Pasadena
Pasadena travel guide
Rose Parade boulevard, Old Pasadena blocks and San Gabriel trails
A leafy city on the north-east edge of Los Angeles with a historic shopping district, serious art museums and hiking straight into the San Gabriel Mountains. October to May is most comfortable; New Year's Day brings the Rose Parade. Two or three days, or longer as a calmer base for LA. Costs are very high, and an ESTA is needed for Visa Waiver nationals.
Pasadena lies at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, about 16 km north-east of downtown Los Angeles, and most people know it from television on 1 January, when the Rose Parade rolls down Colorado Boulevard before the Rose Bowl game.
Spend a few days and a different city appears. Old Pasadena, the original commercial district, packs restaurants into restored brick and Art Deco blocks along Colorado Boulevard. East of it, the domed 1927 City Hall anchors the Playhouse District. South Lake Avenue handles the upmarket shopping.
Caltech gives the place a scientific streak, and the art collections punch well above the city's size. The Norton Simon Museum covers seven centuries of European painting, and Julia Child, born here, is part of why the city takes its food seriously.
Mountains rise straight behind the suburbs. Trails off the top of Lake Avenue once climbed into the Angeles National Forest along the old Mount Lowe Railway to the ruins of Echo Mountain, but the January 2025 Eaton Fire burned this area and Los Angeles County lists the Sam Merrill and Echo Mountain trails as closed through 31 December 2027.
With about 139,000 residents, it is a calmer base than central LA, and the Metro A Line puts Union Station within reach without a car.
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Top things to do in Pasadena
Art, architecture and food in town, with steep canyon trails a short drive north.
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Best time to visit Pasadena
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Highs of 23-28C and little rain; the best light for walking Old Pasadena and the mountain trails.
Highs near 20C, but February averages about 131mm of rain; the Rose Parade and game fill every hotel at New Year.
July to September reach 32-33C with almost no rain; hike at dawn and save afternoons for museums.
On New Year's Day (2 January when 1 January falls on a Sunday) the Rose Parade runs along Colorado Boulevard; people camp out on the route the night before and hotel prices peak.
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Getting there
Burbank, LAX and the Metro A Line
Hollywood Burbank Airport, about 26 km away, is the closest and least stressful arrival, with taxis, ride-hail apps and shared shuttle vans to Pasadena. LAX is roughly 43 km away; the cheapest link is the FlyAway bus to Union Station, then the Metro A Line north, while a shuttle van or taxi takes an hour or more depending on traffic. Ontario and Orange County airports are further options. Amtrak and Metrolink trains terminate at Union Station.
- Hollywood Burbank (BUR)
- Closest airport; taxi, ride-hail or shuttle van
- LAX
- FlyAway bus to Union Station (45-90 minutes), then Metro A Line
- Union Station
- Amtrak and Metrolink trains; change to the A Line for Pasadena
- Metro A Line
- Union Station to Memorial Park in Old Pasadena in about half an hour
- Pay for Metro with a contactless bank card or phone; daily and weekly fare caps apply automatically.
Where to stay
Old Pasadena, the Playhouse District, the parade route
Full-service hotels cluster around downtown Pasadena, within walking distance of Old Pasadena and the Playhouse District, while motels line the eastern stretch of Colorado Boulevard on the parade route. Everything popular with visitors sits south of the 210 Freeway. Expect sharp price jumps around New Year.
- Old Pasadena
- Restaurants, bars and the A Line at Memorial Park; busy at weekends
- Playhouse District
- Theatres, City Hall and quieter hotels a few blocks east
- South Lake Avenue
- Upscale shopping and services, near the Lake A Line station
- East Colorado Boulevard
- Motels on the parade route; further from the action the rest of the year
Getting around
A Line stations along Colorado Boulevard
The core of Pasadena is pleasant on foot, though the city is too spread out to walk entirely. The Metro A Line stops at Memorial Park for Old Pasadena and Lake for South Lake Avenue, then continues east towards Azusa. Pasadena Transit runs local buses, and Metro bus 180 reaches Hollywood in about an hour. A car helps for the trailheads and for evenings in the hills.
- Metro A Line
- Memorial Park, Lake and other Pasadena stations; Union Station to the south-west
- Pasadena Transit
- Local buses around the city
- Metro bus 180
- Pasadena to Hollywood, about an hour
- Old Pasadena parking garages fill on Friday and Saturday nights; take the train if you can.
Know before you go
What makes Pasadena worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- Norton Simon Museum and its sculpture garden, seven centuries of European art in a quiet setting.
- Old Pasadena on a weekday evening, walking its Art Deco and Victorian frontages.
- The Arroyo Seco below the Rose Bowl, a flat, shaded walk while the Echo Mountain trails stay closed after the 2025 Eaton Fire.
- Watching the floats being decorated in the days after Christmas.
- City Hall's 1927 courtyard, one of the handsomest civic buildings in Southern California.
Good to know
- Eaton Fire closures still apply; Eaton Canyon and the Echo Mountain trails burned in January 2025, so check the county's closure map before any hike.
- The Norton Simon closes on Tuesdays.
- Rattlesnakes are out on summer trails; stay on the path.
- New Year week sells out; book the parade period months in advance.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Pasadena, month by month
Pasadena's rain comes almost all in winter, peaking at about 131mm in February, while summer afternoons reach 32 to 33C. Pick a month below for the full averages.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Pasadena, California (NOAA, via Wikipedia).
Norton Simon Museum, Old Pasadena and the Arroyo Seco in two days
Two days cover Pasadena. Day one runs from the Norton Simon Museum through Old Pasadena to City Hall and the Playhouse District. Day two follows the Arroyo Seco past the Rose Bowl and the Colorado Street Bridge, because the Mount Lowe Railway route to Echo Mountain is closed through 2027 after the Eaton Fire.
Day one, museums and the old town. Start late morning at the Norton Simon Museum near the western end of Colorado Boulevard, giving it two hours and finishing in the sculpture garden. Walk east into Old Pasadena for lunch, then wander the side streets between Pasadena Avenue and Arroyo Parkway, looking up at the Art Deco and 19th-century detailing. City Hall and the Civic Auditorium are a few blocks further east, best as the light softens.
Day two, the Arroyo. Set off early along the Arroyo Seco and take plenty of water. Back in town, recover over coffee at Jones Coffee Roasters on South Raymond Avenue and spend the evening on South Lake Avenue.
A third day works well in Los Angeles: the A Line delivers you to Union Station without a car.
Mijares, Old Pasadena and South Lake Avenue dining rooms
Pasadena has around 500 restaurants, and Old Pasadena is the densest area for eating. Mijares on Palmetto Drive is one of the city's oldest, Marston's on East Walnut Street draws weekend breakfast queues, and the Playhouse District and South Lake Avenue hold the smarter dinner rooms. Book every meal in Rose Parade week.
Mijares, by Pasadena Avenue, is a family-style Mexican dining room and bar with a local following that goes back generations. On Fair Oaks Avenue, just off Colorado Boulevard, All India Cafe is another long-standing name. North of the 210 Freeway, Ricchardo's on North Lake Avenue does vegetarian and vegan fast food, and Jones Coffee Roasters roasts its beans in a warehouse on South Raymond Avenue. In parade week the restaurants fill with visitors who came for the floats.
Mild spring and autumn, hot summers and the 1 January Rose Parade
Spring and autumn are the best times to visit Pasadena, with highs of 25 to 26C in April and May and warm weather until late October. July and August reach 32 to 33C. The Rose Parade runs along Colorado Boulevard on 1 January, or 2 January when New Year's Day is a Sunday.
Highs start around 20C in January and ease back to about 24C by November. The first storms usually arrive in December and turn the San Gabriels green by spring. In summer, hike at first light and spend the afternoon inside a museum.
The Rose Parade floats travel along Colorado Boulevard in the morning, and the Rose Bowl game follows in the stadium in the Arroyo Seco. In the days after Christmas, visitors can watch volunteers covering the floats in flowers and seeds.
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How we research our Pasadena travel guide
Closures such as the Mount Lowe Railway route after the Eaton Fire, and Rose Parade dates, are reviewed when they change. Entry rules follow the State Department's visa pages, park details the National Park Service.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Pasadena.
General
Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), about 26 km away. LAX is roughly 43 km and often slower because of traffic.
Take the FlyAway bus to Union Station (45 to 90 minutes), then the Metro A Line north to Pasadena.
1 January each year, except when it falls on a Sunday, when the parade and the Rose Bowl game move to 2 January.
Memorial Park. Walk south a block or two to Colorado Boulevard, the district's main street.
The Mount Lowe Railway trail to Echo Mountain and Eaton Canyon burned in the 2025 Eaton Fire, and the county lists them closed through 2027. The Arroyo Seco paths near the Rose Bowl are the easy alternative; check the LA County Trails closure map for other reopened routes.
Yes. The A Line reaches Union Station in downtown LA in about half an hour, and Metro bus 180 runs to Hollywood in about an hour.
Yes, in the days between Christmas and New Year volunteers decorate the floats, and visitors can watch the work.
Old Pasadena, the Playhouse District and South Lake Avenue, all south of the 210 Freeway, have most of the hotels, restaurants and shops.
As early as you can. July to September average 32-33C highs with almost no rain, and the foothill trails have little shade. Note that the Mount Lowe trail from the top of Lake Avenue is closed through 2027 after the Eaton Fire.
The core of Pasadena is pleasant on foot, though the city is too spread out to walk entirely. The Metro A Line stops at Memorial Park for Old Pasadena and Lake for South Lake Avenue, then continues east towards Azusa. Pasadena Transit runs local buses, and Metro bus 180 reaches Hollywood in about an hour.
Timing & weather
No, it is closed on Tuesdays. Opening hours vary through the week, so check the museum's website before you go.
The best time to visit Pasadena is Oct to May. Highs of 20-28C instead of the 32-33C of July to September; winter rain falls mostly December to February.
- Spring and autumn: March - May, October - November (Highs of 23-28C and little rain; the best light for walking Old Pasadena and the mountain trails)
- Winter: December - February (Highs near 20C, but February averages about 131mm of rain; the Rose Parade and game fill every hotel at New Year)
- Summer: June - September (July to September reach 32-33C with almost no rain; hike at dawn and save afternoons for museums)
August is the warmest month in Pasadena, with average highs of 33°C, and December the coolest, with lows of 7°C. February is the wettest month, at about 131 mm of rain; August is the driest. Pasadena's rain comes almost all in winter, peaking at about 131mm in February, while summer afternoons reach 32 to 33C.
Visa & documents
With an approved ESTA, citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries (most of Europe, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand among them) can stay up to 90 days. Everyone else needs a B-2 visitor visa, which means an interview at a US embassy. Since January 2026 nationals of a number of countries face full or partial entry restrictions.
Health & safety
Trouble is rare on a US trip. Petty theft and car break-ins are the most common problems for visitors, so leave nothing visible in a parked car, especially at trailheads. Natural hazards deserve real respect: hurricanes hit the south-east from June to November, and the west sees wildfires and extreme heat.
