A popular destination for tourists, this iconic city on the Californian coast has a lot to offer. It is the largest city in California and the second most populous city in the United States. Known as the City of Angels, Los Angeles marks the end of the legendary Route 66 and is famous for its stunning California beaches showcased in the movies. In this article, I will present the must-see attractions for your next visit to L.A.!

Stretching over 5 km, Santa Monica Beach is a classic destination that attracts visitors from all over the world each year. In the morning, you can see surfers tackling the waves, and in the afternoon, the beach fills up with tourists eager to enjoy the California sun, the cool breeze from the Pacific Ocean, and the impressive waves crashing against the pillars of the Santa Monica Pier.

The Santa Monica Pier is a long wooden pier that divides the beach into two sections: the North section and the South section. Here, you'll find numerous restaurants, souvenir shops, arcades, an aquarium, and even an amusement park called Pacific Park! The park offers 12 rides that bring joy to both kids and adults. One of the highlights is the world's only solar-powered Ferris wheel.

When you leave the beach, you can easily find restrooms, showers, and outdoor faucets to wash off the sand by going back up to the pier.

On this illustrious sidewalk, you'll find over 2,500 stars honoring thousands of celebrities. Here, you can shop, dine, and engage in various activities.

The Museum of Illusions offers an extraordinary experience with its different 3D art scenes where you can take unique photos. This bewildering universe allows the whole family to feed their imagination and create whimsical memories.

Continuing our visit, we come across the Giant's House. Here, you'll discover a world of larger-than-life objects.

Finally, we conclude with the Upside Down House, featuring seven rooms. In this topsy-turvy world, you'll enjoy tricking people with unimaginable photos.

A visit to L.A. is incomplete without stopping near the iconic Hollywood Sign. Perched atop Mount Lee, this gigantic 14-meter high sign is now considered a historic-cultural monument. Hiking along Mount Lee Drive allows you to reach the back of the famous letters. From this panoramic viewpoint, you can observe Los Angeles and the Santa Monica Bay.

The only place in the world that combines film studios and a theme park is Universal Studios Hollywood. Here, you not only have access to behind-the-scenes glimpses of Hollywood movies but also to various theme park attractions.

First and foremost, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter section is awe-inspiring, with enchanting settings and thrilling attractions. In this magical world, where no detail has been overlooked, you'll find an outdoor roller coaster, an immersive attraction inside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, live performances, and much more. You can even choose your own interactive wand at Ollivanders store. At 15 different locations, children can become

Next, the Three Broomsticks restaurant is the perfect place to immerse yourself in magic. Here, they offer a menu and decor reminiscent of Hogwarts. To make life easier for parents, vegetarian, gluten-free, and peanut-free dishes are also available.

During the summer season, the whole family is amazed by the spectacle of The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle, which takes place at sunset. With its music, lights, and special effects, this 5-minute show celebrating the four houses of Hogwarts transports you into the world of magic and wizardry.

We continue our visit to the park in Springfield. Here, in addition to enjoying an oversized donut, you can visit some iconic buildings from the longest-running American television series. This colorful world also offers an indoor attraction that literally transports you with the Simpson family.

A little further on, Jurassic World takes you millions of years back to a time when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth. First, the Jurassic World—The Ride attraction amazes you with its thrilling 25-meter drop that allows you to cool off as water is propelled into the air. After this adrenaline rush, DinoPlay provides a place for children to have fun and explore.

Now, let's head to Super Silly Fun Land, where you can have fun in the water. It's perfect for cooling off when the sun is shining! In this area, barefoot walking is prohibited, so make sure to bring sandals to enjoy the games.

Next to Super Silly Fun Land, the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem attraction takes you into Gru's famous house, where he tries to transform you into a minion in his laboratory. Cross the street, and now you're in The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! attraction. Seated in a huge delivery box, you follow a path that allows you to marvel at the characters from the film The Secret Life of Pets in action.

During your visit to Universal Studios Hollywood, I highly recommend purchasing Universal Express tickets. With these tickets, you can use the express line once per attraction. For example, during our visit in July 2022, some attractions had wait times of over 70 minutes. With a Universal Express ticket, we never waited more than 5 minutes. This allowed us to experience the majority of the attractions in one day while also attending a show.

After a two-hour drive, you enter the Mojave Desert, where Joshua Tree National Park is located. The park is known for its unique Joshua trees, which can only be found in North America and in very few places. The park is also home to numerous cacti and reptiles.

This is the perfect place to take a walk and go climbing. The park offers a variety of hiking trails, ranging from easy to difficult. Families particularly enjoy the Arch Rock and Skull Rock trails, where children can climb on gigantic rocks. Make sure to bring enough water reserves, as access to water is limited in the desert, and it will be very difficult to find. Due to the high temperatures in the afternoon, I recommend prioritizing morning hikes.

You are now ready to leave for L.A.! If you liked this article, share it on your social networks and subscribe to 

faventureDon’t miss anything to organize your next family outing!