This post was originally published on A Globe Well Travelled in 2016. The content has been revised and updated with fresh information.
For years, Los Angeles was a city that I kept ending up in — whether I actually intended to visit or not.
Living in Australia, LAX has popped up in countless flight itineraries for my travels across North America. I’ve also properly visited Los Angeles on three separate occasions: first on a group tour from LA to San Francisco in 2009, again at the end of another group tour from NYC to LA in 2011, and then with my husband during our Big Sur road trip in 2016.
To be honest, I didn’t feel particularly inspired by LA on my first two visits. It seemed like a sprawling city with a glamorous Hollywood face put on for tourists. But my third visit gave me a different perspective. With more freedom to explore beyond the obvious attractions, I started to realise that all the movie-related stuff isn’t just manufactured for visitors — it’s genuinely part of the city’s identity. That Hollywood hype gives LA an energy that makes it unlike anywhere else.
If you’re flying between Oceania and the Americas, there’s a decent chance you might find yourself passing through LAX, too. And if your flight schedule gives you a long daytime layover or an overnight stop, it can be a great opportunity to get out of the airport and see a little of Los Angeles along the way.
Quick summary:
In this Los Angeles stopover guide, I’ll share how to make the most of a long layover at LAX, including how much time you’ll need to leave the airport, the easiest ways to get around without hiring a car, and what you can realistically see if you have half a day or a full day in LA.
Recommended tours & transfers:
🚙 Private LAX Airport Transfer – Pre-booked private transport between LAX and your Los Angeles destination.
🎬 Los Angeles 3-Hour City Tour – Time-efficient sightseeing around Hollywood, Beverly Hills and the Hollywood Sign.
✈️ LAX Layover Small Group SUV City Tour – Five-hour layover tour with LAX pickup, luggage storage and airport return.
Is Los Angeles a good stopover destination?
Los Angeles can be a convenient stopover if you’re travelling between Oceania and destinations across North America or Central America. I’ve personally passed through LAX numerous times when flying between Australia and the Americas, and while I don’t always leave the airport, a longer connection can be a good excuse to break up the journey and see some of the city.
The biggest thing to keep in mind is that LA is incredibly spread out. You can’t just step outside the airport and find yourself in the middle of the city, and getting between attractions can take much longer than you might expect — especially when traffic is heavy.
For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend hiring a car just for a one-day stopover. By the time you’ve picked up the vehicle, navigated LA traffic, found parking and returned the car before your next flight, it adds a lot of unnecessary hassle to an already limited amount of time.
Instead, I’d arrange an airport transfer if you only want to visit one or two areas independently, or book a sightseeing tour if you want to cover more of LA in a short timeframe. There are even dedicated LAX layover tours that pick you up at the airport, take you around the city with your luggage, and return you to your terminal afterwards.
✈️ Short on time? The LAX Layover Small Group SUV City Tour is designed specifically for travellers between flights, with airport pickup and return, sightseeing around LA, and space for your luggage in the vehicle.
If you have enough time between flights, I think the key to enjoying an LA stopover is being realistic about how much you can see. Rather than trying to race around the entire city, choose a few highlights that work with the amount of time you have.
How long do you need for a Los Angeles stopover?
Before making plans to leave LAX, take a good look at how much time you actually have between flights. Los Angeles is huge, traffic can be unpredictable, and getting out of the airport can take time — especially if you’ve arrived on an international flight and need to clear immigration and customs.
Personally, I wouldn’t bother leaving LAX for a short layover. If you only have a few hours between flights, the stress of getting into the city and back again probably isn’t worth it.
Once your layover gets into the 8–12 hour range, sightseeing becomes much more realistic. With around 8 hours, I’d keep things simple and focus on somewhere relatively close to LAX, such as Venice Beach and Santa Monica, or consider a short organised city tour. With 12 hours or more, you’ll have much more flexibility to venture further into LA and potentially add places like Beverly Hills and Hollywood.
If you have an overnight stopover with most of a day available, even better. You can treat it as a mini city break and see a handful of LA’s highlights without constantly watching the clock.
Just remember that your layover time isn’t the same as your sightseeing time. You’ll need to allow for getting off the plane, immigration and customs if applicable, travelling to and from LAX, and checking in and clearing security for your next flight. LAX recommends arriving at the airport two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight, so I’d always build a generous buffer into your plans.
As a rough guide, I’d think of it this way: under 8 hours, stay at or near the airport; 8–12 hours, choose one area or a short tour; 12+ hours, consider a broader LA sightseeing itinerary. These aren’t hard rules — your arrival process, onward flight and traffic conditions will all affect how much usable time you actually have.
Getting from LAX into Los Angeles
One of the biggest challenges with an LA stopover is getting away from the airport. LAX isn’t particularly close to many of the city’s major attractions, and Los Angeles traffic can turn what looks like a relatively short distance on a map into a much longer journey.
For a one-day stopover, I’d personally skip hiring a car. Rental cars require extra time for pickup and drop-off, and then you’ve got the added hassle of navigating LA traffic and finding parking. Unless your stopover is part of a longer California road trip, I don’t think it’s worth it.
Private airport transfer
If you want to explore independently, pre-booking a private airport transfer is probably the easiest option. You can arrange to be picked up at LAX and taken directly to wherever you want to start sightseeing, without having to work out public transport or collect a rental car.
This option makes the most sense if you’re planning to focus on one part of LA rather than trying to cross the entire city. For example, you could head towards Santa Monica and Venice, spend a few hours exploring the coast, then arrange transport back to LAX for your onward flight.
🚙 Want to keep things simple? A private LAX airport transfer gives you pre-booked transport between the airport and your destination, with luggage assistance and no additional stops along the way.
Rideshare and taxis
Uber, Lyft and taxis are another option, although pickups from LAX work a little differently than at many airports. Standard ride-app and taxi pickups currently use the LAX-it area near Terminal 1. You can either walk there or take one of the free LAX-it shuttles from outside baggage claim.
Premium ride services and private vehicles can still collect passengers directly from the terminal, so it’s worth checking the pickup instructions for whichever service you book.
For your return journey, things are easier — taxis and rideshare vehicles can drop departing passengers directly at their terminal.
FlyAway bus
If you’re travelling on a budget, the LAX FlyAway bus provides nonstop services between the airport and Union Station in Downtown, as well as Van Nuys.
I’d only choose the FlyAway bus for a stopover if its route happens to work with what you want to see. It can be useful if you’re heading towards Downtown LA, but for the coastal sights around Santa Monica and Venice, or attractions in Hollywood and Beverly Hills, a transfer, rideshare or organised tour will generally be more convenient.
For travellers with limited time, convenience matters more than usual. Every extra connection eats into your sightseeing time, so I’d choose your transport based on where you actually want to spend your layover rather than automatically going for the cheapest option.
What to do on a Los Angeles stopover
What you can realistically see during an LA stopover depends on how much usable time you have once you’ve allowed for airport formalities and getting to and from LAX.
If you only have half a day available, I wouldn’t attempt to tick off every major LA attraction. The city is too spread out. Instead, pick one part of Los Angeles and enjoy a few hours there without constantly worrying about whether you’ll make it back to the airport.
Half-day stopover: Santa Monica and Venice
For a shorter stopover, I’d head towards the coast and spend your time exploring Santa Monica and Venice. Both are relatively close to LAX, they’re easy to combine in one outing, and you’ll still get an experience that feels distinctly Los Angeles.
Santa Monica
Santa Monica is a nice place to spend a few hours by the Pacific Ocean, and it’s one of my favourite choices for travellers who don’t have enough time to venture deep into LA.
The main attraction is Santa Monica Pier, which stretches out over the ocean and is home to the colourful Pacific Park amusement park. You can ride the Ferris wheel for views over the coastline, wander along the pier or head down to the enormous sandy beach.
I’ve visited Santa Monica both during the day and at night, and one of my favourite memories was riding the Ferris wheel after dark. The view over the illuminated pier and coastline was superb!
You don’t necessarily need an agenda here, either. If you’ve just stepped off a long-haul flight, grabbing a coffee, walking along the beach and getting some fresh Pacific air might be much more appealing than rushing between tourist attractions.
Venice Beach
From Santa Monica, continue south towards Venice Beach. Venice has a completely different feel, with its colourful boardwalk, street performers, shops and famously eccentric beach culture.
Take a slow wander along the Venice Beach Boardwalk and you’ll pass Muscle Beach, where the outdoor gym has become an attraction in its own right. It’s touristy and a little chaotic, but that’s also part of the experience.
One of my favourite discoveries from my last trip to LA was actually a few blocks inland. The Venice Canals are a series of peaceful man-made waterways lined with homes, gardens and little pedestrian bridges. They feel worlds away from the busy boardwalk, and wandering around them was one of the unexpected highlights of my day.
If you’re short on time, I’d choose Santa Monica and Venice over trying to squeeze Hollywood into the same half-day. You’ll spend less of your stopover travelling across LA and more of it actually enjoying the city.
Full-day stopover: Los Angeles highlights
If your stopover gives you most of a day to explore, you can venture further into Los Angeles and see some of the classic sights around Hollywood and Beverly Hills.
You could arrange your own transport and explore independently, but this is also where I think a city sightseeing tour starts to make sense. LA’s attractions are spread across a huge area, so having someone else handle the driving means you can cover much more ground without wasting precious stopover time working out routes and transport.
🎬 Short on sightseeing time? The Los Angeles 3-Hour City Tour covers some of the city’s biggest sights, including the Hollywood Sign, Sunset Strip, Beverly Hills and Hollywood Walk of Fame, with three stops for photos along the way.
Hollywood
Hollywood is on the extreme end of touristy activities, but I still think it’s worth seeing if this is your first time in Los Angeles.
Start around Hollywood Boulevard, where you’ll find two of the neighbourhood’s most famous attractions: the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theatre. The theatre opened in 1927 and its courtyard is filled with concrete blocks featuring the handprints, footprints and signatures of Hollywood stars.
I found it really interesting to wander around and spot the names of actors whose prints have been sitting there for decades.
The Walk of Fame stretches for blocks along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, so there’s really no need to attempt the entire thing. I’d just wander around the section near the Chinese Theatre, see which familiar names you can find, and then move on.
If you’re doing a guided tour, you may also get a better viewpoint of the Hollywood Sign than you would by sticking around Hollywood Boulevard — which saves trying to squeeze another separate stop into your day.
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is another easy addition to a highlights tour, although I don’t think you necessarily need to dedicate loads of time to it.
On my last visit, Rob and I drove through Beverly Hills along Santa Monica Boulevard while checking out the neighbourhood where all the rich people live. Naturally, we had Weezer’s Beverly Hills playing loudly through the car stereo as we drove by.
Rodeo Drive is the famous shopping strip here, lined with designer boutiques and luxury stores. Even if your travel budget doesn’t extend to actually shopping there, it’s an interesting place to pass through and see another side of Los Angeles.
Griffith Observatory
If you have enough time left in your stopover, Griffith Observatory is one of my favourite places to get a wider perspective of LA.
I only managed to visit on my third trip to Los Angeles, and the views were fantastic. From its position above the city, you can look across the sprawling urban landscape towards Downtown LA and get a great view of the Hollywood Sign.
Inside the observatory, you’ll also find astronomy exhibits and a planetarium, although on a stopover I’d prioritise the views unless you have plenty of spare time.
Apparently the views are particularly impressive after dark when the city lights stretch across the horizon. I didn’t get to experience this myself as our flight left that evening, but even during the daytime I thought the panorama was well worth the trip.
The catch is that Griffith Observatory is considerably further from LAX than Santa Monica or Venice, so I’d only add it if you genuinely have a long stopover. If time is getting tight, this is one attraction I’d save for a future LA visit rather than risk a stressful journey back to the airport.
Taking an organised LAX layover tour
If you want to see as much as possible without worrying about getting yourself around Los Angeles, another option is to book a tour specifically designed for travellers on a layover at LAX.
This is definitely the more expensive option, but I can see the appeal if you only have one opportunity to see LA. Instead of arranging separate airport transfers, figuring out what to do with your luggage and constantly checking whether you’ve left enough time to get back for your flight, the entire experience is organised around your arrival and departure.
The LAX Layover Small Group SUV City Tour lasts around five hours and starts with pickup from your terminal. Your luggage stays with you in the SUV while you explore, so there’s no need to find somewhere to store your bags between flights.
The usual route includes Venice Beach, Santa Monica Pier and Beverly Hills, with Hollywood added if traffic and your available time allow. As it’s a small-group tour with a maximum of six guests, it’s also a little more personal than joining a large sightseeing bus.
Most importantly for a layover, the guide plans the route around your flight details and returns you to LAX afterwards. I’d still make sure you have a comfortably long connection before booking, but it removes much of the logistical headache of trying to organise a DIY sightseeing trip between flights.
✈️ Want the easiest option? The LAX Layover Small Group SUV City Tour includes terminal pickup and return, transport around LA, and space for your luggage throughout the five-hour tour.
Is a Los Angeles stopover worth it?
I think Los Angeles is definitely worth exploring on a stopover — as long as you have enough time to do it without stressing about your next flight.
It actually took me a few visits to properly appreciate LA. On my first couple of trips, I wasn’t particularly inspired by the city and found some of the Hollywood attractions overly touristy. It wasn’t until my third visit, when I had more freedom to explore different neighbourhoods, that I started to understand the appeal.
LA is unapologetically obsessed with movies, celebrities and entertainment, but I’ve come to realise that those things are genuinely part of the city’s identity. Add the beaches, palm-lined streets and seemingly endless urban sprawl, and it feels distinctly different from anywhere else I’ve visited in the US.
A long layover at LAX gives you a chance to experience a little of that without necessarily planning an entire trip around Los Angeles. If you have half a day, I’d keep things relaxed with Santa Monica and Venice. If you have longer, you can venture towards Hollywood and Beverly Hills or let an organised tour handle the logistics for you.
The main thing is not to get too ambitious. LA is enormous, and trying to squeeze five neighbourhoods into a short connection will probably leave you watching the clock instead of enjoying your stopover. Choose a realistic itinerary, leave yourself plenty of time to get back to LAX, and your otherwise boring airport connection could become a memorable mini trip.
Los Angeles stopover FAQs
Can you leave LAX during a layover?
Yes, you can leave LAX during a layover once you’ve completed the necessary entry formalities for the US. Just make sure your connection is long enough to account for immigration and customs, LA traffic, and returning to the airport well before your next flight.
How long should a layover at LAX be to leave the airport?
I’d want at least 8 hours before considering sightseeing outside LAX. With 8–12 hours, stick to somewhere relatively close such as Santa Monica and Venice. A 12+ hour layover gives you much more flexibility to explore further into Los Angeles.
What can I do on an 8-hour layover at LAX?
For an 8-hour layover, I’d keep things simple. Head towards Santa Monica and Venice for a walk along the beach, Santa Monica Pier and Venice Boardwalk rather than attempting to cross LA to see Hollywood. A private SUV layover tour may also be possible to squeeze in the LA highlights in a short amount of time.
What can I do with a 12-hour layover at LAX?
With 12 hours or more, you could explore several of the top attractions in LA. Consider an express sightseeing tour which covers the Hollywood Sign, Sunset Strip, Beverly Hills and Hollywood Walk of Fame.
What happens to my luggage during a layover at LAX?
This depends on your airline and ticket, so check whether your checked luggage will be transferred automatically to your onward flight. If you have bags with you, you’ll need to factor luggage storage into your sightseeing plans or choose a layover tour that allows you to bring them along.
Do I need to rent a car for a Los Angeles stopover?
No. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend renting a car just for a one-day stopover. Airport transfers, rideshares and organised tours are much easier when you have limited time and don’t want to deal with rental pickup, parking and returning the vehicle.
How early should I return to LAX?
LAX recommends arriving two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight. I’d allow additional buffer time when sightseeing during a layover, particularly because LA traffic can be unpredictable.
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