United States / California / Los Angeles

Los Angeles

Hollywood, Beaches and Universal Studios

3 daysIdeal stay₹16,170From / night₹4,760Food / day₹12,360Entry

A sprawl of neighbourhoods joined by freeways: the Hollywood sign and Walk of Fame, Universal Studios Hollywood, the free Griffith Observatory and Getty Center, Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach, and Disneyland 45 km south in Anaheim; Palm Springs and Joshua Tree are two hours east. Allow for traffic: a car or ride-hails beat the Metro for most visits. Pioneer Boulevard in Artesia is "Little India", and the Malibu Hindu Temple sits in the hills at Calabasas. Sunny most of the year; autumn brings Santa Ana winds and wildfire risk. The Pacific Surfliner runs down the coast to San Diego.

Highlights

Hollywood sign from Griffith Observatory
Universal Studios Hollywood
Getty Center art and gardens
Santa Monica Pier and Venice boardwalk
Disneyland in Anaheim
Walk of Fame and the TCL Chinese Theatre
Pioneer Boulevard's Indian food

Things to do

Universal Studios HollywoodMorning · 8h
Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood signEvening · 2h 30m
Getty CenterMorning · 3h
Santa Monica Pier and Venice BeachAfternoon · 3h 30m
Disneyland (full day)Morning · 10h

Tours & tickets

Tours & tickets in Los Angelesvia GetYourGuide Tours & tickets in Los Angelesvia Klook

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When to go

Best time: March – May, September – November

Worth knowing

Wildfire Season

Late summer and autumn are California's wildfire season: fires and smoke can close parks, roads and wineries at short notice, and dry autumn winds (Santa Ana, Diablo) bring power shut-offs. Check the CAL FIRE incident map and air quality (AirNow) each morning, and keep plans flexible.

Rose Parade, Pasadena — Floats covered in flowers down Colorado Boulevard on New Year's morning, before the Rose Bowl football game; free kerbside spots are claimed the night before.

Getting there

Fly into Los Angeles (LAX)

Search flights to LAX from your city ↗

Flights from India

From Delhi (1 stop)from ₹44,000
From Mumbai (1 stop)from ₹44,000
From Bengaluru (1 stop)from ₹45,000
From Chennai (1 stop)from ₹45,000
From Hyderabad (1 stop)from ₹45,000
From Kolkata (1 stop)from ₹47,000

Fly into Las Vegas (LAS), 361 km away

Then: Flight · 3h 36m (Southwest / Spirit / Delta / American / United)

Search flights to LAS from your city ↗

Flights from India

From Delhi (1 stop)from ₹44,000
From Mumbai (1 stop)from ₹44,000
From Bengaluru (1 stop)from ₹45,000
From Hyderabad (1 stop)from ₹45,000

Fares from India: one way, per person; typical fares, not live prices.

Entry rules

Your passport

Visa needed before you fly for up to 180 days, about ₹17,590

Fill in the DS-160 visa form online (ceac.state.gov), then pay the US$185 B1/B2 fee (about ₹17,590) and book your biometrics and interview on the US Mission India's appointment site (linked from in.usembassy.gov). The fee is not refunded if the visa is refused.
Book as soon as you decide to travel: in September 2026 the next B1/B2 interview slots were 10-12 months away in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad; check every centre, as Chennai and Kolkata have sometimes been sooner. Since September 2025 nearly everyone must be interviewed in person, children and over-79s included, and you must apply in India.
No interview is needed only if you are renewing a full-validity B1/B2 that expired less than 12 months ago and you were 18 or older when it was issued; the consulate can still ask you to come in.
When the visa is approved, a US$250 "visa integrity fee" set by a 2025 law may be charged before it is issued (in October 2026 it was unclear whether Indian posts were collecting it). A B1/B2 for Indians is usually valid 10 years, for many visits.
At the US airport, Customs and Border Protection decides how long you may stay (often up to 6 months) and records it in your electronic I-94: check the date at i94.cbp.dhs.gov after landing. Declare food on the customs form.

Carry: Passport valid for your whole stay (6 months beyond it is safest), with the B1/B2 visa in it; DS-160 confirmation page and appointment letter (for the interview); Proof of funds and ties to India: recent bank statements, income-tax returns, an employer's leave letter or business papers; Return ticket and a day-by-day plan, with hotel bookings or an invitation letter from your host in the US; Travel insurance with high medical cover (US hospital costs are very high).

Interview waits in India run to many months and change monthly: check the State Department's visa wait-time page and book before anything non-refundable. The US$250 visa integrity fee may be added at issuance.

Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.

Also in California

🌉 San Francisco · Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and Cable Cars
🏔️ Yosemite National Park · El Capitan, Half Dome and Giant Sequoias
🍷 Napa & Sonoma Valleys · Cabernet, Cellar Doors and Balloon Flights
🌊 Monterey, Carmel & Big Sur · Bixby Bridge, Sea Otters and 17-Mile Drive
🦭 San Diego · Balboa Park, the Zoo and La Jolla's Sea Lions
🛶 Lake Tahoe · Emerald Bay, Clear Water and Sierra Ski Slopes
🌵 Palm Springs & Joshua Tree · Desert Modernism, the Aerial Tramway and Joshua Trees

Plan a trip to Los Angeles

Flying in from elsewhere? Start at Los Angeles (LAX)