Venice Beach
- Address:Pacific Coast Highway, Venice
- Hours:Open 24 hrs daily
- Admission:Free
Golfing, Must-Do Experience, People Watching, Popular with Locals, Sunrise / Sunset, Beach
7:41 PM Saturday, May 26
Sunny. Refreshingly cool.
7 day forecast »
Southern California’s quintessential bohemian playground, Venice Beach is a haven for artists, New Agers, homeless people, and free spirits of all stripes. This is where Jim Morrison and the Doors lit their fire, where Arnold Schwarzenegger pumped himself to stardom, and where Julia Roberts and Dennis Hopper make their homes today.
Life on Venice Beach moves to a different rhythm and nowhere more so than on the famous Venice Boardwalk, officially known as Ocean Front Walk. It’s a nonstop Mardi Gras of fortune tellers, street musicians, and characters of all colors, shapes, and sizes. This is where to get your hair braided, your karma corrected, and your back massaged qigong–style.
Encounters with budding Schwarzeneggers, hoop dreamers, a Speedo-clad snake charmer and a roller-skating Sikh minstrel are pretty much guaranteed, especially on hot summer days. The Sunday-afternoon drum circle draws hundreds of revelers for tribal playing and spontaneous dancing.
For a break from the madness, head couple of blocks away from the beach, where you’ll find a series of narrow canals connected by one-lane bridges that thread past eclectic homes where ducks preen and locals lollygag in little row boats.
Latest Reviews All Venice Beach Reviews »
We LOVED this tour! Our guide Barbara was lovely, knowledgeable and even took photos of us! We cycled from San Monica beach to Venice Beach. My favorite part was the Venice canals - amazing area where beautiful houses sit along canals like in Venice! It was relaxing, safe and easy to follow the guide. We stopped several times and Barbara talked about the area and its history. The electric bikes were brilliant and you don't have to pedal if you don't feel like it ;-) I highly recommend this tour as it was the highlight during our vacation in Los Angeles. Continue Reading »
This tour was incredible. The best way to see Santa Monica and Venice Beach! The weather was very nice, even if it was February! Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and took a few really nice pictures of us. The bikes were great, I loved being able to pedal when I felt like and also being able to accelerate as if it was a scooter when it was a bit more hilly, or to gain a bit more speed. We got a chance to see everything we wanted to see, including the Venice canals, which were amazing. It was so relaxing, I would definitely do it again, and would recommend it to anyone! Continue Reading »
Always an interesting time here. Unique crowd. Only down side is you get tired of it after 2 hours.
Continue Reading »Practical Info
Venice Beach is southeast of Santa Monica, along the Pacific Coast Highway. Abbot Kinney Boulevard has street parking, but you can also find ample parking along the beach.
The stretch of Abbot Kinney Boulevard, between Venice Boulevard and Main Street, is chockablock with boutiques, galleries, vintage clothing stores, and restaurants.
