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HOW TO GET AROUND LA

How to Get Around Los Angeles – Find Out Here!

a man standing on top of a mountain

“How to get around Los Angeles” – reader, that is a question I’ve been asking myself for the past half decade, as I navigate this sprawling West Coast metropolis and make it my home. Whether you’re a first time visitor or you’ve been trying to figure out the touch and go of the traffic patterns that keep the city’s pulse pumping for years, if you’re looking to figure out how to get around LA, you’ve come to the right place. Check out our handy guide for getting around the city below; we’ll break it down for you depending on how and where you need to go; once you’ve figured it out, head on over to our Los Angeles Tours website, book a once in a lifetime tour, and experience the city in an up close and personal way!

How to Get Around Los Angeles

a group of people riding on the back of a bicycle

Metro

One of the biggest surprises upon arrival is that LA DOES have a subway- and a decent one, too! To be fully transparent, is it the most efficient way to get around the city? Eh. Does it stop everywhere? Certainly not. If it stops where you need to go, does it rock, AND is cheap, and easy to use? Absolutely. The LA metro system is the best option for traffic jam-free navigation of Los Angeles. With a metro hub at Union Station and six separate train lines extending out in all directions across the city. Did you know you can also take the metro all the way out to the beach? (An excellent option to avoid looking for parking in Santa Monica, which can eat up the entirety of a beach day.) Taking the metro is costly, efficient, and easy to navigate; it’s also a great way to experience sightseeing in LA, given its plethora of above-ground train tracks. Some of our favorite sites to check out from the metro line include the Downtown Arts District, Little Tokyo, Chinatown, the Watts Towers, Downtown Long Beach, the Expo Center, the beach, and more! The LA Metro is also expanding, bridging the gap between the east side and the west side via Wilshire Blvd, one of the city’s main arteries, so it’ll be even easier to get from place to place. Contact us, and let us know how we can best help you get around LA!

a group of people posing for the camera

Bus

Believe it or not, understanding and using the bus system in Los Angeles is incredibly easy and (mostly!) very efficient! The LA Metro system operates its busses 24/7, and they run all over the city. With the purchase of an LA Metro TAP card (for which daily, weekly, and custom rates are available,) you’ll be able to hop on any LA bus and see the city at your leisure.

Rideshares/Rental Cars

Whether you’ve lived here for an eternity or you’ve never set foot in Los Angeles, it’s likely that your schema of our fair city includes a healthy dose of cars, freeways, and that terrible traffic. There’s no denying that LA is a sprawl, it’s massive, and that getting around by car is pretty darn efficient when exploring the city. However, since the advent of rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft about a decade ago, it’s actually possible to get around LA WITHOUT a car of your own and to utilize the plethora of ride share options populating the city. You’ll save time on parking (an entire endeavor unto itself) and money on gas (have you SEEN the prices recently?) and in recent months, both apps have brought back their shared ride options, making it easier and more affordable than ever to use them. Let us know where you’re coming from when you’re booking your LA Tour, and we can help advise the easiest route!

a group of people standing outside of a wall on a venice tour

Walking

They say that “no one walks in LA” (sing it, actually,) and we’re here to tell you that that is patently FALSE! Walking in LA is one of the best ways to see and experience the city. Some of the most beautiful neighborhoods and cities are nestled in this massive metropolis. When you go for a stroll in Los Angeles, it’s one of the best ways to relax, unplug, and soak up the beautiful city around you. Check out our LA Tour Blog to get a personalized guide for the Best Neighborhoods for Walking in Los Angeles, and check out our OTHER favorite modus operandi for walking in Los Angeles below: Hiking!

a person sitting in a chair talking on a cell phone

Hiking

It should come as no secret that at Bikes and Hikes LA Tours, we LOVE to hike! In Los Angeles, hiking is in our DNA, and we love showing guests, visitors, and locals the natural splendor of our favorite city on the bevy of beautiful hiking trails that crisscross the city! We’ll take you on any of our daily hike tours through Griffith Park, a guided hike through the iconic Runyon Canyon in Hollywood, beachside through the Santa Monica Mountains, and closer to the Hollywood Sign than any other Tour company in Los Angeles! Book your Hollywood Sign Hike today!

a person riding a horse next to a bicycle

Biking

The OTHER best way to get around Los Angeles is by bike! We also love biking at Bikes and Hikes LA Tours (again, shocking!) and love to encourage folks to get out of their cars and into the sunshine. Los Angeles is a terrific city for biking, with multiple bike lanes and bike paths through the city’s many parks. It’s an eco-friendly, affordable, and safe way to see the city, and allows you to experience Los Angeles’ many neighborhoods right in the center of the action! Whether you’re biking along the beach, biking through the hills, or taking a Los Angeles tour, we love riding through the City of Angels on a sleek bicycle (you can book an LA bike rental here) – or better yet, on a guided LA Tour. Book yours today!

Jeremy Davis posing for the camera

Bikes and Hikes LA Tours

Finally, the BEST possible way to get around LA is by booking one of our guided Los Angeles Tours! Los Angeles is massive and can be overwhelming- the best way to experience the city is with our fleet of expert Los Angeles tour guides, who are passionate about Los Angeles history, trivia, and showing you the best of the best of Los Angeles sightseeing. We offer multiple daily public and private tours, designed for guests of all ages, and we can’t wait to welcome you to our favorite city. Getting around LA is a no brainer when you book with Bikes and Hikes LA Tours. Welcome to LA LA Land.

a group of people on a los angeles tour in santa monica