10 day trips from Los Angeles

When travelers plan a Southern California trip, they usually focus on downtown Los Angeles or the crowded boardwalks of Venice Beach. However, the surrounding region contains many quiet destinations that offer a slower pace and fewer crowds. These ten day trips from Los Angeles provide unique activities, regional history, and a break from city traffic.

If you’re looking for something a little farther away from the City of Angels try our general guide to California travel before booking your next trip.

Coastal escapes

1. Ventura

68 miles northwest of Los Angeles

Ventura sits directly on the coast along Highway 101 and features a distinct Mediterranean-style climate with a relaxed beach atmosphere. Visitors can walk along the historic wooden Ventura Pier, which extends far into the ocean and offers views of the Channel Islands. The adjacent promenade leads to Surfers Point, a famous point break where onlookers can watch local surfers navigate the consistent waves.

The downtown sector along Main Street is completely walkable and filled with locally owned boutiques, vintage clothing stores, craft breweries, and diverse restaurants. Visitors can explore the historic Mission San Buenaventura, which was founded in 1782 and still features its original gardens and brick architecture. Further down the shore, the Ventura Harbor Village offers open-air dining, artisan ice cream shops, and electric boat rentals for exploring the calm marina channels.

2. Carpinteria

85 miles northwest of Los Angeles

Located just south of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria maintains the atmosphere of a classic California beach town. The area features wide beaches with small waves, making it popular for families and casual swimmers. Linden Avenue serves as the main thoroughfare, lined with surf shops, cafes, and independent bookstores that have operated for decades.

Visitors can explore the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve, where flat walking trails provide excellent birdwatching opportunities across a protected wetland habitat. On the eastern edge of town, the Tar Pits Park features rare natural asphalt lakes where crude oil bubbles to the surface along the coastal bluffs. The town also borders active avocado groves, and each street in the small downtown core ends directly at the public sand dunes.

3. Avalon on Catalina Island

26 miles south of Los Angeles plus a ferry ride

A one-hour passenger ferry ride connects the mainland ports of Long Beach or San Pedro to this island community. Avalon features narrow streets where residents primarily travel by golf cart instead of standard automobiles. Visitors can tour the historic 1929 Avalon Casino building, which houses a massive ballroom and a classic movie theater but never functioned as a gambling house.

The waterfront promenade is lined with open-air dining options, seafood markets, and gear rental shops for snorkeling in the clear waters of Lovers Cove. For panoramic views, travelers can rent a golf cart for a designated loop up into the hills or book a guided tour into the rugged interior to spot native island foxes. The crescent-shaped harbor provides excellent protection from heavy ocean swells, keeping the local beach waters calm and clear year-round.

If islands are your thing, the best island adventures in California are almost all within striking distance to Los Angeles though.

Wine and dine

4. Los Olivos

130 miles northwest of Los Angeles

Located in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley, Los Olivos is a historic town centered around agriculture and wine production. The flat terrain allows visitors to park once and walk to numerous boutique tasting rooms that showcase regional varieties like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Grand Avenue is the main strip, featuring historic wood-frame buildings that date back to the stagecoach era of the late 1800s.

Between wine tastings, visitors can stop by artisanal olive oil shops to sample locally pressed oils and vinegars. The town also features quiet outdoor dining patios, shaded by large valley oaks, where restaurants serve farm-to-table meals sourced from nearby properties. Victorian architecture defines the central residential grid, and the entire commercial sector spans just a few easily walkable blocks.

5. Ojai

83 miles northwest of Los Angeles

Ojai sits in a valley surrounded by the Topatopa Mountains and focuses on agriculture, art, and wellness. Visitors can browse the shelves at Bart’s Books, which is a large independent outdoor bookstore where customers have searched for titles under the sun since 1964. The town is surrounded by citrus groves, and visitors can purchase local Pixie tangerines and raw honey directly from farm stands.

The downtown arcade features Spanish Revival architecture housing local art galleries, pottery studios, and cafes. In the late afternoon, many people gather to watch the sunset reflect off the mountain faces, creating a distinct glowing light known locally as the pink moment. A paved multi-use trail runs directly through the center of the valley, allowing visitors to walk or bike past olive orchards without using main roads.

Inland hubs

6. Bakersfield

112 miles north of Los Angeles

Bakersfield offers a look into the cultural and agricultural history of the Central Valley. The city is famous for its traditional Basque restaurants, which serve multi-course meals at communal tables, a dining style introduced by sheep herders who immigrated from Europe in the 19th century. Visitors can dine at historic landmarks like Wool Growers or Benji’s to experience this unique culinary heritage.

To explore local history, travelers can tour the Kern County Museum, which features dozens of historic structures spread across thousands of acres, including vintage oil derricks, pioneer cabins, and a dedicated exhibit on the gritty Bakersfield Sound country music genre. The city also features the beautiful, historic Fox Theater downtown, which opened in 1930 and continues to host live concerts and community events.

7. Redlands

63 miles east of Los Angeles

Redlands grew significantly during the citrus boom of the late 19th century, making it an incredibly wealthy community during the Victorian era. The city preserves many of these massive historic homes, including the famous Kimberly Crest House and Gardens, which features French chateau-style architecture. Visitors can walk through the 1898 A.K. Smiley Public Library, a Moorish-style brick building that still serves as a functional community hub.

The downtown area features brick-lined sidewalks shaded by mature trees, offering plenty of independent coffee shops, antique stores, and clothing boutiques. Surrounding the city, a few remaining active orange groves offer a glimpse into the region’s agricultural past. Public parks are abundant throughout the grid, often featuring stone structures and public rose gardens built during the city’s early development.

8. Claremont

32 miles east of Los Angeles

Claremont is a walkable college town built around the campus cluster of the Claremont Colleges, which were established starting in the late 1880s. The streets feature mature trees that form a dense canopy over mid-century modern buildings and craftsman homes. The downtown district, known as the Claremont Village, contains independent shops, historic movie theaters, and a variety of international restaurants.

The town is also home to the California Botanic Garden, which is the largest botanic garden dedicated exclusively to California native plants. Visitors can walk miles of dirt paths to view rare desert flora, coastal sage scrub, and massive oak trees. The architectural transitions between the individual college campuses offer a visual timeline of Southern California design from the late 19th century onward.

Mountain and wilderness

9. Oak Glen

80 miles east of Los Angeles

Situated in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains at an elevation of nearly 5,000 feet, Oak Glen is an agricultural loop dedicated to fruit farming. The area features active apple orchards where visitors can pick their own fruit during the autumn harvest season. Local cider mills allow travelers to watch the pressing process and sample fresh apple cider, apple butter, and hot pastries.

The loop road features wooden storefronts, animal parks, and small historical museums dedicated to the original mountain pioneers. The higher elevation provides cool mountain air and access to hiking trails that wind through pine trees and seasonal wildflowers. Because the area sits well above the valley floor, it experiences distinct seasonal weather shifts that are rare in nearby lowland desert regions.

10. Idyllwild

109 miles southeast of Los Angeles

Located high in the San Jacinto Mountains, Idyllwild is a mountain village surrounded by tall pine forests and massive granite boulders. The town contains local art galleries, craft workshops, and family-owned cafes instead of national chains or franchises. Visitors can explore the Idyllwild Nature Center to learn about the local ecology and the history of the Cahuilla Native Americans who used the mountains during the summer months.

The village serves as a base camp for hikers, with immediate access to steep trails like Devil’s Slide, which leads into the high wilderness areas overlooking the desert floor far below. The central town square is completely walkable, featuring wooden boardwalks that connect small gear shops, bakeries, and outdoor patios underneath a dense canopy of incense cedar and pine trees.

Whether you crave the cool ocean breeze of a coastal community, the rich agricultural heritage of an inland valley, or the crisp pine air of a high mountain refuge, these day trips prove that the best parts of Southern California often sit just beyond the city limits. Leave the big city behind and discover unique regional flavors, historic architecture, and a completely different pace of life. Pack your bags, choose a direction on the map, and step away from the urban rush and incredible diversity just outside the Los Angeles city limits.