Venice Beach is one of those LA neighborhoods that hits different in person. The boardwalk energy, the street art around every corner, the canals most visitors don’t even know exist, there’s a reason it pulls in millions of people every year. But with so much packed into a relatively small stretch of coastline, knowing the best things to do in Venice Beach before you go makes all the difference.
We’ve spent years guiding visitors through Los Angeles with Another Side Tours, and Venice Beach is consistently one of the spots people talk about long after they leave. Our local guides know this neighborhood inside and out, from the iconic landmarks to the under-the-radar corners that don’t show up on most itineraries. That firsthand experience is exactly what shaped this list.
Below, you’ll find 8 things worth your time in Venice Beach, covering everything from the famous canals and murals to the best viewpoints and places to eat. Whether you’re planning a full day here or squeezing in a few hours between other LA stops, this guide will help you make the most of it.
1. Take a Guided Venice Beach Tour
If you want to cover the best things to do in Venice Beach without spending half your day figuring out where to go next, a guided tour is the smartest starting point. Local guides cut through the noise and take you directly to the spots worth your time, with the context that makes each one actually interesting rather than just something you walked past.
What You’ll See and How It Works
A good Venice Beach tour covers the canals, the boardwalk, Abbot Kinney, and the murals in a single, organized loop rather than leaving you to piece it all together yourself. Your guide leads the route, explains the history of how Abbott Kinney Boulevard evolved from a failed resort town into one of LA’s most interesting streets, and points out street art that most visitors walk right by without noticing. Another Side Tours runs guided experiences through Venice Beach as part of broader Los Angeles itineraries, with professional guides who know the neighborhood well enough to adjust the route based on what you’re most interested in seeing.
A guided tour is especially useful in Venice Beach because the neighborhood’s best spots are spread across several distinct pockets, and knowing which order to visit them in saves a significant amount of walking time.
Who This Works Best For
Guided tours work well for first-time visitors to Los Angeles who want to understand what they’re looking at rather than just walking through it. They’re also a solid option for groups, families with kids, or anyone visiting on a tight schedule who wants to leave Venice feeling like they actually saw it rather than just the surface. If you’ve been to Venice before but never explored the canals or the art scene, a guided experience often surfaces things you missed on your own.
Typical Tour Length and Price Range
Most guided Venice Beach options run between 90 minutes and three hours, depending on how much ground the itinerary covers. Prices vary based on group size and tour type, but you’re generally looking at a range of $75 to $150 per person for a quality guided experience. Private tour options cost more but give you a fully customized route.
2. Walk the Venice Canals
Most people visiting Venice Beach spend their whole trip on the boardwalk and never discover the canals sitting just a few blocks inland. That’s a real miss. The Venice Canals Historic District is one of the most peaceful and photogenic spots in all of Los Angeles, and it costs nothing to visit.
The Quick History and What Makes It Special
Abbot Kinney built these canals in 1905 to recreate the feel of Venice, Italy, complete with gondolas and arched bridges. Most of the original waterways were paved over by 1929, but six canals survived and were restored in the 1990s. Today, the area is a quiet residential neighborhood where locals walk dogs and row small boats while the rest of the city rushes past.
The contrast between the canal streets and the boardwalk energy just blocks away is striking, and most visitors say it’s one of the most unexpectedly calm things to do in Venice Beach.
The Best Route and Entry Points
Start at Eastern Canal Court, which runs along the eastern edge of the loop, and walk counterclockwise. The main entry point is at the intersection of Venice Boulevard and Dell Avenue. The full loop covers all six canals and crosses several small wooden footbridges, giving you the best views of the duck-lined waterways and cottage-style homes.
Time Needed and What It Costs
Plan for 30 to 45 minutes to walk the full loop at a relaxed pace. Entry is free and the canals are accessible every day during daylight hours.
3. Do the Venice Boardwalk People-Watching Loop
The Venice Boardwalk, officially called Ocean Front Walk, runs about 2.5 miles and is one of the most entertaining stretches of pavement in Los Angeles. Street performers, fortune tellers, artists selling work straight off the wall, and bodybuilders training in the open air all share the same narrow strip. Among all the things to do in Venice Beach, this one requires nothing but a willingness to slow down and look around.
What to See Along Ocean Front Walk
The boardwalk packs a lot into a short distance. Street performers set up along the main strip, ranging from musicians and comedians to skaters doing tricks for tips. You’ll also pass vendor stalls selling everything from sunglasses to handmade jewelry, murals painted directly on the sea wall, and the famous Muscle Beach outdoor gym sitting right on the sand.
The vendor stalls near the center of the boardwalk tend to be the most concentrated stretch of activity, so slow down through that section rather than walking straight through it.
Best Times to Go and What to Avoid
Weekend afternoons bring the full boardwalk experience with peak crowds and maximum performer activity. If you prefer a calmer walk, weekday mornings between 8am and 10am keep things manageable without sacrificing much atmosphere. Avoid driving to the boardwalk on weekends since parking lots fill quickly and rates increase throughout the day.
Time Needed and What It Costs
Walking the full loop takes 45 to 60 minutes at a relaxed pace. The walk itself is completely free, though a few dollars for snacks or performer tips is worth budgeting for.
4. Stop at the Skatepark and Muscle Beach
The Venice Beach Skatepark and Muscle Beach Outdoor Gym sit right next to each other along the boardwalk, making them an easy combined stop. Both draw serious athletes training in the open air, which gives you something genuinely worth watching even if you never step inside either one.
What to Do There Besides Watching
Both spots are open to the public, so you’re not limited to spectating. The skatepark welcomes anyone with their own board during off-peak hours, and the smaller bowls are manageable for intermediate skaters who want to use the space without getting in the way of more experienced riders. Muscle Beach charges a small day-use fee that gives you full access to the outdoor weight equipment alongside the regulars who train there daily.
The skatepark is one of the only free, fully participatory spots along the entire boardwalk, which makes it worth the stop even if you only watch.
Safety and Etiquette Basics
The skatepark runs on an informal skill-based system, so beginners should avoid the main bowl during peak hours and stick to the outer areas instead. At Muscle Beach, ask before working in on any piece of equipment that someone is actively using. Both spots have a relaxed but clear social culture, and respecting that gets you a noticeably better experience.
Time Needed and What It Costs
Plan 30 to 45 minutes for both spots combined, or longer if you decide to skate or lift. The skatepark is completely free to use, and Muscle Beach day passes run around $10.
5. Shop and Snack Along Abbot Kinney Boulevard
Abbot Kinney Boulevard runs about a mile through Venice and packs in some of the best independent shops, cafes, and restaurants in Los Angeles. Among all the things to do in Venice Beach, this street rewards visitors who slow down and browse rather than speed through.
What to Browse and Where to Pause
The boulevard splits naturally into two zones. The northern stretch near Venice Boulevard is denser with clothing boutiques, home goods stores, and art galleries you can actually browse without being rushed. The southern end closer to Main Street leans more toward coffee shops, wine bars, and casual restaurants worth stopping at between stores.
Abbot Kinney has a strong local-first shopping culture, so most of what you’ll find here is independent and harder to find anywhere else in LA.
How to Plan It Without Wasting Time
Walk the full length of the boulevard in one direction before doubling back, rather than crossing back and forth as you spot things. This keeps your route clean and prevents you from missing shops tucked between restaurants. Google Maps works well here to flag spots you want to prioritize before you arrive so you’re not making decisions on the fly.
Typical Spend and Budget Tips
Budget $15 to $25 for coffee and a snack, or $40 to $60 if you sit down for a full meal. Shopping spend varies widely, but window browsing costs nothing and still gives you a solid feel for the neighborhood’s character.
6. Hunt for Murals and Street Art
Venice Beach has one of the most concentrated collections of outdoor murals in Los Angeles, and hunting them down is one of the most satisfying things to do in Venice Beach. The art ranges from massive political statements to playful portraits, and new pieces appear regularly as artists rotate through the neighborhood’s most prominent walls.
Where to Find the Best Walls
The Venice Beach Art Walls on the boardwalk near Windward Avenue are the official designated spot where artists paint on a rotating basis, making every visit slightly different from the last. Further inland, Abbot Kinney and the surrounding side streets hold some of the neighborhood’s most striking commissioned murals on building exteriors and parking garage facades.
The Art Walls near the boardwalk are one of the few public spaces in Los Angeles where artists can legally paint without a permit, which keeps the content fresh and unpredictable.
How to Build a Simple Self-Guided Route
Start at the boardwalk Art Walls near Windward Avenue, then walk east toward Abbot Kinney, turning down side streets like Electric Avenue to catch murals painted on building sides. Photographing each piece as you go helps you track what you’ve covered without unnecessary backtracking.
Time Needed and What It Costs
Plan 45 to 60 minutes for a focused mural walk, though you can easily stretch it longer if you stop to photograph every wall in detail. The entire self-guided route is completely free to do on your own.
7. Bike The Strand to Santa Monica and Back
Riding The Strand north from Venice Beach to Santa Monica is one of the most enjoyable things to do in Venice Beach, and the flat, paved path makes it accessible for riders of any fitness level. You get ocean views the entire way, and the round trip takes less than two hours if you keep a comfortable pace.
The Route, Distance, and Scenic Stops
The Strand runs roughly 2.5 miles between Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier, making the full round trip about 5 miles of easy coastal riding. Along the way, you’ll pass the Santa Monica State Beach volleyball courts, the grassy bluffs above the water, and several spots worth a quick stop to take in the view before riding back.
The stretch near the Santa Monica Pier is worth a 10-minute stop since the views back toward Venice give you one of the cleanest wide angles of the coastline.
Rental Tips and Riding Rules
Several bike rental shops sit within walking distance of the Venice Boardwalk, and most offer beach cruisers, e-bikes, and helmets. Stay in the designated bike lane rather than the pedestrian path since the two run parallel but separate, and riding in the wrong lane draws quick complaints from walkers and other cyclists.
Typical Rental Costs and Timing
Standard beach cruiser rentals run $15 to $25 per hour, while e-bike rentals typically cost $20 to $35 per hour. Plan about 90 minutes total to cover the round trip with time for a stop or two.
8. Get the Best Sunset Views and Night Vibes
Ending your day at the water is one of the most rewarding things to do in Venice Beach, and the sunsets here consistently rank among the best in Southern California. The wide, open coastline gives you an unobstructed view of the Pacific, and the sky typically puts on a full show of color around 30 to 45 minutes before dark.
The Easiest Sunset Spots in Venice
The Venice Beach Breakwater, a short rock jetty at the southern end of the beach, gives you an elevated vantage point that puts you slightly above the waterline and away from the main crowd. For a calmer option, the open sand just north of the skatepark offers a clean sightline west with fewer people than the central boardwalk area.
Arriving 20 minutes before the actual sunset gives you enough time to find a spot and settle in before the colors peak.
Where to Go After Dark for a Drink or Music
Abbot Kinney Boulevard stays active well into the evening with wine bars and cocktail spots that draw a local crowd rather than a tourist one. The Roosterfish on Lincoln Boulevard is one of the neighborhood’s longtime bars with live music on select nights, making it worth the short walk from the beach.
Several spots along the Main Street corridor also open up at night with outdoor seating and rotating local musicians. If you want a quieter end to your evening, the outdoor patios along Abbot Kinney let you wind down without the full bar energy.
Typical Spend and Timing
Watching the sunset is completely free, and the show typically runs from around 7pm to 8:30pm depending on the season. Budget $15 to $30 per person for drinks at a nearby bar afterward.
Your Venice Beach Game Plan
Venice Beach rewards visitors who plan ahead. The canals, murals, boardwalk, and Abbot Kinney each deserve at least 30 to 45 minutes of your time, so a full day gives you the best shot at covering all 8 things to do in Venice Beach without feeling rushed. Start at the canals in the morning when foot traffic is light, work your way to the boardwalk and skatepark by midday, and save Abbot Kinney and the sunset for late afternoon.
If you want a local guide to handle the routing and context, Another Side Tours offers guided experiences through Los Angeles with professionals who know Venice inside and out. A guided tour takes the guesswork out of the day and regularly surfaces spots you’d miss navigating on your own. Book a Los Angeles sightseeing tour and let a local expert show you the neighborhood at its best.
