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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Pasadena
Give Pasadena 1–2 nights as a Los Angeles base: the A Line reaches Union Station in 20 min, and Old Pasadena is walkable from the Del Mar and Memorial Park stops.
Pasadena sits at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, 11 mi (about 18 km) northeast of Downtown Los Angeles, and is the main population centre of the San Gabriel Valley. It is known as the City of Roses for the New Year's Day Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game, and it holds a compact, walkable core of museums, historic architecture and restaurants. Most visitors use it as a quieter, cheaper base for Los Angeles, or come for the parade and the Norton Simon.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (inland heat), late Dec–early Jan (parade crowds and road closures)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $70–110 excl. bed · Mid $120–200 excl. bed · High $220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $4–7 |
| Lunch, casual | $12–20 |
| Dinner, mid-range, before tax and tip | $25–45 |
| Museum entry (Norton Simon adult) | $12 |
| Metro ride | $1.75 |
| Rideshare, Pasadena to Downtown LA | $25–45 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BUR · Hollywood Burbank
- Closest airport, about 16 mi (26 km) away; rideshare or shuttle to Pasadena.Closest airport, about 16 mi (16 mi) away; rideshare or shuttle to Pasadena.
- LAX · Los Angeles International
- About 27 mi (43 km); FlyAway bus to Union Station then the A Line, about 2 h door to door.About 27 mi (27 mi); FlyAway bus to Union Station then the A Line, about 2 h door to door.
- ONT · Ontario International
- East of the valley; useful if you are driving in from the east.
- SNA · John Wayne, Orange County
- Further south; usually only worth it for a cheaper fare.
Typical fares
- LAX to Pasadena, FlyAway plus A Line
- about $12 and 2 h
- Metro A Line, Pasadena to Union Station
- about $1.75, 20 min
- Rideshare, Pasadena to Downtown LA
- $25–45
Get around
The Metro A Line light rail runs through Pasadena with six stops (Fillmore, Del Mar, Memorial Park, Lake, Allen, Sierra Madre Villa) and reaches Union Station in about 20 minutes. Tap a contactless card or phone on Metro trains and buses; fares cap automatically once you hit the daily or weekly limit. Pasadena Transit and Metro buses fill the gaps, and the 180 bus runs to Hollywood in about an hour. Old Pasadena, the Playhouse District and South Lake are walkable; for the mountains or the Rose Bowl you want a car or a rideshare.
See and do
Known for
- Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game
- Norton Simon Museum
- Old Pasadena
- California Institute of Technology
- The Gamble House
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles (Downtown and Hollywood) | Metro A Line to Union Station, about 20 min; the 180 bus runs to Hollywood in about an hour | 30–60 min |
| Arcadia and the Santa Anita area | A Line east to Arcadia, then a short rideshare | About 30 min |
| Monrovia | A Line to Monrovia station, then walk to Old Town | About 25 min |
| Pomona | A Line east to Pomona, about 45 min | About 1 h |
| Claremont | A Line to Pomona, then Metrolink or a rideshare | 1–1.5 h |
Sleep
- Old Pasadena
- Best for a first visit: A Line at Del Mar and Memorial Park, walkable to restaurants and shops, busiest on weekends.
- Playhouse District and South Lake
- Quieter, more hotels and cafés, 10–15 min walk or a short bus ride from Old Pasadena.
- Near Caltech and the 210 freeway
- Cheaper chain hotels and free parking; you will need a car or the A Line for the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the A Line station? | Where is the A Line station? |
| One ticket, please | One ticket, please |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is this seat taken? | Is this seat taken? |
| The check, please | The check, please |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Summer afternoons inland can pass 35°C; carry water and hike early.
- Eaton Canyon: do not climb past the first waterfall — the loose rock has killed hikers.
- Watch for rattlesnakes on San Gabriel foothill trails in warm months.
- Rose Parade day: Colorado Blvd closes the night before and parking is scarce; buy parking ahead or take the A Line.
- Prices in the US are shown before sales tax; expect a few percent added at the till.
Pasadena is generally safe for visitors, and the walkable core is busy into the evening. The real risks are heat on foothill trails, snakes in warm months, and leaving bags visible in a parked car — break-ins are the common Los Angeles-area crime.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Pasadena yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game
- Norton Simon Museum
- Old Pasadena
- California Institute of Technology
- The Gamble House
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Pasadena: www.cityofpasadena.net/
- Visit Pasadena: www.visitpasadena.com/
- LA Metro: www.metro.net/
- Pasadena Transit: www.cityofpasadena.net/pasadena-transit/
- Wikivoyage: Pasadena, revision 5293932 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5293932
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Pasadena
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Pasadena; consulates-general are in Los Angeles (check your country's listing).
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/pasadena). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.