(Daniel Jurman / For The Times)
11 best experiences in L.A. and beyond that make for extremely memorable gifts
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The old saying is that people don’t remember what you said, they remember how you made them feel. For a lot of us, there’s a holiday corollary to that: Long after most material gifts are forgotten, we treasure a well-chosen gift experience.
One of the best things about living in Los Angeles is that it’s possible to find activities for every type of person to enjoy. And many of those experiences make great gifts for the holidays.
Maybe you have a friend who’d enjoy visiting a farm to harvest herbs or hug farm animals. Or do you know a person — or dog — who deserves a good massage? And for the thrill-seeker in your life, how about a road to zip line or skydive? Or what about having tea at the Huntington, a guided hike to the Hollywood sign or a chance to tag a wall with style (and without legal repercussions)?
Here you’ll find our curated list of memorable experiences in L.A. and beyond that will delight a variety of the folks on your holiday gift list.
If you make a purchase using some of our links, the L.A. Times may be compensated. Prices and availability of items and experiences in the Gift Guide and on latimes.com are subject to change.
Showing Gifts
Get dirty at Little City Farm's herbal alchemy workshop
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(Deborah Vankin / Los Angeles Times)
Jennifer Silbert, who makes zero-waste bags from salvaged materials at Rewilder, turned a residential yard and former tennis court into a lush urban farm oasis in the heart of Mid-City. The almost zero-waste Little City Farm is now brimming with wildflowers and fluttering butterflies; chickens roam the property; and Silbert keeps bees on the roof. It’s so picturesque, the farm is rented for weddings, birthdays and private chef dinners. It also hosts an herbal alchemy workshop, which Silbert teaches, walking guests through how to make infused oils that can be used for body care or cooking. Guests harvest fresh herbs and citrus on the property, clean them, then hand crush dried herbs in a mortar and pestle to infuse the oil with. They leave with small bottles of what they made that day — during the workshop I attended: sage, rosemary and citrus-infused massage oil.
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Indulge in one of L.A.'s best foot massages
Self Care $40 at Tibetan Herbal Feet Soak
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(Maggie Shannon / For The Times)
We all know someone who could use a little pampering. The 70-minute reflexology at Tibetan Herbal Feet Soak is a transformative, relaxing experience. There are no private rooms here; instead, guests receive treatments in rows of plush armchairs. For $40, it includes a sublime, 10-minute foot-steaming; a 10-minute foot soak in warm water treated with more than 40 dried and powdered herbs, including ginseng, mugwort and saffron; and a 50-minute foot and leg massage. That’s all while your giftee sits with a warm, buckwheat-filled compress under their neck. Like I said: transformative.
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Don't have a cow, man — hug one at this L.A. area sanctuary
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(The Gentle Barn)
I did not expect to cry as I hugged the giant cow named Oliver, but there I was beneath a shade in a dusty corral weeping against my new bovine friend. The Gentle Barn in Santa Clarita is an animal sanctuary where visitors interact with horses, cows, chickens and more (including one mischievous emu, Earl), who have suffered mightily at the hands of humans and are now healing in a loving space. On top of weekly visits to the farm, the Gentle Barn offers programming, including cow hug therapy ($216.24 for up to two people), which I am now a believer of. All ages welcome. (In addition to adult and teen prices, fees are $16.22 for children ages 2 to 12; free for kids ages 2 and younger.)
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Carved illustration workshop at a ceramics studio
Workshop From $140 at Danny D's Mudshop
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(Matthew Bannister)
Treat the crafty person in your life to a pottery carving class at Danny D’s Mudshop in East Hollywood, where owner Daniel Dooreck provides tips, snacks, music and encouragement. During the hands-on class, which typically lasts two hours, guests will carve and paint pottery that Dooreck has thrown on-site for them. Afterward, he will take care of the firing and mailing, so all you have to do is wait for your masterpiece to arrive.
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Try aerosol art at a graffiti workshop
Workshop Gift card prices vary at Graff Tours
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(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Need street cred? Graff Tours, opened in 2024, offers graffiti tours, classes, parties and date-night aerosol art sessions in a 450-square-foot studio upstairs in a Boyle Heights factory. Teachers include founder Gabe Schoenberg and artist Shak Smart. An hour-long, $45-$75 lesson covers line technique, mist control, letter structure and two places where graffiti is legal: Venice Art Walls and Santee Public Gallery. Children 8 and under must be joined by an adult.
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Skydive over Yosemite Valley for the least crowded views
Adventure From $225 at Skydive Yosemite
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(Jordan Kilgore / Skydive Yosemit)
Why take the at-times perilous path to Half Dome in Yosemite National Park when you can instead jump out of a plane to see it? Skydive Yosemite takes participants, including your favorite holiday daredevil, over Yosemite Valley before participants, strapped to their guides, pop out of a plane, descending 10,000 to 14,000 feet depending on the package they choose. I couldn’t believe the rush of the free fall, followed by the serenity found sitting in the parachute observing the glory of the earth around me.
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Treat man’s best friend to a massage for mutts
Dog Care $50 at Doggissage
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(Jeff Alulis)
William Riddle is a certified canine masseuse, and his Doggissage business — for all dogs of all sizes — is mobile, traveling through parts of Orange County and Los Angeles. He’ll come to someone’s house and, for $50, give a pup a relaxing or rehabilitative hour-long massage. It might look like a vigorous petting session; but Riddle says his deep tissue massages relieve muscle tension and stress, increase blood flow and mobility and may ease pain from arthritis. (He suggests discussing it with a veterinarian first.) He ends the massage with a fragrant beef stick treat — two paws up!
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Soar over the Santa Ynez Valley
Adventure From $139 at Highline Adventures
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(David H. Collier / Highline Adventures)
The gate opened, and I started to fly over gorgeous green oak woodlands. I watched as the Santa Ynez Valley flew by, appreciating the sweeping views of the San Rafael Mountains. Usually a hiker, I screamed in delight on each of the three zip lines, including what are said to be the longest and fastest in California, offered at Highline Adventures in Buellton. One staffer told me that she was afraid of heights until she started working there. Best to gift this, though, to a loved one with an adventurous soul.
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Sip and nibble in the Huntington Rose Garden Tea Room
Dining $93-$98 at the Huntington
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(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
If you want someone to feel rich, send them to sip and nibble at the Huntington Rose Garden Tea Room, which was redone in spring 2023. Traditional Tea Service ($64 for adults, plus $29-$34 Huntington admission) includes sweet and savory snacks on a three-tiered silver platter. Salmon. Caviar. Gardens all around. One complication: You must buy the gift certificate in person at the 1919 Cafe (no admission fee) or tea room.
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Taste West Africa in a private dining room
Dining $188 at Ilé
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(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Whether you call it private dining or dinner theater, neither term fully captures what Chef Tolu “Eros” Erogbogbo and partner David Olusoga are doing with the West African dining experience they call Ilé. Chef Eros, born in Nigeria, cooks for up to 28 people at a time in his Hollywood apartment or a DTLA Arts District kitchen, merging West African cuisines. (Available select Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.) It’s usually a tasty, three- or four-course meal, family style, with curated music and storytelling by the chef or Olusoga — a gift of food and culture, reservation required. Main courses include Senegalese, Ghanaian and Nigerian elements.
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Hike to the Hollywood sign with a comic and canine
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(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Hollywood Hikes supplies a comedian and dog to lead hikers to the Hollywood sign. Someone like actor-comedian Jon Ebeling (with sheepadoodle Mozart) takes the group 4.4 miles round-trip on the moderately challenging Innsdale Trail, about 2½ hours ($20). Count on lots of corny jokes, Hollywood history and pleasant canine vibes. To give a hike, founder Joe Thompson said, “Book a tour for a future date and shoot me an email saying it’s a gift. We handle the rest.”
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