14 Things To Do in Los Angeles During Awards Season

If it’s your first time in Los Angeles, you’ll want to get your bearings before you do anything else. With mountains, beaches, and skyscrapers, LA offers a diversity of landscapes and experiences to explore. Tick off the city’s highlights on this handy tour before it’s time to head to the party, including the famous Hollywood sign, Sunset Strip, and Venice Beach, among others.

Los Angeles is the epicenter of the US movie-making industry, so there’s hardly a better place in the country to go behind the scenes and see how and where movies are made. Take this general tour of the Warner Bros. Studio to learn more about its long history, or, if you’re a fan of the golden oldies, opt for a classics tour and dig into the archives.

It’s natural to be curious about the lives and lifestyles of Hollywood royalty. Satisfy your nosiness by taking this Hollywood tour that takes you past the homes of some megastars. You might even get lucky and see someone out walking their dog … or you can tell everyone back home you did, anyway.

Feel like the star of your own action movie at a thrills-a-minute theme park in Los Angeles. Big attractions like Universal Studios Hollywood™ or Disneyland® combine movie magic with exciting rides. So, test your mettle and decide whether you have what it takes to be a stunt double with this general admission ticket.

Swap your sequined gown or tuxedo for a pair of sweatpants and walking shoes and hike up to the Hollywood sign, high in the hills above the city. It’s a vigorous walk up but the views across Los Angeles are well worth it.

Movie stars wouldn’t spend their vacation on a bus with other tourists, so why should you? Enjoy the VIP treatment on this private Los Angeles tour, instead. Pick where you want to go and what you see so there are no boring bits. Diva attitude is optional.

Hit the awards parties with a full stomach so you have the stamina to keep going to the end. Los Angeles is one of the top foodie cities in the US, with everything from Mexican to Korean on the menu. Learn more about its culinary culture on this food-focused walking tour.

Although real-life movie stars often don’t want to draw attention to themselves when out in public, there’s no harm in the ordinary folk turning heads. And heads will certainly turn if you cruise around Los Angeles in a vintage car. Pick a classic convertible to make the most of the city’s warm climate—and the great views.

California produces some of the best wine in the US, and you can sample these even if you don’t have time to head out to Napa Valley or Sonoma. In fact, the Los Angeles Basin was the first wine-producing territory in California, so you’ll be partaking in a long tradition by tasting wine at estates closer to the city. The views are pretty good, too.

Los Angeles is a massive city so you won’t find many people walking very far. E-bikes, however, are a great way of covering a lot of ground and getting some exercise while avoiding exhaustion. Despite the surrounding mountains, much of the city is flat, making cycling a great way of getting around.

While you might not have your own helicopter landing pad like some celebs, you can enjoy the next best thing on this heli-tour above the city. Gaze on the mountains in one direction, the beaches in another, and the skyscrapers down below … without sitting in traffic for hours.

Los Angeles and movies go hand in hand, but the city’s creativity doesn’t stop there. Learn more about the city’s more offbeat creativity in the Arts District on this fun tour, where street art and local galleries trump blockbuster-producing studios.

It’s not all just glitzy and bright in Los Angeles. The city has seen its share of shady dealings, crazed criminals, and serial killers, who were perhaps even lured by its glamor. On this tour, listen to ghost stories and stranger-than-fiction true crime on a tour of Los Angeles’ most haunted and notorious spots. Going at night makes the experience even creepier.

If awards season Los Angeles has left you starstruck, regain some perspective on the universe and our place in it at the Griffith Observatory. This domed hilltop institution in enormous Griffith Park has been gazing to the stars for nearly 100 years. Hike here in the daytime for great city views or come at night to use the public telescopes.