Best activities for a date in Los Angeles
Something to do first, then dinner to talk about it.
188 spots · Jump to the list
Doing something together beats sitting across a table, at least to start: a shared activity gives you something to react to, and it takes the pressure off the conversation. This list runs the whole range — a gallery or a show, a kayak or a climbing wall, a comedy set, the zoo — and every one of them sets up dinner afterwards. Check hours and booking before you go; the popular ones sell out on weekends.
This guide ranks 188 activities in Los Angeles, from Torrance to Pasadena and Redondo / Hermosa Beach. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Bowlero Mar Vista
4.6(9)Playa Vista / Marina del Rey · $$
Pro SUP Shop
4.6(9)Venice · $$
Jim and James
4.6(8)Los Feliz / Griffith Park · $
Runyon Canyon
4.5(26)Hollywood · $
Kavahana
4.5(26)Santa Monica · $
Busby’s West
4.5(25)West LA / Brentwood · $$
Pershing Square
4.5(24)Downtown Los Angeles · $
Institute for Art and Olfaction
4.5(21)Downtown Los Angeles · $
South Bay Sailing
4.5(21)Redondo / Hermosa Beach
Norton Simon Museum
4.5(19)Pasadena · $$
The Bungalow
4.5(19)Santa Monica · $$$
Bowlero Torrance
4.5(16)Torrance · $$
The Clawcade
4.5(14)Torrance · $
Glass Bottom Boat
4.5(14)Redondo / Hermosa Beach · $$
Huntington Library
4.5(13)Pasadena · $$
Santa Monica Farmers’ Market
4.5(11)Santa Monica · $
Montalbán Rooftop Theater
4.5(11)Hollywood · $$
Torrance Farmers Market
4.5(11)Torrance · $
Gamble House
4.5(6)Pasadena · $
Hermosa Beach Historical Society
4.5(6)Redondo / Hermosa Beach
Pine Wind Japanese Garden
4.4(26)Torrance
South Coast Botanic Garden
4.4(22)Palos Verdes · $
The Getty Center
4.4(21)West LA / Brentwood · $
Kayaks On The Water
4.4(19)Long Beach · $
Showing 25–48 of 188 spots
Good to know
- What's the best activity in Los Angeles for a date?
- Our top pick is Bowlero Mar Vista in Playa Vista / Marina del Rey, rated 4.6 out of 5. Pro SUP Shop and Jim and James round out the top 3.
- Which Los Angeles neighborhoods have the best activities?
- Torrance (4), Pasadena (3) and Redondo / Hermosa Beach (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable activities in Los Angeles?
- Yes — Bowlero Mar Vista, Pro SUP Shop and Jim and James are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Huntington Library and The Getty Center.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a night out: something to do, then dinner, then nightcap. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.