A trip to LA needn't be all about Hollywood: 5 other attractions

Theatres, museums, the Walk Of Fame and party spots frequented by stars are on most tourist’s agendas on their visit to Los Angeles. But, for those keen on exploring further, here’s a guide to food, shopping, and the best cultural offerings. For starters, take a stroll down the super-expensive Rodeo Drive stretch, where every designer you can think of has a store with an elaborate window display. In case you’re too lazy to walk around, $5 can get you a 40-minute ride across town on the Beverly Hills Trolley, along with a narrated tour of the city. (Text: Shweta Mehta Sen)

Updated on: Jan 04, 2015 4:15 PM IST

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Theatres, museums, the Walk Of Fame and party spots frequented by stars are on most tourist’s agendas on their visit to Los Angeles. But, for those keen on exploring further, here’s a guide to food, shopping, and the best cultural offerings. For starters, take a stroll down the super-expensive Rodeo Drive stretch, where every designer you can think of has a store with an elaborate window display. In case you’re too lazy to walk around, $5 can get you a 40-minute ride across town on the Beverly Hills Trolley, along with a narrated tour of the city. (Text: Shweta Mehta Sen)

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Diner’s paradise: Not many speak of Los Angeles as a gourmand’s haunt, but once they’ve been to the Farmer’s Market — side by side with the high-end shopping and dining complex, The Grove — they’ll never forget the experience. From burgers at Short Order to burritos at Loteria, the food here is great, and you’ll have a hard time choosing your meal. Also check out rows of vendors selling organic produce, pricey gourmet food and even fancy snacks for pets.

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TV show tapings: Everyone’s aware of just how many TV shows are filmed in front of live audiences in LA. What doesn’t strike tourists is that it’s very easy — and absolutely free — to attend such shoots, provided you book your spot in advance. Browse through audience casting websites like www.1iota.com and www.tvtix.com, and put in ticket requests for tapings of shows such as The Odd Couple and 2 Broke Girls, among others.

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Museum-hopping: Make a stop at late oil magnate J Paul Getty’s estate that now houses a museum and education centre. Check out Roman-style gardens as well as 44,000-odd Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities — some of which date back to 400 AD. Famed items include the Lansdowne Heracles sculpture and Victorious Youth — one of the only life-size Greek bronze statues remaining. Jewellery and coin collections and a library that has over 20,000 books are among the other attractions.

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Theme park thrills: There are lots of great amusement parks in and around Los Angeles — Universal Studios Hollywood, Sea World, Disneyland, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbour, and the more whimsical, carnival-like Pacific Park on Santa Monica Pier. A little further, towards San Diego, there’s LegoLand.