Three Days on the LA Beaches: Santa Monica to Manhattan Beach

A coast-only itinerary, not a city itinerary

This plan stays on the water for three straight days: Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Malibu and the South Bay down to Manhattan Beach. It deliberately leaves out Hollywood, Downtown LA and the museums — for those, look instead at three days of Los Angeles classics, which mixes the interior with the coast.

If three days feels like more coastline than you need, the condensed version is one day covering Santa Monica and Venice only. This itinerary is built for travellers who want sand, boardwalks and ocean air, and who are happy to skip the freeways into the city entirely except for the short run out to Malibu.

The logic of the route: Santa Monica and Venice sit next to each other and share a paved path, so day one works on foot or by bike. Malibu is a separate trip up the Pacific Coast Highway and genuinely needs a car — there is no realistic way to reach it by LA Metro. The South Bay beach towns (Manhattan, Hermosa, Redondo) sit south of the airport and are also easiest by car, though some Metro rail access exists closer to Downtown, not out here.

A practical note on weather: in late spring and early summer, expect “May Gray” and “June Gloom” — a marine layer of cloud that typically blankets the coast in the morning and burns off by early-to-mid afternoon. Do not assume unbroken sun all day in May or June; plan indoor or covered options (a coffee shop, the Santa Monica Pier arcade, a museum stop) for the greyer mornings, and shift beach time later in the day.

Most visitors reach this coastline through LAX, which sits close to the South Bay and roughly 20-30 minutes from Santa Monica depending on traffic — worth knowing if the outbound flight falls on day three, since Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach are the closest overnight bases to the airport on this route. A rental car picked up at the airport covers every day of this plan except the first; for a broader look at whether a car is really needed and how the alternatives compare, see the Los Angeles transport guide.

Day 1: Santa Monica and Venice Beach

Base the first day around Santa Monica and Venice Beach, which sit close enough together to link on foot along the beach path or by rented bike — no car needed for this stretch.

Start at the Santa Monica Pier, with its amusement park rides and views back along the bay. From there, walk or bike south along the oceanfront path toward Venice. Venice Beach brings the boardwalk, Muscle Beach, street performers and the skate park; a short detour inland reaches the Venice Canals, a quiet residential pocket of small footbridges that feels far removed from the boardwalk crowds a few streets away.

For a hands-on introduction to the local skate culture, a beginner skateboarding lesson run right on the boardwalk is a popular way to spend an hour of the afternoon: book a skateboarding lesson on Venice Beach.

For visitors who would rather cover more ground than a walk allows without renting a car on day one, several operators run bike and segway tours along this same stretch. A guided ride links the pier, the boardwalk and Muscle Beach in a couple of hours: book a guided Santa Monica and Venice Beach bike tour, and a small-group version is also available for those who prefer a private pace: arrange a private Santa Monica and Venice Beach bike tour.

Travellers who would rather stand than pedal can cover similar ground a different way: try a Santa Monica and Venice Beach segway tour. Any of these fit into a couple of hours and pair well with independent time at the pier or the canals earlier in the day.

Later in the day, Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade (a few blocks inland from the pier) covers shopping and dinner options if the beach cools off in the evening breeze. For a broader first look that also swings past some of the area’s landmark homes, a guided option covering both towns plus a stretch of coastline is worth considering: take a Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and celebrity homes tour.

Overnight in Santa Monica keeps day two’s drive to Malibu short.

Day 2: Malibu and the Pacific Coast Highway

Day two needs a car. Drive north from Santa Monica along the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) into Malibu, a stretch of coastline lined with beach clubs, surf breaks and the kind of oceanfront homes that have made this drive famous in its own right.

Stops worth building the day around include Malibu Pier, Zuma Beach for a longer stretch of sand with more room than the busier Santa Monica shoreline, and the Getty Villa, a separate site from the Getty Center focused on antiquities — it is free to enter but requires a timed-entry reservation booked ahead, plus a paid parking fee. If gray morning cloud is likely (May-June), plan the Getty Villa or a coastal café stop for the early hours and save the beach time for after the marine layer lifts, typically by early-to-mid afternoon.

Malibu also works well as a half-day add-on if a second stop appeals more than spending the entire day in Malibu alone; the Los Angeles day trips guide covers other options in the same direction. Parking directly at the beaches themselves is limited and often metered — arriving early on weekends avoids circling for a spot near Malibu Pier or Zuma Beach.

For a curated pass through Malibu’s coastal homes and beach towns without having to plan the stops yourself, a small-group option covers this ground directly: join a Santa Monica and Malibu celebrity homes and beaches tour. A comparable option departing the same area covers similar ground with a different itinerary structure: compare this Santa Monica to Malibu beaches and celebrity homes tour.

Traffic on PCH can back up badly in the late afternoon, particularly on weekends and in summer — build in slack for the return drive, or plan an earlier dinner in Malibu itself before heading back.

Day 3: The South Bay — Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo

The final day moves south past the airport to the South Bay, anchored by Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach. This stretch of coast has a noticeably quieter, more residential feel than Venice or Santa Monica — wide beaches, a walkable pier at each town, and fewer crowds even on a warm weekend.

Manhattan Beach’s pier and downtown strip make a good base for the day: coffee, a walk along the sand, and — if the marine layer has cleared by midday, which it usually has by this stage of the day even in late spring — a swim or a rented paddleboard. The Pacific here runs cold year-round regardless of air temperature, so a wetsuit rental is worth considering for anything beyond a quick dip. Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach, a short drive further south, each have their own pier and a slower pace, good for an unhurried lunch before heading back.

Manhattan Beach also has its own cluster of bike and scooter rental options for covering the Strand, the paved path that runs along the sand through all three South Bay towns — a flatter, quieter alternative to the busier Santa Monica and Venice paths. For water-based activities across the wider coastline, from paddleboarding to surf lessons, the Los Angeles water sports guide rounds up options by area.

For travellers who prefer a broader circuit that ties Venice and Santa Monica together with Hollywood and Beverly Hills on the way back, a single combined tour covers that longer loop in one outing: see this Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Venice Beach tour. It is not part of this coast-only route, but it is a reasonable alternative for a trip with less time to spare.

Extending the trip beyond three days

Travellers with a fourth day sometimes add Catalina Island, reached by ferry rather than by car — a genuinely different pace from the mainland beaches, and better treated as its own dedicated day than squeezed into this three-day loop. Long Beach, south of the South Bay, is another possible detour with its own harbor and waterfront, though it sits far enough from Santa Monica that it pairs more naturally with a Downtown LA visit than with this beach-only route. Either extension is easier to plan as a full extra day than as a rushed add-on to day three.

Planning notes

Day	Focus	Car needed?
1	Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach, Venice Canals	No — walkable/bikeable
2	Malibu, PCH, Getty Villa	Yes
3	Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach	Yes (or Metro partway from Downtown)

A rental car covers days two and three comfortably; day one can be done entirely without one. Budget roughly $40-90+ per day for an economy rental, plus parking, which commonly runs $10-30+ per day at beach lots and attractions.

Coastal Los Angeles: frequently asked questions

Do I need a car for this itinerary?

Not for day one. Santa Monica and Venice Beach are close enough to cover on foot or by rented bike along the oceanfront path. Malibu and the South Bay towns, covered on days two and three, do need a car — there is no LA Metro line reaching Malibu or Manhattan Beach.

Is the ocean warm enough to swim in?

The Pacific off Los Angeles stays cold year-round; it is not a warm swimming sea, even in summer. Many visitors are surprised by this. A wetsuit makes a real difference for anything beyond a short dip, especially for surfing or paddleboarding.

What is “May Gray” and “June Gloom”?

These are local names for the marine layer of low cloud that often covers the coast in the morning during late spring and early summer, generally clearing by early-to-mid afternoon. It does not guarantee sun all day in May or June, even if inland areas are bright and clear at the same time.

Can I skip Malibu and just do Santa Monica, Venice and the South Bay?

Yes, and it removes the only day that strictly requires the Pacific Coast Highway drive. Santa Monica, Venice and the South Bay can be covered comfortably in two days if Malibu is dropped, though you would then be doing a version closer to a shorter coastal loop than this three-day plan.

Is this itinerary walkable overall?

Only day one is. Venice and Santa Monica sit side by side along a shared beach path. Malibu and the South Bay towns are each a separate drive from Santa Monica and are not connected to each other or to Santa Monica by any walking or cycling route.

How does this differ from the one-day Santa Monica and Venice itinerary?

The one-day version covers only those two towns in a single day. This three-day plan adds Malibu and the full South Bay, spreading the coastline over three separate days rather than compressing it into one.

Should I stay in one hotel for all three nights?

Basing in Santa Monica for all three nights is the simplest option, since it sits roughly in the middle of the route to both Malibu and the South Bay. Moving hotels each night is not necessary for this itinerary.

Does this itinerary go into Downtown LA or Hollywood?

No. It is deliberately coastal-only. For an itinerary that combines the coast with Downtown, Hollywood and the museums, see three days of Los Angeles classics instead.

Can I add Catalina Island to this itinerary?

Yes, but as an extra day rather than folding it into one of the three above. Catalina is reached by ferry, not by car, and the crossing plus time on the island fills most of a day on its own, so it works better tacked onto the end of this plan than squeezed into it.

Where should I plan to eat along this route?

Each base town on this route — Santa Monica, Malibu and the South Bay — has its own concentration of restaurants near the pier or main street, so there is no need to plan meals far from wherever the day’s activities are already centered.