• Is Malibu walkable? You can ditch the car for a few days and do seaside strolls to nearly every attraction and eatery in town. 
  • Malibu Beach Inn is perfectly placed on Carbon Beach amidst Malibu’s 21 miles of scenic coastline, within walking distance of the town’s best restaurants and shopping.
  • A quick rideshare to the Getty Villa will allow for a walkable afternoon amongst one of the best art collections in the area.

“Walkin’ in LA. Nobody walks in LA,” was the chorus of the Missing Persons’ 1982 hit song, which struck a chord with Angelinos for its accuracy. But there are some scarce swaths of Southern California that are infinitely walkable—one iconic beach town, in particular, is ideal for giving the car its own vacation and letting your shoes do some navigating. 

That particular parcel of Southern California is 21 miles of coastline known as Malibu. This seaside oasis of 10,000 denizens is a walker’s wonderland, where mountainside hiking trails descend to white-sand beaches and open-air shopping centers, cafes and restaurants hug the shore providing for perfect pit stops. In the two-day itinerary and guide below, you’ll learn:

A woman walking on the beach and a blue and white beach sign

DAY ONE: Sunbathing, swimming, shopping, sushi, and oyster shooting. 

Morning

Waking up at Malibu Beach Inn to the gently crashing waves at Carbon Beach, a.k.a. “Billionaire’s Beach,” may tempt one to stay in bed for longer than usual, but breakfast is calling. The in-house restaurant, Carbon Beach Club (or CBC), brings its California-meets-the-Mediterranean-Coast philosophy to the morning meal. Think: grilled shrimp toast sprinkled with chili oil and dolloped with creamy Haas avocado on toasted sourdough, tacos stuffed with scrambled eggs, Spanish chorizo, and avocado, or Turkish-style poached eggs over spiced yogurt cradled by a fluffy piece of crunchy country bread.   

Late-Morning

If you’re wondering where to walk in Malibu, you should take advantage of the mild weather in the morning and walk to the beach. After all, Carbon Beach is a mere 34 steps from the hotel. If you feel like going slightly further afield, a 10-minute walk northwest of Malibu Beach Inn will get you to Malibu Lagoon State Beach, a 110-acre California state park that is commonly referred to as Surfrider Beach. There is plenty to do here, even for the whole family—from sunbathing and swimming to meandering on the flat, dirt-paved walking trails around the wetlands to visiting the Adamson House and the Malibu Lagoon Museum, a Spanish Colonial Revival beach house from 1929 that is nicknamed the “Taj Mahal of Tile,” because of the extensive and impressive tilework inside. Take a guided tour (Wednesdays to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the hour) to see the interior, especially the 60-foot ersatz Persian “rug” made entirely of tile, even the fringes of the “carpet” are tile. 

Lunch

Just a 10-minute stroll from Malibu Lagoon State Beach is Broad Street Oyster Company, where you can take your taste buds on their own walking tour of the most satisfying seafood in town. Start with some oysters, of course, before moving on to sea urchin spaghetti, a basket of fish and chips, or a softshell crab sandwich. 

Malibu Country Mart answers the question is malibu walkable

Afternoon

If you had your mind set on doing some shopping while in Malibu, you’re in luck: Broad Street Oyster Company happens to be next door to Malibu Country Mart, a “boutique mall” that is really an open-air collection of boutiques, galleries, cafes, and even a playground for the kids. If you haven’t shopped ‘til you dropped, right next door is Malibu Lumber Yard, a newer and arguably shinier complex of boutiques and art galleries. Keep your eyes peeled for some deals and some A-list celebrities. 

Early Evening

On the way back to the Malibu Beach Inn—a leisurely 15-minute walk—stop at the Malibu Pier, an iconic early-20th-century fishing pier that houses restaurants and shops. You can also rent a rod here and join the local fisherman. If it’s near the time of sunset, you’ll be rewarded with a spectacular show as the sun says sayonara for the day, leaving the stars and the moon to illuminate your easy amble back to the hotel. 

Dinner

When the stomach starts to rumble, head off on foot east of the hotel along the beach. After about seven minutes, you’ll be at the Malibu outpost of famed Nobu, the Robert DeNiro-co-owned sanctuary of all things sushi and seafood. If it’s your first Nobu experience, order the signature black cod miso, or opt for the omakase menu where you’ll get a procession of sushi bites, prepared with the freshest, most seasonal seafood money can buy. 

If Nobu is full or not your cup of (green) tea, step into Sake House Malibu, a sleek Japanese spot for sushi just a few minutes’ walk inland from Nobu. 

A beach picnic at sunset with the ocean in the background

DAY 2: Protein coffee drinks, beachside picnics, and pedaling toward masterpieces

Morning

Tuck into some Med-meets-Cali breakfast fare at the hotel—the property even has a service to deliver breakfast to your guest room balcony. But if you’re up for a morning meander, and wondering where to walk in Malibu, amble east down the beach for 15 minutes to Caffe Luxxe, a chic, Italian-inspired coffee spot that expertly pulls classic espresso drinks, plus a few signature coffee drinks like the protein vanilla buzz, a tall glass of vanilla-laced iced espresso topped with silky vanilla protein foam. Pair your coffee drink with a flaky croissant or a blueberry muffin. 

Late-Morning

Take some time to relax on Carbon Beach; after all, you’re on vacation. Perhaps grab one of the handful of books and magazines left in your guest room at Malibu Beach Inn and read, letting the sounds of the ebb and flow of the Pacific Ocean be your soundtrack. 

Lunch

You’re staying right here on Carbon Beach for lunch. The Inn regularly puts out its beach service—sun loungers and umbrellas—as long as it’s not high-tide season. And with that, the hotel can arrange with the concierge to create a beach-side picnic for your lunch today. Give them your food preferences and restrictions, et voila! Picnic lunch is served right on Carbon Beach. 

Afternoon

You can’t spend a couple of days in Malibu without seeing one of the town’s cultural treasures: the Getty Villa Museum, a very accurate recreation of an ancient Roman villa that houses the Getty’s collection of Roman and Greek art. Admission is free; you just need to reserve a slot for the timed entry via the museum’s website. Consider it your primary Malibu art walk. 

The museum is a seven-mile journey east of the hotel. And since you probably don’t want to trudge there and back on foot, take a quick ride share or drive to enjoy the walkability of the Villa with fresh legs. 

Dinner

Spend your last evening at the Malibu Beach Inn. You’ve devoted the last two days to seeing Malibu by foot and so maybe you want to give those feet a respite. After all, the Carbon Beach Club’s dinner menu may be the culinary highlight of the last 48 hours. Start with a St. Germain-and-prosecco-laced Malibu Spritz while perusing the menu, perhaps letting the ultra-refreshing mint-and-feta-sprinkled chilled marinated watermelon or the heirloom tomato and stone fruit salad tempt you as a starter. Or go straight for the saffron-accented, seafood-loaded paella as a way to crown two wonderful days exploring Malibu by foot. 


It’s been over four decades since the Missing Persons first sang “Nobody walks in LA,” but apparently the band never made it to Malibu or they would have re-thought those lyrics. Is Malibu walkable? We certainly think so.

Written by: David Farley

Edited by: Brenna Darling de Cruz