How to spend 2 Days in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is a beautiful destination to visit and has many amazing places and restaurants worth visiting. It’s a cool city to explore even for those that want a small getaway during the weekends or holidays! I actually had work in LA at the time, and Kai decided to accompany me since he had a few days off. We were mainly in central LA and close to the airport side. I’ve been to LA before, but this was Kai’s first time, so we ended up making a small vacation out of it, and wanted to share this great 2 day itinerary for those people just wanting to get a feel of LA, or here for a short time.

DAY 1

First stop – definitely food! We decided to try Philippe the Original for their well known french dip sandwiches. Just walk in, order, and grab a seat! I would suggest eating in, as their bread is on the softer side. Kai and I ordered the turkey and the beef sandwich – super classic, simple, but so delicious! The meat was tender and juicy too! It was a filling lunch and our tummies were satisfied.

After a satisfying meal, we made a short walk to A Little Mexican Village. The area has vibrant cool art work, small boutique stores, and cute food booths selling traditional Mexican food. The village is located on Olvera Street, and is also a part of the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument. This place is definitely worth visiting to experience one of LA’s oldest part of downtown.

Since A little Mexican Village is close to Chinatown, we went exploring afterwards. There is a section in LA Chinatown called Saigon Plaza on N Broadway Street that reminds me a little bit of a shopping area in Shanghai where stores are all positioned shoulder to shoulder in a small area. These shops sell everything and anything you can think of. You can even try bargaining with the shop owners!

We did venture out further into downtown to get a coffee break at Tilt Coffee Bar. The cafe is situated at an incredibly peaceful and beautifully designed area. There is even a mini garden at the back. We ordered the Cloud Mocha – hot- from Tilt Coffee. The combination of the espresso and the cream at the top was made to perfection. I like how the coffee tasted robust, but not bitter. The mix with the smooth cream just made the drink that much more heavenly. For coffee lovers, I highly recommend trying this place. Typing all this makes me want a cup so badly! =P

We stayed here for a while to take some pictures and enjoy the architecture after we ordered our drink. This is such a cute and calm area, it is a little tucked inside the streets, and makes a great spot to wind down.

 

As we explored more of downtown, we spotted Angel Flights Railway. This is a fun experience for us, and just a great little activity for visitors of all ages. I believe you pay a small fee per person once you reach the top.

Just across the street from Angel Flights Railway is the Grand Central Market. We walked around it for a while, but we were still full from our lunch, so we didn’t end up getting anything, but they have a variety of cuisines, from Asian to American food, and also juice bars and bread stands.

When it got closer to dinner time, we decided to drive over to Little Tokyo for a warm bowl of ramen. We love japanese food and Daikokuya Little Tokyo has many yelp reviews, so we thought to  give this restaurant a try. This place usually has a wait, but we got lucky and were seated after about 10 minutes. It’s very cozy inside, and felt as though we were in Japan. We ordered gyoza with our ramen, and it was just the perfect amount of food for us. It was scrumptious! We slurped it all down pretty quickly. The broth wasn’t too thick or salty, which I really enjoyed. The cha sui was tender, while the noodles were the perfect chewiness. Yummy food always makes the soul happy right? Haha Since we were in the Little Tokyo area, we did walk around to burn off some of the food we just had. There are some bakeries, restaurants, grocery stores, dessert cafes, and other cute shops in the area.

On a side note, for those that get hungry super late into the night, Ave 26 Taco Stand is a great place to go. Hearing this place from friends, we ended up going for a midnight snack. This place is well known for their tacos, so we ordered a couple as well as a burrito. It is super affordable for all those hungry tummies and cravings. Some may have mixed feelings about street food, but we personally enjoy the casual vibe of it all. We didn’t take many pictures of this, but here’s a quick shot. Hands up for late night food runs!

 

DAY 2

We spent most of the second day around El Segundo, LA, since I had work around the area. It’s close to the airport, but also near the El Segundo Beach! We are both beach lovers, so we couldn’t miss taking a nice walk along it. We even went to the Roundhouse Aquarium, which is located right there on the pier. This aquarium isn’t as big as some, but the entrance fee is free. For brunch we went to Two Guns Kitchen and it was quite delicious. This is a pretty cute place, and the food is pleasant. There are a few cafes and health stores along the street where Two Guns Kitchen is located at, and it’s a nice neighborhood to walk your dog or go for a run.

Superba + Bread is another place to go to, it is also around the airport side of town as well. They serve brunch and a variety of pastries.

The second day of the trip is a great idea to visit some iconic places in LA such as Universal Studios, Disney Land, of course the Hollywood Walk of Fame, or Santa Monica Pier for first time visitors. For those that prefer nature and a good hike after breakfast or lunch, there are some great hiking places around LA that were suggested by some friends, such as the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, Sand Dune Park, Malibu Creek State Park, Eaton Canyon, Bridge to Nowhere, Los Liones Trail to Parker Mesa, and more! Since I was here for work, we are looking to come back and do a hike on a longer trip next time.

 

Kai and I ended our trip at COD Restaurant for dinner. We both love seafood, so this was a nice treat and a great way to end our trip.

Can you tell? We love to eat, I mean who doesn’t?? There is always room for dessert! We tried this place called Snow Monster because it was cute. Yes, it my idea, I got sucked in by the bottle and the logo on it, haha! We ordered the Thai tea and ice cream to share. There were quite a few korean restaurants and small food stands in the area that we will be saving for a visit next time. Korean bbq will definitely be on the list!

Last but not least, we just had to go to see the Urban Lights, which is part of the Los Angeles County Museum of Arts. We went pretty late, and there were still so many people there. Good luck with taking pictures without people in the background!

We hope this was enjoyable to read and helpful =) LA offers a lot more than we can cover in a short amount of time, but there will always be next time! Happy travels!