at the turn of the last century and today’s tech boom.  

Though characterized by its history of resistance, San Francisco is struggling against the pull of a tech-driven future. The impact of gentrification can be seen in the city’s soaring house prices and the rapid transformation of neighborhoods like SoMa and the Mission, where the friction between old-school San Franciscans and the influx of young professionals is palpable.

Introducing San Francisco

Even with all its hills, San Francisco’s small size makes it a walkable city. Those with calves of steel are rewarded with a showcase of its architectural splendor; the view from Alamo Square – brightly colored Victorian houses against a backdrop of Downtown skyscrapers – is particularly iconic. Of course, taking in the Art Deco masterpiece that is the Golden Gate Bridge is a must on any San Francisco trip, as is a visit to the former prison on Alcatraz Island. 

Every neighborhood has a story to tell. The heart of the ’60s hippie revolution, Haight-Ashbury, is the place to go to relive the Summer of Love all year round, while the nearby Castro district is one of America’s first gay neighborhoods and a magnet for LGBTQ+ travellers to this day. North Beach, the birthplace of the Beatnik movement and home of the City Lights bookstore, is equally historic. SF also boasts the oldest and largest Chinatown in North America, which explains the city’s reputation for great dim sum.

San Francisco attractions and sightseeing

San Francisco neighborhoods

From the Hollywood hills to the Venice Beach boardwalk, Los Angeles is a cinematic city of dreams, where every sunset feels like a scene from a movie. The center of the entertainment world, La La Land may be home to countless celebrities, television studios and film sets, but it’s not all about star-spotting and brunching in Beverly Hills. 

LA is a sprawling county with myriad different cultures and communities: the coastal enclaves of Long Beach and Santa Monica; the built-up, bustling Downtown and Arts District; Compton, birthplace of some of rap’s biggest names; bohemian Venice; and the trendy neighborhoods of Silver Lake and Echo Park. Attracting the world’s most ambitious and extravagant characters, every neighborhood in this eclectic, showy city is prime for people watching.

Introducing Los Angeles

A must-visit on any LA trip is Hollywood Boulevard, home to the legendary Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre. Movie fans will also enjoy the rides at Universal Studios and the resting place of the stars, Hollywood Forever Cemetery; art lovers should make a beeline for the Getty Center, a hilltop gallery that houses an impressive permanent collection of European and American works. LA’s urban sprawl is flanked by golden beaches and spectacular hills and canyons, making surfing and hiking popular pastimes among Angelenos. Try Runyon Canyon and Griffith Park for relatively easy trails that take in views of the Hollywood Sign and the Griffith Observatory. There are plenty of great beaches to catch a wave, but first-time visitors should hit the sands in Malibu, where LA’s surf culture began.

Best of LA tourism

Los Angeles neighborhoods

Things to do

Food & Drink

Places to stay

Take a trip away from the more familiar sights of Rome with our guide to the Eternal City’s more unexpected attractions.

Europe

Italy

Rome

The Best Hidden Gems in Rome

There's a lot to avoid in Paris' five biggest tourist traps but there are many great restaurants, museums, and hidden parks to discover there, too.

France

Paris

A Guide to Paris' Tourist Traps and How to Avoid Them

Discover the best panoramic views of Berlin with our guide to the top vantage points to see Germany's capital.

Germany

Where To Find the Most Spectacular Views of Berlin

Read our guide to discover the best restaurants in Rome's historic center to fuel your sightseeing and satiate your appetite for fine Roman cuisine.

The 10 Best Restaurants In Rome's Centro Storico

Read on to discover some of the coolest hidden gems in Barcelona, from speak-easy bars to secret out-door hang outs.

Spain

Barcelona

11 Epic Places In Barcelona Even Locals Don't Know About

Discover 20 of Copenhagen's top attractions every traveller must see, including museums and palaces, the Little Mermaid and the Tivoli Gardens.

Denmark

Copenhagen

20 Must-Visit Attractions in Copenhagen

Discover the best routes for ramblers and amblers with our guide to the UK's most beautiful walks.

United Kingdom

The 10 Most Beautiful Walks in the UK

Feast your eyes on Ireland's most delicious desserts or try the recipes out for yourself, from soda bread pudding to Guinness chocolate mousse.

Ireland

11 Traditional Irish Desserts to Try

Here's our pick of the best boutique hotels with unique, original features alongside prime locations in some of Paris’s most vibrant districts.

The 6 Best Boutique Hotels in Paris

Whether you’re looking for a quick stay in Barcelona or a place to crash after a nightlife excursion, here’s Culture Trip’s pick of the best cheap hotels.

The 12 Best Cheap Hotels in Barcelona

Looking for a hotel during your holiday on Sardinia? Check out this top 10 for the coolest accommodation options on the island.

The 10 Best Hotels in Sardinia

If you’re travelling to Amsterdam on a budget, here is the Culture Trip round-up of the best affordable places to stay.

The Netherlands

Amsterdam

7 Cheap Hotels in Amsterdam To Book if You’re on a Budget

Discover the best of one of the world's finest galleries as we uncover the treasures of Florence's Uffizi Gallery.

Florence

The 10 Most Important Artworks at the Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Read Culture Trip's selection of the best day trips and excursions you should take in Athens.

Greece

Athens

The Best Day Trips from Athens

Scottish cuisine is getting a makeover, so leave your jokes about battered Mars bars at the door. The following restaurants are redefining how the capital’s food is seen in the 21st century.

Scotland

Edinburgh

The Best Scottish Restaurants in Edinburgh

Check out our guide for the best cheap hotels to stay in when you visit San Francisco.

The 10 Best Cheap Hotels in San Francisco

The Best Travel, Food and Culture Guides for California, USA - Local News & Top Things to Do