Los Angeles Tours &
Things to Do
Discover the best Los Angeles tours in the City of Angels: snap the iconic Hollywood Sign and stroll the Walk of Fame, glimpse the mansions of Beverly Hills on a celebrity-homes tour, ride the rides at Universal Studios Hollywood, take in the views from Griffith Observatory, soak up the sun at Santa Monica and Venice Beach, and escape to glamorous Catalina Island. Compare top-rated experiences and plan your perfect SoCal adventure.
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Explore Los Angeles by interest
Whatever brings you to Los Angeles — world-class museums, the river, or a long lunch — start with the experiences travellers love most.
Top attractions in Los Angeles
The landmarks that define the city — and the tickets and tours that get you in, often skipping the line.
Hollywood Sign
The icon.
Beverly Hills
Celebrity homes.
Universal Studios
Rides & studio.
Griffith Observatory
City views.
Santa Monica
Pier & beach.
Walk of Fame
Hollywood stars.
Warner Bros.
Studio tour.
Helicopter Tour
Aerial LA.
Los Angeles in 1 day
- 1Hollywood Sign
- 2Walk of Fame
- 3Beverly Hills
- 4Santa Monica sunset
Los Angeles in 2 days
- 1Day 1: Hollywood & city
- 2Day 2: Universal Studios
- 3Beaches
- 4Griffith at night
Los Angeles in 3 days
- 1Day 1: Hollywood & city
- 2Day 2: Universal
- 3Day 3: Catalina or Disneyland
- 4Beaches & food
Los Angeles with kids
- 1Universal Studios
- 2Santa Monica Pier
- 3Hollywood Sign
- 4Disneyland
Hollywood day in Los Angeles
- 1Walk of Fame & TCL Chinese Theatre
- 2Celebrity homes by open-air bus
- 3Griffith Observatory & Hollywood Sign hike
- 4Sunset Strip after dark
Beaches & coast in Los Angeles
- 1Santa Monica Pier & Venice Beach
- 2Bike the ocean path
- 3Malibu coast & vineyards
- 4Sunset on the sand
In city awayHollywood
Sign & stars.
In city awayUniversal Studios
Rides & studio.
In city awaySanta Monica
Pier & beach.
1 hr ferry awayCatalina Island
Island escape.
In city awayGriffith Observatory
City views.
1 hr awayDisneyland
Anaheim magic.
Know before you go
Short, straight answers to the questions every Los Angeles visitor asks before booking.
The sweet-spot months
March–May and September–November bring warm, sunny days and thinner crowds, ideal for sightseeing.
Spring (Mar–May)
Pleasant and green with comfortable temperatures and blooming hillsides.
Summer (Jun–Aug)
Hot, sunny and busiest, perfect for the beaches; June can bring coastal “June Gloom” morning cloud.
Autumn (Sep–Nov)
Warm, clear and less crowded — one of the best times to visit.
Winter (Dec–Feb)
Mild and sunny by day with cooler evenings and occasional rain — a great winter-sun escape.
Whale season
Grey whales pass the coast from December to April, and blue whales appear in summer.
One day
Hollywood, Beverly Hills and the beach.
Two days
Add Universal Studios and Griffith.
Three days
Add Catalina Island or Disneyland.
Theme-park fans
Add days for Universal and Disneyland.
Beach lovers
Add coastal days and Catalina.
With kids
Mix theme parks and the pier.
Tours & transfers
Guided tours and hop-on-hop-off buses are the easiest way to link the far-flung sights without a car.
Car & ride apps
A rental car gives the most freedom; Uber and Lyft are widely used for getting around.
Metro
LA’s expanding Metro rail reaches Hollywood, Downtown and the coast, handy on some routes.
Neighbourhood by neighbourhood
Areas like Hollywood, Santa Monica and Downtown are walkable in themselves, even if far apart.
Allow for traffic
LA traffic is legendary — build in extra time and avoid rush hours between sights.
Getting there
LAX is the main airport, with Burbank, Long Beach and others handy for some areas.
US dollars & cards
The US uses the dollar; cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere, and tipping is customary.
Skip-the-line theme parks
Buy Universal and Disneyland tickets and express passes ahead to save time and money.
Tours beat the traffic
Guided tours and hop-on buses save the stress of LA traffic and parking.
See the Hollywood Sign free
Griffith Park and the observatory offer great free views of the Hollywood Sign.
Layer up
Sunny days can turn cool by the coast and at night — bring a light layer.
Book Catalina ahead
Ferry and island tours fill up in summer — reserve in advance.
Universal & Disneyland
Theme-park tickets and express passes sell out — book ahead.
Warner Bros. tour
Studio tours have limited daily places — reserve early.
Catalina trips
Ferry and island tours fill up in summer — book ahead.
Celebrity homes tours
Popular open-top bus tours sell out — reserve early.
Helicopter flights
Sunset helicopter tours have few seats — book ahead.
Summer & holidays
Peak season is very busy — plan early.
Hollywood city tour
Around €25–70 for a guided Hollywood and Beverly Hills tour.
Universal Studios
About €100–140 for general admission, more with an express pass.
Warner Bros. tour
Roughly €60–90 for a behind-the-scenes studio tour.
Catalina day trip
Around €70–130 for a ferry and island tour.
Disneyland day trip
About €120–200 with transport and a park ticket.
How to save
Bundle a city tour with hop-on-hop-off and pre-book theme-park tickets.
Los Angeles through the seasons
What's best, how busy it gets, and one booking tip for each time of year.
- Best for
- Warm, green, comfy.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Great all-round.
- Best for
- Beaches, theme parks.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Hot & busy.
- Best for
- Clear, warm, calmer.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Ideal weather.
- Best for
- Winter sun, whales.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Mild; some rain.