What Can You Do At Santa Monica Pier And Venice Beach In One Afternoon?

Yes, one afternoon covers both comfortably, as long as you treat them as two separate places rather than one beach day. The Pier and Venice sit roughly two miles apart along the same stretch of coast, and they feel nothing alike. Give the Pier and Third Street Promenade the first half, Venice the second, and know which direction your last bus is heading.

Our Beach Route connects them directly, which is why we can tell you how the afternoon unfolds rather than just where the stops are. City Sightseeing Los Angeles runs this coast daily on open-top double deckers, operated by Starline Tours, the original Hollywood sightseeing company since 1935. 

About two miles along the sand, which is a walkable 40 to 50 minutes on the Ocean Front Walk if that is your idea of a good time. Most visitors would rather spend that time at one end or the other. We stop at both, so you can ride between them and save your legs for the boardwalk.

The walk is pleasant in good weather and runs flat the whole way. The problem is the return trip, because a 50-minute walk back at sunset after a full afternoon tends to sour the day. Riding one direction and walking the other is the version most people enjoy.

Start at Stop 57 on Ocean Ave in front of the Shore Hotel, which puts you at the top of the Pier. The Pier carries Pacific Park’s rides, the arcade, the Heal the Bay Aquarium underneath, and the Route 66 end-of-the-trail sign everyone photographs. Budget an hour and you will not feel rushed.

Two things nearby cost nothing and are worth your time. Palisades Park runs along the bluff above the Pier with a free ocean view from the bluff. And our Third Street Promenade stop on Wilshire Blvd, outside California Pizza Kitchen, drops you at three car-free blocks of shops, street performers and food. If anyone in your group has had enough sand, send them there.

Louder, stranger and more interesting. Our Venice stop sits on Windward Ave outside the surf shop, a block from the boardwalk. The Venice Boardwalk is the main event: artists, vendors, skaters at the Venice Skatepark, and the outdoor weight pens at Muscle Beach Venice that made this stretch famous.

About a 10-minute walk south, the Venice Canals are a quiet residential grid of footbridges and waterways that most visitors never find. Abbot Kinney Boulevard, just inland, has the shops and restaurants locals go to. Our South Beach Park stop on Barnard Way, marked by the CitySightseeing sign, lands you between the two beaches if you want the sand without either crowd.

Pier first, Venice second. The Pier works better in bright afternoon light and gets busier as the day goes on, while Venice earns its reputation toward golden hour when the boardwalk fills up and the light comes off the water. Our loop also runs Pier toward Venice rather than the reverse, so this order matches the route.

Arrive at the Pier by early afternoon and both fit without rushing. Check the route map for current departure times before you go.

Two deadlines, and most visitors only know about one. The last bus running the coastal loop stays out considerably later than the last bus heading back toward Hollywood. If your evening ends inland, your real cutoff comes earlier than the timetable’s final departure suggests. In December the sun sets before 5 PM, so golden hour at Venice and the last inland bus land closer together than they do in summer.

Everything inland connects through our Beverly Hills stop, the only place the Beach and Hollywood routes meet. It sits behind the Beverly Hills Courthouse on West Third Street Monday through Saturday, and moves to North Rexford Drive in front of Kelly’s Coffee on Sundays. That one substitution trips up more visitors than anything else on the coast, so check the day before you plan your ride home.

The Beach Route runs daily, so an afternoon on the coast fits inside any pass length, and a 1-Day pass covers it on its own. Browse passes and tours, check the route map for current stop times, or read our guide to whether the hop-on hop-off bus is worth it if you are still deciding. Questions about timings or accessibility? Check the FAQ or contact us. Planning something for a group? Our groups and events team handles private charters.

Can you walk from Santa Monica Pier to Venice Beach?

Yes. The Ocean Front Walk runs flat along the sand for roughly two miles, which takes 40 to 50 minutes at a relaxed pace. Many visitors ride one direction and walk the other. We stop at the Pier, South Beach Park and Venice Beach, so you can break the walk wherever you like.

Which is better, Santa Monica or Venice Beach?

They suit different moods. Santa Monica is family-friendly and polished, with the Pier’s rides, the aquarium and the Third Street Promenade a short ride away. Venice is louder and more eccentric, built around the boardwalk, the skatepark and Muscle Beach Venice. An afternoon gives you both, which is the point of doing them together.

Where does the bus stop at Santa Monica Pier?

On Ocean Ave in front of the Shore Hotel, at the top of the Pier, which is also where the Beach Route begins each morning. Our Third Street Promenade stop on Wilshire Blvd and our Visitor Center stop on Main Street are both a short ride away. Check the route map for current times.

How do I get back to Hollywood from the beach?

Transfer at our Beverly Hills stop, the only point where the Beach and Hollywood routes meet. The last bus heading inland leaves earlier than the last bus on the coastal loop, so build in margin. That stop sits behind the Beverly Hills Courthouse on West Third Street except on Sundays, when it moves to North Rexford Drive.

Are the Venice Canals worth visiting?

Yes, and most visitors miss them entirely. The canals sit about a 10-minute walk south of the Venice boardwalk, a quiet grid of waterways and footbridges with none of the boardwalk noise. From our Windward Ave stop it is a short walk, and it costs nothing.

Do the beach stop numbers change?

Stop numbers and departure times are adjusted seasonally, so use the current route map or our app rather than a number you saw elsewhere. The locations themselves stay put: the Pier on Ocean Ave, the Promenade on Wilshire, South Beach Park on Barnard Way and Venice on Windward Ave.