Attractions Nearby Long Beach, Day Trips and Excursions

(Long Beach, California - CA, USA)

Boasting such an appealing and enticing situation along the coastline of Southern California really does mean that those on holiday in Long Beach are often more than happy to stay within the city's environs, enjoying the various coastal attractions on offer here.

An almost endless selection of day trips can be enjoyed when using Long Beach as a base. Excursions heading southeastwards, along the Pacific Coast Highway (US-1) will soon lead you to Seal Beach, the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach, next to Costa Mesa.

Day trips to San Pedro, on the western side of Long Beach, are extremely popular and this destination is now actually considered to be a port district of Long Angeles. By rental car, San Pedro is reached by taking the Seaside Freeway and then crossing the famous Vincent Thomas Bridge, the third-longest of all the suspension bridges in California. Attractions in San Pedro include the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, the Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church, the 1874 Point Fermin Light (lighthouse) and the SS Lane Victory, as well as the summer Shakespeare by the Sea Festival at Point Fermin Park.

General Information

Of course, if you are seriously considering day trips from Long Beach, then it is virtually impossible to overlook the giant sprawling metropolis that is the City of Angels, Los Angeles. The sheer quantity of tourist attractions in Los Angeles is quite overwhelming, and so you should plan your excursion carefully, deciding which parts of the city hold the most interest for your visit.

Downtown Los Angeles is around 25 miles / 40 km to the north of Long Beach and is a sound option for a day trip, thanks to Interstate I-710. The city is divided into a series of different regions, such as Eastside, the Harbor Area, Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley, South Central, Westside and Wilshire. Both the Getty Center and the Museum of Contemporary Art are hugely popular attractions in LA, along with performances at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, baseball games at the Dodger Stadium, and exotic animals at Los Angeles Zoo.

Slightly further away from Long Beach is Moreno Valley, which at 70 miles / 113 km to the east is close enough for an excursion, as is its neighbor, Riverside. Attractions here come in the form of the Riverside Metropolitan Museum, the Riverside Art Museum, the California Citrus State Historic Park, the Culver Center for the Arts and the University of California Botanical Gardens.