Flying into LAX
The on campus UCLA Luskin Conference Center describes itself as about 12 miles north of LAX by way of the 405, the San Diego Freeway. Traffic on the 405 swings widely, so plan around the clock rather than the mileage, especially on Friday afternoons and before holidays.
UCLA Transportation's LAX and Union Station page gives two main routes:
- Bus. From the Lower/Arrivals Level, follow the pink signs to the free shuttle to the LAX City Bus Center. There, catch Culver CityBus Line 6 or Rapid 6 and ride to Westwood Village, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center or Gateway Plaza. Buses come every 10 to 15 minutes depending on the day, and TAP cards are sold at the bus center.
- Rideshare. Uber and Lyft pickups are at the LAX-it lot. Green signs mark the free shuttle, which runs from the terminals about every 15 minutes.
Heading back, the Line 6 and Rapid 6 stop at the southeast corner of Strathmore Place and Westwood Plaza. Arriving by train at Union Station instead? Transportation lists three transit routes, including the Metro E Line to Big Blue Bus R12.
Driving and visitor parking
Visitors pay at pay by plate stations or with the ParkMobile app, which adds a $0.45 fee per transaction. Stations take Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express, plus $1, $5 and $10 bills with no change given. All day permits expire at 7:59 a.m. the next morning.
Transportation's visitor page puts standard visitor parking from $5 for one hour to $18 for the day. Premium spots, including Structure 5 level 6, Lot LS and Structure RC, run $33 for the day. Visitor parking is spread across many locations, including Structures 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 18, Lot 36 and Structures SV and DD. Structure 8 sits across the street from the Luskin Conference Center. Questions go to Transportation at (310) 794-7433, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except university holidays.
Bruin Family Weekend registration does not cover parking, so budget for a day permit that weekend too.
Where parents stay
On campus. The UCLA Luskin Conference Center on Westwood Plaza is a hotel now open to all travelers. The Inn at UCLA, formerly the UCLA Guest House, is also on campus and lists a two minute walk to Bunche Hall.
Westwood Village. Royal Palace Westwood, on Tiverton Avenue, describes itself as two blocks from UCLA, and Palihotel Westwood Village is on the same street. The Kimpton Hotel Palomar on Wilshire Boulevard, next to Westwood Village, lists UCLA as 0.8 miles away.
Brentwood, Beverly Hills, Century City and Santa Monica. The Bruin Family Weekend accommodations page lists hotels in all four, everything within about five miles of campus. Hotel Angeleno, in West Los Angeles with easy access to Brentwood, says it is under two miles from UCLA. In Beverly Hills, the list includes The Beverly Hilton on Wilshire Boulevard. Driving from any of these means parking on campus each day, so weigh that cost against a Westwood room.
Busy weekends
Bruin Family Weekend (Oct 30 to 31, 2026) and commencement (June 11 to 13, 2027) both bring crowds of families to Westwood; Housing even encourages June move outs to finish by noon to avoid commencement traffic. For family weekend, the accommodations page lists discount codes such as UCLAFAM26 and BRUIN26 and booking links for several hotels. For commencement, the dates are already on the registrar's calendar, though the College says they may change, so a refundable room held now gives you options while ceremony times are finalized.