You can plan your Long Beach day trip or weekend getaway in a jiffy using the resources below.
Why Should You Go? Will You Like Long Beach?
- Long Beach is popular with families, night owls who enjoy music and dancing.
- Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. magazine voted Long Beach among their top weekend family trips in 2007 and Dog Fancy magazine says it's one of the most dog-friendly cities.
Best Time to Go to Long Beach
Like most California coastal place, Long Beach gets its best weather in spring and fall. During summer, the all-day, onshore marine layer that locals call "June Gloom" can keep your days gray and misty, but you'll see less of that here than in other Los Angeles beach towns.Don't Miss
Our readers say the Aquarium of the Pacific is California's best. The aquarium focuses on the Pacific shore of North and America and the tropical South Pacific. It's a fun place for kids of any age and adults, too, with lots of interactive exhibits and touching pools, For an extra fee, you can enjoy special animal interaction experiences and behind the scenes tours.5 More Great Things to Do in Long Beach
- Art Walk: The East Village Arts District (bounded by Ocean Blvd, Long Beach Blvd, 6th St and Alamitos Ave) offers galleries, art walks, free events and a First Fridays street fair. We also like the Museum of Latin American Art (628 Alamitos Ave), a contemporary art museum (works since 1945) perhaps best described as displaying contemporary works that happen to come from Latin America and reflect the culture they were created in.
- Shopping: You'll find lots of interesting local shops and boutiques in Belmont Shore (a couple of miles south and easy to reach using local buses), or browse for vintage clothing and furnishing on 4th Street's Retro Row (4th between Cherry and Junipero). The third Sunday of Every Month, the Long Beach Antiques and Collectible Market is one of the area's best.
- Naples Gondola Ride: Friendly gondoliers and charming houses lining hidden canals make for a perfect ride. They cruise from mid-day to almost midnight, but sunset is especially pretty and popular. If you're looking for a place to propose marriage, you could do worse: their acceptance record is near-perfect.
- Nightlife: Long Beach is a popular nightlife center with a wide range of clubs and performance venues to choose from. For an evening drink with a view, try the Sky Room at The Breakers or the Observation Bar at the Queen Mary.
- Run Around: Take a Segway tour of rent one at Segway of Long Beach for a spin around the shoreline. For a quiet cruise around the Naples canals, pack a picnic and rent an electric Duffy Boat from Bay Boat Rentals (562-598-2628).
Annual Events You Should Know About
It seems like there's always something on in Long Beach. These are the busiest events, ones which are popular and will require some advance planning for, but you'll find plenty more at the visitor's bureau website.- April: Toyota Grand Prix car race. For a bird's eye view in the middle of the action, try the Hyatt
- May: Gay Pride Parade
- December: The uber-old-fashioned Belmont Shore Christmas Parade takes place the first weekend in December, followed by the Naples Boat Parade the following weekend.
Tips for Visiting Long Beach
- Long Beach is very busy during the annual Toyota Grand Prix (April). Either plan ahead if you want to go or plan around it if you don't
- If you need help downtown, look for a Downtown Guide wearing a red jacket. They can help you find whatever you need.
Best Bites
A weekend getaway is a great time to enjoy a leisurely brunch. Omelette Inn is a local favorite downtown. Long Beach residents have been lining up for breakfast at Jongewaard's Bake N Broil (3697 Atlantic Ave) for generations. If you have room for one, we hear that their red velvet cupcakes are the best. The outdoor deck at Parker's Lighthouse is a lunch spot so pleasant you may not even care what you eat.Where to Stay
Our favorite place to stay in Long Beach is the Varden Hotel, a privately-owned boutique hotel with lots of personality - and exceptional customer focus. Read our review.For help getting the best possible deal, read about how to find a good place to stay, cheap or go straight to Tripadvisor's reviews and price comparisons on hotels in Long Beach.
Getting To Long Beach and Getting Around
Long Beach is right in the middle of the Los Angeles metro coast. If you live in LA, forget the freeway - take the Metro instead. Long Beach is 106 miles from San Diego, 137 from Bakersfield, 244 from Fresno.The nearest airport is the Long Beach Airport (LGB). Check airfares.
If you choose a hotel in downtown Long Beach, it's easy enough to leave the vehicle behind. You'll have plenty of transportation options which can get you to any of the places we mention above. Passport buses are free within downtown and very affordable to go elsewhere. You can take the Aquabus from downtown to the Aquarium of the Pacific, Queen Mary, Shoreline Village and Pine Avenue Circle. and the Aqualink takes you to Alamitos Bay and Naples.
