Things to Do in Beverly Hills

Standing next to the Beverly Hills sign felt a lot like seeing the Hollywood sign. It was really cool! The lily pond in front of it was so well kept, too.

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In this guide 7 sections

Nearly all the best things to do in Beverly Hills fit into one morning, and most of them are free. Cream and I only gave it half a day, and that turned out to be plenty. It was February 2024, our first week in LA, and we took an Uber over from our hotel in Little Tokyo one morning and stood by the sign and walked Rodeo Drive and then had a burger and wings for lunch before we left.

Things to Do in Beverly Hills: My Quick Answer

• Can't miss: the Beverly Hills sign and lily pond in Beverly Gardens Park, and a walk down Rodeo Drive. Both are free.
• Lunch: Fatburger & Buffalo's Express on North Beverly Drive, within walking distance of both. Get the keto burger and the wings.
• Half a day is enough: the sign in the morning, Rodeo Drive, lunch, done.
• With more time: the free gardens at Greystone Mansion, the pink Beverly Hills Hotel, or the Sunday farmers market.
• Getting there: Uber is easiest. Beverly Hills is about 8 miles from Santa Monica and 12 from Downtown LA, and it has no subway stop yet.

We slept in Little Tokyo that week and just came over for the morning. Most visitors do the same thing. If you want the full Beverly Hills experience, though, these three hotels put you right in it.

The Beverly Wilshire is the one if Rodeo Drive is the point, because it's right at the bottom of it. The Beverly Hills Hotel is the famous pink one up on Sunset Boulevard and SIXTY Beverly Hills is the newer one with a rooftop pool. If you'd rather sleep by the beach, Santa Monica is the easiest base, and where to stay in Santa Monica compares its areas.

Our Half Day in Beverly Hills

Once our Uber dropped us off we walked everywhere, and all three of our stops are close together in the flat part of Beverly Hills.

It was fun just walking around!

1. The Beverly Hills Sign and Lily Pond // The Photo Everyone Wants

It was a little busy when we got there in the morning, but not super busy. Maybe it was the time of day. Or the time of year. Beverly Hills is such a stunning area, and it was all so nice and clean!

Beverly Gardens Park is the long, skinny park along Santa Monica Boulevard. The sign and the lily pond are on the block between North Cañon Drive and North Beverly Drive.

The pond is older than Beverly Hills! It was first built in 1907 to draw in homebuyers. Beverly Hills didn't become a city until 1914. In the mid-1970s the pond was grassed over, and it came back for the city's centennial in 2014.¹

• Who it's for: anyone who wants the classic Beverly Hills photo
• Skip it if: you hate stopping for photos with other people around
• Cost: free
• Time needed: 15 to 30 minutes
• Best time: morning (that's when we went)
• Getting there: have your Uber drop you on North Beverly Drive at Santa Monica Boulevard
• Good to know: the pond is in bloom for much of the year, with flowers from spring to autumn

2. Rodeo Drive // Three Blocks of the Fanciest Shops in LA

We didn't go to Rodeo Drive to shop. We just wanted to see it! It's famous! You know it's all the fancy designer stores. It was so fun watching the cars and the people go by and peeking into the shops.

We even saw Adam Sandler. That was surreal!

Rodeo Drive is two blocks west. Its famous stretch runs only three blocks from Santa Monica Boulevard down to Wilshire Boulevard and walking it top to bottom takes 10 to 15 minutes if you don't stop.

I'd look down, too. Those plaques in the sidewalk are the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style, and it has honored names from the fashion world since 2003.² Down at the Wilshire end, Two Rodeo is a little cobblestone side street of shops and steps, and across Wilshire is the Beverly Wilshire, the hotel from the outside shots in Pretty Woman.

• Who it's for: people-watchers, car spotters, and window-shoppers
• Skip it if: you hate crowds and fancy stores; there isn't much else to it
• Cost: free to walk
• Time needed: 30 to 60 minutes
• Best time: late morning, when the stores are open
• Good to know: you don't need to buy anything or go inside to enjoy it

3. Fatburger & Buffalo's Express // A Keto Burger With Meat as the Bun

Fatburger is so good! We got the keto burger, and it's meat as the bun and then more meat inside.

It was next level good. The burger meat was delicious!

The wings were good too! We love chicken wings and these hit the spot.

On the menu, Fatburger calls it the Skinnyburger. We found it on North Beverly Drive, an easy walk from the sign and Rodeo Drive. It's the Fatburger right next to the headquarters of the company that owns it, and it doubles as a Buffalo's Express, the company's wing brand.³ Fatburger itself goes back to 1952 in Southern California.

• Who it's for: burger and wing lovers, and anyone eating low-carb
• Skip it if: you're after a fancy Beverly Hills meal (Spago is the big-night-out pick)
• Order: a burger with patties instead of a bun, and the wings
• Getting there: 474 North Beverly Drive

More Things to Do in Beverly Hills

We left after lunch. We didn't get to these. If you have a full day, they're the ones I'd add. They're more spread out than our three stops, and some of them need a short ride.

4. Greystone Mansion & Gardens // Free Gardens on the Hill

We didn't make it up to Greystone, but the gardens are free. It's the old Doheny family estate, a huge stone mansion in the hills above Sunset Boulevard, and the city owns it now and runs the grounds as a park. Walking the gardens and terraces is free on open days, and parking is free too.⁴ You can't go inside the mansion except at special events.

• Who it's for: garden lovers, photographers, and fans of old Hollywood houses
• Skip it if: you only have a morning; it's up the hill, away from the shops
• Cost: free
• Time needed: about an hour
• Good to know: the park closes now and then for filming and events, so check the calendar before you go

5. The Beverly Hills Hotel // The Pink Palace on Sunset

We didn't go inside the pink Beverly Hills Hotel. You don't have to stay there to see it, though, and breakfast here is the classic Beverly Hills splurge.

It has stood on Sunset Boulevard since 1912. It's world famous! You can walk up the drive and see the lobby. Inside, the Fountain Coffee Room is a small counter diner, and the Polo Lounge is the spot for a drink.

• Who it's for: old Hollywood fans and anyone who wants the Beverly Hills splurge
• Skip it if: you're watching your budget; even a coffee here is a treat
• Getting there: 9641 Sunset Boulevard, a short ride north of Rodeo Drive

6. Beverly Hills Farmers Market // Sunday Mornings

We loved our weekly farmers market in Santa Monica! If you're in Beverly Hills on a Sunday, I'd check this one out. It sets up on the 9300 block of Civic Center Drive, near City Hall. It's a small neighborhood market of produce and flowers, plus some food stands.

• When: Sundays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Who it's for: anyone in town on a Sunday morning
• Skip it if: your visit isn't on a Sunday
• Cost: free to browse

7. Spago // Wolfgang Puck's Big Night Out

We didn't eat at Spago. It's Wolfgang Puck's flagship restaurant on North Cañon Drive just south of the lily pond, and it's the famous pick for a big celebration dinner.

• Who it's for: a special-occasion dinner
• Skip it if: you want something casual; it's business casual and best booked ahead
• Getting there: 176 North Cañon Drive

8. A Celebrity Homes Tour // The Hills on an Open-Air Van

We only saw the flat part of Beverly Hills. If you want the hills too, I'd let an open-air van tour drive you up there. Most tours run about two hours and point out where famous people live and have lived in Beverly Hills and Hollywood.

You can compare celebrity homes tours in LA and pick one that starts near your hotel.

• Who it's for: people who'd like to see the hills without driving them
• Skip it if: you're not into celebrity spotting
• Time needed: about two hours, plus getting to the start

Free Things to Do in Beverly Hills

Everything we did that morning was free, other than our lunch!

How Long Do You Need in Beverly Hills?

Half a day felt right. We got there in the morning and left right after lunch.

I'd only plan a full day if you want Greystone or the Beverly Hills Hotel too, or some actual shopping!

How to Get to Beverly Hills

We took an Uber over from Little Tokyo and I think it's the easiest way in, because an Uber can drop you right at the sign and you don't have to think about parking at all.

Beverly Hills is between Santa Monica and Downtown LA, about 8 miles from the Santa Monica Pier. Downtown is about 12 miles to the east.

Without a car, you have a few options:

• Rideshare: the quickest way. Have it drop you at North Beverly Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard.
• Metro bus: buses 20 and 720 run along Wilshire Boulevard all the way from Santa Monica to Downtown LA and stop near Rodeo Drive. A ride is $1.75. It's slower than a rideshare in traffic, but it's direct.
• Metro D Line: since May 2026, the subway reaches Wilshire/La Cienega, on the eastern edge of Beverly Hills. Stations further west, in Beverly Hills itself, are still being built.⁵ From La Cienega, it's about 1.5 miles to Rodeo Drive.

We didn't drive in LA, but most visitors do. If you're one of them, I'd book a rental car before you land at LAX.

Street parking around Rodeo Drive is hard to find, and I'd go straight to one of the city's public garages in the shopping area instead. Several give you the first hour or two free and then charge by the half hour, so check the posted rates.

Santa Monica is the easiest base on the west side. Getting around Santa Monica without a car covers the trains and buses out to the rest of LA. Once you're back, there's still time for the best things to do in Santa Monica, like a sunset on the sand.

Is Beverly Hills Worth Visiting?

I'd totally visit Beverly Hills. It's such a nice area!

Give it half a day, and you don't need to love shopping to enjoy it. The sign and the lily pond, the cars and people on Rodeo, and a great burger fit into one easy morning.

Next Steps for Your Los Angeles Trip

• The Best Things to Do in Santa Monica: the pier, Palisades Park, and the beach, from a month living there
• Do You Need a Car in Santa Monica?: trains, buses, and Ubers to the rest of LA
• Where to Stay in Santa Monica: the best areas and hotels by the beach