This article was written by traveling sports fan Dan Brewer, and may contain affiliate links.
Los Angeles is one of the best destinations for a sports road trip in the United States. LA is home to an incredible number of sports franchises, including two teams in each of the major league sports: NFL, NBA, MLB and the NHL. If you want to plan a trip to Los Angeles to catch a Rams game, you won’t have a problem finding sports and events to pair it with for an ultimate sports road trip!
The best part about planning a sports road trip to LA is that you don’t even need to be a Rams fan. You could be a fan of one of the teams visiting Los Angeles to play the Rams. Or, you don’t even need to be a fan of either team; going to LA is a great trip to begin with and catching an NFL game at SoFi Stadium is an event you won’t soon forget.
For example, I went to a Rams – Eagles game at SoFi Stadium. I’m a Packers fan, but I had a great time enjoying the electric atmosphere at the game. On top of that, it seemed half the seats were Eagles fans, proving that a trip to LA is a great destination to travel to see your team play an away game!!
Now’s the time to get in on the fun and plan a trip to LA to catch a Rams home game at SoFi Stadium. This guide to planning a trip to see an LA Rams home game has everything you need to know to make your sport road trip memorable.
A DIY Los Angeles Rams Travel Package
When you do a search for “Los Angeles Rams Travel Package“, you’ll get a ton of results with tour companies willing to plan your sports road trip for you. I used one of these sports tour companies before (for my first Packers game at Lambeau), and they do a great job, but they will charge a premium for their services.
Why pay a premium to a travel agency, when it’s super easy to book your own sports trip to see an LA Rams home game at SoFi Stadium. From Dallas to Green Bay, I’ve been booking my own sports road trips for over a decade and am excited to share with you how easy it is to go to an NFL game in Los Angeles, California!
Rather than pay a premium for a pre-packaged LA Rams trip, I’d rather book it myself and sink the money I saved into better seats for the game at SoFi Stadium. And you can too – it’s super easy to plan a visit to Los Angeles for a Rams game!
My guide to planning a trip to Los Angeles to attend an LA Rams game takes you through step-by-step everything you need to know to have a memorable sports road trip. I guide you through how to get to Los Angeles, where the Rams play, how to find great seats at SoFi Stadium within your budget, fun things to do in Los Angeles and so much more.
Don’t miss my 2024 Guys Trip ideas!
My Los Angeles Sports Road Trip
For my recent Los Angeles Rams sports road trip, I started on a Friday morning in Los Angeles. My wife and kids tagged along on my sports road trip for some non-sports southern California fun, so we hit the Warner Brothers Studio Tour. We spent all day Saturday at Universal Studios – catching unlimited rides with our Universal Unlimited Passes.
Then, on Sunday, we went our separate ways. The wife and kids spent the day on Santa Monica beach, while I headed to SoFi Stadium for the LA Rams vs. Philadelphia Eagles game.
Early Monday morning, we caught a short flight to Las Vegas. The wife and kids went to see Postcard from Earth at the Sphere, while I caught the Las Vegas Raiders vs. the Green Bay Packers at Allegiant Stadium on Monday Night Football. I closed out my mancation by catching U2 at the Sphere.
This is exactly the type of trip I like to promote on Ultimate Sports Road Trip. I was able to catch 2 NFL games, featuring four excellent NFL teams, in two brand new, outstanding football stadiums. On top of that, I got a once-in-a-lifetime experience watching one of my favorite bands play at the mind-blowing Las Vegas Sphere.
More info: Plan a Trip to Las Vegas to see a Raiders game
LA Rams Sports Road Trip Ideas
My sports road trip to Los Angeles is only one of many possibilities. The best part of a road trip to LA is that there are so many local sports teams and event venues, that you’ll almost be guaranteed to find a game or concert for every night of your trip.
For example, you could match up tickets to a Rams game with tickets for the iconic Los Angeles Lakers NBA team or the USC Trojans NCAA football team.
In some of my other sports road trip travel guides for other NFL teams, I list the other sports cities within a 4 hour drive, but this isn’t possible for LA. The closest sports city to LA is San Diego, but they don’t have any fall/winter sports teams (there may be some slight overlap to the Padres schedule in early September).
Another option, just outside my usual 4 hour limit is Las Vegas – the ultimate destination for a boys road trip! In addition to the unlimited shows and attractions along the Vegas Strip, you could pair up a Rams game with a Las Vegas Raiders game or a Las Vegas Golden Knights game.
Check the Schedules of the other LA Sports Teams
One of the best sports cities in the world, Los Angeles has two teams for every professional sport. The NFL, NBA and NHL have very complimentary schedules with the majority of games in fall and winter.
For your sports road trip to Los Angeles, check the schedules for these popular LA sports teams:
- Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
- Los Angeles Clippers (NBA)
- Los Angeles Kings (NHL)
- Anaheim Ducks (NHL)
- UCLA Bruins Football (NCAA)
- USC Trojans Football (NCAA)
You should also check the Los Angeles Chargers schedule in case they are also playing a home game on a different day than the Rams (Thursday night or Monday night for example).
How to Get to Los Angeles, California
Flying to Los Angeles, CA
There are five airports which serve the greater Los Angeles area, but thankfully the main LA airport is super close to SoFi Stadium. For this article, I’ll assume that NFL fans flying to LA will land at the Los Angeles International Airport (also known as “LAX”). A staggering 178 airlines serve LAX, so you should have no trouble finding a good flight into Los Angeles.
Located on the beach in the heart of Los Angeles, it’s approximately a half-hour drive from the Los Angeles International Airport to Inglewood, home of the LA Rams SoFi Stadium. Inglewood is not a tourist hotspot in LA, so you’ll likely want to stay elsewhere and get a rental car.
Driving to Los Angeles
If your trip to LA goes beyond catching a Rams game and you want to see the other top Los Angeles attractions such as the beach, Universal Studios, a Lakers game, etc., we recommend you get a rental car.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US with a population in the range of 13 – 18 million people (depending on how you define “Greater Los Angeles”). I have driven in Los Angeles on previous trips, but honestly, I don’t enjoy it much. That said, I didn’t drive on my recent sports road trip to LA, and I regretted it.
LA has a good highway system, but traffic congestion can sometimes make it challenging to get around by car. Granted, with over 70,000 fans leaving SoFi Stadium at once, the post-game traffic can get pretty congested.
Where do the Los Angeles Rams Play?
When the St. Louis Rams relocated back to Los Angeles in 2016, the Rams returned to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which had been their home for 33 seasons between 1946–1979.
In 2020, the franchise moved to a brand-new stadium in Inglewood, California. The Los Angeles Rams now play their games at SoFi Stadium.
SoFi Stadium
Located in a central location Los Angeles in the in city of Inglewood, Rams fans go to home games at SoFi Stadium. With a seating capacity of 70,240 for NFL games, there is a great seat for everyone at a Rams home game.
At an estimated cost of $5.5 billion, SoFi Stadium is thought to be the most expensive stadium in the world! I’ve been to many NFL stadiums around the country, and I must say that SoFi Stadium is one of the most impressive & beautiful stadiums in the league. I was blown away by SoFi Stadium the entire time!
Where is the SoFi Stadium?
Given it is in the flight path for LAX, there’s a very good chance you’ll see SoFi Stadium as you approach LAX. SoFi Stadium is roughly 7 miles east of LAX in Inglewood. You may know the location as it is across the street from the famous KIA Forum (the former home of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Kings hockey team).
Inglewood is nowhere near the tourist areas of Los Angeles. In good traffic, it can take 20-45 minutes to drive to SoFi Stadium from Santa Monica, 30-55 minutes from Disneyland and 35-60 minutes from Universal Studios. These times will be longer before Rams home games.
SoFi Stadium Address: 1001 Stadium Drive, Inglewood, CA 90301, United States
Is the SoFi Stadium in a Safe Neighborhood?
The SoFi Stadium is located in the heart of Greater Los Angeles. Anytime you have a sports stadium in the inner city, it will be less safe than a rural stadium like Highmark Stadium in Buffalo. According to CrimeGrade.org, the zip code around the Los Angeles Rams’ stadium is in the 40% percentile for safety. This means 60% of zip codes in the USA are deemed to be safer.
This may sound bad, but it’s actually pretty good for a major stadium in the inner city. In fact, a recent article by the LA Times indicates that SoFi Stadium is one of the ten safest NFL stadiums around the league.
Unless you are quite unlucky, you’re likely going to attend your first game at the Rams stadium without incident. Improve your odds by finding a secure place to park your rental car near the stadium.
Parking at SoFi Stadium
Despite being an inner city stadium, the LA Rams stadium has a decent amount of land for parking lots. Plus, many of the local Inglewood residents and businesses get in on the action and offer paid parking on their properties.
The bad news is that there is extremely limited parking available in the official SoFi Stadium lots on Rams game day. If you want to park in one of the stadium parking lots, it is strongly recommended to buy your parking pass ahead of time.
If you are lucky enough to get gameday parking at SoFi Stadium the pricing ranges between $80 – 100. You may wish to opt for off-site parking near the stadium as it is cheaper and gets gradually less expensive the further you get from the field.
Take an Uber to SoFi Stadium
While I was researching my trip to Los Angeles for a Rams game, I noticed that SoFi Stadium has a huge rideshare zone near the Kia Forum. I didn’t want to rent a car, so I decided to use Uber to get around LA.
What I can tell you is that it’s really easy to get to Sofi Stadium by Uber. Drivers aren’t allowed too close to the stadium, but you’ll be dropped off in reasonable walking distance.
The problem is that it’s near impossible to get an Uber after a Rams game. After the Rams game was over, I dutifully walked to the rideshare zone. There, I joined several thousand fans, staring endlessly at our phones, refreshing the Uber app over and over and over. I was there for over an hour and didn’t get a single driver accept my ride – no matter what pricing option I chose. Because Uber drivers aren’t compensated for time waiting in traffic, they won’t go anywhere near SoFi stadium after a Rams game.
In reality, what you will find in the rideshare zone at SoFi Stadium are taxis driving up and down the street demanding 3-4X what the posted Uber rate is. And you know what? They got it…
Rather than pay extortionary prices, I ended up walking further and further away from the stadium in hopes of attracting a driver, It never happened. I ended up taking the bus back to my hotel. I love using rideshare, but based on my postgame experience, I do not recommend planning to take an Uber home from a Rams game.
Take the Metro & Bus to SoFi Stadium
My original plan was to take the Metro and shuttle bus from my Santa Monica hotel to SoFi Stadium, but I got lazy and decided to take an Uber there. Based on my postgame Uber experience, I wish I had stuck to my original plan of taking public transit.
The easiest way to get to SoFi Stadium by public transportation is taking the Metro to the nearby Hawthorne/Lennox Station off the C Line. From there, you can catch a free shuttle to the stadium.
Choosing an LA Rams Home Game
Over the course of a full NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams will play either 8 or 9 home games at SoFi Stadium. In even numbered years (2024, 2026, etc.) the Rams will play 9 regular season home games, while in the odd numbered years (2025, 2027, etc.) the Rams will only play 8 regular season home games.
The LA Rams home games will be scheduled as follows:
- Three of the Los Angeles Rams home games each season will be against fellow NFC West division rivals (San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals).
- Two home games will be against teams from a specific division in the NFC Conference.
- One home game will be from a team in a different division in the NFC Conference (based on division rankings the previous season).
- Two home games will be against teams from a specific division in the AFC Conference.
- The ‘ninth’ home game will be from a team in a different division in the AFC Conference (again, based on division rankings the previous season)
Best Los Angeles Rams Games to Get Tickets For
The Los Angeles Rams have developed some intense rivalries over the years. Whenever one of the teams the Rams have a rivalry plays at SoFi Stadium, it’s virtually guaranteed to be an exciting game.
Games Against Division Rivals
The Los Angeles Rams play in the NFC West in the National Football Conference (NFC). There are three other teams in the NFC West including the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals.
Of their NFC West rivals, the LA Rams biggest rival is the San Francisco 49ers. One of the greatest NFL rivalries of all time, the Rams and 49ers have played each other over 150 times! The Rams hold the lead in the lifetime series, but it’s been getting closer in recent years.
It’s an exciting time for the Rams – 49ers rivalry with both teams being so competitive, with the Rams the 2021 Super Bowl champs and the 49ers making the NFC Conference Championship or Super Bowl 4 times in the past 5 seasons.
Games Against Legendary NFL Teams and Former Rivals
Who could pass up seeing the Rams play a legendary NFL team such as the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys or the San Francisco 49’ers. A game against a current NFL powerhouse like the Kansas City Chiefs would be memorable.
A chance to see the Rams play the Philadelphia Eagles is what drew me to visit Los Angeles for my first game at SoFi Stadium. It seemed like half the stadium was wearing Eagles green, so it seems like a lot of folks from Philly decided to join me in sunny California for this game.
2024 Los Angeles Rams Home Schedule
Wow! The LA Rams 2024 schedule is stacked with awesome games! You don’t really need a reason to take a trip to LA, but take a look at the Rams opponents this year and you’ll want to make a sports road trip for sure! The 49ers, the Packers, the Raiders, the Dolphins, the Eagles and the Bills are all coming to SoFi Stadium this year.
- Week 3: Sunday, Sept 22: San Francisco 49ers
>> NFC West Division Rival << - Week 5: Sunday, Oct 6: Green Bay Packers
- Week 7: Sunday, Oct 20: Las Vegas Raiders
- Week 8: Sunday, Oct 24: Minnesota Vikings
>> Thursday Night Football << - Week 10: Monday, Nov 11: Miami Dolphins
>> Monday Night Football << - Week 12: Sunday Nov 24: Philadelphia Eagles
>> Defending NFC Champs! << - Week 14: Sunday, Dec 8: Buffalo Bills
- Week 17: date TBD: Arizona Cardinals
>> NFC West Division Rival << - Week 18: date TBC: Seattle Seahawks
>> NFC West Division Rival <<
Finding The Best Seats in SoFi Stadium
With a seating capacity in excess of 70,000, there’s a great seat in SoFi Stadium for everyone! Based on my personal experiences in SoFi and in stadiums around the NFL, here are my recommendations to find the best seats for your Los Angeles Rams home game:
Lower Bowl Between the 20 Yard Lines
Having bought many single game tickets at NFL stadiums around the league, I can tell you from experience that the best seats for your first Rams game are in the lower bowl, along the sidelines, between the 20-yard lines. I love being so close to the action in this part of the lower bowl – you get a real appreciation for the speed of the game and the power behind the tackles.
My usual recommendation is to try to sit in row 20 or higher as if you sit too close to the field, you’ll be turning your head a lot as the play goes up-and-down the field. In addition, you risk having your view blocked by a mobile, elevated TV camera. The funny thing about SoFi Stadium is that there are only 19 rows in the 100 level sections. So, you can choose between a high row in the 100 sections or a low row in the 200 sections.
For NFL fans on a budget (like me), this recommendation can get very expensive for Rams game at SoFi Stadium. The sideline seats in the 100 and 200 levels are all club seats, so they do not come cheap. Sadly, these seats were out of my price range for the Rams – Eagles game I attended.
Heck – I couldn’t even afford to get a picture of the 100 – 200 level seats. I love exploring all corners of NFL stadiums prior to kick-off, but because these seats are club seats, I wasn’t allowed in to take a picture.
Recommended Sections at Sofi Stadium for Lower Bowl Seats
- Sections C129 – C134 (choose a row close to the top)
- Sections C109 – C114 (choose a row close to the top)
- Sections C244 – C248 (choose a row close to the bottom)
- Sections C117 – C221 (choose a row close to the bottom)
Best Value Seats – Lower Bowl Corners
Ok, so the 100 and 200 level sideline tickets are the best seats in SoFi Stadium. Well, guess what? They are also the most expensive seats too. If you are looking for great seats for your first Rams home game, but don’t want to completely break the bank, try getting a ticket in one of the lower bowl corner sections.
As with the lower bowl sideline tickets, try not to sit too close. If you are 20 rows or higher, you’ll enjoy an incredible view of the field and you’ll never have to move your head to follow the play. From behind the field, it’s a great opportunity to watch the plays develop from the QB’s point of view.
The best part is that lower bowl corner seats at SoFi Stadium often sell for half the price of the lower bowl sideline tickets.
For the Rams – Eagles game, the best seats I could afford were in Section 236, Row 17. This is slightly higher than I would typically recommend for lower bowl corner seats, but I still thought these were excellent seats.
Recommended Sections at SoFi Stadium for Lower Bowl Corner Seats
- Sections 235 – 236
- Sections 227 – 229
- Sections 211 – 213
- Sections 201 – 203
Upper Level – Between the 20’s
And finally, the upper level sideline tickets at SoFi Stadium also offer good value for your money. Many fans prefer to sit in the upper decks as they can see the plays develop more easily, and the atmosphere is often more fun than in the more expensive lower bowls. If possible, sit as low as possible in the upper decks.
The great thing about the upper level seating in SoFi Stadium is that all the seats are individual seats with cushioned seats and seat backs. Many older stadiums in the NFL only offer steel, bleacher style benches in these sections.
Seats in the upper level along the sidelines are often comparable in cost to the lower bowl corner seats, so pick your Rams tickets based on your personal preference.
Recommended Sections at SoFi Stadium for Upper Bowl Sideline Seats
- Sections 440 – 447
- Sections 411 – 418
- Sections 538 – 542
- Sections 512 – 516
READ MORE: If you want more details about how I pick seats for NFL games, check out my complete guide on How to Find the Best Seats at a Football Game.
How to Buy Los Angeles Rams Tickets
Ticketmaster is the official ticket seller for the National Football League. Given the popularity of the Los Angeles Rams, and how fun it is to come here to watch your team play a road game, you’ll likely be looking for single game Rams tickets in the reseller market.
When I look for single game NFL tickets, I tend to jump between the three biggest resellers – Ticketmaster, StubHub and Vivid Seats. I have purchased from all three ticket platforms and don’t really have a preference. I browse all three to find the best seats I can find in my price range – then I simply buy them, regardless of which reseller it’s on.
Best Hotels for a Los Angeles Rams Home Game
If, like me, you are attending an LA Rams home game from out of town, you’ll need to find a good place to stay for your sports road trip. The problem is that there are no good hotels in Inglewood near SoFi Stadium. I’ve done all the leg work for you and have written a full post about the best hotels in Los Angeles for a Rams game (I just haven’t published it yet). In the meantime, you can search for the best hotels in Los Angeles for a Rams game on Booking.com.
Regardless of your budget, we’re confident you’ll find a great place to stay for the Rams home game. Just remember – skimp on the hotel and spend your money on better Rams tickets instead!
Additional Info on Attending Los Angeles Rams Home Games
How to Dress for a Los Angeles Rams Home Game
For some of the northern NFL teams with outdoor stadiums, I describe in great detail how to dress for a home game. Given we are talking about sunny California, it’s a little more straightforward going to a Rams home game at SoFi Stadium.
SoFi Stadium looks like a traditional indoor stadium, but it’s not actually enclosed – the roof hangs over the seats, but it still allows for natural airflow.
It was a sunny day in southern California when I went to the Rams vs. Eagles game. It was warm enough inside the stadium to wear shorts and a T-shirt. If your seats face the northern side of the stadium, I’d also advise wearing sunglasses as the roof still lets in natural sunlight.
SoFi Stadium Guide
In this guide to attending a Los Angeles Rams home game at SoFi Stadium, I’ve included all the major details to ensure you have the best sports road trip ever. Stadium policies are changing all the time, so rather than list them here, take a few minutes to review the the SoFi Stadium “A-Z Guide“.
This handy stadium guide explains:
- Stadium parking
- The alcohol policy
- The bag policy
- The camera policy
- Entry gates
- Prohibited items
- Ride sharing
- Tailgating
Sofi Stadium Map and Seating Chart
SoFi Stadium is one of the most amazing NFL stadiums I have had the pleasure of visiting. But, it’s also the most confusing when looking at a seating chart. It seems like there are 19 levels of seating at SoFi Stadium!
Before you go to your first LA Rams home game, take some time to look at the SoFi Stadium map and seating chart. A somewhat useful SoFi Stadium seat map can be found on the LA Rams website. To help decode this confusing seat map, I’d recommend also looking at the 3D seating map found at Virtual Venue.
LA Rams Mobile App
Downloading the LA Rams mobile app is a must prior to your first game at SoFi Stadium. Not only can you access your mobile tickets on game day, you’ll have access to a wealth of information about the LA Rams and their stadium. As a first-time visitor to SoFi Stadium for a Rams game, I found the Rams app invaluable.
Best Things to do in Los Angeles on Game Days
Tailgating
Whenever I visit a new city for an NFL game, I’m always super jealous of the fans who live in the city who can set up shop and tailgate for hours before a game. The great news for out-of-town NFL fans is they can also have a pre-game LA Rams tailgating experience.
The LA Rams VIP Tailgate Experience is an all-inclusive tailgating party outside in the Hollywood Park Casino, minutes from the stadium. Come watch the early games while enjoying unlimited drinks and food created by Food TV celebrity chef Aaron May.
But, that’s it… unlike going to a Cleveland Browns game, where you can easily visit the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame on gameday, there is literally nothing else to do around SoFi Stadium on game day, except for…
Walking Around SoFi Stadium
I’m a big stadium nerd, so I spent a lot of time just walking around SoFi Stadium before the Rams game. There are several great places for a photo including the northwest corner where you’ll find a big Rams sign.
But, the best spot for SoFi Stadium pictures in on the south end where you’ll find a huge SoFi Stadium sign next to the lake. You’ll often see this exact vantage point of the stadium during a lot of NFL broadcasts.
Best Things to do in Los Angeles Aside from a Rams Game
Everybody loves sunny California! So, if you are coming to LA for a Rams home game, why not come early and make a weekend of it? There are so many awesome things to do in Los Angeles aside from going to a Rams game. Here are a few ideas for things to do in LA during your sports road trip:
Catch Another LA Sporting Event
We’re all about helping NFL fans plan an Ultimate Sports Road Trip! If you’re coming to town for a Rams home game, why not do make it a weekend road trip and catch another LA sports team in action. With 14 major sports teams in LA, you’re almost certain of catching another game!
Go to a Theme Park
Not all NFL road trips have to be Mancations, or boys trips – sometimes you want to bring your family along. For example, when my wife heard I was going to LA & Las Vegas for a sports road trip, she wanted to come along – not for the sports or concerts, but to enjoy some fun in the Southern California sun.
Take it from me… it’s much easier to get ‘approval’ to go on a sports road trip when the family can come along too!
Before Rams game day, I was able to go to the Warner Brothers Studio Tour and a full day at Universal Studios with the family. Then on game day, I went to the game, while the family hit the beach. Win-win!
If you bring your family on your Los Angeles Rams road trip, you can choose between Disneyland, Disneyland California Adventure, Universal Studios, Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain.
Hollywood Sightseeing and Celebrity Homes Tour
Hey – you’re in Hollywood, you may as well see some stars, right? This fun guided tour takes in the Hollywood Sign, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Beverly Hills, the Sunset Strip, Rodeo Drive and a selection of celebrity hotspots and homes.
LA Food Tour
I recently took a food tour with Secret Tours on a family trip to Seoul, South Korea, and it was one of the highlights of our trip! Secret Food Tours offers a food tour of Venice Beach, which I’m sure will be every bit as awesome!
Los Angeles e-Bike Tour
I took an awesome e-bike tour during my sports road trip to Buffalo for a Bills game. E-bikes are such a fun, and easy way, to explore a new city and see the highlights – it’s so much better than sitting on a tour bus with 80 other people.
Get Your Los Angeles Rams Gear (or Not)
Given how awesome LA is for a sports road trip, I’m not going to assume you’re a die-hard Rams fan. Regardless of whether you cheer for the Los Angeles Rams or one of the visiting teams, attending an NFL game is way more fun when you are wearing team gear. For officially licenced NFL gear, be sure to check out the massive selection at NFLShop.com. You’re sure to find the perfect gear to wear to your first LA Rams home game!
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