Southern California in three days

You don't need two weeks to get a real feel for Southern California. Three days is enough to connect Anaheim's theme parks, a stretch of the coast, and one Los Angeles highlight — without spending half your trip in the car. Here's one way to structure it.

Day 1 — Anaheim and the parks

Start where most SoCal trips start: Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, or a mix of Anaheim-area attractions if theme parks aren't the main draw. Basing your first night in Anaheim means no long drive after a full day on your feet, and it puts you close to Downtown Disney for dinner without needing the car again.

Day 2 — The coast

From Anaheim, the coast is less than an hour away. Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and Huntington Beach each have a different personality — Newport for harbor views and a walkable pier, Laguna for art galleries and coves, Huntington for a wide, classic California beach. Pick one as a base and spend the day slow: a beach walk in the morning, lunch somewhere with an ocean view, and enough daylight left to watch the sunset before heading to your next stop.

Day 3 — One Los Angeles highlight

Trying to "do LA" in a day usually means doing none of it well. Instead, pick one highlight and build the day loosely around it — the Getty Center for art and views, Griffith Observatory for the skyline, or Santa Monica Pier if you want something closer to the coast you just left. Keep the rest of the day open rather than overplanning it.

Getting between them

All three stops sit within roughly 60-90 minutes of each other by car, which keeps driving time manageable without a rental if you'd rather not deal with LA traffic directly — ride-share and some hotel shuttles cover the Anaheim-to-coast leg well. If you are driving yourself, aim to make the coast-to-LA leg outside of rush hour; it's the one stretch where timing really matters.

Three days won't cover everything Southern California has to offer, but it's enough to leave with a real sense of the place — and a good excuse to come back for the rest. Browse attraction tickets before you go so day one starts moving the moment you land.