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Voykit pocket guide · United States
San Pedro
Give San Pedro one full day for the USS Iowa and the Point Fermin bluff, two if you add a harbor cruise; base in Long Beach or Torrance and drive in.
San Pedro is the harbor district at the south end of the 110 freeway, 30–40 min from downtown Los Angeles without traffic. It holds the USS Iowa, a walkable waterfront of small museums, and the Point Fermin bluff with two lighthouses. Most travellers see it as a day from Long Beach or a pre-cruise night.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (marine layer and crowds), Thanksgiving and Christmas (aquarium closed)
- Stay
- 1 night
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 $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $110–180 excl. bed · High $200+ 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 | $4–6 |
| Deli sandwich | $8–14 |
| Sit-down dinner, one person | $18–35 |
| Draught beer at a brewery | $7–9 |
| Metro single ride | $1.75 |
| Museum entry (maritime museum) | $1–3 |
| Rideshare across town | $12–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LAX · Los Angeles International
- Metro 232 toward San Pedro, transfer to the 205 or 246; check the schedule — about 1.5 h
- LGB · Long Beach Airport
- Closer by car; about 25–35 min to San Pedro
Typical fares
- Metro single ride
- $1.75; Silver Line express $2.50 (check)
- Metro bike share, 30 min
- about $3.50 (check)
- Rideshare LAX → San Pedro
- $40–55 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Metro buses run the 110 corridor and Gaffey Street, but service is thin and slow; a car is the practical choice. Metro bike share has docks along the harborfront: single trips about $3.50 per 30 min, monthly pass about $20 (check).
See and do
Known for
- USS Iowa (Battleship Iowa)
- Point Fermin Lighthouse and Park
- Los Angeles Maritime Museum
- Port of Los Angeles waterfront
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Long Beach | Drive over the Vincent Thomas Bridge (CA-47), or the 142 Commuter Express to the A Line | About 30–45 min |
| Torrance | Drive north on Gaffey Street and the 110 | About 20–30 min |
| Carson | Drive north on the 110 | About 20 min |
| Catalina Island | Passenger ferry from San Pedro or Long Beach, about 1 h–1 h 30 min | Half a day each way |
Sleep
- Downtown San Pedro (6th and 7th Street)
- Walk to the USS Iowa, the maritime museum and the Friday farmers market; a handful of hotels and motels.
- Cabrillo Marina
- Waterfront hotel with a pool; you need a car for everything else.
- Gaffey Street corridor
- Cheaper motels on the road toward Point Fermin; drive to the sights.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the USS Iowa? | Where is the USS Iowa? |
| Is this seat taken? | Is this seat taken? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Where is the restroom? | Where is the restroom? |
| Thank you | Thank you |
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
- Traffic on the 110 southbound is heavy on weekday mornings and northbound in the evening; add 20–30 min.
- The Point Fermin lighthouse tower has a height rule: children under 40 inches are not admitted, and under-18s need an adult.
- Grunion runs happen late at night March–June; bring warm layers and a flashlight, and a California fishing licence if you plan to take any by hand.
- Some sights are only open a few days a week: check hours before you drive out.
San Pedro is a working port district and generally fine in daytime around the waterfront and Point Fermin. At night stick to lit streets downtown, keep car doors locked, and leave nothing visible in a parked car.
One and two days
No timed day plan for San Pedro yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- USS Iowa (Battleship Iowa)
- Point Fermin Lighthouse and Park
- Los Angeles Maritime Museum
- Port of Los Angeles waterfront
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Discover Los Angeles — San Pedro: www.discoverlosangeles.com/things-to-do/san-pedro
- Battleship Iowa: pacificbattleship.com/
- Cabrillo Marine Aquarium: www.cabrillomarineaquarium.org/
- Point Fermin Lighthouse and Park (LA Parks): www.laparks.org/park/point-fermin
- LA Metro: www.metro.net/
- Wikivoyage: San Pedro, revision 5296636 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5296636
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
San Pedro
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 San Pedro; consulates-general are in downtown Los Angeles (check your country's listing).
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis and rideshares.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/san-pedro). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.