Long Beach doesn’t get the same hype as Hollywood or Santa Monica, but it deserves a spot on your LA itinerary. If you’re searching for things to do in Long Beach Los Angeles, you’ve probably noticed a lot of generic lists that mention the same three attractions without telling you why they’re worth your time or how to fit them into a day trip from the city.
This guide cuts through that. We’re covering the five experiences that actually make Long Beach worth the drive south, from the Aquarium of the Pacific to the historic Queen Mary, plus where whale watching trips depart and which waterfront spots serve the best food after a full day of exploring. Each pick comes with the practical details you need: timing, cost expectations, and what makes it different from a tourist trap.
We spend our days guiding visitors through LA’s neighborhoods, so we know how easy it is to overlook Long Beach in favor of the usual Hollywood stops. If you want a break from the crowds and clichés while still seeing something genuinely memorable, these five picks will help you plan a coastal day that feels distinct from the rest of your LA trip.
1. Pair your visit with a guided Los Angeles tour
Before you drive south to Long Beach, think about how the rest of your LA day connects to it. Many visitors treat Long Beach as an isolated errand instead of part of a bigger trip, which means they miss the context that makes Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and the coastline actually make sense together. A guided Los Angeles tour built around your interests can bookend a Long Beach outing with stops that would otherwise eat up hours of confused driving and parking searches.
How it works
Here’s the practical version: you book a private or small group tour through a company like Another Side Of Los Angeles Tours, which runs private Los Angeles tours that start in Long Beach, pick a theme (celebrity homes, studio lots, or a general city overview), and a local guide handles the route, parking, and pacing. Tours run anywhere from 90 minutes to 7 hours, so you can slot in a shorter city tour earlier in the day and still make it to Long Beach by early afternoon with time to spare.
A guide who already knows the traffic patterns and shortcuts can save you more time than any list of attractions ever will.
Who it’s for
This option suits first-time visitors who don’t know LA’s geography well enough to string together a multi-neighborhood day without wasting hours in the car. It also works for families and small groups who’d rather listen to stories about the city than stare at a GPS.
Cost and booking tips
Pricing ranges from $75 for shorter group tours up to $1,996 for private limousine experiences, with group discounts kicking in for parties of three or more. Book a few days ahead if you want a specific guide or vehicle type, since Segway and e-bike tours fill up fast during peak season, and read up on tips for planning a private LA tour before you commit to a time slot.
2. Explore marine life at the Aquarium of the Pacific
Once you’ve made your way down to the harbor, the Aquarium of the Pacific is the easiest way to spend two or three hours indoors without feeling like you wasted a sunny day. It houses over 12,000 animals across exhibits organized by ocean region, so you’re not just wandering past random tanks, you’re tracing a path from Southern California’s kelp forests to tropical reefs and the frigid waters of the Arctic.
How it works
Exhibits are grouped into zones like the Southern California/Baja gallery, Tropical Pacific, and the Northern Pacific, plus a shark lagoon and a seal and sea lion habitat you can watch from above and below water. Daily programs, including animal feedings and diver talks, are posted at the entrance, so grab a schedule when you walk in.
Plan your visit around the feeding times, and the aquarium turns from a walkthrough into genuine entertainment.
Who it’s for
Families with kids get the most out of this stop, and it slots neatly alongside other fun things to do in LA with family, but it also works well for couples or solo travelers who want a slower, air-conditioned break between outdoor activities.
Cost and booking tips
General admission runs around $39.95 for adults, with discounts for kids, seniors, and military. Buy tickets online in advance through the Aquarium of the Pacific to skip the ticket line, especially on weekends.
3. Step aboard the historic Queen Mary
Docked permanently in Long Beach harbor, the Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner turned floating hotel and museum, and it’s one of the more atmospheric Long Beach attractions you’ll find outside the aquarium. Walking her decks gives you a sense of scale that photos never capture, from the engine room to the first-class staterooms that once carried celebrities and royalty across the Atlantic.
How it works
Self-guided and docent-led tours cover different sections of the ship, including the engine room, the bridge, and the below-deck crew quarters. Ghost tours run in the evening for visitors curious about the ship’s reputation as one of the most haunted locations in Southern California.
The Queen Mary rewards visitors who slow down and read the plaques instead of rushing to the next deck.
Who it’s for
History buffs and anyone drawn to maritime stories will get the most out of this stop, which earns its place on any Los Angeles bucket list, and it also suits travelers who enjoy a little spookiness mixed into their sightseeing.
Cost and booking tips
General tour tickets start around $27, with combo packages and evening ghost tours priced higher. Book directly through the ship’s official site for the most current schedule.
4. Watch whales and dolphins off the coast
Long Beach sits close enough to the migration routes that whale watching tours run nearly year-round, and you don’t need to drive to San Pedro or Dana Point to catch one, though whale watching trips out of Santa Monica and Marina del Rey are worth comparing if you’re staying on the Westside. Boats leave straight from the harbor near the Aquarium of the Pacific, so you can pair a morning cruise with an afternoon indoors if the weather turns.
How it works
Most outfits run two to three hour trips on catamarans with naturalists narrating what you’re seeing, whether it’s a pod of common dolphins riding the bow wake or a gray whale surfacing offshore during the winter migration. Common dolphins show up on the majority of trips, while gray whales, blue whales, and humpbacks appear seasonally depending on the month.
Book a morning departure if you want calmer water and better odds of spotting something before the wind picks up.
Who it’s for
This stop suits outdoor-minded travelers who don’t mind a little boat motion, plus families with older kids who’ll stay engaged watching for fins on the horizon.
Cost and booking tips
Expect to pay $35 to $60 per adult depending on the operator and season, with most companies offering a free rebooking if no marine life shows up. Check the NOAA Fisheries migration data before booking to time your trip around peak sightings.
5. Stroll the Pike Outlets and Rainbow Harbor
After a day of aquariums and boat rides, the Pike Outlets and Rainbow Harbor give you a place to wind down without needing a car. This waterfront stretch mixes open-air shopping with restaurants and a marina view, and it sits close enough to the other stops that you can walk it straight from the Queen Mary or the aquarium.
How it works
The Pike is an outdoor outlet mall with a mix of national brands and local shops, while Rainbow Harbor runs along the water with restaurants, a marina full of docked boats, and a walking path that stretches toward Shoreline Village. Grab dinner at one of the harbor-facing patios and you get a sunset view over the water for free, a low-key alternative to the busier after-dark options around Los Angeles.
A slow walk along Rainbow Harbor is the easiest way to end a busy Long Beach day without planning anything else.
Who it’s for
This stop works for shoppers who want a break from museum-style attractions, and for anyone who’d rather close out the day with food and a view than another ticketed activity.
Cost and booking tips
There’s no admission fee, so budget only for meals or shopping. Weekday evenings are far less crowded than weekends, especially during summer.
Planning your day in Long Beach
Long Beach works best when you treat it as a full day, not a rushed detour. Start early at the Aquarium of the Pacific, walk over to the Queen Mary for lunch and a tour, catch an afternoon whale watching trip if the season’s right, then close things out with dinner along Rainbow Harbor. That order keeps you near the water the whole time and avoids backtracking through traffic.
Getting the timing right matters more than which attractions you pick, since parking and drive times between Hollywood and the harbor can eat your afternoon fast. That’s exactly the kind of logistics a local guide handles for you, letting you focus on the sights instead of the map. If you’d rather not plan the driving yourself, reserve a private LA tour with hotel pickup and let someone who knows the routes get you to Long Beach and back without the guesswork.
