How to Spend a 10 Hour Layover in Los Angeles: LAX to Santa Monica Pier
Updated October 3, 2026
Ten hours makes Santa Monica comfortable by bus. Pick up a famous Italian sub, picnic on the bluff above the ocean, then walk the 1909 pier and finish at the beach gym where acrobats have trained since the 1930s.
Santa Monica is the beach town most visitors have in mind when they think of Los Angeles, and it is one long bus ride up the coast from the airport. A century old Italian deli makes one of the area's most talked about sandwiches, so start there and carry lunch to the clifftop park. From the bluff, a walkway drops to the pier with its carnival rides, and the sand south of it holds the rings and bars of the original Muscle Beach. Apart from lunch and the rides, all of it is free.
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Is it worth leaving the airport?
Yes, as long as you avoid the evening rush on the way back. Ten hours covers the bus ride both ways plus a relaxed lunch and pier visit. If your flight lands late in the day, an app ride is quicker, but traffic on the coast can make it just as slow as the bus.
Getting from LAX into the city
Ride the free pink-signed shuttle to the LAX/Metro Transit Center, then board Big Blue Bus Route 3 north along Lincoln Boulevard. Get off at Broadway for the deli. The same route runs back to the transit center from Lincoln, and it accepts contactless bank cards and phones.
Plan on about 2 hr 31 min for the round trip between Los Angeles International Airport and the first and last stops.
This plan also keeps 45 min to get out of the airport and 1 hr 30 min to get back through security before your flight. You can customize these buffers with Navi through text.
Times are estimates, not guarantees. Confirm your boarding time with your airline and check entry requirements before leaving the airport. You are responsible for getting back in time for your flight.
Visa and entry
International passengers already went through immigration on landing, so this outing needs no extra paperwork. Keep your passport with you, because airline staff will ask for it again at check-in before you go back through screening.
What to do with your bags
Lockers and luggage counters are gone from LAX, so arrange storage before you leave. Bounce works with shops near the pier and the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. As of October 2026, it advertises Los Angeles storage from $2.25 daily, and prices vary by location.
The 10 hour plan, stop by stop
About 5 hr 14 min in the city
Time to head out from Los Angeles International Airport for Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery, Santa Monica. It's a 1 hr 19 min transit ride if you leave now. Here's the link
This family deli and grocery has been part of Santa Monica since 1925, and the line for its sandwiches is part of local lore. The Godmother is the order everyone comes for: a crusty roll stuffed with Italian cured meats and provolone, best ordered with the works of chopped peppers, lettuce and dressing. The shelves also carry imported pasta, olive oil and cheeses. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so on those days buy lunch from the stands on the pier instead.
Tip: Order ahead online and collect at the pickup counter, which spares you a weekend line that can stretch out the door.
- Time here
- 30 to 50 min
- Website
- baycitiesitaliandeli.com
NaviTime to head out from Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery, Santa Monica for Palisades Park, Santa Monica. It's a 13 minute walk if you leave now. Here's the link
This narrow park runs along the top of the bluffs above the Pacific Coast Highway, lined with palms and benches facing the sea. The land was given to the city in 1892 by Senator John P. Jones and Arcadia Bandini de Baker. On clear days, the view stretches along the Santa Monica Bay to the mountains of Malibu. Joggers, picnickers and dog walkers share the paths all day.
Tip: The bluff faces almost due west, so if your timing allows, come back for sunset, when the light turns the whole bay gold behind the pier.
- Time here
- 30 to 50 min
- Website
- santamonica.gov
NaviTime to head out from Palisades Park, Santa Monica for Santa Monica Pier. It's a 3 minute walk if you leave now. Here's the link
The city's municipal pier opened in September 1909, and a separate amusement pier added in 1916 gave it the carousel building that still stands. Today, Pacific Park runs a Ferris wheel and a roller coaster at the outer end, and fishermen line the far railings. A sign marking the symbolic end of Route 66 was dedicated here in 2009, making it a popular photo stop. Walking the pier is free, and ride tickets are sold separately. Pacific Park's ride hours change through the year, so check its calendar before you go.
Tip: Walk all the way to the end, past the rides, where the crowds thin out and the view takes in the whole curve of the coast toward Malibu.
- Time here
- 1 hr to 2 hr
- Website
- santamonicapier.org
NaviTime to head out from Santa Monica Pier for Original Muscle Beach, Santa Monica. It's a 6 minute walk if you leave now. Here's the link
Just south of the pier, a set of rings, bars and platforms marks the spot where acrobats and gymnasts began training on the sand in the 1930s. Their displays drew huge crowds, and Santa Monica's tourism office says a fitness boom took off across America from here. The site was shut down at the end of the 1950s, and the action moved to Venice. The city restored the equipment and rededicated it in 1989. Anyone can use it for free, and acrobats still practice here most days.
Tip: Bring dry hands for the rings and bars, and if you only want to watch, the low wall along the beach path gives a clear view of the acrobats.
- Time here
- 15 to 30 min
- Website
- santamonica.gov
NaviTime to head out from Original Muscle Beach, Santa Monica for Los Angeles International Airport. It's a 1 hr 12 min transit ride if you leave now. Here's the link
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