From the hills of Hollywood to the sun-drenched streets of Santa Monica, Los Angeles is cooler than cool. Discover what's beneath the glitzy facade of America's most famous city with our LA travel guide.

Food and drink

Markets come in two forms in LA: farmers or flea. On Sundays hunt through the treasure trove of vintage pieces that is The Rose Bowl Flea markets or visit The Original Farmers Market for organic produce and delicious tacos before hitting The Grove shopping centre. Worked up an appetite? Take your pick from the legendary Chopped Salad at La Scala, the Prime Rib from Lawry’s or the tastiest tacos you can track down at food trucks like Guerilla Tacos.

Palm Springs

In just over two hours, you can drive out into the desert to find the peculiar rock formations and crazy cacti of the Joshua Tree National Park. Feel glamorous amongst the retro architecture, pool clubs and diners of Palm Springs, pack your cowboy boots to reenact your favourite spaghetti westerns in Pioneertown or get your glitter on at the Coachella Music Festival in April.

Getting around

From the airport: Uber and popular ride share services are available on the upper departures level at the designated ride service pick up. Regular taxies operate from each terminal, as well as shared shuttle vans that can be organised to all Southern California counties.

In and around the city: most people hire a car to explore LA’s vast urban metropolis, but if you don't want to drive yourself around you can organise transfers or a tour. There's also the Metro Rail, Metro bus lines and DASH, which provide inexpensive and convenient transport across LA. If you're staying at one of LA’s world-famous beaches you could even hire a bike.