Best Time of Year to Visit Los Angeles

One of the most common pieces of travel advice you'll hear about Los Angeles is that the weather is perfect year-round. And honestly? It's largely true. But there are meaningful differences between months that can affect your experience — crowds, marine layer, temperature, and tour availability. Here's our honest guide from the perspective of people who run LA tours 365 days a year.

Month-by-Month Guide

January & February — Quiet & Cool

LA's off-peak season. Temperatures are mild (60–70°F / 15–21°C), there's a real chance of rain (though still much less than most cities), and the city is at its least crowded. Hotels and flights are cheapest. Great for budget travelers who don't mind occasionally grey skies. Tours run as normal — it rarely rains hard enough to significantly affect the experience.

March & April — Spring Sweet Spot

One of our favourite times. Temperatures are warming up (65–75°F / 18–24°C), the hills are often green from winter rain, and spring break (mid-March to mid-April) brings more visitors. Book tours in advance if you're visiting during spring break week — they fill up fast.

May & June — June Gloom

"June Gloom" is real — a marine layer that sits over coastal LA in the mornings, often until midday. If you're at Venice Beach or Santa Monica at 9 AM, it can feel overcast and cool even in late June. By afternoon it usually burns off to blue skies. Don't let June Gloom put you off — by the time you get to the beach on our tour (early-mid afternoon), it's typically gone.

July & August — Peak Summer

Hot, busy, and expensive — but undeniably fun. Temperatures hit 80–95°F (27–35°C) inland, cooler near the coast. This is peak tourist season — tours fill up weeks in advance, hotels are at maximum prices, and the city hums with energy. If you're visiting with kids during summer break, book early. The weather is reliably gorgeous.

September & October — Our Favourite Months

Summer crowds thin out, temperatures are perfect (75–85°F / 24–29°C), and the skies are the clearest of the year — almost zero marine layer. September and October give you the best of summer weather without the summer chaos. Santa Ana winds can occasionally bring very hot dry days in October, but these are short-lived and actually make for incredibly clear visibility from Griffith Observatory.

November & December — Festive & Pleasant

Temperatures ease back to the 65–75°F (18–24°C) range. Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year periods are busy, but the rest of November and early December are genuinely pleasant and uncrowded. The holiday season brings festive energy to The Grove and other shopping areas — a great atmosphere for a Farmers Market lunch stop.

When to Book in Advance

Our tours regularly sell out during:

• Summer (June–August) — especially weekends, book 2–4 weeks ahead
• Spring break (mid-March to mid-April) — book as early as possible
• Thanksgiving week — very popular, book 2+ weeks ahead
• Christmas to New Year — peak demand, book well in advance

Outside these periods, a week's notice is usually sufficient — but earlier is always better.