Pasadena sits about 11 miles northeast of downtown LA, close enough for a full day of museums, gardens, and Old Town shopping without an overnight stay. Drive it in 20 to 40 minutes depending on traffic, or skip the freeway entirely on the Metro A Line.
Pasadena is best known for the Rose Parade, but there’s a full day here worth the trip any time of year. You can see a Gainsborough up close, tour a 1908 Craftsman landmark, and dig through 2,500 flea market stalls, all a short ride from the city.
We’re Sightseeing Nerds, so we know LA well beyond our own tour routes. Here’s what to see, how to get there, and how to do it all in a day.
If you want to pair this with more of LA, our Hollywood, Beverly Hills & Celebrity Homes Tour is a 2-hour open-air loop through the Hollywood Hills, celebrity neighborhoods, and Beverly Hills, and our Half Day Best of LA Tour makes stops at Beverly Hills, Santa Monica Pier, The Grove, and Griffith Observatory.
See tour times and book your spot.
Getting to Pasadena
Pasadena sits roughly 11 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. Getting there breaks down two ways:
- Driving — 20 to 45 minutes from Hollywood or Santa Monica depending on traffic, with easier parking around Old Town and the museums than you’ll find in central Hollywood
- Metro A Line — direct trains from Union Station to Pasadena’s Memorial Park Station in about 24 minutes, running every 8 to 10 minutes most of the day. This is the line formerly known as the Gold Line, folded into the A Line after the 2023 Regional Connector project
If you’re skipping a rental car for your whole LA trip, not just this one day, our guide to getting around Los Angeles without a car covers the rest of your options.
Old Town Pasadena
Old Town is Pasadena’s original commercial district, a 22-block stretch of Victorian, Mission Revival, and Art Deco buildings restored after nearly being demolished in the 1970s. It’s walkable to most other stops on this list and sits right by the Metro station.
Shopping: Vroman’s Bookstore, Southern California’s oldest independent bookshop, sits a few blocks from One Colorado, a courtyard of boutiques and national retailers.
Where to eat:
- Café Santorini — Mediterranean food and a rooftop patio overlooking One Colorado, open since 1993
- Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery — modern American cooking and a cheese shop built into a converted 1922 fire department stable
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
The Huntington combines a research library, an art museum, and more than a hundred acres of themed botanical gardens on one property. Most visitors underestimate how much time it takes to see even a fraction of it.
Good to know:
- Timed-entry reservations are required Friday through Sunday, on holidays, and during peak seasons, and walk-ups aren’t allowed at all during those windows, so book online before you go
- Adult admission is $29 on weekdays and $34 on weekends and peak dates, check the Huntington’s ticketing page for current rates and to reserve
- Open Wednesday through Monday, closed Tuesdays
- The Huntington runs a free day once a month, dates and released-in-advance tickets are posted on its site, so check the current calendar
Sixteen themed gardens make up the grounds, including a Japanese garden, a Chinese garden, and one of the oldest desert gardens in the country. If your time is limited, the desert garden and Japanese garden are the two most visitors point to as unmissable.
Norton Simon Museum
A few minutes from Old Town, the Norton Simon holds a private collection built around Rembrandt, Degas, Picasso, and a serious body of South and Southeast Asian sculpture.
- General admission: $20 adults, $15 seniors, free for students with ID and anyone 18 and under, per Norton Simon’s ticketing page
- Open Monday, Thursday, and Sunday 12 to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday 12 to 7 p.m., closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays
- Free to everyone the first Friday of the month from 4 to 7 p.m.
The sculpture garden out back, wrapped around a lily pond, is where most visitors end up lingering. Check out our Museum Row and the Miracle Mile guide for the rest of LA’s major collections.
Rose Bowl and the Rose Bowl Flea Market
The Rose Bowl is best known for the Tournament of Roses Parade and the college football game that follows it every New Year’s Day. The rest of the year, its biggest recurring draw is the Rose Bowl Flea Market, held the second Sunday of every month, rain or shine, with over 2,500 vendors and roughly 20,000 shoppers on a typical Sunday.
- General admission: $12, gates open at 9 a.m.
- VIP early entry: $20, opens at 5 a.m.
- Children under 12 free with an adult
- Current pricing and dates: RGCShows’ official Rose Bowl page
If your day lands on a second Sunday, build the flea market into your morning before the crowds and heat peak.
The Gamble House
Built in 1908 for David and Mary Gamble of the Procter & Gamble family, the Gamble House is considered the finest surviving example of American Arts and Crafts architecture, designed by brothers Charles and Henry Greene down to the furniture.
- Interior only viewable on a guided tour, offered Tuesdays and Thursdays through Sundays
- One-hour tour: $15 adults, $12.50 seniors and students, free for children 12 and under
- Advance tickets recommended, tours often sell out on weekends
- About 2.2 miles from Old Town, plan on a 20-minute walk, a short rideshare, or a local bus if you’re car-free
Even without a tour, the exterior and gardens are open to explore, and the surrounding Arroyo Terrace neighborhood has several more Greene and Greene houses worth a slow walk past.
Best Time to Visit
Spring and fall bring the most comfortable weather for a day with this much walking, before summer heat turns the Huntington’s gardens into a slog by early afternoon. If your trip lands on a second Sunday, decide early whether the flea market fits your plan, since it reshapes your whole morning.
The week around New Year’s brings road closures and heavy crowds for the Rose Parade, worth planning around rather than into, unless the parade is why you’re coming.
A Sample One-Day Itinerary
Morning: Start at the Huntington when it opens. The gardens photograph best in early light, and crowds build through the day.
Afternoon: Lunch in Old Town, then the Norton Simon a few minutes away. From there, the Gamble House is a 20-minute walk or a quick rideshare.
Evening: Dinner back in Old Town, or a slower walk through Pasadena’s residential streets as the light softens.
If you’re staying in Hollywood or Santa Monica and want to fold the rest of LA into your trip, our 3-day LA itinerary guide covers how to balance a day trip like this against everything else on your list.
More Day Trips from LA
Pasadena isn’t the only worthwhile trip outside the city:
- Long Beach — an easy half-day south of downtown
- Best beaches near LA — the full coastline from Malibu to Orange County
- Best day trips from LA — Santa Barbara, Catalina Island, Big Bear Lake, and more
For the rest of your time in LA itself, our Hollywood, Beverly Hills & Celebrity Homes Tour loops through the Hollywood Hills, celebrity neighborhoods, and Beverly Hills in two hours, and our Half Day Best of LA Tour covers Beverly Hills, Santa Monica Pier, The Grove, and Griffith Observatory.
FAQ
How far is Pasadena from LA?
About 11 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Drive time from Hollywood or Santa Monica typically runs 20 to 45 minutes depending on traffic.
Can I visit Pasadena without a car?
Yes. The Metro A Line runs from Union Station to Pasadena’s Memorial Park Station in about 24 minutes, with trains every 8 to 10 minutes most of the day. Old Town and the Norton Simon are both walkable from that station, and the Gamble House is a short rideshare or bus ride further out.
Do I need tickets in advance for the Huntington?
For Friday through Sunday visits, holidays, and peak seasons, yes. Walk-up admission isn’t available during those windows.
When is the Rose Bowl Flea Market?
The second Sunday of every month, rain or shine, with general admission starting at 9 a.m.
Is Pasadena worth a full day, or just a few hours?
A full day gives you room for the Huntington’s gardens, Old Town, and at least one more museum without rushing. A few hours works if you’re picking just one or two stops.
