I Hopped Off The Plane At LAX & Lived Out My Hannah Montana Dreams

Hannah Montana has been living the best of both worlds for 20 years. Even though Miley Cyrus’s alter ego is one in a million, she has inspired so many of today’s biggest musicians and unapologetic stars — like Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Tana Mongeau — to step into the limelight since the series first premiered on Disney Channel in 2006. If you’ve ever considered doing the same but don’t know where to begin, there are a few easy ways you can dip your toes into Hannah’s hoedown throwdown boots. And it all starts in Los Angeles.

Any ordinary girl could be the main character with a quick trip to the West Coast. The TV show may have shot a majority of its episodes on a soundstage in Hollywood, but there are plenty of Hannah Montana filming locations outside of the studio lot that fans can visit in SoCal.

These Miley-approved spots include the Santa Monica Pier where Hannah put on a show at the beginning of Hannah Montana: The Movie, and the Stewart family beach house in Malibu. You can even visit the theater where Hannah held her first-ever concert in January 2006. To fully enjoy the other side of Miley, here is the eight-hour Hannah Montana-themed itinerary I followed in California to inspire your next set-jetting adventure.

10 a.m.: Visit the Alex Theatre in Glendale

I started my Hannah Montana journey on the east side of L.A. by going to the Alex Theatre. This is where Cyrus performed as Hannah for the first time to promote the show. (Fun fact: The footage from the concert was actually used in Season 1.) The setlist on that day included major bops:

• “This Is the Life”
• “Who Said”
• “The Best of Both Worlds”
• “The Other Side of Me”
• “Just Like You”
• “Pumpin’ Up the Party”

This can be a quick stop, where you can snap a pic with the marquee outside. If you want to go inside and see where Hannah took the stage, you could always check the Alex Theatre’s calendar for any shows happening while you’re in town.

10:40 a.m.: Drive down Sunset Boulevard

Once you’re done in Glendale, make your way west about 22 minutes to Hollywood and drive down Sunset Boulevard until you get to the Sunset Bronson Studios. This is where most of Hannah Montana was filmed. Down the street is also where the Disney+ anniversary special was shot. You can even see Cyrus drive onto the lot under the Sunset Gower Studios sign at the very beginning.

Both studios are not open to the public for tours like Warner Bros. or Paramount Pictures, but you can get a glimpse of them as you drive by or walk around the neighborhood. Other shows like Good Luck Charlie and Austin & Ally were also shot at the Sunset Bronson Studios, so there’s some Disney Channel legacy there.

Noon: Stop at the Kia Forum from the Hannah Montana movie

Hannah may have performed at the Alex Theatre when the show first started, but by the time they filmed Hannah Montana: The Movie in 2009, she could fill the 17,500-person capacity Kia Forum, located about 45 minutes south.

This iconic music venue in Inglewood is where Harry Styles had his Love On Tour residency in 2022; in 2026, Ariana Grande, Hilary Duff, and Sombr are set to perform there as well. Depending on when you’re visiting L.A., you could see what shows are happening during your visit or just drive by to take a pic outside the circular arena.

1:15 p.m.: Go shopping on Rodeo Drive

In Hannah Montana: The Movie, Hannah is spotted shopping on the famous Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. This is where the iconic “big mistake” scene happens in Pretty Woman, and it’s also where Cher goes for a walk in Clueless to clear her head. To get here, you’ll need to drive about 40 minutes north from the Forum and find paid parking in the area (~$2 to $5 an hour).

While the stores are a little more high-end and may be out of your souvenir budget, it’s always fun to walk around, window-shop, and even grab a coffee from places like Alfred. Just don’t pick any fights with Tyra Banks over some shoes, like Hannah did in the movie.

3:45 p.m.: Stop at Santa Monica Pier for a bite to eat

Hannah’s rendezvous on Rodeo Drive made her late to Lilly’s 16th-birthday party at the Santa Monica Pier (about 26 minutes west by car), where she’s forced to arrive as Hannah instead of Miley. This should be your next stop on your Hannah Montana tour. Park at the Santa Monica Place mall (the first 90 minutes are free), and walk over to the pier to check out where Hannah performed “Let’s Get Crazy” for her fans in front of the West Coaster.

At this point, since you’ve probably had a long day of visiting Hannah Montana locations, this would be a great time to grab a bite to eat. You can either enjoy a snack on the pier or find a local restaurant. Treating yourself to some cake like you’re at Lilly’s birthday is also a sweet idea.

6:15 p.m.: Watch the sunset near Miley’s beach house

End your day the way Miley would, at her house in Malibu. The beachfront property that was used as the exterior of the Stewart family home is located near Zuma Beach at 30760 Broad Beach Road, a 45-minute drive to Malibu along the gorgeous Pacific Coast Highway. The seven-bedroom abode is currently available to rent on Airbnb, but it’s going to cost you around $8,260 for a minimum of two nights.

If you don’t have more than 16 friends to split that cost with you, I highly recommend just going to Zuma, parking for $3 to $8, and walking over to look at the residence from the beachside. Bring a blanket with you, and enjoy the sunset by the water. You could even pack some cheese jerky to snack on, as well as a portable speaker to listen to some Hannah Montana songs while the waves crash in front of you. Now, that truly is the life.