Wilshire Boulevard to Santa Monica Boulevard
The shopping on Rodeo Drive runs three blocks, from Wilshire Boulevard north to Santa Monica Boulevard, and the grid of streets around it makes up Beverly Hills' Golden Triangle. Fred Hayman opened Giorgio Beverly Hills, the street's first high-end boutique, in 1961, and Gucci followed in 1968. Today the blocks hold French and Italian fashion houses, Paris jewelers and Swiss watchmakers, and you can see all of it on foot in an afternoon.
The route runs south to north. Boutiques generally open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm and Sunday from noon to 5pm, and several flagships stay open until 7pm. Skip Tuesday afternoon if Hermès or Tom Ford is on your list: Hermès closes at 3pm that day and Tom Ford at 5pm.
Wilshire Boulevard: Start at the Beverly Wilshire
The Beverly Wilshire, at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Rodeo Drive, opened on January 1, 1928, and marks the south end of the walk. Wolfgang Puck's steakhouse CUT (9500 Wilshire Blvd), inside the hotel, is MICHELIN Recommended. On the same stretch of Wilshire, Vilebrequin (9519 Wilshire Blvd) sells the Saint-Tropez label's printed swim trunks, with matching styles for kids. A short walk west, Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills (9700 Wilshire Blvd) anchors the south edge of the Golden Triangle with designer fashion, shoes, beauty and a Bvlgari jewelry shop inside. It doesn't post hours, so call ahead.
The 200 Block and Two Rodeo
Heading north, Breitling (216 N Rodeo Dr) sells the brand's aviation and dive watches, the Navitimer and Superocean among them. Golden Goose (238 N Rodeo Dr) customizes its distressed sneakers in the store. Versace (240 N Rodeo Dr) and Dolce & Gabbana (248 N Rodeo Dr) sit side by side at the corner of Two Rodeo, and Persol (256 N Rodeo Dr) carries the Italian brand's folding sunglasses and arrow-hinge frames. Breguet (280 N Rodeo Dr) shows Classique, Marine and Tradition watches and services them for owners. It is closed Sundays.
Turn into Two Rodeo, the cobbled Spanish-style lane at 9480 Dayton Way. It is calmer than the main sidewalk, and the district's tips point to Tiffany & Co., Brunello Cucinelli, Kith and Audemars Piguet along it. Upstairs, Miura (218 N Rodeo Dr) is chef Derek Wilcox's sushi omakase counter on the second floor of Two Rodeo, with one MICHELIN star.
The 300 Block: The Fashion Houses
Across Dayton Way, Van Cleef & Arpels (300 N Rodeo Dr) holds the corner with Alhambra pieces, high jewelry and its poetic-complications watches. Burberry (301 N Rodeo Dr) is the stop for trench coats and check scarves. Then four houses run in a row: Bottega Veneta (320 N Rodeo Dr) for woven intrecciato leather, Valentino (324 N Rodeo Dr) for Rockstud shoes and bags, Saint Laurent (326 N Rodeo Dr), the label's main Beverly Hills store, and Tom Ford (346 N Rodeo Dr) for tailoring, eyewear and fragrance. Ferragamo (357 N Rodeo Dr) is the Florentine shoemaker, best known for its loafers.
Take a one-block detour onto Brighton Way. Hublot (9470 Brighton Way) shows Big Bang and Classic Fusion watches, and Wolford (9511 Brighton Way) sells the Austrian brand's tights, bodysuits and fitted knit dresses.
The 400 Block: Hermès and the North End
Louis Vuitton Men's (420 N Rodeo Dr) is a men-only store, separate from the women's collections. The Rodeo Collection courtyard at 421 N Rodeo Dr has Sweet Angeles (Unit 11) for a sweet break. Hermès (434 N Rodeo Dr) is the big stop of the block, with leather goods, silk scarves and ties, home objects and equestrian pieces. Panerai (441 N Rodeo Dr) sells large-cased Luminor and Radiomir dive watches and closes at 4pm on Tuesdays.
Finish at the top of the street. Max Mara (451 N Rodeo Dr) is the place for camel-hair coats, Alexander McQueen (457 N Rodeo Dr) has sharp tailoring and its chunky sneakers, and Saint Laurent Rive Droite (469 N Rodeo Dr), the label's concept store, mixes books, records, design objects and limited collaborations. Rive Droite keeps Monday-to-Saturday hours, 11am to 7pm.
Where to Eat
For a casual lunch, Nate 'n Al Delicatessen (414 N Beverly Dr) is the Jewish deli for bagel and lox. The Grill on the Alley (9560 Dayton Way) is an American grill steps from Rodeo, and Spago (176 N Canon Dr) is a block away. For an omakase dinner, Nozawa Bar (212 N Cañon Dr), a small counter inside the Beverly Hills Sugarfish, holds one MICHELIN star.
Parking
Park once and walk. The city's public garages at 345 N Beverly Dr, 9510 Brighton Way and 242 N Beverly Dr, plus the Two Rodeo garage, give the first two hours free, according to the Rodeo Drive Committee. Two hours covers a walk up Rodeo and back; a full afternoon with lunch will run longer.
The 242 N Beverly Dr and Two Rodeo garages sit near the Wilshire end, where this walk starts. The 345 N Beverly Dr and Brighton Way garages are closer to the 300 and 400 blocks, so use one of those if you'd rather start with Hermès and walk the route in reverse.