Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Rodeo Drive is the luxury shopping street of Beverly Hills, in Los Angeles County, California, known worldwide for its designer boutiques and its glamorous reputation. It matters because it turned a quiet stretch of land into one of the best-known shopping addresses anywhere, and it is free to stroll along.

The story behind it

Long before any boutique opened, this land was home to the Tongva people, who lived in the Los Angeles basin and valued places with fresh water and good food. In the Spanish and Mexican period the area became part of Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas, often translated as the Ranch of the Gathering of the Waters. Its owner was Doña Maria Rita Valdez de Villa.

The shopping fame came much later. Rodeo Drive began to build its reputation in the 1970s, when luxury brands and wealthy visitors started to gather here, and it has been shorthand for high-end shopping ever since. The street is one of the most expensive retail addresses in the world, and the story of the land, from water-rich ranch to fashion avenue, adds an unexpected layer to a walk along it.

What to look for

• The polished storefronts of the luxury houses, where window displays change with the seasons and are worth a look even if you never step inside.
• Via Rodeo, the curved cobblestone lane that branches off near Wilshire Boulevard and feels quite different from the straight street around it.
• The Beverly Wilshire hotel at the Wilshire Boulevard end, a recognisable landmark that frames the start of the main shopping stretch.
• The rows of palm trees and the clean, tidy sidewalks, which give the street its distinctly Southern California feel.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 30 to 60 minutes for the main shopping blocks, longer if you want to browse or stop for coffee.
• Mornings are usually calmer, and daylight shows the architecture and window displays at their best.
• Walking the street costs nothing. Individual shops set their own hours and entry rules, so check current opening hours if you plan to go in.
• Beverly Gardens Park, with its well-known Beverly Hills sign, is a short walk away and makes an easy next stop.

See it on a quest

Kid Quest: Solve the case of the lost senses in Los Angeles is a good way to see Rodeo Drive with younger travellers. You reach the street on foot as one stop on a longer route, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle in what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

The Oz Escape: A Wicked Glitch in Los Angeles suits anyone who likes a story-led walk. Rodeo Drive is one stop along the way, and at each place the app gives you the background and a puzzle to solve on the spot. You start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join, and one ticket covers the whole group.