Day trips

The 14 Best Day Trips from El Monte

Drive times, distances, what to see, and a sample day plan for every place worth the trip.

Start planning

Planning day trips from El Monte?

Packy AI builds your full El Monte itinerary - routes, timing, and the day trips below - in one tap. Free to start.

Trip length

Joined by 50,000+ travelers planning with Packy.

There are 14 good day trips from El Monte, United States, led by Los Angeles, Anaheim, Santa Ana. The closest is Los Angeles, about 30 min by car, and 7 of them fit into half a day. Below: drive times, distances, what to see, and a sample day plan.

Day trips from El Monte at a glance

DestinationDistanceDrive timeBest as
Los Angeles20 km W30 minHalf-day trip
Anaheim28 km S40 minHalf-day trip
Santa Ana39 km S45 minHalf-day trip
San Bernardino68 km E1 hr 20 minFull-day trip
Oxnard107 km W1 hr 40 minFull-day trip
Moreno Valley75 km E1 hr 25 minFull-day trip
Huntington Beach45 km S50 minHalf-day trip
Santa Clarita59 km NW1 hr 10 minFull-day trip
Rancho Cucamonga40 km E45 minHalf-day trip
Escondido137 km SE2 hr 10 minFull-day trip
Torrance39 km SW45 minHalf-day trip
Van Nuys41 km W45 minHalf-day trip
Thousand Oaks75 km W1 hr 25 minFull-day trip
Simi Valley73 km W1 hr 25 minFull-day trip

Drive times are estimates from the distance. Check live traffic before you leave.

The best day trips from El Monte

  1. 1

    Los Angeles, United States

    Half-day trip
    About 30 min by car20 km west of El Monte1 hr round trip

    Known for Hollywood Sign.

    Also nearby: Koreatown.

  2. 2

    Anaheim, United States

    Half-day trip
    About 40 min by car28 km south of El Monte1 hr 20 min round trip
  3. 3

    Santa Ana, United States

    Half-day trip
    About 45 min by car39 km south of El Monte1 hr 30 min round trip
  4. 4

    San Bernardino, United States

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 20 min by car68 km east of El Monte2 hr 40 min round trip
  5. 5

    Oxnard, United States

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 40 min by car107 km west of El Monte3 hr 20 min round trip
  6. 6

    Moreno Valley, United States

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 25 min by car75 km east of El Monte2 hr 50 min round trip
  7. 7

    Huntington Beach, United States

    Half-day trip
    About 50 min by car45 km south of El Monte1 hr 40 min round trip
  8. 8

    Santa Clarita, United States

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 10 min by car59 km north-west of El Monte2 hr 20 min round trip
  9. 9

    Rancho Cucamonga, United States

    Half-day trip
    About 45 min by car40 km east of El Monte1 hr 30 min round trip
  10. 10

    Escondido, United States

    Full-day trip
    About 2 hr 10 min by car137 km south-east of El Monte4 hr 20 min round trip
  11. 11

    Torrance, United States

    Half-day trip
    About 45 min by car39 km south-west of El Monte1 hr 30 min round trip
  12. 12

    Van Nuys, United States

    Half-day trip
    About 45 min by car41 km west of El Monte1 hr 30 min round trip
  13. 13

    Thousand Oaks, United States

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 25 min by car75 km west of El Monte2 hr 50 min round trip
  14. 14

    Simi Valley, United States

    Full-day trip
    About 1 hr 25 min by car73 km west of El Monte2 hr 50 min round trip

A sample day trip: El Monte to Los Angeles

A realistic pace for Los Angeles, 20 km from El Monte. Packy AI builds this for any place on the list, with a route, opening hours and timings you can edit.

  1. 08:30Leave El Monte
  2. 09:00Arrive in Los Angeles (30 min drive)
  3. 09:15Hollywood Sign
  4. 11:15Lunch
  5. 12:30Explore the old town, markets and cafes of Los Angeles
  6. 15:00Head back to El Monte
  7. 15:30Home in El Monte

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

What are the best day trips from El Monte?
The best day trips from El Monte are Los Angeles, Anaheim, Santa Ana, San Bernardino, Oxnard. The closest is Los Angeles, about 30 min away by car.
What is the closest day trip from El Monte?
Los Angeles is the closest, 20 km west of El Monte, roughly 30 min by car. Best as a half-day trip.
Where can I go within an hour of El Monte?
7 places are within about an hour's drive of El Monte: Los Angeles (30 min), Anaheim (40 min), Santa Ana (45 min), Torrance (45 min), Rancho Cucamonga (45 min), Van Nuys (45 min).
How far is too far for a day trip from El Monte?
Up to about two hours each way keeps the day relaxed. The farthest place on this list is Escondido at 137 km, around 2 hr 10 min by car.

Keep exploring

Find your next trip

Plan a trip

AI trip plannerMulti-city trip plannerWanderlog alternativeTripIt alternative

Popular trip lengths

10 Days in Dubai - United Arab Emirates10 Days in Porto10 Days in Istanbul, İstanbul10 Days in Rio de Janeiro10 Days in London10 Days in Montreal, QC7 Days in Rotterdam10 Days in Lisbon6 Days in Rotterdam10 Days in Amsterdam6 Days in Rio de Janeiro7 Days in Rio de Janeiro6 Days in Dubai - United Arab Emirates7 Days in Dubai - United Arab Emirates4 Days in Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates10 Days in Santorini5 Days in Rio de Janeiro10 Days in Cancún, Quintana Roo4 Days in Munich10 Days in Osaka7 Days in Bali10 Days in Phuket6 Days in Johannesburg7 Days in Johannesburg4 Days in Mexico City14 Days in Lisbon10 Days in Manchester10 Days in Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates5 Days in Munich6 Days in Munich

Weekend getaways

Weekend in Mexico CityWeekend in LisbonWeekend in Munich

City breaks

Mexico City city breakSydney NSW city breakLisbon city breakSantorini city breakLas Vegas, NV city breakIstanbul, İstanbul city breakAbu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates city breakRio de Janeiro city breakMelbourne VIC city breakPerth WA city breakRotterdam city breakMunich city break

Road trips

Road trips from Cancún, Quintana RooRoad trips from Rio de JaneiroRoad trips from PortoRoad trips from BangkokRoad trips from ParisRoad trips from AmsterdamRoad trips from RotterdamRoad trips from LisbonRoad trips from OsakaRoad trips from LondonRoad trips from SantoriniRoad trips from São PauloRoad trips from PhuketRoad trips from MykonosRoad trips from JohannesburgRoad trips from Mexico CityRoad trips from Dubai - United Arab EmiratesRoad trips from Melbourne VIC

Plan day trips

Day trips by city

Popular attractions

Christ the RedeemerSugarloaf MountainAlfamaOceanário de LisboaPraça do ComércioMuseu do AmanhãBurj KhalifaDubai MallCastelo de São JorgeMarket HallBotanical Garden of Rio de JaneiroMuseum Boijmans Van BeuningenKunsthal RotterdamThe Dubai FountainDubai FrameErasmusbrugParque LagePalacio de Bellas ArtesBosque de ChapultepecHet ParkCopacabana BeachLemeIbirapuera ParkAl Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood

Things to do by city

Things to do in Rio de JaneiroThings to do in Dubai - United Arab EmiratesThings to do in LisbonThings to do in Istanbul, İstanbulThings to do in RotterdamThings to do in Cancún, Quintana RooThings to do in JohannesburgThings to do in PhuketThings to do in Abu Dhabi - United Arab EmiratesThings to do in Mexico CityThings to do in SantoriniThings to do in PortoThings to do in BangkokThings to do in MunichThings to do in LondonThings to do in Cape TownThings to do in BerlinThings to do in AmsterdamThings to do in São PauloThings to do in Toronto, ONThings to do in ParisThings to do in BaliThings to do in OsakaThings to do in Sydney NSW

Browse by country

AustraliaItalyUSAJapanFranceBrazilThailandGermanyGreeceSpainPortugalUKCanadaNetherlandsMexicoVietnamSouth AfricaIndonesiaDubai - United Arab EmiratesTürkiyeAbu Dhabi - United Arab EmiratesNew ZealandPhilippinesChina

Browse by travel style

top attractionsnature and outdoorshidden gemsshoppingfor kidsentertainment and nightlifemust-see naturaltourist favoriteday tripsmuseumsmust-see local spotsfood and wine toursonly include harry potter movie attractionslord of the rings locations🏛️ Top Attractions⭐️ Tourist Favorite🍷 Food and Wine Toursroof top bars