Boardwalk Babylon: What to Do in Venice Beach for 7 Days Without Becoming a Cliché

Your Meticulously Planned (Yet Delightfully Chaotic) Guide to What to Do in Venice Beach for 7 Days

Visiting Venice Beach without a plan is like entering a casino without a budget—wildly entertaining but potentially regrettable. The following seven-day itinerary balances iconic experiences with local secrets, allowing you to simultaneously embrace and transcend the touristy clichés that define this beachfront carnival.

Day 1: Boardwalk Baptism

Begin your Venice odyssey where the neighborhood displays its most exhibitionist tendencies—the infamous boardwalk. But first, caffeinate properly at Menotti’s Coffee Stop, where $6 buys a meticulously crafted pour-over and baristas with more tattoos than undecorated skin. Their beans come from Four Barrel Coffee in San Francisco, which explains both the exceptional quality and the slight air of superiority that wafts alongside the aroma.

The Venice Boardwalk deserves unhurried exploration. Between the street performers (of wildly varying talent), fortune tellers (of wildly varying accuracy), and vendors (of wildly varying legality), you’re witnessing America’s most entertaining sociological experiment. Muscle Beach provides a free open-air exhibition of human physical potential—where bodybuilders perform reps with the theatrical flair of Shakespearean actors, only with more oil and fewer words.

The Venice Skate Park offers another free spectacle—gravity-defying tricks performed by everyone from 8-year-old prodigies to grizzled veterans with knees that sound like maracas. For lunch, skip the overpriced tourist traps and get a $4 slice at Big Daddy’s Pizza that somehow tastes exponentially better than the $18 mediocre seafood being served 50 feet away. Cap your day with dinner at The Waterfront, where $35 gets you fish tacos and cocktails with sand still between your toes.

Day 2: Canals and Commercial Indulgence

Begin your morning at the Venice Canals, a network of waterways that represent Abbot Kinney’s partially-fulfilled dream. Arrive between 9-10am when golden light illuminates the arched bridges and million-dollar homes that line these architectural anachronisms. These residential pathways showcase homes ranging from $5-10 million, where architectural styles clash with cheerful disregard for cohesion—Mediterranean villas neighboring modernist glass boxes neighboring whimsical cottages that appear plucked from fairytales.

Afterward, proceed to Abbot Kinney Boulevard, a mile-long testament to upscale commerce that GQ once called “the coolest block in America,” which immediately made it 23% less cool. Browse shops selling items you never knew existed but suddenly cannot live without—$85 soy candles that smell like “library in autumn” and hand-crafted ceramics too beautiful to actually use.

For lunch, secure a table at Gjelina (pronounced juh-LEE-nuh, as servers will helpfully correct you) for wood-fired pizzas and vegetable dishes that justify their $25-30 per person price tag. Follow with Salt and Straw ice cream, where $7 buys a single scoop of flavors like “Salted, Malted Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough” that will ruin regular ice cream for you forever. For dinner, splurge at Felix Trattoria, where Chef Evan Funke’s hand-made pasta ($28-32 per plate) provides religious experiences for your taste buds.

Day 3: Beach Day Escapades

Dedicate your third day to aquatic pursuits along Venice’s primary asset—its coastline. Join the free 8am beach yoga session where participants downward dog to the soundtrack of crashing waves and distant skateboard wheels. For those who prefer guided instruction, Yoga Collective offers classes for $25 that come with real mats (unlike the sand-covered towels of the free session).

Surfing lessons from local schools like Kapowui ($85 for two hours) offer the chance to embarrass yourself spectacularly before eventually standing on a board for 3.7 glorious seconds. Alternatively, paddleboarding in Marina del Rey’s calmer waters provides a gentler learning curve for $30 per hour rental. Beach volleyball courts scattered along the sand offer free entertainment—simply bring a ball and wait to be invited into a game, or challenge another pair if you’re feeling confident.

For lunch, Erewhon Market offers the quintessential Venice experience—paying $22 for a salad that anywhere else would cost $8, while surrounded by people discussing their recent cleanses with evangelical fervor. As the day wanes, ascend to High Rooftop Lounge at Hotel Erwin for sunset cocktails ($16-18) that provide liquid courage before you face the boardwalk’s evening transformation, when the eccentricity dial turns from 7 to 11.

Day 4: Santa Monica Sojourn

Even the most devoted Venice enthusiast needs occasional variety. Rent a bike from Perry’s Beach Café ($10/hour) and cruise north along the beachfront path to Santa Monica, Venice’s more manicured neighbor. The Santa Monica Pier offers nostalgic amusements—the Pacific Park Ferris wheel provides sweeping coastal views for $12, while arcade games deliver flashbacks to pre-digital entertainment.

The Third Street Promenade presents a pedestrianized shopping district where street performers (properly permitted, unlike Venice’s more anarchic entertainers) create background music for your retail therapy. For lunch, original Farmers Market vendors offer international cuisines at reasonable prices ($15-25 per person). Santa Monica State Beach provides a cleaner, wider stretch of sand than Venice—though mysteriously populated by tourists who paid for hotel rooms in Venice only to sunbathe in Santa Monica.

Return via sunset water taxi ($10) for a maritime perspective of the coastline, or embrace modern transport with Bird scooters ($1 plus $0.39/minute). Reward yourself with dinner at Ospi, where $45 buys California-Italian cuisine that makes the cross-town journey entirely worthwhile.

Day 5: Cultural Immersion

Venice’s artistic spirit deserves dedicated exploration. Begin at the Venice-adjacent farmers market (schedules vary by day) where local producers offer eye-wateringly expensive but undeniably superior produce. Small World Books on the boardwalk stands as a literary fortress against digital encroachment—browse shelves curated by staff who actually read books rather than algorithms.

Gallery hopping along Lincoln Boulevard reveals Venice’s serious art credentials beneath its carnival exterior. Spaces like L.A. Louver and Various Small Fires showcase works ranging from established masters to emerging talents whose prices haven’t yet reached stratospheric levels. Lunch at Great White ($25) offers Australian cafe fare that somehow makes avocado toast seem worth $14.

In the afternoon, self-guide through Venice’s street art scene using online maps, or join a tour ($25) that explains the political and cultural contexts behind the murals. Evening brings comedy possibilities at The Venice Underground, where $15 covers nationally-touring comedians working out new material in intimate settings—a bargain considering these same performers command $50+ at larger venues.

Day 6: Outdoor Expansion

By day six, expand your Venice experience with nearby natural wonders. Drive 25 minutes to Topanga State Park for morning hiking among coastal sage scrub and oak woodlands ($10 parking). The Eagle Rock trail offers panoramic views that stretch from downtown Los Angeles to Catalina Island on clear days.

Return for lunch at The Rose Venice, where $20-30 delivers California cuisine that locals actually frequent rather than merely recommend to tourists. Afterward, tackle a longer segment of the Marvin Braude Bike Trail (locally known as “The Strand”)—this 22-mile coastal path connects Pacific Palisades to Torrance. Rental shops offer half-day bikes for $20.

Check Venice Oceanarium’s schedule for educational events that reveal the marine ecosystem beyond the beach’s superficial sandy pleasures. For dinner, Chart House in Marina del Rey offers seafood with harbor views ($50-60 per person), proving that not all waterfront restaurants sacrifice quality for location.

Day 7: Hidden Venice Farewell

Dedicate your final day to Venice’s less-documented treasures. Breakfast at Gjusta ($20) involves standing in line with locals for pastries and sandwiches worth every minute of the wait. Explore the boutiques along Rose Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard where independent designers maintain studios and showrooms with pieces you won’t find in department stores.

Seek out the secret canals north of the main canal district—these additional waterways from Kinney’s original plan survived but remain largely tourist-free. Unlike their famous southern counterparts, these passages offer glimpses of Venice before its discovery by social media influencers.

Conclude your week with farewell cocktails at The Brig ($14-16), a longtime Venice establishment that has witnessed the neighborhood’s multiple transformations while maintaining its unpretentious charm. For your final dinner, splurge at Scopa Italian Roots ($60-70 per person) where Chef Antonia Lofaso’s Italian-American menu provides the comfort food farewell that seven days of what to do in Venice Beach properly deserves.

Where to Rest Your Sunburned Self

Venice accommodations range from charmingly divey to astronomically priced. Budget travelers can secure beds at Samesun Venice Beach hostel ($60-80/night) or rooms in local homes via Airbnb ($80-150/night). Mid-range options include Venice Beach House ($200-300/night) and Air Venice on the Beach ($180-250/night), both offering character alongside cleanliness.

For luxury seekers, Hotel Erwin ($300-450/night) provides rooftop ocean views and hipster credentials, while Venice V Hotel ($350-500/night) occupies a historic 1915 building with boardwalk-adjacent rooms. The cardinal rule of Venice accommodations: stay within walking distance of either Abbot Kinney or the beach—parking challenges alone justify this strategy.

Practical Matters for Your Venice Sojourn

Weather expectations require understanding the “June Gloom” phenomenon—morning fog that burns off by noon, keeping temperatures around 65-70F despite summer calendar dates. The August-October period delivers the most reliable beach weather (75-85F), while winter months (November-February) hover around 60-70F with occasional rain that sends locals into apocalyptic panic mode.

Transportation logistics benefit from Venice’s proximity to LAX (15 minutes, $30 rideshare) but suffer from parking nightmares. Public lots near Abbott Kinney charge $15-20 daily, while street parking requires advanced-level skills in both parallel parking and sign interpretation. Despite Los Angeles’ car-centric reputation, Venice ranks among the city’s most walkable neighborhoods—most attractions cluster within a 2-mile radius.

Safety considerations have evolved with Venice itself. The boardwalk areas deserve standard urban awareness after dark, particularly the sections south of Windward Avenue. Beach safety benefits from lifeguards on duty daily (10am-6pm), though swimmers should note the powerful rip currents that surprise visitors expecting gentle waves. Common tourist-targeting scams include the sudden appearance of “friendship bracelets” on your wrist followed by demands for payment, and unsolicited CDs thrust into your hands by aspiring rappers who then insist on “donations.”