Los Angeles is too large to see in a visit. The useful question is not what to do but which two or three areas to spend the time in, because crossing the basin can cost an hour each way.
The Westside
The Getty Center — free admission, charged parking, on a ridge above the 405 with a tram up. European painting, decorative arts, gardens, and views that justify the trip alone.
The Getty Villa in Malibu, a separate site, is a reconstructed Roman villa holding antiquities. Free with a timed reservation.
LACMA and the La Brea Tar Pits, adjacent — active excavation of Ice Age fossils in the middle of the city.
The Academy Museum, next door, on film history.
The beaches
Santa Monica — the pier, the beach, and a walkable centre.
Venice — the boardwalk, the canals a few blocks inland which almost nobody visits, and Abbot Kinney for shops.
Malibu, further north — El Matador and Point Dume for the dramatic coast rather than the wide sand.
Manhattan and Hermosa, south, quieter and more residential.
The Marvin Braude bike path runs 22 miles along the coast.
Griffith Park and the hills
Griffith Observatory — free entry to the building and exhibits, planetarium shows ticketed. The best free view in the city, and parking is limited enough to arrive early or take transit.
Griffith Park is one of the largest urban parks in North America, with trails, the Greek Theatre and the old zoo.
Runyon Canyon for the accessible hike, Bronson Canyon for the caves used in countless films.
Downtown and east
The Broad — contemporary art, free with an advance reservation.
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Frank Gehry, with a free self-guided audio tour and a rooftop garden.
Grand Central Market, a century-old food hall.
The Arts District, Little Tokyo, Olvera Street.
Highland Park, Echo Park and Silver Lake — the eastside neighbourhoods, walkable and where a lot of the good food is.
The Huntington in San Marino — library, art collection and extraordinary botanical gardens.
Eating, which is the real attraction
Los Angeles has the best and most varied food in the United States, and most of it is cheap.
Tacos from trucks and stands, especially east of downtown.
Koreatown, Thai Town, the San Gabriel Valley for Chinese regional food that has no equal outside China.
Grand Central Market and Smorgasburg on Sundays.
Practical
Group each day by geography. This is the whole trick.
Metro rail reaches downtown, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Pasadena and Long Beach — a useful spine. Beyond it, a car or ride-hailing.
Avoid driving 7–10am and 3–7pm, when a 20-minute journey becomes an hour.
Book the Broad and Getty Villa in advance; both are free and both require it.