A long weekend away from home is sometimes all you need for a little reset, and 72 hours is a perfect amount of time to explore Los Angeles and all the fun things to do.
A perfect girls trip- just three nights in Los Angeles- is a manageable vacation to fit into a busy life. A few days of Korean spas, fabulous meals and a little sunshine can be just enough to make handling the rest of the un-fun adulting seem worth the daily grind.
Los Angeles can feel a world apart, especially come Fall when the LA weather continues to be warm and dry while much of the rest of the country starts to take a turn for the cold and we are left digging out our sweaters.
Aside from the sunshine, LA’s dining and drinking scene is top-notch, and the shopping, whether you’re into luxury, vintage or thrift shopping, is hard to beat.
Read the guide below to get a peak at some of the top things to do in Los Angeles, even if just for a long weekend.
Visit Korean Spas
LA has a vibrant Korean community and Korean spas are at the heart of Korean culture. Enjoy the day long experience- indulge in body scrubs, steam rooms, and one of the many unique specialty rooms like charcoal or rose quartz. Re-energize with some hot tea, tofu soup and dumpling- or any other delicious offering in the cafeteria. Learn about Korean Spa culture here. Every korean day spa is unique in their offerings- doing a tour of the different spas is a wonderful way to experience all of the different formats of relaxation.
Los Angeles Korean Spas
- Hugh Spa: Don’t be fooled by the looks from the outside- this women’s only Korean spa in the heart of Koreatown will delight you. Don’t miss the Body Scrub and Massage combo-every single inch of your body will be scrubbed down to baby seal-like smoothness before a life-changing massage. Luxuriate in the Charcoal Mud clay room, or drift off to the warm glow of the rose quartz wall in the Himalayan Salt room.
- Crystal Spa: Housed inside a mall, Crystal Korean Spa in Los Angeles is another can’t miss. The steam room is hot and the Himalayan Room is one of my all-time favorites of any Korean Spa. Alternate between the soaking and cold plunge pools, or stretch yourself out in the gorgeous charcoal room, then finish off with a shower using their Aveda products. They offer an early bird special- $20 before 9 am on weekdays, making this an even more budget-friendly Korean Spa in Los Angeles. Co-ed spa for themed rooms but nude areas are segregated by gender.
- Olympic Spa: This women’s-only Korean day Spa in Koreatown, while a bit pricier than the others listed ($60 day use fee instead of $30 at the time of writing), has an outdoor green space, red clay sauna and jade floor lounge.
Shop At The Thrift Stores in Los Angeles
Perusing the thrift stores in LA is an extremely rewarding and fun way to lose hours, even days, on a budget in LA when everything else might feel overpriced. There are true gems hidden amongst the racks, many brand new with price tags still attached. Below are some of the best thrift shops in Los Angeles, that led to seriously bulging bags for my flight home.
The Best Thrift Stores in Los Angeles
- Pico’s Thrift Store 2: This small shop doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the racks were packed with unbelievable finds, proving to be one of the best thrift stores in Los Angeles for clothes. Many apparel pieces were brand new with tags still attached. Purchased from auctions, this shop has so much to offer and much of it in excellent condition. Its sister location, Pico’s Thrift Store 1, was unfortunately closed the day I went, but I will absolutely be going back on my next LA visit as I trust it will be just as mind-blowing as the other location. Hands down one of the best thrift stores in Los Angeles.
- The Salvation Army on W Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles proved to be another secret haven for unbeatable finds. Well merchandised and fabulously priced, this location ate up an entire afternoon. If you’re looking for cheap thrift stores in LA, I found plenty of pieces starting at just $1.99.
Eat, eat, EAT
There is no shortage of great restaurants in Los Angeles- it really all comes down to what you’re in the mood for and what part of town you’re in. But with so many places to choose from, it can be impossible to decide, so I’m sharing my favorite places below.
Great Restaurants in Los Angeles
- Gjusta and its sister business, Gjelina, are Los Angeles institutions, both located in Venice. They serve seasonal and locally sourced delicacies and are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The aroma of fresh baked goods at Gjusta is simply intoxicating when you walk through the bakery doors, and the outdoor patio is casual but expertly decorated with natural wood tables and potted trees. Try the Huevos Rancheros or the Tuna Conserva.
- Elephante in Santa Monica serves up Southern Italian dishes that will have you coming back for more. Access is possible only by a small private elevator that opens up to a sprawling, stunning open-air restaurant. Don’t miss the Stonefruit Burrata and the Vodka sauce pasta- and order an extra side of bread (the Puccia) to sop up all the extra drippings.
- KazuNori in the heart of Koreatown serves up refreshing sushi handrolls and is a perfect LA lunch spot after hours relaxing at Crystal Spa just around the corner. While the wrap around bar seating might not be for everyone, the sleek decor and simple menu made this a great stop in for an absolutely delicious meal.
- Gracias Madre in West Hollywood is hands down the best vegan restaurant in Los Angeles. Non-vegans would be fooled, it’s that good. Traditional Mexican dishes are scratch-made with organic, non-GMO ingredients, and their cocktail list is out of this world. The Tacos de Pescado, made with battered and fried coconut- had our table gasping disbelief, and our lactose-intolerant friend was vibrating with joy from the Chile Relleno, a dish that she has had to learn to live without.
- Si! Mon in Venice is the brainchild of Chef Jose who describes the restaurant as ‘personal interpretation’ of what it means to be a Central American restaurant in Los Angeles. The Tuna Carpaccio Yuca Tostada was a journey of flavors and textures, the flakes of salt and the crunch of the tostada bringing all the flavors together. The Afro-Carribbean Shrimp Dumplings were delightful and had us spooning the remaining sauce over the coconut rice to get every last drop.
Drink, Imbibe, Sip
It would be impossible to pinpoint the best bars in Los Angeles since there are so many to choose from, but no matter what your vibe or drink, there is undoubtedly something for everyone in LA. From dirty dives to rooftop martinis, you’ll be able to sip to your heart’s content in this thriving city.
Beautiful Bars in Los Angeles
- The Velvet Rose is the rooftop bar at The Eden, a historic Santa Monica institution that was recently rebranded from the long-standing original hotel the Shangri-la. The rooftop bar, though only open Fridays and Saturdays at the moment, has a gorgeous view of the ocean and the Santa Monica Pier.
- The Butcher’s Daughter is a plant-based restaurant and has two locations in Los Angeles, but our group of friends popped into the one in West Hollywood for a nightcap (the other is in Santa Monica). The cocktail list was inventive and was rooted in the seasonality of the fruits available. Our group was drawn in immediately by the decor- a mix of cottage-core, industrial, and mid-century modern with the LA twist of open air and plants, plants, plants.
- Marelle, the restaurant inside the deluxe Sandbourne Hotel on Ocean Ave. in Santa Monica, is breathtaking. A sweeping, open-air design blurs the line between indoors and out, and the muted brick walls and recessed lighting is a gorgeous backdrop to the dark foliage of the fiddle leaf figs, Alocacias and rubber trees. While I took my Aperol Spritz to the pool, I look forward to drinking in the stunning space in the future.
- Chez Jay on Ocean Avenue is one of the few dive bars in Santa Monica and holds a special place in my heart. Established in 1959, it’s a historic landmark and draws a good, casual crowd. The bar has great food and expanded it’s back patio in 2019, now with it’s own name ‘The Backyard at Chez Jay’.
- Townhouse in Venice Beach was originally built in 1915 and served as the original Speakeasy of Venice during prohibition. Now, it operates as a vintage bar with live music most nights of the week and has three distinct parts: the main bar, the patio out front, and the speakeasy downstairs. Even on the Sunday night when my friends and I visited, it was a lively crowd. The speakeasy downstairs was closed during the visit, but the space was cozy and open, and the lighting and the taxidermied aquariums above made for plenty to take in.
