Aquarium · 28 min south
Aquarium of the Pacific
Sea lions, sharks, jellyfish and a lorikeet forest in Long Beach.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Day Trippin' › California › From Los Angeles
Day trips from Los Angeles
From Los Angeles, Universal Studios Hollywood is about 15 minutes away, Aquarium of the Pacific under 40 minutes, and Crystal Cove State Park under an hour. The best day trips from Los Angeles, by drive time.
188 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Los Angeles
- Aquarium of the Pacific 28 min south
- Disneyland Park 29 min southeast
- Six Flags Magic Mountain 37 min northwest
- Lake Arrowhead Village 1 hr 26 min east
- LEGOLAND California 1 hr 30 min southeast
- Palm Springs Aerial Tramway 1 hr 45 min east
- San Diego Zoo Safari Park 1 hr 49 min southeast
- Cabrillo National Monument 2 hr 2 min southeast
- Solvang 2 hr 9 min west
- Anza-Borrego Desert State Park 2 hr 36 min southeast
Within an hour from Los Angeles 53 spots
Theme park · 29 min southeast
Disneyland Park
The original Disney park with classic rides and character meetups.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Theme park · 37 min northwest
Six Flags Magic Mountain
A big park known for roller coasters, in Valencia.
- Full day · Easy
- Open select days; check calendar
- See the official site for current fees
State park · 49 min southeast
Crystal Cove State Park
Beach, tide pools and coastal bluff trails with historic cottages.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Historic site · 53 min southeast
Mission San Juan Capistrano
A historic mission with gardens, the Great Stone Church ruins and swallows legend.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Open daily (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Landmark · 29 min south
Queen Mary
A grand ocean liner moored at Long Beach, open for tours, dining and events. Her 90th year is 2026.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Daily (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Beach · 51 min southeast
Laguna Beach Main Beach
A pretty cove beach in a classic art town with basketball and sand volleyball.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free; parking is paid
Family fun · 29 min southeast
Downtown Disney District
Free shops, restaurants and shows outside the park gates.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free to enter
1 to 2 hours from Los Angeles 80 spots
Small town · 1 hr 26 min east
Lake Arrowhead Village
A lakeside village with shops, restaurants and a pretty mountain setting. Good for a relaxed lunch.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free to visit
Theme park · 1 hr 30 min southeast
LEGOLAND California
A theme park in Carlsbad built for kids ages 2 to 12, with rides, shows and a water park.
- Full day · Easy
- Check calendar; some weekdays closed
- See the official site for current fees
Landmark · 1 hr 45 min east
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
A rotating tram car lifts you from desert floor to cool alpine forest in about ten minutes.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round; annual maintenance closure in fall (confirm before you go)
- See the official site for current fees
Zoo · 1 hr 49 min southeast
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
A big wildlife park in Escondido with African savannah areas and a tram or safari tour.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Historic site · 1 hr 59 min northeast
Calico Ghost Town
A restored silver mining town with shops, mine tours and a mini train.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Zoo · 1 hr 59 min southeast
San Diego Zoo
A world-class zoo with pandas, big cats, gorillas and a hillside garden.
- Full day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Lake · 1 hr 41 min east
Big Bear Lake
A mountain lake with boating, fishing, paddleboards and a lively village. Snow play in winter.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Small town · 1 hr 47 min east
Idyllwild
A cool pine-forest village under Mount San Jacinto with art shops, cafes and trailheads.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free to visit
2 to 3 hours from Los Angeles 40 spots
National park · 2 hr 2 min southeast
Cabrillo National Monument
A historic lighthouse and tide pools at Point Loma with a big view over San Diego bay.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Small town · 2 hr 9 min west
Solvang
Danish-style village with bakeries, windmills and shops in the Santa Ynez Valley.
- 3-5 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
State park · 2 hr 36 min southeast
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
California's largest state park, with palm canyons, badlands and, in some years, spring wildflowers.
- Full day · Moderate
- Best Oct-Apr
- See the official site for current fees
Beach · 2 hr 2 min southeast
Coronado Beach and Hotel del Coronado
A wide sandy beach in front of a famous Victorian hotel, with calm water and tide pools.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Historic site · 2 hr 8 min west
Santa Barbara Mission
Large, elegant mission church often called the Queen of the Missions.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Island · 2 hr 12 min south
Catalina Island Avalon
A ferry ride to a car-free island town with beaches, glass-bottom boats and golf carts.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- See the official site for current fees
Food town · 2 hr 24 min southeast
Julian
An old gold-mining mountain town known for apple pie, cider and fall color.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round; busy in fall
- Free to visit
Hike · 2 hr 26 min east
Barker Dam
A loop to an old dam with petroglyphs and sometimes water that draws birds.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Best Oct-Apr
- See the official site for current fees
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 90012 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.