How to Spend One Day in Hollywood

Hollywood, California, is the city of dreams and an absolutely fascinating place to visit.

​Nothing compares to the fame of this Los Angeles area. Between the movies, television shows, and musical records that have been produced here, there are just too many famous landmarks to explore in the city. You could spend your whole life trying to learn all the stories that Hollywood holds.

My mom and I only spent one day exploring the city, and it was just enough time for our first time visiting.

See how I recommend spending a weekend in Los Angeles for First Time Visitors, here!

Hollywood and Los Angeles can be a bit overwhelming. There are lots of people on the streets and lots of cars on the road. It isn’t necessarily the easiest city to get around, but here is where we managed to go during our short time in Hollywood:

The Hollywood Sign
One of the most iconic sights in Hollywood is the Hollywood Sign. This famous location is not as easy to get to as you might think though. 

Most spots to see the sign are on private property, and to get up close requires a 2-mile hike to the sign. We, however, found one of the best places to view the landmark for free.

The Hollywood Sign!

Read exactly where we found this picture-perfect spot in my “How to See The Hollywood Sign” blog post here!

Mom and me selfie with The Hollywood Sign.

We didn't want to take any pictures in case there were residents currently living in the houses.

Laurel Canyon
We took a ride through a crazier side of Hollywood’s history and drove through Laurel Canyon. The 70’s hotspot was home to famous singers like Jim Morrison, Frank Zappa, and Neil Young. Even magician Harry Houdini lived here too. This is also where the famous Wonderland Murders took place.

You can see all of these properties from the road, but they are private, so it’s best to learn as much as you can beforehand by reading the book Strange Scenes Inside The Canyon or by getting a tour!

Hollywood Walk of Fame
Start on the east side of Hollywood’s famous Walk of Fame and see all the stars of famous celebrities like Shirley Temple, Audrey Hepburn, Adam Sandler, Jennifer Anniston, Reese Witherspoon, and dozens more. Walk west towards The Chinese Theater to see handprints in the concrete and see the world famous theaters.

Stars on The Walk of Fame.

The Chinese Theatre.

While on the walk of fame or driving around nearby, here are a few famous spots I recommend checking out and learning more about:

• Capitol Records - The producers of ABBA, The Bee Gees, The Beastie Boys, Neil Diamond, Paul McCartney, and more!
• Scientology Building - See one of the most infamous churches in the country right off The Walk of Fame.
• Viper Room - See where River Phoenix was shot and killed.
• Whiskey a Go Go - A very famous nightclub.
• Mel’s Drive In - Grab a burger and fries from the diner made famous by the movie American Graffiti. 

​Beverly Hills
Drive the famous Rodeo Drive, or go shopping if you can afford it. There is a lot to do and see in Beverly HIlls, and we did not stop long enough for me to write enough. We drove Rodeo to say we did it and took a picture at this sign on Santa Monica Boulevard

Santa Monica Pier
The last thing we planned to do was visit The Santa Monica Pier ro ride the ferris wheel, play arcade games, and grab dinner overlooking the water. Sadly, we didn’t make it because of traffic and the sheer amount of other things we had done during the day. 

Photo from Santamonicapier.org

As I stated earlier, this is by no means the complete guide to a day in Hollywood, California, but it was a really fun and eventful day for us!

​To see more things to do around the Los Angeles and Orange County areas, along with weekend guides to Palm Springs, visit my California page here!