Filming locations in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is the home of the movies, so it makes a fitting set-jetting hub in its own right. Two very different romances anchor a trail across the city: La La Land floats through real landmarks as it chases a dream, and Pretty Woman plays out its Beverly Hills fairy tale among genuine boutiques and a grand hotel.

For La La Land, start at the Griffith Observatory. The Art Deco landmark and its planetarium are where Mia and Sebastian's romance literally takes flight in a swirling night-time dance, and it is free to enter and a hilltop favourite for city and Hollywood-sign views. Down in Downtown, ride Angels Flight, the tiny orange funicular that climbs Bunker Hill in the couple's wanderings; it is a one-minute trip taken for the charm, with Grand Central Market waiting at the bottom.

For Pretty Woman, move west to Beverly Hills. The Beverly Wilshire is the grand hotel where the fairy tale plays out, a real landmark at the foot of Rodeo Drive; non-guests can book a drink or afternoon tea to see the lobby. Rodeo Drive itself is where Vivian's big shopping montage unfolds, a free and walkable strip of designer windows, with the stepped Two Rodeo lane the obvious photo stop.

The two films sit in different corners of a sprawling, car-bound city, so plan your day by geography rather than by film. Griffith and Downtown make one half of the trip, Beverly Hills the other, with parking tight at the observatory in particular, so go early or rideshare.

Layer in a few extras and the day rounds out. The lawn at Griffith gives a clear line to the Hollywood sign, Grand Central Market below Angels Flight is the place for tacos, and the Broad museum and Walt Disney Concert Hall are a short walk from the funicular's top.