How to Spend 4 days in Los Angeles with Kids: From National Parks and Tidepools to Disneyland Magic
Southern California is one of those rare destinations where you can pack epic outdoor adventures, wildlife experiences, iconic city sights, and a little Disney magic into one unforgettable family trip. We made a quick, long-weekend visit, and found the perfect balance between exploring and theme parks. Here’s everything we did during our 4 days in Southern California.
If you’re planning a California trip to Disneyland, but want to spend a little time exploring outside of the parks too, then this is the itinerary for you.
Day 1: Fly Into LAX, Hollywood Highlights & Ventura Coast
Arrive in Los Angeles + Rent a Car
We started our trip by flying into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). You definitely want to rent a car for this itinerary! I highly recommend skipping the car rental lines and using TURO instead- it will save you literal hours of waiting in line.
After grabbing our rental car, we headed straight into sightseeing mode.
Hollywood Bus Tour
If you want to see the highlights of Hollywood with kids without a ton of walking or sitting in traffic, I highly recommend a bus tour. We booked a 2-hour tour with Hollywood Tours, which gave us a relaxed overview of major highlights like:
- Hollywood Boulevard
- The Walk of Fame
- Celebrity homes
- Iconic LA landmarks
For kids, this was a fun, low-effort way to experience Hollywood without the stress of navigating traffic or parking. If you have more time, they offer longer tours to see other areas of the city as well. 2 hours was a good amount of time for us; I think any longer and my kids would have started getting restless.
Drive to Ventura + Overnight Stay
After the tour, we grabbed dinner and headed north toward Ventura, which puts you in the perfect location for Channel Islands National Park the next day. The coastal drive is beautiful, and staying outside of LA helps you avoid the heavy traffic in the morning.
Day 2: Channel Islands National Park, Whale Watching & Tide Pools
This was hands-down one of the most memorable days of our entire trip. If you are a National Park loving family like us, you absolutely need to squeeze in a day in Los Angeles to visit Channel Islands.
Before you head out to the islands, make sure to stop by the Visitor’s Center to grab a souvenir and pick up your Junior Ranger booklet.
Channel Islands National Park
Often called “the Galapagos of North America,” Channel Islands National Park is one of the least visited national parks, but one you should absolutely be adding to your bucket list. It’s made up of 5 different islands off the coast of Ventura, California, and is accessible via the Island Packers ferry.
You can take a day trip, or even an overnight camping trip, via the ferry, to any of the different islands (depending on the time of year). Once on the islands, you can book kayak rentals/tours, snorkel, hike, or enjoy the beaches.
Unfortunately for us, I didn’t try to buy tickets until about 6 weeks out, and they were completely sold out for our day. If spending the day on one of the islands is important to you, make sure to book your ferry tickets well in advance, as this is the only way to access the islands!
Whale Watching Tour
Since we were unable to get ferry tickets to actually visit the island, I bought tickets to the Winter Whale Watching boat tour instead. This 3-hour boat tour takes you around some of the islands while searching for marine wildlife and taking in the views.
Initially, I was a bit bummed about not being able to actually step foot on the island. However, after our boat tour, I have zero regrets. This was a fantastic way to experience Channel Islands National Park with kids. We saw tons of wildlife, including sea lions, pelicans, and hundreds of bottlenose dolphins. Not to mention, we literally made circles around some of the Channel Islands, taking in the epic views from the water.
If you’re looking for an easy way to explore the islands with kids, I highly recommend this tour.
Tide Pooling at Leo Carrillo State Park
After a late lunch, we headed south to Leo Carrillo State Park for tide pooling. This is one of the best spots in Southern California for kids to safely explore tide pools, and we saw tons of wildlife here, including anemones, crabs, starfish, and jellyfish.
Make sure to time your visit with low tide to have the best chance at spotting sea creatures.
After a full day outdoors, we headed to the Santa Monica pier for dinner, and then drove on to Anaheim and checked into our hotel, the Hyatt Place, to get ready for some Disneyland fun the next morning.
Day 3: Disneyland California Adventure
After two adventure-filled days, it was time for some Disney magic. We spent 1 day in each park, which was the perfect amount of time for us.
We started our day early, walking from the Hyatt Place to the Disney Toy Story Parking lot, where we went through security and caught the free shuttle right into the park. From there, we grabbed our stroller rental and scanned into the park.
We used our Lightening Lane passes to hit up lots of rides in the morning, and then spent the afternoon watching parades and shows, meeting characters, and wandering through the shops.
After a full day in the park, we caught the shuttle back to the Toy Story parking lot and walked back to our hotel.
If you’re planning your park days, I highly recommend checking out my companion post:
Tips & Tricks for Spending 2 Days at Disneyland with Kids
Day 4: Disneyland Park
On our final day, we headed to Disneyland the same way we did the previous day. We caught the shuttle around 7 a.m., and were in the park before it opened. We used our Lightening Lane passes to ride a ton of rides, and seriously had so much fun.
The highlight of this park for my son was definitely Star Wars land, and he loved building his own light saber.
We stayed to watch the fireworks, then headed back to our hotel with some sleepy kids (and adults!).
We caught an early flight home the next morning out of John Wayne Airport, which is about 15 minutes from Disneyland.
Why This 4-Day California Itinerary Works for Families
What I loved most about this itinerary is the balance:
- Outdoor adventure + wildlife
- City sightseeing
- Disney magic and all the fun of a theme park
It felt like a great balance, and gave us a chance to experience very different sides of California: from remote national parks to one of the most iconic theme parks in the world.
Planning Tips for This Southern California Family Trip
- Rent a car, as public transportation won’t work well for this itinerary
- Book Channel Islands ferry tickets early (they sell out fast)
- Check tide charts before visiting Leo Carrillo
- Stay near Disneyland for park days to reduce commute stress
More Disneyland Planning Resources
If you’re planning a Disneyland trip with kids, be sure to check out these related posts:
