Los Angeles has a reputation for draining your wallet fast, between $18 valet parking and $22 movie tickets. But if you’re hunting for cheap things to do in Los Angeles California, the city actually delivers plenty of low-cost and free options once you know where to look. You just have to skip the tourist traps that charge premium prices for mediocre experiences.
This list answers the real question: where can you spend an afternoon or a full day in LA without dropping $200? We’ve pulled together free beaches, budget-friendly hikes, farmers markets, public art installations, and neighborhoods worth wandering, all for under $20 or less. Some cost nothing but gas money and a parking spot.
We run guided tours through Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica every week, so we know which "free" attractions are actually worth your limited vacation time and which ones are overhyped. Below you’ll find 13 specific spots and activities, with practical notes on parking, timing, and what to expect when you arrive. No fluff, just the places locals actually recommend to friends visiting on a budget.
1. Take a budget-friendly guided tour of LA
Getting your bearings in a city this sprawling is half the battle, and paying for a smart, efficient tour upfront often saves you money later by keeping you from wasting a rental car day or an Uber budget wandering aimlessly. A shared group tour of LA puts you in a van with a local guide who already knows the shortcuts, the free viewpoints, and the neighborhoods worth a photo stop, which beats guessing your way through traffic on Sunset Boulevard.
What you’ll do
You’ll join a small group and ride through Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and the surrounding hills while a guide points out celebrity homes, film locations, and the stories behind landmarks you’d otherwise just drive past. Our Hollywood and Los Angeles City Tour covers this ground in a few hours, and because it’s a shared ride, the cost per person drops well below what you’d pay for a private car and driver.
A shared group tour turns a confusing city into a few hours of context, for less than the price of a mediocre dinner.
How much it costs
Shared city tours in Los Angeles typically run in the $75 to $120 range per person, depending on the season and how long the route runs. That’s a fraction of booking a private tour, which can climb past $500 once you factor in a dedicated vehicle and guide for your group alone. Splitting a shared tour among family or friends brings the per-person cost down even further, especially if you book a group of three or more and catch a multi-person discount on LA tours currently marked down.
Good to know before you go
Book a few days ahead during peak summer months and spring break weeks, since shared tours fill up fast and popular time slots sell out first. Wear comfortable shoes even though you’re mostly riding, because most tours include a few short walking stops at overlooks or historic corners. Bring a phone charger and a light jacket, since the hills above Hollywood get breezier than the flats below, and you’ll want your camera ready the whole ride.
2. Explore world-class museums for free
Los Angeles hides some of the country’s best art and culture collections behind doors that don’t charge admission, and skipping them is one of the biggest mistakes budget travelers make. If you’re piecing together free things to do in Los Angeles, museum hopping should sit near the top of your list, right alongside the beaches and hikes everyone already knows about.
What you’ll do
Start at the Getty Center, where the building, gardens, and art collection are all free to explore for hours. From there, the Broad downtown houses contemporary work from Jeff Koons, Kara Walker, and Yayoi Kusama’s mirrored infinity rooms, also with no entry fee. Add the Natural History Museum’s free days or LACMA’s after-5pm resident discount, and with a shortlist of LA museums worth planning a day around you’ve built a full day of culture without touching your wallet twice.
The Getty and the Broad alone deliver more world-class art than most paid museums twice their price.
How much it costs
Admission is $0 at the Getty Center and the Broad. Parking runs about $25 at the Getty, though it drops to $10 after 3pm. The Broad’s general admission is free, but book timed tickets online in advance since walk-up spots run out by mid-morning.
Good to know before you go
Reserve Broad tickets at least a week out during summer, and arrive at the Getty right when it opens to beat the tour bus crowds that show up by noon.
3. Hike to the Hollywood sign and Griffith Observatory
Griffith Park lets you see the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory in one trip, two of LA’s most photographed landmarks, for the price of a granola bar and a full water bottle. Hiking here counts among the best free things to do in Los Angeles, and it beats paying for a tour bus photo stop from a half-mile away.
What you’ll do
Park at the Griffith Observatory lot or along Vermont Canyon Road, then pick a trail up to the Hollywood Sign viewpoint. The Mount Hollywood Trail runs about 3 miles round trip and dumps you at a clear overlook of the sign, no fence or zoom lens required, though it helps to compare how long the Hollywood Sign hike takes on each route first. Afterward, walk the observatory grounds for skyline views that stretch to the ocean on a clear day.
A sweaty hour on Mount Hollywood Trail buys you the same photo everyone pays a tour bus $80 for.
How much it costs
The hike and the observatory grounds are free. Telescope viewing on clear nights costs nothing either, and the planetarium show runs $10 for adults. Street parking near the observatory is free but fills fast on weekends.
Good to know before you go
Start before 9am in summer, since the trail has almost no shade and temperatures climb quickly by midday. Wear real hiking shoes rather than sandals, since the path gets loose gravel and steep sections near the top. Skip weekends if you can, or arrive by 8am, because parking disappears within an hour of sunrise crowds showing up for photos.
4. Walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre
Boulevard tourism gets a bad reputation, but the Hollywood Walk of Fame earns its spot on any list of cheap things to do in Los Angeles simply because it costs nothing to stroll and the people-watching alone is worth the trip. You don’t need a ticket to read a star’s name under your shoes or to stand outside a theater that’s hosted premieres since 1927.
What you’ll do
Walk Hollywood Boulevard between La Brea and Vine, scanning the sidewalk for over 2,700 stars honoring actors, musicians, and directors, and note the other stops within a block of the Walk of Fame while you’re there. Stop at TCL Chinese Theatre to check out the handprints and footprints pressed into the forecourt concrete by stars like Marilyn Monroe and Harry Potter’s cast. Costumed characters roam the block for tips, and street performers add free entertainment if you linger near the theater entrance.
The most famous sidewalk in America doesn’t charge admission, just watch your footing among the crowds.
How much it costs
Walking the boulevard and viewing the forecourt is completely free. Going inside TCL Chinese Theatre for a screening runs $15 to $20, and the adjacent Madame Tussauds and Hollywood Wax Museum charge separate admission if you want indoor attractions.
Good to know before you go
Evenings bring bigger crowds and better street performances, but daytime visits make photographing individual stars easier. Guard your belongings closely, since pickpockets work this stretch, and skip any costumed character who demands cash for a photo you never agreed to.
5. Snap photos at the Melrose Ave murals
Melrose Avenue turned into an open-air gallery years ago, and it’s still one of the best free things to do in Los Angeles if you want photos that don’t look like everyone else’s vacation album. Shop owners commission new murals constantly, so the wall that went viral last year might already be painted over by the time you visit.
What you’ll do
Walk Melrose between La Brea and Fairfax, checking side streets like Croft Avenue too, since some of the best walls hide a block off the main strip. You’ll find the pink wall outside Paul Smith, the angel wings a few blocks down, and rotating pieces from local street artists that change with the season, all worth mapping out like a street art tour of Los Angeles. Bring a friend to take turns shooting, since a lot of these spots draw a small line on weekends.
A phone camera and twenty minutes on Melrose gets you better content than most paid photo tours.
How much it costs
Looking at and photographing the murals costs nothing. Street parking runs $1 to $2 per hour on meters, or you can park free on residential side streets a five-minute walk away.
Good to know before you go
Go on a weekday morning if you want empty walls for photos, since weekends bring crowds and long waits at the most Instagram-worthy spots in LA. Check that a mural still exists before making a special trip, since business turnover repaints walls faster than most travel guides update.
6. Relax at Santa Monica Pier and beach
Santa Monica gives you a full beach day without spending a dime beyond parking and maybe a churro, and the list of no-cost things to do in Santa Monica goes well past the pier. It’s one of the most reliable free things to do in Los Angeles because the pier, the sand, and the people-watching cost nothing, and the whole scene stays lively from sunrise to well after dark.
What you’ll do
Walk the length of Santa Monica Pier, past street performers, souvenir stands, and the historic carousel, then drop down to the beach for a swim or a nap in the sand. Pacific Park sits right on the pier if you want rides, though you can skip it entirely and still get the full experience just watching the Ferris wheel light up at dusk, and there are plenty of other ways to spend time on Santa Monica Pier. Rent a bike along the boardwalk path if you want to cover more ground toward Venice.
The pier and the beach cost nothing, and the sunset view rivals anything you’d pay for at a rooftop bar.
How much it costs
The beach and pier are free to walk. Pacific Park rides run $5 to $10 each, and parking in the pier lots costs $10 to $20 depending on the day and season.
Good to know before you go
Arrive by mid-morning on weekends, since pier parking fills fast and street spots a few blocks inland offer cheaper, sometimes free, alternatives. Bring cash for the parking attendants who don’t always take cards.
7. Wander the Venice Beach boardwalk and canals
Venice Beach delivers the weirdest, most entertaining free show in Los Angeles, and it costs nothing to walk the boardwalk from one end to the other. If Santa Monica felt polished, Venice feels raw, and that contrast is exactly why it belongs on any list of cheap things to do in Los Angeles California.
What you’ll do
Stroll the Venice Boardwalk past Muscle Beach, street vendors, and the legendary Venice Beach street performers juggling fire or shredding electric guitars for tips. Detour a few blocks inland to the canals, murals, and other Venice Beach highlights, a quiet residential stretch of walking bridges and waterways that most tourists skip entirely, even though it’s one of the prettiest, calmest corners of the neighborhood. Watch the skaters and street artists near the basketball courts before heading back toward the water for a sunset walk.
Venice gives you street performers, canals, and skate culture in one afternoon, and none of it requires a ticket.
How much it costs
Walking the boardwalk and canals is free. Metered street parking runs $2 to $4 per hour, though nearby lots charge flat rates of $10 to $20 on weekends.
Good to know before you go
Secure your bag and phone, since the boardwalk draws petty theft alongside the crowds. Visit the canals in late afternoon for the best light, and skip driving down Pacific Avenue on weekends when traffic backs up for blocks.
8. Beach-hop through Malibu
Malibu sounds expensive because of the celebrity real estate lining the coast, but like most public beaches in Los Angeles these are free to enter, and that’s the loophole every budget traveler should use. Driving the coast for an afternoon ranks among the best cheap things to do in Los Angeles California, since you get postcard views without paying resort prices.
What you’ll do
Cruise Pacific Coast Highway and stop at El Matador State Beach, where cliffs and sea caves make it one of the most photogenic spots on the whole coastline. Continue to Zuma Beach for wide sand and easier parking, then swing by Malibu Pier to walk out over the water for free. Point Dume offers a short bluff-top trail with whale-watching potential in winter months, no entry fee required.
Malibu’s cliffs and beaches cost nothing to enjoy, even if the houses behind them sell for millions.
How much it costs
All the beaches listed are free to enter. Parking lots at El Matador and Zuma charge around $8 to $12 per car, though free street spots exist along PCH if you’re willing to walk a few minutes.
Good to know before you go
Bring your own food and water, since Malibu’s restaurants charge tourist prices for basic meals. Check tide charts before visiting El Matador, since the sea caves and best tide pools disappear underwater at high tide.
9. Eat cheap at Grand Central Market and the Original Farmers Market
Food in LA doesn’t have to mean a $40 tasting menu, and these two markets prove it. Both spots let you sample a dozen cuisines under one roof for less than a sit-down restaurant tab, which makes them some of the most satisfying cheap things to do in Los Angeles California when your stomach and your wallet are both running low.
What you’ll do
Grand Central Market downtown packs dozens of stalls selling tacos, ramen, pupusas, and fresh oysters into one historic building that’s been feeding Angelenos since 1917. The Original Farmers Market at Fairfax and 3rd offers a similar spread with a more old-school diner feel, plus a candy shop and some of the best produce markets in Los Angeles for browsing between bites. Grab a few small plates from different vendors instead of committing to one full meal, and you’ll try more for less.
Two or three shared small plates at Grand Central Market beat one entree at a sit-down restaurant, in price and variety.
How much it costs
Walking around and browsing both markets is free. Individual dishes run $8 to $15, so a filling meal for two costs $25 to $35 total if you split a few plates.
Good to know before you go
Visit Grand Central Market on a weekday for shorter lines, since weekend lunch rushes stretch past twenty minutes at popular stalls. Parking near the Original Farmers Market validates with a purchase at the adjacent Grove shopping center.
10. Catch a sunset from a cheap rooftop bar
Rooftop bars in LA usually mean a $25 cocktail and a velvet rope, but a handful of spots let you catch the same skyline glow without the bottle-service markup. Skipping the pricier hotel lounges for a budget rooftop bar still counts as one of the smarter cheap things to do in Los Angeles California when you want a view without the reservation drama.
What you’ll do
Head to a casual spot like Mama Shelter in Hollywood or the rooftop at the Ace Hotel downtown, where you can nurse a beer or a soda for an hour while the sun drops behind the hills and take in one of the best LA city views for the price of a drink. Order light, share a snack between two people, and claim a table early since the best sunset seats fill up fast once golden hour hits. Some rooftops charge no cover if you arrive before the dinner rush, which makes an early visit worth the trade-off.
A single drink and an hour of patience buys you the same skyline photo everyone else pays a cover charge for.
How much it costs
Entry is usually free before 6pm, though weekend nights sometimes add a $10 to $20 cover after dark. Drinks run $12 to $18, so one round for two people stays well under $50.
Good to know before you go
Call ahead to confirm there’s no cover that night, and dress a notch nicer than beachwear since several of these spots enforce a casual dress code at the door.
Making the most of LA without breaking the bank
Los Angeles rewards travelers who plan ahead more than it rewards those with the biggest budget. Free museums, public beaches, and murals cost nothing but a little research and a willingness to skip the overpriced tourist traps. Ten stops on this list, from Griffith Park’s trails to Grand Central Market’s food stalls, prove that a great LA trip doesn’t need a luxury price tag.
Given how spread out the city is, the smartest money you’ll spend is still on a guided tour that saves you hours of driving and parking headaches on day one. Once you’ve got your bearings, everything else on this list gets easier to reach and cheaper to enjoy. If you want that head start, book a shared Los Angeles sightseeing tour and let a local guide handle the logistics while you focus on the views.
