There are beach days in Los Angeles, and then there are Santa Monica and Venice Beach beach days.
This stretch of the LA coast is where ocean views, street performers, skate culture, historic landmarks, beachside bike paths, hidden canals, and full blown California weirdness all collide in the best possible way. You can absolutely wander around on your own, but if you want to actually understand what you’re seeing – and cover more ground without spending half the day looking at your phone – the best way to experience Santa Monica and Venice Beach is by bike.
At Bikes and Hikes LA, our guided Santa Monica and Venice Beach bike tour takes you through the most iconic stops along the coast with a local guide who knows the history, the stories, the photo spots, and the little details you’d probably miss on your own.
Here’s what to see, where to go, and why this part of Los Angeles is made for exploring on two wheels.
Start with the Santa Monica Pier
The Santa Monica Pier is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Los Angeles, and for good reason. It has ocean views, classic California energy, street performers, carnival rides, and that “I’m definitely in LA” feeling people come here for.
It’s also a perfect starting point for understanding Santa Monica as more than just a beach town. The pier connects old school seaside nostalgia with modern LA tourism, and it gives you one of the best views of the coastline before heading south toward Venice.
On our Santa Monica bike tour, this is one of those classic photo moments. Blue sky, Pacific Ocean, palm trees, pier in the background – very much the postcard version of LA, but in real life.
Ride the Marvin Braude Bike Trail
If there’s one reason Santa Monica and Venice Beach are so perfect for biking, it’s the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, also known as the beach bike path. This famous coastal path runs along the shoreline of Santa Monica Bay and connects some of LA’s best beach communities.
For visitors, this is a dream: you get the ocean breeze, the beach views, the palm trees, and the people-watching without trying to navigate LA traffic. It’s one of the easiest and most scenic ways to move between Santa Monica and Venice Beach.
A lot of visitors search for a Santa Monica to Venice Beach bike ride because they know these two places are close, but they don’t always know the best route, where to stop, or what’s worth seeing along the way. That’s exactly where a guided ride makes the day smoother, safer, and way more interesting.
See Original Muscle Beach
Before Venice became famous for bodybuilders, Original Muscle Beach started near the Santa Monica Pier in the 1930s as a hub for gymnastics, fitness, and outdoor strength culture.
Today, it’s a fun stop because it connects Santa Monica’s fitness history with the beach lifestyle LA is still known for. It’s also one of those places people walk past without realizing how much history is sitting right there in the sand.
A great guide can turn a quick photo stop into a little “wait, I didn’t know that” moment – which is kind of our whole thing.
Cruise into Venice Beach
Venice Beach is where LA gets loud, colorful, creative, chaotic, artistic, and completely itself.
The Venice Beach Boardwalk is packed with murals, performers, vendors, skaters, musicians, souvenir shops, cafés, and some of the best people watching in California. It’s a place that doesn’t really make sense until you’re in it – and then suddenly, it makes perfect sense.
This is one of the biggest reasons a Venice Beach bike tour is worth it. Venice has layers: beach culture, art, architecture, skate history, counterculture, fitness history, and a very specific kind of LA personality. Riding with a local guide helps you understand what you’re looking at instead of just walking through the noise.
Watch the Venice Skate Park
The Venice Skate Park is one of the coolest stops on the coast. Built right into the sand, it’s part athletic performance, part local hangout, part accidental live show.
Even if you know nothing about skateboarding, it’s easy to get pulled in. There’s always something happening – someone dropping into the bowl, someone filming a trick, someone making it look deeply casual to do something terrifying on wheels.
It’s also one of the best places to feel the creative pulse of Venice Beach. This neighborhood has always attracted artists, athletes, rebels, and performers, and the skate park captures that energy perfectly.
Visit the Venice Canals
A few blocks away from the boardwalk, Venice suddenly changes completely.
The Venice Canals are peaceful, beautiful, and honestly a little surprising if you’ve only seen the louder side of Venice Beach. The walkways, bridges, gardens, and waterfront homes feel like a hidden pocket of the neighborhood.
This is the kind of stop that makes a Santa Monica and Venice Beach tour feel more complete. You get the famous beach sights, but you also get the quieter, prettier side of Venice that many visitors miss.
It’s also a great photo stop, especially if you want something that doesn’t look like every other beach picture in your camera roll.
Why Bike Instead of Walk or Drive?
Santa Monica and Venice Beach are close enough to connect, but spread out enough that walking the whole thing can eat up a lot of your day. Driving is even worse because parking, traffic, and beach congestion can turn a simple outing into a full emotional event.
Biking is the sweet spot.
You can cover more ground than walking, stop easily for photos, stay close to the ocean, and actually enjoy the journey between landmarks. Plus, biking lets you experience the coast the way locals do – outside, moving, and fully in the scene.
Our Santa Monica and Venice Beach Bike Tour is designed to make the day easy. We handle the route, the bikes, the pacing, and the storytelling. You just show up ready to ride, take photos, and see one of the most iconic stretches of Los Angeles.
What You’ll See on a Guided Santa Monica and Venice Beach Bike Tour
On a guided ride with Bikes and Hikes LA, you can expect a mix of famous landmarks, local history, beach culture, and photo-worthy stops, including:
- Santa Monica Pier
- Original Muscle Beach
- The Marvin Braude Bike Trail
- Venice Beach Boardwalk
- Venice Skate Park
- Public art and murals
- The Venice Canals
- Oceanfront views and classic LA beach scenery
And because our guides are actual humans with personality – not walking audio guides in cargo shorts – you’ll also get stories, local tips, and help getting great photos along the way.
Is This Tour Good for First-Time Visitors?
Yes. Honestly, it’s one of the best things to do early in your LA trip.
If you’re visiting Los Angeles for the first time, Santa Monica and Venice Beach are probably already on your list. Doing them by bike helps you see both in one easy outing without trying to piece the day together yourself.
It’s also a great option if you’re staying near Santa Monica, Venice, Marina del Rey, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, or anywhere on the Westside and want an active, scenic LA experience that doesn’t involve sitting in traffic all afternoon.
Is It Good for Locals?
Also yes.
Locals love this ride because it’s an easy way to turn a familiar beach day into something more intentional. You get outside, you learn a few things, you rediscover the coast, and you don’t have to be the person coordinating the route for everyone.
It’s great for visiting friends and family, date days, team outings, birthdays, private groups, and anyone who says, “I want to do something LA, but not cheesy.”
The Best Way to See Santa Monica and Venice Beach
You can visit Santa Monica and Venice Beach on your own, but if you want the easiest, most fun, most photo-friendly way to experience both, book a guided bike tour.
You’ll see the pier, the beach path, Muscle Beach, the Venice Boardwalk, the skate park, the canals, and the oceanfront scenery that makes this part of LA so iconic — all with a local guide leading the way.
Ready to ride the coast? Book our Santa Monica and Venice Beach Bike Tour with Bikes and Hikes LA and see the best of LA’s beach culture in one unforgettable ride.
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