Heading to Los Angeles soon?
These are some ideas on things to do alone in Los Angeles!
From exploring the iconic sights of Hollywood to touring the major film studios or relaxing at the beach, there are plenty of things to do alone for the Muslim traveler in LA
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Before You Go To Los Angeles, What You Should Know About Traveling Solo to LA As a Muslim Woman
But before you dive down and know what to do in LA alone, read our in-depth guide to Los Angeles here for information on solo travel, Halal Food, Mosques, and more in general.
Without further ado, here are some inspirations on Muslim-friendly Things To Do Alone in Los Angeles that will help when it comes to “How can I explore LA alone?”
On a tight ⏳ solo day trip schedule in LA? This ⭐️ Iconic Sights Tour will help you see the best of LA’s top sights, in one day!
Hike the Hollywood Sign
What better way to see Los Angeles’ famous landmark if not by hiking there?
Better yet go on your solo hike with a tour so you can experience the best adventure relishing in the spectacular views of the Hollywood sign.
At the same time, the guide will tell you stories and the history of Hollywood fascinating history! On the safety side, this tour is a great option to consider as the tour guide is a certified Expert First Aid and CPR professional
See Moon, Stars & Learn Science Advancements at Griffith Observatory
One of the FREE things to do alone in Los Angeles, especially for the science geeks, is to visit the Griffith Observatory!
Featured in the Oscar-winning La La Land, this Observatory and its surrounding park features:
- A Planetarium
- Exhibits on human progress, space, and earth
- Dean Martin statue
- Seeing the sky for FREE via the public telescopes!
- Seeing the Hollywood sign
Sometimes, there are daily programs that you can take part in! Check out their website for the late events and offerings.
Operating hours: 12:00 – 10:00 pm (Thu – Fri); 10:00 am – 10:00 pm (Sat – Sun)
Address: 2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90027, United States
Halal Food nearby: Dubai Sauce, Hollywood Shawarma (15-mins drive away)
Stroll down Rodeo Drive
If New York City has Fifth Avenue, LA has Rodeo Drive!
This notable street in Beverly Hills is 2nd most expensive shopping street in America.
You guessed right— it is lined up with top brands and established boutiques!
Just a stroll around is pleasant to experience LA’s luxury street.
Halal Food nearby: Anarbagh (Indian cuisine)
Shop and Experience Ovation Hollywood
If you want to shop in the heart of Hollywood, Ovation Hollywood (formerly known as Hollywood and Highland) is the shopping complex you need to visit!
This is no ordinary shopping mall. It is also an entertainment complex with famous surrounding attractions like the Walk of Fame and all kinds of Hollywood theaters.
You can see the Hollywood sign with the iconic Californian palm trees from here!
Pro-tip: This junction gets busy in the evening and can be dangerous at night time. Muslim Solo Travelers should be careful as many street performers would make you pay by just watching them dance, sing or take photos.
Operating hours: 7:00 am – 11:00 pm daily
Address: 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, United States
See a Movie in one of Hollywood’s acclaimed theaters!
Being the world’s entertainment center, there are so many world-class and live theaters just a walking distance from Ovation Hollywood.
A few of those theaters are:
- Dolby Theatre (home of the Academy Awards)
- El Capitan Theatre (Disney’s home on Hollywood Boulevard)
- TCL Chinese Theatre (home of the world’s biggest IMAX theatre)
You might even chance upon a Red carpet movie premiere here!
See Muhammad Ali Wall Plaque at the Hollywood Star of Fame
While in Ovation Hollywood, why not check out the wall plaque of Muhammad Ali Star of Fame?
Unlike other walks of fame stars, The legendary Muslim boxer’s star of fame is put on the wall because his name included Prophet Muhammad SAW’s name.
Otherwise, if you plan to check out the rest of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it is incredibly long as it stretches about 15 blocks of Hollywood boulevard. Coming in summer, trailing the walk may be tiring!
So plan ahead which star you’d like to see and do your research.
Address: 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028, United States
Participate in Hollywood History Tour
If you want to learn about the history of Hollywood while passing by the area’s famous landmarks, this 2-hour walking tour is a great option!
It covers sites like the theaters on Hollywood Boulevard, Capitol Records, and Walk of Fame, together with history and commentary from the local guide.
Bike Along Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach
Another great thing to do solo in LA is heading to the beach at Santa Monica and Venice!
Santa Monica Pier and Venice beach are LA’s most famous beaches interconnected to one another. You’ll experience the beachside, bohemian LA culture and see lots of shops selling all kinds of knick-knacks.
Regardless of their close proximity, walking can at least take half an hour. So, the best way to explore both Santa Monica band Venice Beach is to hop on an e-bike! Choose from either 1 hour, 3-hour, or All-day packages.
Pro-tip: Start from Venice Beach and end your trip at Santa Monica!
Addresses (click for directions): Venice Beach, Santa Monica Pier
Explore the neighborhoods of LA
A simple yet fulfilling thing to do alone in Los Angeles is to explore the neighborhoods!
By exploring, you’ll find hidden gems unnoticed by the typical tourist spots.
LA has a diverse population with its own offering that each neighborhood would offer something unique to the visitors!
You can explore hilltop escapes, quaint neighborhoods, trendy celebrity homes, or just what parts of the world has to offer in LA at neighborhoods like Little Ethiopia and Koreatown!
Back when I stayed in Melrose Avenue, walking down the neighborhood from the bus stop to my rental home gave me the opportunity to talk to a local in exchange for a lemon directly from a resident’s blooming lemon tree! It felt like I was living there!
People watch at The Grove.
There are many places where you can people watch in Los Angeles.
But one of the places to go by yourself in California to people-watch in an open-air setting is The Grove.
This is an open-air complex mix with dining, retail, and lifestyle. Sometimes, events are happening here!
The landscaping and gardens here feel like a grown-up theme park, hence making it a cool place to people watch!
Address: 189 The Grove Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90036, United States
Opening hours: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm (Mon – Thu); 10:00 am – 10:00 pm (Sat-Sun)
Halal Food nearby: Halal Bismillah Indian Restaurant
Spend time in the local bookstore
One of the best solo things to do in LA is to explore the independent local bookstores!
One must-visit bookstore is The Last Bookstore!
This is not only a bookstore but a multilevel space filled with an art gallery, exhibits like book tunnels, and local crafts (you can even talk to the artisan directly!). Cut short, the bookstore has an imaginative and fancy way of arranging books and decorating the space.
The Last Bookstore is like a maze, so if you’re a bookworm, by the time you know it, you can spend a day’s time here!
Address: 453 South Spring Street Ground Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013, United States
Operating hours: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm daily
Halal Food nearby: Biryani Kabob House
Explore the street art at DTLA
2-min walk away from The Last Bookstore, you’ll find gorgeous large-scale murals adorning the sidewalks.
Just follow along the streets, and you’ll discover tons of graffiti wall art and murals that reflect LA culture.
A few of these street art features Frida Kahlo, Simpsons, and even Kobe Bryant!
Most of them would direct you to the Arts District!
Here, you can see a map of all the murals and street art in DTLA.
Meet the Muslim Community of Los Angeles
While on the subject of exploring the neighborhoods, this also allows you to meet and talk to a fellow local Muslim.
While the best way is undoubtedly to go and eat at any Muslim-owned Halal restaurants or the local mosques, another way that this can happen is to stay in a Muslim-populated neighborhood!
And Los Angeles is one of the counties in SoCal (South California) with this population, besides other counties like San Bernardino, Ventura, and Orange Riverside Counties.
Soak in the Downtown Vibe in DTLA
Downtown LA is another district that is a vibe in itself!
Unlike Hollywood Boulevard, which is filled with low-rise and sparsed outbuildings, the architecture in DTLA is filled with modern high-rises and skyscrapers.
There are lots of museums you can check out here. But if there are two places that you must check out, it is The Broad and Walt Disney Concert Hall!
Tour the Houses of Celebrities
One of the fun things to do alone in Los Angeles is to see the homes of famous celebrities.
This tour allows you to experience that (from the outside) while passing by other landmarks like Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, and West Hollywood.
You may even spot them if you’re lucky!
Get inspired at LACMA.
Thinking of what to do in LA alone at night?
Check out LACMA!
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art has a great collection exhibition of 147,000 objects reflecting the globe’s artistic side over 6,000 years.
Besides that, you should go here at night because of the museum’s famous Urban Light — rows of lamp posts which illuminates at night.
Address: 5905 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036, United States
Operating hours: 11:00 am – 6:00 pm (Mon – Thu); 11:00 am – 8:00 pm (Fri); 10:00 am – 7:00 pm (Sat – Sun)
Go up Angel’s Flight Railway
Experiencing the world’s shortest railway is one of the best things to do alone in Los Angeles.
This is essentially a “Los Angeles experience” as this railway has been around since 1901. It has also been in several movies like The Muppets in 2011!
Address: 350 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071, United States
Operating hours: 6:45 am – 10:00 pm daily
Nearby Halal food: Biriyani Kabob House
Tour Hollywood’s famous Film studios
While in Hollywood, why not take the chance to tour its famous TV & Film Studios?
There are a couple of major TV and film studios around Hollywood, such as:
- Warner Brothers
- Universal Studios
- Paramount Pictures
- Sony Pictures/Columbia Pictures
- 20th Century Fox
While they all have their strengths, the best ones to visit is either Warner Bros or Universal Studios.
Experience Warner Bros Studio Tour in Hollywood
Going on a tour in Warner Bros Studios will help you get up close to the 100 years of movie-making history of the Warner Bros.
From Harry Potter to the DC Universe, this is the place to be to see what it takes to produce these films! On top of that, the studio adds special features each year!
There are two types of tours offered in Warner Bros Studios:
- Studio Tour
- Classics Tour
Depending on your preference, each tour presents its own strengths.
I personally took the Studio tour, which started with a Behind-The-Scenes tour to the set of Friends, batmobile collection, and Harry Potter!
Warner Bros Studio Tour VS Warner Bros Classics Tour
| Warner Bros Studio Tour | Warner Bros Classics Tour |
|---|---|
| Behind the scenes of the entertainment world | Featuring iconic movies and TV shows |
| 3 hours | 3 hours |
| Friends, DC Universe, Harry Potter | Audrey Hepburn’s footsteps, Ingrid Bergman costumes |
| Check Tour availability -> | Check Tour availability -> |
Address: 3400 Warner Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505, United States
Operating hours: 8:30 am – 3:30 pm daily
Eat Halal American food
As a Muslim Solo Traveler, eating Halal American food is one of the top things to do alone in Los Angeles!
There are a couple of Halal American food joints you can try here. Some of them are Dave’s Kitchen, and Urban Skillet.
Check out this article for more information on where to eat Halal food in LA.
Attend a Live TV Show Taping
Want to elevate your solo travel experience in the world’s entertainment capital?
Why not attend a live taping experience instead?
You can join in these television shows, from sitcoms to talk shows and game shows if you book early! All you need to do is to request tickets.
A few shows where you can request live tapings in LA are Jimmy Kimmel Live and Conan.
Experience The Original Farmer’s Market
Had enough of the glitz and glamor in LA?
Then check out the Farmer’s Market! This is an area thriving with a melting pot of cultures.
You’ll not only get to see various trendy local shops, but also produce markets, prepared food vendors, and sit-down eateries in one whole place.
Pro-tip: get the map before exploring the huge Farmer’s Market!
Halal food option is not available here. Although that’s a huge bummer, just take this opportunity to explore what an LA market is like!
Address: 6333 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90036, United States
Operating hours: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm (Sun – Thu); 10:00 am – 9:00 pm (Fri – Sat)
Tour the Best of LA with Hop-on Hop-off Bus
Looking for ways to minimize your city trip time in LA?
Then the Hop-on Hop-off double-decker bus tour in Los Angeles is a great choice to explore the top sights in LA in a short period of time.
This bus will pass by 44 stops in LA, covering the area of Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Downtown LA, Venice and Santa Monica so you can see the city’s top sights! You can also hop on or off at whichever stop you like and to your own schedule.
Pro-tip: Do bring your own bottle and come with a hat as LA can get pretty hot!
Visit Disneyland Park
If you grew up watching Disney, your LA solo adventure is only fulfilling once you’ve stepped foot in Disneyland Park!
This is the original Disney destination.
See famous Disney Characters like Mickey Mouse, and all kinds of Disney theme park attractions such Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Star Wars!
Address: 1313 Disneyland Dr, Anaheim, CA 92802, United States
Operating hours: 8:00 am – 12:00 am daily
See a Basketball NBA Game at Staples Center
Another show that you’d want to check out if you’re a sportsman is the NBA game!
Staples Center is one of the best places to go alone in Los Angeles for a hype NBA match!
This is also the home of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team, alongside LA Clippers, LA Kings, and LA Sparks.
Address: 1111 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90015, USA
?? Want to Tour LA in the glam, Hollywood style? Check out this ? Convertible Tour!
Concluseion — Muslim-friendly Things to do Alone in Los Angeles
While it is known as the world’s entertainment center, there are lots of Muslim-friendly things to do in LA!
You’ll surely never be bored.
For the full Muslim Solo Travel Guide to LA which includes suggestions on where to pray, solo tips, Halal Food and where to stay, check out this guide.
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