Walking From Santa Monica Pier to Venice Beach (and Which to Stay In)

The roller skaters always made me smile. They were on the path every time we did the walk from Santa Monica Pier to Venice Beach. Everything you think about LA, the beach area is what you actually see!

Heads up: some links in this guide are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

In this guide 9 sections

Cream and I first did it near the end of our LA trip in February 2024. We wished we'd done it sooner. So when we came back to live in Santa Monica for a month in 2025, we walked it three more times, always in the middle of the day when it was warmest.

We'd head south along the sand and stop for bubble tea in Venice.

Then we'd walk back.

Can You Walk From Santa Monica Pier to Venice Beach? My Quick Answer

• Yes, and it's an easy walk. A flat, paved path runs along the sand from the pier into Venice, with hardly a road to cross.
• Distance: a little over a mile (about 2 km) to the Venice border at Navy Street, 2 miles (3.2 km) to Muscle Beach and the skate park, and nearly 3 miles (4.8 km) to the Venice Fishing Pier.
• Time: around 40 minutes to Muscle Beach at a steady pace. It took us about an hour each way, because we went slowly and stopped a lot.
• Best time: the middle of the day, for the warmth and the most going on.
• Getting back: walk the same path (we always did), take the Big Blue Bus up Main Street, or call an Uber.

If I wanted to stay near the start of the walk, I'd pick one of these three. Why each one made the list is in the stay section further down.

Walking vs Biking to Venice

We walked it every time. On foot you can stop whenever something catches your eye. And the people-watching is half the fun!

The path was paved the whole way, and the bikes had their own area. A bike makes sense if you want to go farther. This beach path is part of the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, about 22 miles of pavement along the coast, and you could ride on past Venice all the way to Marina del Rey.

Stands on the sand near the pier rent bikes by the hour, and on a bike the pier to Venice only takes about 15 minutes. If you want a guide or a set time, I'd book ahead. You can compare Santa Monica and Venice bike rentals and tours first.

Whichever you pick, stay in your lane. Walkers have their own side of the path in Santa Monica, and in Venice the walking crowd moves onto Ocean Front Walk and the bikes keep to the path on the beach side.

The Route, From the Pier to the Venice Boardwalk

You can't get lost. We just kept the ocean on our right and followed the path south.

Start on the Sand by the Pier

I'd get down to beach level and pick up the path on the south side of the pier. From Downtown Santa Monica, walk down Colorado Avenue toward the pier and take the stairs or the ramps to the sand.

The pier looks a little different right now. Crews took its old neon "Santa Monica Yacht Harbor" sign down from the entrance in October 2026 so they could restore it during the bridge rebuild, and they plan to bring it back in late 2027.² The pier itself stays open. If you want to go up before you set off, our Santa Monica Pier guide has the temporary way in.

A few steps south of the pier you'll pass Original Muscle Beach, a free outdoor gym with rings and bars right on the sand and the first of two Muscle Beaches on this walk. Venice's Muscle Beach is the famous one, though.

South Through Santa Monica

I'd stay on the walking side here, because the bikes move fast. In Santa Monica the city split the old shared path so walkers and bikes each get their own lane.¹

For the first stretch you pass the big beachfront hotels and then the quieter Ocean Park neighborhood. You have sand on one side and homes and palm trees on the other. Main Street runs parallel two blocks inland if you want a coffee on the way.

Into Venice at Navy Street

I'd watch for the change at Navy Street. That's where you leave the City of Santa Monica and walk into Venice. It's part of LA.³ It's a little over a mile from the pier.

From here the path runs beside Ocean Front Walk, the Venice Beach Boardwalk. It's a car-free strip of shops and food stands. Murals and vendors' tables fill the gaps. It runs all the way south to the Venice Fishing Pier at Washington Boulevard, and its busiest part is around Windward Avenue near the skate park and Muscle Beach.

What You'll See on the Venice Beach Boardwalk

I loved the people-watching. This is the busiest stretch of the walk.

1. Muscle Beach Venice // The Outdoor Gym

I love passing the Muscle Beach area. It's classic LA vibes! You see people stopping for a quick pull-up as they walk by, and then there are the really intense people who are there for a serious workout.

Its outdoor weight pen is what most people picture when they think of LA beach fitness. Watching from the boardwalk is free. To lift there yourself, a day pass is $10 from the Venice Beach Recreation Center office on the boardwalk.⁴

• Who it's for: people-watchers, and anyone who wants a workout with an audience
• Skip it if: you'd rather keep walking; you see most of it from the path
• Good to know: it's at Ocean Front Walk and 18th Avenue, next to the basketball courts

2. Venice Skatepark // Skaters on the Sand

I loved passing the skate park too. It's right on the sand beside the path near Windward Avenue, and you can watch skaters drop into the bowls as you walk by.

It opened in 2009. But skating here goes back much further. Venice and the Ocean Park area next door are where the Dogtown skaters of the 1970s helped shape modern skateboarding, and the Z-Boys were the famous ones.

• Who it's for: anyone who likes watching people do things they'd never try
• Skip it if: you're short on time; you see it as you pass anyway
• Good to know: watching is free, and it's busiest on weekends

3. The Roller Skaters // Classic LA, for Real

I loved seeing the roller skaters on the path. That's so classic! I love that you actually see it.

Venice has been a roller skating spot since the 1970s, when people called it the roller skating capital of the world. The city later set aside a skate dance plaza near the boardwalk, and skaters still gather there on weekend afternoons.

• Who it's for: everyone
• Skip it if: you can't; they're on the path the whole way
• Good to know: you'll pass skaters on the path all the way from Santa Monica, but the dancers gather in Venice

4. Venice Art Walls // Legal Graffiti by the Sand

I'd go on a weekend. Just past the skate park, a set of concrete walls is covered in fresh graffiti. They went up in 1961. Painting there has been legal since 2000.

Artists paint here with a permit on weekend days. On a Saturday or Sunday you can watch new work go up.

• Who it's for: street art fans and photographers
• Skip it if: you're passing on a weekday and only want to see artists working
• When: Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Good to know: the walls change all the time, so what you see won't match anyone's old photos

5. The Venice Sign // Windward and Pacific Avenues

I'd walk one block inland for this photo. Big lit letters spell out "VENICE" over Windward Avenue. Abbot Kinney put up the first sign when he founded the town in 1905. Today's copy went up in 2007.⁵ It lights up after dark.

• Who it's for: anyone who wants the classic "I was here" photo
• Skip it if: you don't want to leave the beach
• Good to know: it's a short walk up Windward Avenue from the skate park

6. The Venice Canals // A Quiet Detour Inland

We didn't even know about the canals when we did this walk. They're a quiet detour about 10 minutes inland from the boardwalk.

When Kinney built Venice, he dug canals to make it feel like the Italian city. Most were later filled in to make roads, but a small network still survives south of Venice Boulevard and it has footbridges and houses right on the water.

• Who it's for: anyone who wants a quiet break from the boardwalk
• Skip it if: you're already tired; it adds about half a mile each way
• Good to know: it's a residential neighborhood, so keep it quiet

Our Stop: Bubble Tea, Then Back

We always did the same thing. We'd stop in Venice for a bubble tea. Then we'd turn around and walk back to Santa Monica. That was our whole plan!

There are food stands and cafes all along the boardwalk if you want more than a drink.

Why Venice Feels Different From Santa Monica

Venice is louder. There's music and vendors and performers everywhere. Santa Monica is where we'd go to relax.

Some of it comes down to history. Abbot Kinney built Venice as its own seaside resort town in 1905, and he called it "Venice of America" and gave it canals and an amusement pier. It joined Los Angeles in the 1920s. Santa Monica stayed a separate city with its own rules and its own downtown.

Venice also has a long history as LA's creative, offbeat corner. Beat poets gathered at its cafes in the 1950s and The Doors started there, and then the skaters of the 1970s made it famous around the world. That's the loud Venice we walked through, music and all.

The Best Time to Walk From Santa Monica to Venice

We always went at peak daytime. We wanted the warmth. That matters most in winter and spring, when Santa Monica mornings can start out gray and chilly. By lunch it was nicer for us. And the boardwalk is in full swing by late morning anyway.

Weekends bring out the most performers and skaters. Weekday mornings are quieter if you'd rather have the path to yourself.

We only ever walked it in daylight. I'd plan it that way and then catch the sunset back on the sand in Santa Monica. The sand north of the pier tops our list of the best photo spots in Santa Monica.

Getting Back to Santa Monica

We always walked back.

• Walk back: this is what we always did. It's the same path and the same views, just with the pier ahead of you this time.
• Bus: Big Blue Bus Route 1 runs along Main Street between Venice and Downtown Santa Monica. You can pay with a contactless card or a TAP card.
• Uber or Lyft: an easy option if your feet are done. A short ride gets you back to the pier or downtown.

Santa Monica vs Venice Beach: Which to Stay In

I'd stay in Santa Monica. Venice is a different vibe and I know some people stay there, but I just love Santa Monica more.

It's also the easier base. Santa Monica has more hotels near the beach and a walkable downtown with Third Street Promenade, and it also has the Metro E Line straight to Downtown LA. Venice has no train station.

Plenty of people pick up a car for the rest of LA. If you're one of them, check rental cars at LAX when you book your flight.

We picked the three hotels in the box above for this walk. Shutters is our luxury pick. It's a few minutes from the start of the path, and the sand is right outside its door. The Pierside Santa Monica is at the top of the pier on Ocean Avenue. Its ocean-side rooms have the view. Hampton Inn & Suites Santa Monica includes breakfast and is right by the downtown E Line station.

To pick an area first, read where to stay in Santa Monica. It goes through each neighborhood one by one.

Venice suits you if you want to step out the door into the boardwalk's energy. It's also good for the art and shopping on Abbot Kinney Boulevard. For a first trip to LA, I'd start in Santa Monica and walk down for the day.

Is the Walk From Santa Monica to Venice Beach Worth It?

If you have more time in town, our things to do in Santa Monica has the rest. The other way from the pier is Palisades Park, our morning walk. Still deciding whether Santa Monica is your base? We cover that in is Santa Monica worth visiting.

As for the walk itself, I'll say it the way I'd tell a friend. Take this walk if you want some of the best views of the beach, a safe place to walk, and classic Santa Monica and LA beach vibes.

You will not be disappointed!

Next Steps for Your Santa Monica Trip

• The Santa Monica Pier: where the walk starts, and when to go
• Things to Do in Santa Monica: sunsets, the Promenade, and more, mostly free
• Where to Stay in Santa Monica: Downtown, the beachfront, or Main Street
• Palisades Park, Santa Monica: palm trees and ocean views above the beach
• Is Santa Monica Worth Visiting?: who should go, and who should skip it