Olvera Street
Olvera Street
4
Points of Interest & LandmarksHistoric Walking AreasFlea & Street Markets
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
The oldest street in Los Angeles is fun to visit, especially during special events like the "Blessing of the Animals" or "Dia De Los Muertos" (Day of the Dead.)
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Central L.A
How to get there
  • Chinatown • 5 min walk
  • Union Station • 7 min walk
Reach out directly
See what travelers are saying
  • Jennifer T
    Devore Heights, California468 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth a quick stop
    Visited Olvera street with the family for a fun spring break outing. While it is definitely "touristy", it is also historical with many beautiful historical buildings and churches. Kept very clean and is nicely located to union station (right across the street). Without dining you could spend about an hour here, add in dining and it could be a 2 hour trip. Which they offered entertainment or something to make the visit longer. Mainly just shopping, food and the historical buildings.
    Visited March 2023
    Written March 26, 2023
  • sonestacy
    Sioux Falls, South Dakota102 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Neat but watch your safety outside this area!
    The street is neat with restaurants and shops but the area outside of the street isn’t safe. There are many homeless camps and mental health/addiction persons. We were warned about downtown LA and still went. We felt safe at this street but once we left this street - even in the daylight - it was not ok!!
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written August 14, 2023
  • LucidGhost
    13 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stroll that left me wanting more
    This is a nice walk that gives you a glimpse of how the Mexican people hustle. There's a lot of souvenir shops where you find hand crafted goods such as bags, shoes and toys. Not to mention the history that you can get on this street. Although it's a nice stroll, it was a short walk and left me wanted for more. But overall it was a good experience !
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written September 24, 2023
  • Lehcar1
    Tucson, Arizona3 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun place to visit for a couple of hours on your Cali trip.
    I have been here many times in the past from Tucson, AZ. This trip I was pleasantly surprised that the actual street and csurrounding area were clean and seemed safe. The vendor stands were nicely stocked and I made sure to visit the taquito stand at the end across from Union Station. My grandmother first took me there as a child and I have taken my daughter and granddaughter as well as others. It is a local icon. We visited the old homesite and purchased some items. There was some music and the weather was sunny and cool. There is a public parking lot across the street.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written November 29, 2023
  • peter r
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent and beautiful history area
    Beautiful place. They were celebrating Valentine’s Day and had music and dance in the park as well as food. A very pleasant and beautiful experience. Very good crafts and arts at an ice price if you look for them.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written March 9, 2024
  • Cristy S
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fate
    My dog gizmo and I were waiting for the metro link I met 2 new friends and we went off on an adventure to Olvera St. It was such a blast we bar hoped ate chips and salsa and enjoyed ourselves. We even danced at the park where the dj had some great tunes playing. Really wish I would of got their number before going our separate ways Ray if your reading this maybe one day we'll see each other again and go visit this place again. Hes going to be " the one that got away" and i can't stop thinking about him.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written March 11, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles1,370 reviews
Excellent
565
Very good
512
Average
233
Poor
49
Terrible
15

Chris F
San Francisco, CA1,923 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
We had visited Union Station just down the street and had heard about Olvera Street from different blogs on LA travel. Olvera Street is just a block up the street and is mainly small kiosks with vendors selling different wares and souvenirs. There are quite a few restaurants too and we were hungry so stopped at the El Paseo Inn Restaurant for lunch. It was very good and will be reviewed separately. Olvera Street itself was very clean and a fun place for photography. Avila Adobe (one of the first homes to be built in LA) which is also on Olvera. It was a cool place for a quick visit and we had fun walking through it.
Written February 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Fern P
Cheshire, CT72 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Visiting here you get a chance to appreciate the original settlers in Southern California. Original buildings, street vendors, musicians, and food provide a unique respite from the bustling city of Los Angeles and its fast-paced life for the traveler. Many of the restaurants and shops have served Olvera Street for generations. I was here 50 years ago and it appeared the same to me now as then.
Written January 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Yenyok
New York City, NY207 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
My friend and I love this place. I thought I was In Mexico, so much culture and all those amazing gif shops. We visit the church at cross street and as well an old cemetery of the first immigrant that moved here. IN the park they have traditional Mexican music live, free cost. 2 blocks down you can also find chinatown. I highly recommend this place, no one bother us or tried to sell us anything. The Casa Avila is also there, free cost to see. I noticed a few museum as well but they were closed because was after 5pm. I will take 3+ hrs to enjoy this street.
Written March 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

HETAL
52 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Friends
If you like Mexican Food and if you like colourful handicrafts and souvenirs then this is the place to go. I went there on a weekday but a lot of places were closed but when I went there again on the weekend Sunday it was fully packed and lively. People played music and couples dancing and having the time of their life. Lots of options for shopping and colorful creative artsy stuff at all the prices.
Written March 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gary M
Sydney, Australia255 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Friends
Olvera Street: The Fabrication of L.A.'s Mexican Heritage.

With its narrow passages and 19th century buildings housing traditional restaurants and folk art shops, Olvera Street certainly evokes the romance of an authentic mercado.

Technically, it’s part of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, which includes many of the city’s oldest buildings and an 1815 plaza.

Mariachis strum their big guitars and the aroma of fresh tortillas and hot churros fill the air. 

Little Mexico is certainly worthy of a visit.
Written June 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mccarthk2018
Livonia, MI22 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
If you are looking for traditional Mexican items or food this was a great place to find it all in one spot. The churros were delicious. We visited during the day of the dead festival so there was a very large croud in attendance and it was hard to walk through the market. I'm not a fan of large crouds so we did not stay long. Would have enjoyed a longer visit on a less active day.
Written February 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Marilyn A
Kitchener, Canada586 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Couples
This is noted as the oldest part of LA . This pedestrian street has numerous little stands selling a multitude of items. The original buildings on the street are of special interest. Lovely stroll through the area.
Written January 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rogerdob
La Canada, California2,827 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
As a resident of the LA area, I visit Olvera Street once every few years and enjoy a nice meal there. However, this last visit was an eye-opener...homeless people (or are they vagrants?) encircle the area and pose a actual threat to visitors...we were there when a homeless person started throwing things at people dining! We left early and vowed not to come back!
Written February 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

charles b
Los Angeles, CA3 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
When you come to Los Angeles be prepared to eat the widest variety of food on this planet.
Authentic in every way.
Mexican food is proudly presented here on a tiny space preserved in LA. The feel of Mexico caught in just two streets big enough for horse and wagon.
Diners are transported back in a time machine.
My favorites ,year round, are the best chili rellenos made fresh using only local ingredients. rice and beans and horchata to drink. Unique eating .
Written July 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

wireless_in_CA
United States4,994 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021 • Family
This was considered the oldest original street in Los Angeles and a way to experience the culture of Mexico. It’s close to Union Station and Chinatown so you can see multiple sites during a visit. Along the street, there were lots of small shops showcasing the standard touristy things along with more traditional clothing and grocery items. Brightly colored clothes and blankets plus Lucha Libre wrestling masks were quite popular. A host of restaurants were not yet open but offered many traditional foods. The architecture was also another reason for visiting. The oldest, Avila Adobe House, was here having been restored after an earthquake. Hopefully soon one can go inside. A couple of museums were also located here like the museum of Social Justice. When everything is fully reopened then I can see spending more time here ona future visit
Written June 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Olvera Street - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions about Olvera Street

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