California

OpenRoom put together a mini guide of things you might want to know before your trip to California! Nevertheless, don't forget to scroll down to the comments to see tips & tricks from travelers who've been there!

SAN DIEGO

📍 Where to find activities

→ Gaslamp Quarter — Downtown San Diego's historic nightlife and dining district. Victorian-style buildings converted into bars, restaurants, clubs, and galleries across several blocks.

→ Pacific Beach (PB) — A beach neighborhood popular with a younger crowd. Beachfront bars, boardwalk, surfing, and a laid-back atmosphere.

→ La Jolla — A coastal neighborhood north of downtown with cliffs, coves, sea lions, and kayaking. La Jolla Cove is a popular snorkeling and swimming spot.

→ Balboa Park — A large urban park with gardens, walking paths, museums, and the San Diego Zoo.

→ San Diego Zoo — Located inside Balboa Park.

→ Coronado — An island/peninsula across the bay from downtown, connected by a bridge. Wide white sand beach.

→ Old Town San Diego — A historic district representing San Diego's Mexican and early American heritage. Adobe buildings, shops, and restaurants.

→ Mission Beach / Ocean Beach — Beach neighborhoods with boardwalks, surf shops, and a more local vibe.

→ Sunset Cliffs — Coastal cliffs in Point Loma for sunset views over the Pacific.

→ San Diego Comic-Con — A major pop culture convention held annually in July at the Convention Center downtown.

→ Craft beer — San Diego has a well-known craft beer scene, with breweries concentrated in neighborhoods like North Park.

📍 Where to eat

→ Gaslamp Quarter — Restaurants and bars throughout the district.

→ Little Italy — A neighborhood adjacent to downtown with Italian restaurants, cafés, and a Saturday farmers market.

→ Old Town — Mexican food.

→ North Park / 30th Street — Independent restaurants, coffee shops, and breweries.

→ Fish tacos — A San Diego staple found throughout the city.

📍 Where to go out

→ Gaslamp Quarter — The main nightlife district. Rooftop bars, clubs, live music, and comedy venues.

→ Pacific Beach — Beachside bars and a younger, more casual bar scene.

→ North Park — Craft beer bars and a more local neighborhood nightlife.

📍 Where to find culture

→ Balboa Park museums — Multiple museums in the park covering art, natural history, air and space, and more.

→ USS Midway Museum — A decommissioned aircraft carrier on the waterfront, open as a museum.

→ Cabrillo National Monument — At the tip of Point Loma with views of the bay, the city, and the Pacific.

→ San Diego Comic-Con (July).

📍 Nearby destinations

→ Tijuana, Mexico (30 min border crossing), La Jolla, Coronado

LOS ANGELES

📍 Where to find activities

→ Santa Monica — Beach boardwalk, the Santa Monica Pier (Ferris wheel, arcade), and the Third Street Promenade (pedestrian shopping street).

→ Venice Beach — The Venice Boardwalk with street performers, Muscle Beach, skate parks, murals, and an eclectic atmosphere. The Venice Canals are a quieter residential area nearby.

→ Hollywood — The Hollywood Walk of Fame, TCL Chinese Theatre, and the Hollywood Sign (visible from various viewpoints; Griffith Observatory is a popular spot to see it).

→ Griffith Observatory — A public observatory in Griffith Park with views of the Hollywood Sign, downtown LA, and the coast on clear days.

→ Downtown LA (DTLA) — The Arts District (galleries, murals, restaurants), Grand Central Market (a historic food hall), The Broad (contemporary art museum), and Walt Disney Concert Hall.

→ Silver Lake / Echo Park / Los Feliz — Neighborhoods east of Hollywood with independent shops, coffee culture, restaurants, and a local creative scene.

→ Malibu — Beaches, Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) scenic drive, and coastal mountains. Zuma Beach and El Matador State Beach are popular spots.

→ Beverly Hills / Rodeo Drive — Luxury shopping.

→ Anaheim / Disneyland — About 30 minutes south of DTLA. Disneyland Resort includes Disneyland and Disney California Adventure theme parks.

→ Universal Studios Hollywood — A theme park and working studio.

📍 Where to eat

→ Grand Central Market (DTLA) — A historic food hall with diverse vendors.

→ Koreatown — Korean BBQ and a dense restaurant scene.

→ East LA / Boyle Heights — Mexican food.

→ Little Tokyo (DTLA) — Japanese restaurants and ramen.

→ Sawtelle (West LA) — Japanese and Asian restaurants.

→ LA has one of the most diverse food scenes in the U.S., reflecting its immigrant communities from Latin America, Asia, and beyond.

📍 Where to go out

→ West Hollywood (WeHo) — Bars, clubs, and the Sunset Strip. A major LGBTQ+ nightlife scene.

→ Hollywood — Clubs and bars along Hollywood Boulevard and Cahuenga Boulevard.

→ Downtown LA / Arts District — Cocktail bars, rooftop lounges, and live music venues.

→ Santa Monica / Venice — Beach bars and a more relaxed nightlife.

→ Silver Lake — Dive bars and independent music venues.

📍 Where to find culture

→ The Broad — Contemporary art museum in DTLA.

→ Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) — A major art museum on Wilshire Boulevard.

→ The Getty Center — Art museum with architecture and gardens in the hills above Brentwood.

→ Griffith Observatory — Science exhibits, planetarium, and city views.

→ Hollywood — The entertainment industry defines LA's cultural identity.

📍 Nearby destinations

→ Malibu (45 min), Anaheim/Disneyland (30 min), Palm Springs (2 hrs), Santa Barbara (2 hrs)

SAN FRANCISCO

📍 Where to find activities

→ Golden Gate Bridge — The iconic suspension bridge connecting San Francisco to Marin County. Walkable and bikeable across.

→ Fisherman's Wharf / Pier 39 — The main tourist waterfront area. Sea lions, seafood, souvenir shops, and views of Alcatraz.

→ Alcatraz Island — The former federal prison on an island in the bay. Accessible by ferry. Reservations required.

→ The Mission District — A historically Latino neighborhood with murals (Balmy Alley, Clarion Alley), taquerias, bars, and a strong cultural identity.

→ Haight-Ashbury — A neighborhood known for its counterculture history. Vintage shops, record stores, and murals.

→ Castro — A historically LGBTQ+ neighborhood with bars, theaters, and rainbow crosswalks.

→ Chinatown — A historic neighborhood with restaurants, tea houses, temples, and shops.

→ North Beach — San Francisco's Italian-American neighborhood. Cafés, Italian restaurants, City Lights Bookstore, and views from Coit Tower.

→ Golden Gate Park — A large urban park stretching to the Pacific Ocean. The de Young Museum, California Academy of Sciences, Japanese Tea Garden, and botanical gardens are inside the park.

→ Cable cars — San Francisco's historic cable car system still runs on several routes through the hills.

📍 Where to eat

→ The Mission — Taquerias, Latin American food, and a strong restaurant scene.

→ Chinatown — Dim sum and Chinese food.

→ North Beach — Italian restaurants and cafés.

→ Ferry Building Marketplace — A waterfront food hall with local vendors, artisan food, and a farmers market.

📍 Where to go out

→ The Mission — Bars, cocktail lounges, and live music venues. A younger, creative nightlife scene.

→ Castro — LGBTQ+ bars and nightlife.

→ SoMa (South of Market) — Clubs and larger nightlife venues.

→ North Beach — Bars and jazz clubs.

📍 Where to find culture

→ SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) — Modern and contemporary art museum.

→ de Young Museum — Art museum in Golden Gate Park.

→ California Academy of Sciences — Natural history museum, planetarium, and aquarium in Golden Gate Park.

→ City Lights Bookstore — A historic independent bookstore in North Beach.

→ San Francisco's neighborhoods each have a distinct cultural identity—the Mission, Castro, Chinatown, Haight-Ashbury, and North Beach each tell a different story.

📍 Nearby destinations

→ Muir Woods (redwood forest), Napa Valley (1.5 hrs), Sausalito (ferry across the bay), Berkeley, Half Moon Bay

📍 Nearby destinations (secondary)

Palm Springs

→ A desert resort city about 2 hours east of LA. Mid-century modern architecture, hot springs, resort pools, and an aerial tramway. A popular weekend getaway from LA. Joshua Tree National Park is east of Palm Springs.

Santa Barbara

→ A coastal city about 2 hours north of LA along the coast. Spanish colonial architecture, a waterfront with a pier and beach, wine tasting in the nearby Santa Ynez Valley, and a walkable downtown along State Street.

Lake Tahoe

→ A large alpine lake on the California-Nevada border, about 3.5 hours east of San Francisco. Skiing in winter (multiple resorts on both sides of the lake), hiking, kayaking, and beach days in summer. Known for its clear blue water and mountain setting.

Napa Valley

→ California's most famous wine region, about 1.5 hours north of San Francisco. Wineries, tasting rooms, and dining. Sonoma County, adjacent to Napa, offers a more relaxed wine-tasting experience.

Monterey / Big Sur

→ Monterey is a coastal city about 2 hours south of San Francisco. Monterey Bay Aquarium is a major attraction. Big Sur is a stretch of dramatic coastal highway south of Monterey with cliffs, redwood forests, and ocean views.

📍 Climate by season

California's climate varies dramatically by region.

San Diego:

Year-round mild and dry. Highs 18–26°C (64–79°F). Comfortable in every season.

Los Angeles:

Warm and dry most of the year. Highs 20–30°C (68–86°F). Summer is the hottest. "June Gloom" brings morning fog and overcast skies to the coast in early summer.

San Francisco:

Cooler than expected. Highs 13–21°C (55–70°F). Known for fog, especially in summer when the coast can be cold while inland areas are hot. Fall (September–October) is often the warmest and clearest.

Palm Springs:

Desert climate. Winter highs 20–25°C (68–77°F). Summer highs can exceed 40°C (104°F).

Lake Tahoe:

Mountain climate. Winter: heavy snow, ski season. Summer: highs 24–30°C (75–86°F).

📍 Areas that may not be safe

None found. Nevertheless, make sure to double-check prior to visiting a place that it is safe!

(Picture credit: Soly Moses)