Long Beach, California Travel Guide

Long Beach, California

Long Beach, California

Long Beach, California offers travelers an abundance of compelling reasons to visit. Beaches, restaurants, festivals and cultural attractions abound. If you enjoy boating, this exciting waterfront city could be your gateway to marine adventures including ocean cruises, fishing excursions and whale watching trips. Long Beach is a fantastic starting place for heading out on cruises and tours to a variety of destinations including Catalina Island, the Channel Islands, Santa Barbara, California wine country and many others.

Traveling to and From Long Beach

The 710 is one of the major freeways offering access to and from Long Beach, California.

Long Beach has its own Airport (LGB). If you arrive in Long Beach by plane, the airport accommodates a variety of car rental, shuttle and taxi services you can take advantage of. It’s also easy and convenient to connect with rail services such as Amtrak and Metrolink, which both offer service close by. Local buses are available as well.

If you travel to Long Beach via the sea, the Port of Long Beach will be your likeliest point of entry.

Things to Do in Long Beach, California

Long Beach, California Attractions

  • The Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center offers an ever-changing assortment of entertainment and business opportunities.
  • Visit the Aquarium of the Pacific to see interesting fish and marine animals.
  • Enjoy sunbathing, swimming or water sports at local beaches including Belmont Shore and Alamitos Beach.
  • Tour the noteworthy ship known as Queen Mary.
  • Stroll among the boats or set sail from Long Beach Marina.

Long Beach Nightlife

There are many places to eat, drink and be merry in Long Beach. Whether you want to see a concert, check out a DJ, get out on the dance floor, sample California’s best luxury wines or get toasted at a local bar, you’ll find suitable options.

Annual Events, Happenings and Festivals in Long Beach, California

  • Sailors flock to Long Beach for the Olympic trial races, the Transpac and the Congressional Cup.
  • Music lovers visit Long Beach for the Jazz Festivals and the Long Beach Reggae Music Jerk & Food Fest.
  • The Toyota Grand Prix race of Long Beach is always a crowd-pleaser.

Mike and I can recommend the reggae festival if you’re into live music. The year we attended, bunches of different bands performed. They played a mix of original songs and covers, which meant that we did hear multiple renditions of all the most popular Bob Marley songs. It was an all-day event — you definitely get your money’s worth on the tickets.

Long Beach Climate and Weather

Weather conditions in Long Beach are usually sunny, comfortable and pleasant, with temperatures ranging from 55 – 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Long Beach does occasionally experience fog, drizzle and rain.

The Insider Scoop on Long Beach, California

Mike and I lived in Long Beach for about a year. That makes us not quite insiders, but not quite outsiders in the city. We’ve seen a lot of the city, but we never thought of ourselves as locals in the LBC.

The honest truth about Long Beach: It’s a beautiful city with a tough reputation.

Is the rep deserved? I’m not convinced. I didn’t feel any less safe in the LBC than I did when I spent time in Los Angeles, Chicago or Washington, D.C. And honestly? I felt waaaaayyyyyy safer on the Long Beach waterfront than I ever felt on the waterfront in Santa Barbara. Doesn’t that sound crazy? But I swear it’s true! Santa Barbara has a far better reputation than Long Beach does — but the reality is, Santa Barbara has a creepy side that goes un-publicized.

Anyway, in Long Beach, you definitely do have to take steps to keep yourself safe like you would in any sizable city; stay alert to what’s going on around you, and of course, lock your doors.


BUT you can totally ignore the advice about not talking to strangers in Long Beach. When we were in Long Beach, we met bunches of friendly people at the post office, on the streets and around the city. When we stopped to take selfies, there was usually someone who stepped up and offered to take a pic for us — and we never had anyone run off with our camera. The city is positively alive with friendly people.

Bottom line, I think Long Beach is definitely worth a visit. Go check it out — it’s really a fascinating place.

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This page was last updated on 4-27-2019.