With the glitzy draw of Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Bel Air as well as the lively coastal resorts of Santa Monica, Venice and Malibu, visitors to LA will have plenty of sightseeing opportunities. The heart of the moviemaking industry is Hollywood, and it is here were most of the world-famous studios are including Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros, each providing a different insight into filmmaking. If you want a rest from the big screen, head for the beach, where the LA stereotype rules.

Hollywood Sign
Located high in the Hollywood Hills, the Hollywood sign has been an iconic symbol of this glitzy film-making neighbourhood for decades. While it is not possible to get up close to this attraction, on a smog free day, you should be able to get plenty of pictures of the 50-foot high sign.

La Brea Tar Pits
A refreshing change from the glitzy and dramatic manmade attractions that span the city, the La Brea Tar Pits offer a journey back in time to the days when woolly mammoths roamed the region. Appealing for adults and children, the educational museum offers the chance to see some fossils from the world’s richest deposit of Ice Age fossils. The bubbling tar pits, still active today, claimed the lives of many Ice Age creatures nearly 40,000 years ago. Reconstructions of these animals can be seen here including replicas of sabre-toothed cats and wolves.
Phone: +1 323 934 7243; website: www.tarpits.org

Paramount Pictures 
If you’ve ever seen Sunset Boulevard, then you will know this world-famous studio, which is one of Hollywood’s longest continuously operating. The studios offer a look-in on the sets of some of Hollywood’s most famous productions including TV hits such as Star Trek, The Brady Bunch, Cheers and Happy Days. While this studio is still in action, its golden age, when the likes of Marlene Dietrich, Bing Crosby and Gloria Swanston made films here, is what Paramount is most recognised for.
Phone: +1 323 956 5000; website: www.paramount.com

Queen Mary
Built in Clydebank, Scotland, the Queen Mary luxury cruise liner is permanently anchored at Long Beach. Visitors can explore the ship on a guided tour, while there are also specialised ghost tours that chronicle the reported haunting onboard, taking you to the site of the spirit sightings. Next door are a Russian submarine and Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose aircraft, also open for exploration. Tours conjure up the former glory of the ship’s sailing days, with an eerie highlight of the tour being a below-deck viewing of one of the ships propellers through a glass bottom area.

Santa Monica
This coastal resort is just north of the international airport and easily accessible from downtown via the Santa Monica Freeway. As the largest and oldest of LA’s beach resorts, you can enjoy a playground that looks remarkably similar to a scene straight out of Baywatch. Just back from the beach, Third Street Promenade is a bohemian amalgamation of buskers, street vendors and chain stores, the ideal place to grab a coffee and people-watch. For a different view, head to the pier, which boasts a charming 1920s carousel.

Venice
Unlike its Italian counterpart, you won’t find any gondolas here; you will find a few canals and plenty of water action at the beach, which attracts a mixed bag of performers, vendors and musicians. While this area is not considered to be safe for tourists at night, the daytime activity here is fascinating for first-timers, with bronzed Barbie-like locals coasting the boardwalk on rollerblades and brawny men working out.

Warner Bros Studios
Only second to Universal Studios, this movie-making haven focuses more on the technical side of filmmaking. Film nerds can learn all about film-making procedures and special effects, while tours also provide a look-in at aspects such as prop sets, wardrobe and sound. If you visit during recording, you may have the chance to see an active film set.
Phone: +1 818 954 3000; website: www.warnerbros.com

Brush noses with the rich and famous on a shopping trip to Rodeo Drive. This exclusive shopping strip attracts some of the world’s most famous actors and actresses, with its Gucci, Armani, Channel and Dior boutiques.

Get a star map and tour Beverly Hills to catch glimpses of celebrity’s former or current houses. Here, glamour and opulence thrive, with stars such as Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Barbra Streisand, Madonna and Demi Moore having once graced the neighbourhood with their presence.

Hit the beach, with popular favourites being Santa Monica, Venice, Long, Muscle and Malibu beaches. These coastal havens are lively shopping and entertainment hubs, and they do a good job of epitomizing the LA beach ideal, with blonde, curvaceous babes lining the beach.

Party all night at Hollywood’s hotspots. For sophisticated evening drinking, head to Hollywood, West Hollywood and Los Feliz, all of which boast cutting-edge clubs, where you can party into the early hours.

See works by masters of modern art at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Pieces by Mark Rothco, Franz Kline and Claes Oldenburg adorn the walls, making this a must-visit for all art enthusiasts.

Tuck into some ethnic delights at one of LA’s cuisine hubs. Chinatown’s Bamboo lane, Little Tokyo’s sushi bars and Olvera Street’s Latino-influenced eateries provide plenty of choice.

Watch a popular TV show being taped at CBS Television City. Here, favourites such as The Price is Right and The Late, Late Show are filmed, with free tickets available for those who acquire them in advance.