Santa Monica and Venice beach

[liz-paul]

Our first day in LA we are starting at LAX (early in the am, due to jet lag I imagine) and heading over to Santa Monica and probably Venice beach. Don't know what we're doing in either of those places ( ) suggestions welcome We then head over to Glendale to check into our next hotel (check in from 3pm and we will probably be ready to check in an have a bit of a rest by then). In the early evening we're heading over to Burbank to go for dinner with my brother.

Any suggestions of things to do or see in Santa Monica or Venice beach? Any idea how long a person might want to spend in either of them? Anywhere else you recommend we go in that area/between there and Glendale?

Thx

[lorna_99]

We started at Santa Monica, looked around the pier and then hired bikes and cycled down to venice beach stopping for drinks along the way. We were not fans of Venice beach so pretty much turned round and cycled back a little beyond the santa monica pier and then back to drop off bikes. It was a really nice way to see the coast and we would do it again. You can cycle all the way to long beach if you so desire as its one big cycle route but we were too lazy for that.

[Edie ray]

We parked next to Santa Monica Pier and then had a look around the pier, then we walked along the beach all the way to Venice beach, we then had a walk around the canals and then walked back to Santa Monica along the promenade stopping to look in shops and having ice creams etc

Our feet did hurt a bit after all that walking

[400ixl]

It will depend on what you like.

We spent about an hour at Santa Monica but nearly 4 hours at Venice beach. We found Santa Monica to be quite traditional and Venice Beach much more on trend and active. With a teenager who follows many of the bloggers who are often at Venice Beach there was much more of interest for us there.

[landandword17]

The canals are a hidden gem in Venice and there are nice shops and cafes on Albert Kinney Blvd. a drive up to Malibu is also beautiful.

You have a whole city between SM and Glendale so there’s too many things to list. Museums, shops, galleries, parks, studio tours, the historic Olivera Street area - maybe work backwards. Instead of picking an area and saying what’s there to see, think of what his like to see/do and then pick an area/attraction to suit that!

Has your brother any ideas or is he one of those that doesn’t know his city from a tourist perspective? Lol. My brother was like that when he lived in Toronto! I’d go visit places and be bad no idea they existed despite being down the road from him 😆

[lynne6705]

I preferred Venice Beach to Santa Monica, we spent the morning in Santa Monica and found it very overcrowded and pretty much what you can get anywhere.
We then walked along the promenade to Venice Beach which I loved, so much to see along the way and then lovely to sit and get a drink and people watch, I didn't feel vulnerable at all and we had our 12 year old son with us, we had left the beach by about 6pm

[liz-paul]

Thanks for the suggestions. Any input welcome as I really don't know anything about those places or what we might enjoy. We're basically going there because my husband wants to have a look round santa monica and it seems convenient for the airport and my brother recommended Venice beach. But that was all he said: that we should go there 🤔😂

[Princess Alison]

We stayed in Santa Monica for part of our holiday 3 years ago when my dd was 8 and ds was 7. Santa Monica pier was very busy - we didn’t go on any rides instead just doing some pokemoning as it was the height of that craze! We also spent some time on the beach and dipped in the sea.

We visited Venice beach which I suppose could be deemed a bit more ‘raw’! We enjoyed it there particularly the graffiti, the outdoor gyms and the links to arnie, the shopping and the sand and playparks. We hired bikes and spent about two hours cycling along the coast

[landandword17]

venicebeach/misc/

santamonica/visit-santa-monica/

Parking is plentiful and reasonable in Santa Monica so you’re probably better off parking there and cycling/walking between the two. As others have said they have very different vibes so do a little research. You could drive up some of the coast too before joining the freeway out to Glendale.

[liz-paul]

I think based on your.comments and the links from landandword17 that we will happily fill our day in santa Monica and Venice beach and probably don't need a plan but can just go with the flow 😁