The Best Hotels in San Francisco

19 Must-See Attractions in Los Angeles, California

The 15 Best Luxury Hotels in Los Angeles

The Best Wineries and Vineyards in Sonoma County, California

The 10 Best Cheap Hotels in Los Angeles

The Best of Tech in California, USA

Outdoors

Education

Culture & Arts

Attractions

Adventure

Food

Drink

Wellness

Transport

Entertainment

Lifestyle

A waterfront location without the crowds, or a place that's fit for a rock'n'roll band – here's our guide to San Francisco's best hotels, bookable with Culture Trip.

North America

California

San Francisco

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

Los Angeles

If you're looking for a taste of the LA celebrity lifestyle, check out our guide to the city's most luxurious hotels – bookable with Culture Trip.

We check out the best wineries and vineyards in Sonoma County, assessing exactly where to go to get the best tipple in the region.

For more of a budget-friendly stay in Los Angeles, check out our guide to seven of the best cheap hotels in the area, bookable with Culture Trip.

Insider Travel Guides

Tech

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

Check the best things to do for free in Florianópolis for a perfectly relaxed Sunday.

South America

Brazil

Florianopolis

The Best Things to Do for Free on a Sunday in Florianópolis

Get some valuable insider knowledge on how to stay safe while traveling through Bolivia

Bolivia

The Ultimate Safety Guide to Bolivia

Learn about the fierce rivalry surrounding the pisco sour, a delicious South American cocktail.

Peru

Chile vs Peru: Who Really Invented Pisco?

Fantastic views of the city and drinks always go hand in hand - discover the best rooftop bars in Sao Paulo with our guide.

Sao Paulo

The Best Rooftop Bars In Sao Paulo, Brazil

Learn the fascinating history behind this Chilean symbol of resistance and dissent.

Chile

Santiago

This Protest Symbol You're Seeing Everywhere Is a Historic Piece of Art

The Cayambe Coca National Park features some of the most stunning landscapes in Ecuador. Use our guide to plan your next visit.

Ecuador

A Guide to Discovering Ecuador’s Cayambe-Coca National Park, Ecuador

Our guide to the tragic underbelly of the unofficial kickoff to the holiday season, better known as Black Friday.

The Origins of “Black Friday” Might Be Darker Than You’d Expect

The Origins of “Black Friday” Are a Whole Lot Darker Than You Might Expect

Visiting Lima means going back in time, even before Spanish colonization. Learn some little-known facts about the "City of the Kings".

Lima

Intriguing Things You Didn’t Know About Lima, Peru

Forget Shakira, Garcia Marquez, and James Rodriguez, the most famous Colombian of all time might well be Juan Valdez, the king of Colombian coffee.

Colombia

Is Juan Valdez the Most Famous Colombian?

Come with us on a foodie trip to Córdoba, a lovely Argentinian town, to discover its 10 best restaurants.

Argentina

Cordoba

The 10 Best Restaurants In Córdoba Centro, Argentina

The indigenous peoples of the Amazon region have fascinated the world for centuries. Find out how you can make contact.

How to Meet Indigenous Peoples in Ecuador's Amazon Rainforest

Traveling to South America? Then these horror films based in South America are best watched only when you get home

11 Films You Really Shouldn't Watch Before Traveling to South America

Quito is a wondrous city, but visitors should arrive informed of both the bad and the beautiful. The Culture Trip provides a handy guide.

Quito

11 Things You Should Know Before Visiting Quito

Check out these amazing pictures that show just why Peru is one of the world's best place for surfers.

21 Pictures that Prove Peru is a Surfer's Paradise

With its sultry sensuality and playful collaborative spirit, R&B essentially defined the contemporary music scene of the 2000s.

An Introduction To 2000s R&B In 10 Songs

Discover the best and latest articles about Tech in California, USA