The best studio tours in Los Angeles are the Warner Bros., Paramount, Sony and Universal tours, and the right one depends on what you want from the day. Warner Bros. is the best all-round pick for most visitors. Paramount suits classic Hollywood fans who want a real backlot. Sony is the cheapest and most intimate. Universal makes sense only if you also want a full theme park day.
The trouble is that these tours look alike on paper. All four promise soundstages and movie magic, yet the base price gap is more than $50, the length ranges from one hour to three, and the mix of riding, walking and museum time is very different. Pick the wrong one and you pay for a prop room when you wanted a working lot.
This guide ranks the four tours for visitors who want to see how movies and TV shows get made. You get what each tour shows, what it costs, who it suits and where it disappoints. Then comes a side-by-side table, booking advice and ideas for the rest of your day. We run guided tours of Hollywood and the wider city every day, so we know how these lots fit into a real itinerary.
1. Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
What the tour covers
Warner Bros. takes the top spot among the best studio tours in Los Angeles because it pairs a working backlot with the deepest set of exhibits. The lot is in Burbank, not Hollywood, despite the tour’s name. You start with a guided ride and walk past soundstages and outdoor street sets. You then finish in Stage 48: Script to Screen, a self-guided exhibit space.
Inside Stage 48 you see sets and props from Harry Potter, the DC films and TV shows such as Friends, including the Central Perk set. There is also a Batmobile and a Batpod. The guided part changes by the day because it follows the production schedule, so you may roll past a real shoot.
Warner Bros. is the one tour where the guided lot visit and the exhibits are both strong enough to justify the ticket.
Price, length, and logistics
Plan on about three hours door to door: roughly one hour guided and two hours on your own. Base tickets run from about $70 to $80 depending on the date, and premium or themed tours cost more. Tours depart every 30 minutes from the morning into the early afternoon.
- Location: Burbank, with check-in at the visitor center on Warner Boulevard
- Base ticket: roughly $70 to $80
- Parking: around $15
- Arrival: 30 minutes early, with government photo ID
Who it suits
Warner Bros. suits first-time visitors, TV fans and mixed groups. If someone in your party loves Harry Potter, Friends or Batman, the exhibits give them a payoff the other lots can’t match. It is also the right length if you want a proper half-day outing rather than a quick stop.
What to watch out for
The balance has shifted toward exhibits. Two of the three hours are self-guided, so if you came mainly for working sets, you get less of that than the length suggests. Because the guided portion is the part that stays fresh, a good guide matters. Book ahead, since weekend and holiday slots fill first.
2. Paramount Pictures Studio Tour
What the tour covers
Paramount is the best studio tour in Los Angeles for old Hollywood, because it is the last major studio still inside Hollywood proper. The lot sits on Melrose Avenue behind the famous arched gate. You tour soundstages, backlot streets and the New York street set. The lot’s credits run from The Godfather and Forrest Gump to Star Trek, Transformers and NCIS.
Groups are small and the tour moves around the lot by cart or on foot, with guides who lean hard on studio history. Expect stories about the silent era and the golden age as much as the blockbusters.
Paramount is the tour for people who care about where Hollywood came from, not just what it made last summer.
Price, length, and logistics
The tour runs about two hours and costs roughly $70 for a base ticket. It leaves every 30 minutes through the day. Parking is paid and runs around $20, and the visitor lot is across the street from the gates, so follow the studio’s directions rather than a map pin.
| Detail | Paramount |
|---|---|
| Neighborhood | Hollywood (Melrose Avenue) |
| Length | About 2 hours |
| Base ticket | Roughly $70 |
| Parking | Around $20 |
| Format | Small groups, cart and walking |
Who it suits
Paramount suits classic movie fans, history readers and anyone staying in Hollywood who doesn’t want a drive to Burbank. It also works well as a second tour for people who have already done Warner Bros., because the lot and the stories are different.
What to watch out for
The tour is only as good as your guide, and you can’t pick one in advance. If you haven’t seen the studio’s older films, some references will pass over your head. Wear comfortable shoes, because much of it is on foot. Bring water, since drinks usually can’t come along on the tour itself.
3. Sony Pictures Studio Tour
What the tour covers
Sony is the best-value pick among the best studio tours Los Angeles offers, and the most intimate. The lot in Culver City is the historic former MGM studio, where The Wizard of Oz was shot. Sony’s two-hour guided walking tour takes you through soundstages, sets and sections of the lot.
The sets on the route often include Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, which still tape here, and the Spider-Man and Jumanji studio is Sony’s too. Because it is a working studio, what you see depends on the day’s production schedule.
Sony gives you the most working-studio feel per dollar of any tour on this list.
Price, length, and logistics
Sony is the cheapest major lot at about $55, and the whole tour is on foot. Tours run Monday through Friday only, with four departures a day, roughly 9:30, 10:30, 1:30 and 2:30. Parking is free, and valet is offered in the Overland lot.
- Location: Culver City
- Length: about 2 hours, walking
- Base ticket: about $55
- Age: 12 and up
- Days: weekdays only
Who it suits
Sony suits budget-conscious travelers, adults and teens, and TV and game show fans. It is also a good fit if you want a smaller group and more time to ask questions, since the studio is compact and you move through it together.
What to watch out for
The 12-and-up rule rules out younger kids, and weekday-only operation limits a short trip. Much of the walking is outdoors, so check the weather and bring sun protection. The lot is smaller than Warner Bros. or Paramount, so if you want big outdoor street sets, look elsewhere. Food nearby is limited, so eat first.
4. Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour
What the tour covers
Universal is the odd one out, since the studio tour is a ride inside a theme park. The 60-minute narrated tram carries you through a working backlot and past staged set pieces, including King Kong 360 3-D, the Jaws shark, the Psycho house and a collapsing bridge. It is entertaining, but it is a show built around the studio rather than a look at day-to-day production.
You don’t get off the tram to walk through sets, and the route and script are the same each time. Among the best studio tours in Los Angeles, it has the most spectacle and the least access.
Universal is a great ride and a thin studio tour, so judge it as part of a theme park day.
Price, length, and logistics
You can’t buy the tram alone. It comes with theme park admission, which starts around $109 online and rises on busy dates, with gate prices well above that. Parking starts around $40. The tram ride is about an hour plus the wait, and lines build quickly, so ride it early.
| Detail | Universal |
|---|---|
| Location | Universal City |
| Tour length | 60 minutes on a tram |
| Price | From about $109 with park admission |
| Parking | From around $40 |
| Format | Narrated tram, about 30 riders |
Who it suits
Universal suits families with young kids, theme park fans and groups that want one full day of rides plus a taste of the backlot. It is also the only option when you can’t get weekday tickets or have children below the other tours’ age limits.
What to watch out for
If your only goal is to learn how movies are made, paying for a full park ticket is poor value. Some effects splash water, so avoid the outer seats if you want to stay dry. An Express pass can save hours of waiting on busy days, but it adds to an already high total.
Studio tours in Los Angeles compared side by side
The numbers at a glance
The four tours differ most in price, length and format, so comparing them in one place makes the choice easier. Prices are base ticket figures for 2026 and change by date, so confirm them on each studio’s official site before you book.
| Tour | Location | Length | Base price | Format | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warner Bros. | Burbank | About 3 hours | About $70 to $80 | Guided tour plus self-guided exhibits | Most visitors |
| Paramount | Hollywood | About 2 hours | About $70 | Small groups, cart and walking | Classic film fans |
| Sony | Culver City | About 2 hours | About $55 | Guided walking, weekdays | Budget and TV fans |
| Universal | Universal City | 60 minutes | From about $109 | Tram, inside theme park | Families, rides |
Paramount or Sony
Choose Paramount if you want backlot streets, a Hollywood address and film history, and you don’t mind paying about $15 more. Choose Sony if price matters, if you want working game show sets, or if you travel on a weekday and your group is 12 and older. Both are walking tours of about two hours, so neither is a bad pick. You rarely need both, and if you want a second lot after Warner Bros., Paramount is the stronger contrast.
A quick way to choose
Match the tour to your priority and the decision is short.
- One tour only: Warner Bros.
- Classic Hollywood history: Paramount
- Lowest price or a game show set: Sony
- Kids under 12 or a theme park day: Universal
- Two tours: Warner Bros. plus Paramount or Sony
How to book a studio tour and what to expect
When to book and which days to pick
Book at least a few days ahead, and further out for weekends, school holidays and summer. Weekday mornings are best at every lot: groups are smaller, parking is easier and more productions are shooting. Sony runs weekdays only, so build your schedule around it first. If you hope to see a live set, choose a weekday and expect that it can’t be guaranteed.
Security, ID and what to bring
Every lot is a working studio with security. Bring government photo ID, carry your confirmation on your phone and arrive about 30 minutes early. Wear comfortable closed shoes, a hat and sunscreen, because much of the walking is outdoors. Pack light, since tripods and selfie sticks are often restricted, and follow no-photo signs near active productions. Age limits vary between studios, so check them before you book with kids.
Is there a Disney studio tour?
There is no regular public tour of the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank. The only way in is a limited walking tour offered to D23 members on select dates, which sells out. Unless you’re a member, spend your time on the four tours above.
Book the studio tour first and plan the rest of your day around it, not the other way around.
How to build a day around your studio tour
Plan around the lot’s neighborhood
A studio tour takes two to three hours, so pair it with something nearby. Paramount sits close to Melrose and Hollywood. Sony is in Culver City, a short drive from the Westside. Warner Bros. and Universal are both near Burbank and Universal City, so don’t try to stack them in a single day. Leave a buffer for traffic, because crossing Los Angeles at midday can take far longer than the map suggests.
Guided ways to see the rest of the city
A studio lot shows you how movies are made, not where Hollywood lives. Our small-group Los Angeles sightseeing tours cover Hollywood, Beverly Hills and the coast with local guides. If you want your own guide and vehicle, the private tours can be built around your studio booking. For a more active option, try an electric bike tour through Beverly Hills or Santa Monica. We also offer studio lot combinations, so ask when you plan your trip.
Which studio tour to book first
For most visitors, the best studio tour in Los Angeles is Warner Bros. It offers a working lot, strong exhibits and a half-day outing. Paramount is the pick for Hollywood history, Sony is the budget choice with the working-studio feel, and Universal is for families who want a theme park day with a backlot ride attached.
Choose by your priority, book a weekday morning, bring ID and arrive early. Do that and any of these four will give you a real look behind the gates.
If you’d like help fitting a studio visit into a wider Los Angeles itinerary, talk to our local tour team and we’ll help you plan the rest of the day.
