Well, if you are reading this article most likely you are either curious about what to visit in Los Angeles in general or you are just passing Los Angeles and have only one day. And then you ask yourself: "I have just one day, will I ever be able to visit such big city as Los Angeles?".
Well, you definitely can. And I'm going to share my list of places to visit in LA if you are short on time. But before that, please read this article to make sure we are on the same page. This is just a list of tips to make sure that that kind of short trips are made right.
What to visit in Lost Angeles if you have just one day:
Griffith park
This is one of the best observation spots in LA which allows you to make plenty of photos with LA skyline (well, it's debatable if we can call this "skyline", but still). Parking might be a problem, but you can always drop your car in residential area down, so you don't have to waste your time finding a parking spot, but be prepared for a hike up that way. Anyway, it's a must to visit place. It has observatory as well, so can spend some time there learning about the world around us.
Alternative: The Getty
If you find that traffic is too bad for you driving to Griffith park, consider The Getty if it's closer to where you are. It's also an observation spot of LA, but it has a picture gallery as well and it's just a bit more urbanized place, I think.
Santa Monica beach
No questions here, this is just a typical LA beach, but Santa Monica is a legendary place I feel like. There are shops, downtown area and huge walking area. And, of course, you can go swimming there in summertime. Such a great place, but might be overcrowded, especially on a weekend.
Alternative: Manhattan beach
In my experience, also a great place to be and swim, but has less people in general and less shopping opportunities. Consider this as an alternative to Santa Monica or any other beach you might have in mind.
Hollywood Blvd
How your Los Angeles trip could be complete without visiting a Hollywood blvd, especially if you never been there before? You probably won't listen if I tell you that this places is just a tourist trap and not worth much of your time.. But! If you have never been to LA, consider going there. This is a good opportunity to take pictures while you go through the Walk of fame or take pictures with Madonna, Elvis, police officer, firefighter or whatever other pretending street actor you'll find. Or you might spend a few bucks (or maybe few hundred bucks on cheap souvenirs that just break down as quickly).
Alternative: There are so many alternatives, that it's hard to say for sure. Maybe go to Wax museum on Hollywood blvd? Or maybe Chinese theatre there? Or maybe just don't go downtown at all and go to some amazing park, for example "Will Rogers State Historic Park"? I'll leave that one up to you, but believe me that there are a lot of things to do instead of going to this tourist "heaven".
Hopefully, that would be enough for you to do in one day that you would say: "Yeah, that day was pretty good. I wish I could see more, but in one day that's good enough"
Cheers! Safe travels!