12 Things to Do in Los Angeles at Night

In a city as big as Los Angeles, there are plenty of things to do in the evenings. It's not all about partying and nightclubs, nor is it all about beach and sea. Los Angeles has many nuances that will make you enjoy its nightlife like never before, no matter what time of the year you go.

If you are planning a vacation, you should keep in mind that the day doesn't end as soon as the sun goes down. Regardless of the season, Los Angeles is full of activities in the evenings that would be a shame to miss out on - read on to discover ten of the best things to do!

Los Angeles is the city to enjoy an NBA game and with only one team left, you have the option to:

• Book a ticket for the Los Angeles Lakers, which is the most popular team and has a great fan base. Their kit is yellow and purple and some of the figures who have worn or wear it today are LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Derek Fisher or Shaquille O'Neal. Currently, the games are played at the Cryptocom Arena, previously known as Staples Center, which has a capacity of around 19,000 people.
• Book a ticket for the Los Angeles Clippers, which, although not as well known, is a great team that has had players such as Eric Piatkowski, Blake Griffin, Elton Brand or Chris Paul. Currently, they also play in Cryptocom Arena, although their new stadium, Intuit Dome, will be inaugurated in the 2024/2025 season.

If you want to know all the secrets of Hollywood, don't hesitate to book a ghost tour at dusk. You have two options depending on how long you want the experience to last:

• Los Angeles Ghost Tour, from $27: A tour of approximately one hour with a local expert guide where you will delve into the most terrifying stories.
• Los Angeles Ghost and Crime Tour, from $40: A two-hour tour with an expert local guide where you will learn about haunting, spooky and paranormal stories.

If there's one thing the city of Los Angeles has and offers, it's a massive coastline that can be enjoyed from end to end. But what about enjoying the sea directly? That's a great option, and that's why I recommend you take one of the best boat tours of the city and, specifically, book a sunset cruise in Los Angeles.

Generally, these cruises pick up at the Santa Monica Pier, Marina Del Rey or Newport Beach and skirt the entire Los Angeles coastline. Some even go as close as the Channel Islands. They often start near sunset and complement the marine tour with a dinner with an international menu, ready to delight any palate.

The tour usually lasts about two hours and sometimes a tour guide will explain the lights of the city and how they are reflected in the sea. There are cruises that take place on special holidays such as New Year's, which is one of the best things to do in Los Angeles in winter.

Santa Monica is one of the most famous districts of Los Angeles. Its beach and pier is a great place to spend a day, but also the night, particularly because it is full of attractions illuminated with neon lights. I recommend booking a bus tour of Santa Monica to get to know the area in depth, as well as some of its main attractions such as Pacific Park, a place where you can spend a fantastic night between laughter and attractions.

One of the best is the Ferris wheel, known in English as Pacific Wheel. This is the only known Ferris wheel in the world that works only with solar energy, making it a milestone in the Ferris wheel industry. Here you can sit and enjoy the nighttime scenery as you go up, or just enjoy a different moment watching the neon lights of Santa Monica.

When you're at the bottom, you'll realize that the Ferris wheel itself is amazing to photograph, because of its lights and movements. Plus, the proximity to the sea will give you a coastal smell that you can breathe even on the coldest nights. Are you going to miss getting to know Santa Monica in this fantastic way at night?

Practical information

• Location: 380 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, 90401.
• Price: Admission to the amusement park is free, but each of the rides can range from approximately $5 to $12.
• Hours: Every night, although show times should be consulted in advance.

Los Angeles is the movie capital of the world and among its theme parks Universal Studios Hollywood stands out. Right next to the park is the Universal City Walk, which is a kind of entrance plaza that goes from the parking lot to the start of the attractions. Throughout this area you will find restaurants and product vendors, as well as fantastic lighting.

Precisely because of this lighting, is that my advice is to visit this area at night. When you book your ticket to Universal Studios, keep in mind that at night the entertainment industry is active, with different theaters and cinemas at your disposal. You can also take the opportunity to shop for clothing and souvenirs of your vacation.

And if your thing is street exhibitions, you should know that also during the night many artists and magicians are concentrated in the Universal City Walk, so you can stop for a few minutes to watch their presentations. All this makes walking through the Universal City Walk an activity that you can take advantage of every night you go.

The privileged geographical position of Los Angeles makes the sun set over the immensity of the Pacific Ocean, right in front of your eyes. When you go to this great city, going to Venice Beach will be a must, because it is the most important beach in the city. But what if you stop there in the late afternoon, sit for a while in front of the sea and watch the sun go down behind the sea?

And if you want to enjoy this area to the fullest, book a food tour of Venice Beach. It's a must do, no matter the season. Even if it's winter, sitting on the sand and watching the night begin is sublime. The Los Angeles sun has been the protagonist of all kinds of artistic manifestations and when you are sitting in Venice Beach watching it say goodbye to the day, you will understand why.

And why Venice Beach? Not only because it is an esplanade of four kilometers long, but because it has a lot of infrastructure that you can enjoy. You can sit in a nearby restaurant, have a drink and watch the sunset. You can also join your family and friends as they chat and the sun goes down. Or you can even meet people on the beach who want to share that moment with you. Are you going to miss it?

What, you thought that among the best helicopter tours to see the city from above your only options were to do it during the day? Not at all! The experience of doing it at night is frankly incredible and I suggest you make the decision to do it. The aerial view is excellent, because the city has a fantastic illumination and every street will be seen clearly from the air.

I advise you not to miss this tour because Los Angeles is a gigantic city. Although it is not one of the most populated cities in the world, its density is very low and its buildings are usually only a few stories high, which will make you appreciate how huge it is from the air. You have two options depending on how long you want the experience to last:

• 15-minute helicopter flight in Los Angeles, from $205
• 30 minute helicopter flight in Los Angeles, from $257.

In addition to that, you will be able to see how the coastline marks the end of the city and with some luck, the islands located in front of the city. Many of these helicopter tours are thought of as a romantic tour for couples, but the truth is that there are options for the whole family. What are you waiting for to book one?

When making the list of things to see and do in Los Angeles at night, keep in mind that the epicenter of the party is the beach, but in this city there is too much nightlife and much of it is concentrated on the Sunset Strip in Beverly Hills. This neighborhood of the city is full of clubs and discos where you can party until dawn, so if you decide to go, it is not a time to be tired.

I recommend you to party at the Sunset Strip clubs if you rested during the day and relaxed on the beach, because at night you can go to a pop or Latin music club where you can dance all night long. But those are not your only options, because on the Sunset Strip there are also more intimate clubs, focused on genres such as jazz or blues or even rock. Book a pub crawl in Hollywood and get to know the main ones.

The truth is, there is something for everyone. I recommend you not to miss the Viper Room, a live music club owned by Johnny Deep, if you want something more lively, or the Tower Bar, located in the Sunset Tower Hotel, if you want something much more relaxed, with jazz in the background. It's all a matter of whether you decide to spend the night, wander among the locals and dance your heart out.

A classic of Los Angeles are the rooftops. This city has a very low density and the buildings are usually quite small, so it is common to find bars and restaurants on rooftops that have an incredible view of much of the city and, especially, the coast. The ideal time to go to these rooftops is at dinner time: here you can simply have a drink with an appetizer or a more sophisticated dish.

In general, Los Angeles is well known for having rooftop bars, the name by which rooftop bars are called. Some are only open at night and offer different alcoholic beverages, while others are open earlier in the day and offer food. The season will also vary, but going to one of these bars is one of the best things to do in the summer in Los Angeles.

My advice is to choose a restaurant with a type of food that you like and that serves rooftop dining. This way, you will be able to dine on the most delicious food for your palate while admiring the lights of Los Angeles and even, listening to the ocean waves in the distance. And if you want to delve deeper into the culinary tradition of the place, book a food tour in Los Angeles. You will be amazed!

Although it doesn't hail from California, jazz has permeated American culture and that can be seen in L.A. And what's better than spending an evening listening to all kinds of jazz bands, both emerging and classic, without having to pay anything? This is done every Friday in the plaza of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), one of the best museums in the city.

This is one of the most important museums in Los Angeles and is also well known by tourists because of the Urban Lights sculpture, composed of different old lanterns, which became a favorite place to take pictures. But in the square you can sit down as if it were a picnic to listen to the best jazz, regardless of the season.

Usually, jazz concerts are scheduled every Friday between April and November, but on numerous occasions it has also been extended to the winter, although using other facilities. The idea is that you spend a Friday night relaxing and enjoying jazz in a beautiful place, with the best company.

Practical information

• Location: Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) plaza located at 5905 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, 90036.
• Price: Free of charge.
• Hours: Friday evenings, starting at 6 pm.

Walking along the Hollywood Bullevar is an experience that I recommend you to do at night when you are in Los Angeles. Here you will be able to see the Hollywood walk of fame, as well as a lot of illuminated buildings full of activities. But for this activity I propose you to enter two of the most impressive buildings in Los Angeles, sample of the beginning of the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, having been built in the 1920s with an architecture inspired by Ancient Egypt and East Asia:

• Grauman's Egyptian Theater.
• Grauman's Chinese Theater. This is a fixed stop among the best Hollywood tours of the city.

When you go at night, you will be able to see its imposing facades illuminated with spotlights that will highlight its beauty. Also, once you are inside, you can go to a show. I recommend you to attend a movie show, because these theaters are constantly being used as part of different film series.

Recently the Egyptian Theater of Grauman was bought by Netflix and its productions are part of the cultural agenda, especially from Monday to Thursday. Friday, Saturday and Sunday corresponds to the programming of the American Cinematheque, the former owners. So, what better excuse to see an old or new movie than to enter the most striking theaters in Los Angeles?

Practical Information

• Location: 6925 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles (Chinese Theater) and 1650-1654 McCadden Pl & 6706-6712 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles (Egyptian Theater).
• Price: the entrance fee for a tour of one of the theaters is around 9 €, but if it includes a movie, it can reach up to 12 € approximately.
• Hours: every night, although the times of the movie showings are usually from 19 h.

To see the stars, you just have to look up at the sky, although the Griffith Observatory can help. In a city like Los Angeles, seeing the stars from outer space can be tricky, but this observatory is the perfect place. It is one of the most important planetariums in the U.S. and often has nighttime or open sky shows. It is also an ideal place to watch the sunset with the cityscape.

All this is because the Griffith Observatory is located at the top of Mount Hollywood, in Griffith Park, so from there you will have a phenomenal view of the city. And that is why I highly recommend you to come here at night, because you will be able to see the skyline of the city, with the tallest buildings of Los Angeles lit up at night.

You have to keep in mind that the entrance to the park closes at 10 pm, so you have to be there earlier to be able to get to the observatory. You should also know that if you go and it is cold, it is important to bring coats or sweaters because it is very windy in the park and the idea is to enjoy the lights of the sky and the city, but not to freeze to death.

Practical information

• Location: Griffith Park.
• Price: performances cost about 10 €, but access to the park where the observatory is located is free.
• Hours: every night, although show times should be consulted in advance.