You didn’t come to LA just to snap the Hollywood sign from a crowded overlook and call it a day. Finding the best instagram spots in los angeles means knowing which walls, corners, and viewpoints actually photograph well, and which ones are packed with fifty other tourists doing the exact same pose. Most lists online just recycle the same five locations without telling you when to go or how to avoid the crowds.
This guide skips the guesswork. We’ve pulled together 11 locations across the city, from the murals of Melrose Avenue to the sunset views over the Pacific in Malibu, each chosen for a specific reason: good light, a unique backdrop, or a shot you genuinely can’t get anywhere else. You’ll get practical details like the best time of day to shoot and how to reach each spot without wasting your afternoon in traffic.
We lead guided photo tours through Hollywood and the surrounding neighborhoods every week, so this list reflects what actually works for visitors, not just what looks good in someone else’s feed. Whether you’re planning a self-guided walk or want a local to take you straight to the good stuff, here’s where to point your camera.
1. Take a guided Instagram photo tour with Another Side Tours
Before you start chasing individual locations, consider skipping the trial and error entirely. Another Side Tours runs a dedicated Instagram-focused photo tour that hits multiple photogenic spots around Hollywood in one outing, with a guide who already knows which angle makes the Hollywood sign look massive instead of a speck on the horizon. You get the map knowledge, the timing, and the local eye for composition, all in one afternoon instead of a week of scouting.
Why it’s Instagram-worthy
The tour is built around the exact problem this article is solving: figuring out where to shoot and how to make each frame count. Guides route you to hidden murals, iconic overlooks, and lesser-known corners that don’t show up on the standard tourist map, so your feed doesn’t look identical to everyone else’s LA trip.
A guide who shoots these locations every week will get you a better photo in twenty minutes than an hour of wandering on your own.
Best time to shoot
Tours typically run in the morning or late afternoon, which lines up with the soft, flattering light photographers call golden hour. Your guide adjusts the route based on the day’s light and crowd levels, something a printed map or blog post can’t do for you.
Tips for the perfect photo
- Bring a phone with plenty of storage; you’ll shoot more than you expect
- Wear an outfit that pops against LA’s neutral-toned walls and pavement
- Ask your guide to hold your phone for a few shots so you’re in the frame too
- Pack a portable charger for longer routes
Good to know
This is a small group or private tour, so you’re not fighting strangers for the same shot. Pricing runs in line with Another Side Tours’ standard rates, generally starting around the mid-double digits per person, with private options available for families or groups who want the whole itinerary to themselves. It suits travelers who’d rather spend their limited LA time capturing great photos than researching bus routes and parking.
2. Griffith Observatory and Griffith Park
Perched above the city, Griffith Observatory gives you that classic postcard shot: white domes, palm trees, and the Hollywood sign in the distance with downtown LA sprawled below. Griffith Park itself adds miles of trails and hidden overlooks if you want to skip the crowds gathered right at the observatory steps.
Why it’s Instagram-worthy
Few spots in the city pack this much into one frame. You get architecture, skyline, mountains, and the Hollywood sign without needing a zoom lens, which is rare anywhere in LA.
Best time to shoot
Sunset is the obvious pick, but arrive an hour early. Parking fills up fast, and the terrace gets shoulder-to-shoulder once the sky starts changing color.
Get to Griffith Observatory before the crowds and you’ll shoot the same view everyone else fights for later.
Tips for the perfect photo
- Hike up from the Fern Dell trailhead for a quieter angle on the observatory
- Shoot from the west terrace for the best Hollywood sign alignment
- Use a wide-angle lens setting to capture both the domes and the skyline
Good to know
Entry to the observatory grounds is free, though the planetarium charges admission. Weekends bring heavy foot and car traffic, so a weekday visit gives you a much easier shot at the classic view without dozens of strangers in your frame.
3. The Pink Wall and Melrose Avenue murals
Melrose Avenue is basically an open-air gallery, and the Pink Wall at Paul Smith’s storefront is the anchor shot everyone lines up for. Beyond that single wall, the whole stretch of Melrose is packed with rotating murals, neon signs, and colorful storefronts that give you a completely different look from the palm-tree postcard version of LA.
Why it’s Instagram-worthy
That flat, saturated pink background works as a backdrop for almost anything, from streetwear to formal wear, and it reads as pure color on camera with zero distractions. The surrounding Melrose murals rotate often enough that regulars keep coming back for fresh backdrops.
One bright wall and good light can outperform a dozen scenic overlooks on your feed.
Best time to shoot
Weekday mornings before 10am give you the wall without a line of people waiting their turn. Overcast days actually help here since harsh midday sun washes out the pink and creates blown-out highlights.
Tips for the perfect photo
- Shoot straight-on to keep the wall perfectly flat behind you
- Bring a friend to check for tourists photobombing your shot
- Check nearby side streets for smaller, less crowded murals
Good to know
The wall sits on private property, so be respectful, don’t block the entrance, and keep visits brief during business hours.
4. Rodeo Drive and the Beverly Hills sign
Rodeo Drive delivers the luxury version of LA, all palm trees, marble storefronts, and valet-parked sports cars. A few minutes away, the Beverly Hills sign at Beverly Gardens Park gives you the classic pink-lettered shot that shows up in half of Southern California’s engagement photos.
Why it’s Instagram-worthy
Rodeo Drive reads as glamour without much effort on your part, the street itself does the styling. The Beverly Hills sign offers something different: a clean, colorful landmark shot that’s instantly recognizable and doesn’t require any luck with light or crowds to look good.
A five-minute stop at the Beverly Hills sign gets you a landmark photo that took decades to become iconic.
Best time to shoot
Early morning on Rodeo Drive means empty sidewalks and clean storefront reflections before shoppers and cars fill the frame. The sign gets a steady stream of visitors all day, so weekday mornings work best if you want it mostly to yourself.
Tips for the perfect photo
- Shoot Rodeo Drive from the Wilshire end for the widest street view
- Line up straight-on at the sign to avoid distracting background clutter
- Bring a small step stool if you’re photographing kids near the sign’s base
Good to know
Both spots are free and public, though parking near Rodeo Drive gets pricey fast, so consider a rideshare instead.
5. Venice canals and Venice Beach boardwalk
Most visitors never realize Venice has actual canals until they stumble onto them a few blocks from the beach. The Venice canals offer narrow waterways lined with small bridges, palm trees, and colorful houseboats, a quiet contrast to the chaos of the boardwalk just minutes away. Together, these two spots give you both the calm, residential side of Venice and the loud, eclectic energy that made it famous.
Why it’s Instagram-worthy
The canals feel like a hidden pocket of LA that tourists walk right past, which makes for a shot that looks discovered rather than staged. The Venice Beach boardwalk delivers the opposite mood: skaters, street art, muscle beach, and the iconic Venice sign overhead.
Two totally different backdrops, five minutes apart, means one stop covers your quiet shot and your chaotic one.
Best time to shoot
Hit the canals early morning for reflections on still water and empty bridges. Save the boardwalk for late afternoon when the crowds and street performers are in full swing but the light still flatters skin tones.
Tips for the perfect photo
- Walk the full canal loop to find your favorite bridge angle
- Frame the Venice sign with the boardwalk crowd blurred behind you
- Bring cash for street vendors near the sign
Good to know
Both areas are free to visit, though parking near the beach fills up fast on weekends.
6. Santa Monica Pier and Palisades Park
Santa Monica closes out this list with two backdrops for the price of one parking spot. The Santa Monica Pier gives you the classic Ferris wheel and carnival lights against the ocean, while Palisades Park, just a short walk up the bluffs, hands you a clean sunset view over the Pacific with palm trees silhouetted along the edge.
Why it’s Instagram-worthy
Few shots say "California" faster than a neon Ferris wheel spinning against an orange sky. Add the palm-lined cliffs of Palisades Park above, and you’ve got a postcard shot without needing a single prop or filter.
One pier, one bluff, and a sunset in between gives you the most recognizable shot in Southern California.
Best time to shoot
Go right before sunset. The pier lights turn on as the sky shifts color, and Palisades Park gives you an elevated angle looking down at the wheel and the water beyond it.
Tips for the perfect photo
- Shoot from the bluffs above for the wheel-and-ocean combo shot
- Walk onto the pier itself for close-up carnival details
- Use a slower shutter setting to catch light trails from the rides
Good to know
Parking near the pier fills up fast on weekends, and both spots are free to access year-round.
Planning your LA photo day
Six stops, one city, and a lot of driving if you try to hit them all in a single afternoon. Group the spots geographically instead of chasing this list in order: pair Griffith Observatory with Hollywood murals, then save Venice and Santa Monica for a beach-day loop. Trying to cram the Pink Wall, Rodeo Drive, and Griffith Park into one morning just means you’ll spend more time in the car than behind your camera.
Good light and empty backgrounds matter more than checking off every location on a map. If you’d rather skip the logistics entirely, spend your time shooting instead of scouting parking and sun angles, book a spot on our guided Instagram photo tour and let a local guide handle the route, the timing, and the crowd-dodging while you focus on getting the shot.
