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Downtown LA (DTLA) UC

Updated: Dec 18, 2025


A fun short cut on Angel's Flight Tram down the hill
A fun short cut on Angel's Flight Tram down the hill

The Walk Itself


A couple of summers ago, my family and I took a three day vacation to Los Angeles. We took the Metrolink train from Oceanside and stayed in the Westin Bonaventure Hotel for 2 nights. Though we did take an Uber to see Paramount studios and Hollywood one day, the other two days were spent within a 5-mile radius in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA). During our short vacation, I couldn't stop thinking about how you could reduce your world down into a microcosm and still be presented with new sights and unique experiences constantly! We took a fun urban camino to Japantown from the hotel with many unique stops. Enjoy!


Distance in Presence

The walk is approximately 4.5 miles using the Angel's Flight Railway.


Mindful Reflection

After The Broad’s bold, immersive artworks, the walk towards Little Tokyo becomes a chance to carry that creative energy outward, noticing how imagination and street life echo each other through downtown Los Angeles.



The Journey Unfolds


Start at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel. Feel free to ride up and down the elevators on all corners of the hotel absorbing an overview

of the DTLA landscape!


Be sure to stop by Silverback Coffee of Rwanda to grab a coffee to sip on along your stroll through the Blue Ribbon Garden behind the


Check out the The Broad, a fantastic free art musuem. Check out contemporary art, unforgettable mirrors, and iconic works by Warhol

and Basquiat.


Take a shortcut on the shortest funicular on the historic Angel's Flight Railway.


Make sure to stop and admire the Bradbury Building, both its unique exterior and its iconic interior.


Once you reach Japanese Village Plaza Mall, enjoy shopping (shout out, Japangeles!) or wait your turn for a table at Kura’s conveyor belt

sushi! While you wait for your table or after lunch, stop by

Fugetsu-do Bakery Shop to pick up a box of tasty handmade mochi.


Stroll through the small, tranquil James Irvine Japanese Garden at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC).

The tranquil garden is free to visit during business hours and cultural

events, as long as the grounds are not being used for a private event.


Learn about local history as you walk through Biddy Mason Memorial


Take a self-guided tour of the Los Angeles Central Library if you fancy a glimpse into another notable architectural landmark in DTLA.


Climb the stunning Bunker Hill Steps up to the top and explore the multiple concrete garden spaces


Final UC Challenge: See if you can make it back to the hotel entrance without crossing the street at street level!


Start Here and Go There


Downtown Los Angeles Urban Camino Map, Circa 2023



Along the Way (Stops worth making)


🏛️ Historical & Cultural

  • Bradbury Building – 304 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013

  • Biddy Mason Memorial Park – 333 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

  • The Last Bookstore – 453 S Spring St Ground Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013

  • Los Angeles Central Library – 630 W 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90071


🏺 Museums

  • The Broad – 221 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

  • Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA Grand Avenue) – 250 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012


🌳 Parks & Gardens

  • James Irvine Japanese Garden (at JACCC) – 244 San Pedro St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

  • Pershing Square – 532 S Olive St, Los Angeles, CA 90013

  • The Bunker Steps – W 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90071


🍽️ Food & Coffee

  • Silverback Coffee of Rwanda – 400 S Hope St, Los Angeles, CA 90071

  • Kura Revolving Sushi Bar – 333 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

  • Fugetsu-do Bakery Shop – 315 1st St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

  • Angel City Brewery – 216 S Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012


🛍️ Shops & Local Culture

  • Japangeles – 141 Japanese Village Plaza Mall, Los Angeles, CA 90012



Just So You Know (the Inside Scoop)


  • General admission to The Broad museum is free but you must obtain your free ticket through their website beforehand.


  • To enter the James Irvine Japanese Garden, you have to go through the Japanese Cultural building, sign in, go down the elevator (to level b) & follow the calligraphy paintings to the entrance of the garden.





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