5 Best Tours in Los Angeles and Hollywood by Traveler Type

The best tours in Los Angeles and Hollywood match your group size, your time and your budget, in that order. For a private, unhurried day with a local guide, Another Side Tours fits best. For the lowest price per seat, a shared open-air bus like Hollywood City Tours wins. Starline suits celebrity homes fans, Star Track Tours suits night owls and package shoppers, and the Warner Bros. and Universal studio tours suit film fans.

The problem is that most operators show the same Hollywood Sign photo and the same "#1 tour" claim. Prices run from a $45 bus seat to several hundred dollars per person for a private guide. Tours last from two hours to a full day, so it is hard to see what you actually get for the money.

This article compares five options by route, length, group size and published price. We run Another Side Tours, so it comes first, and we give the other four the same treatment. Prices change by season, so check each booking page before you commit.

1. Another Side Tours: private and small-group tours

What the tour includes

Another Side Tours has run guided tours of Los Angeles since 2007. The Hollywood range uses private or semi-private vehicles and a local guide who explains the history behind each stop. You choose by length and format:

The Ultimate Hollywood Tour adds Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive and includes round-trip transportation from a pick-up point within 10 miles of the office. The LA Highlights Tour is the full-day option. It covers Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Hollywood and Beverly Hills, with a lunch break at the Farmers Market.

If you want one day to see all of LA, the 7-hour LA Highlights Tour is the closest thing to a complete answer.

Who it suits and what it costs

This option suits couples, families, birthday parties and corporate teams who want their own pace and a guide who answers questions. Private tours require two guests. The LA Highlights Tour needs three. Groups of three or more save per guest, from $10 on The Los Angeles Tour to $100 on The Ultimate Hollywood & Coastal Tour. Three guests on The Famous Hollywood Tour pay $174 each, or $522 in total.

Policies matter when you book. Tickets are final and non-refundable, with no cancellations inside seven days of the tour. An optional Tour Protection add-on costs 10% at booking and lets you cancel or reschedule up to 3 hours before the tour. Book as early as you can.

2. Hollywood City Tours: open-air bus tours

What the tour includes

Hollywood City Tours runs shared open-air buses from 6609 W Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, with a second departure point at the Santa Monica Pier. The Original Hollywood Tour lasts two hours and covers Hollywood, Beverly Hills and celebrity homes. It departs hourly from 9 AM to 6 PM. The Grand LA Tour lasts seven hours and has four one-hour stops: Santa Monica Pier, Rodeo Drive, the Farmers Market and Griffith Observatory.

Published prices:

• Original Hollywood Tour: $45 adults, $35 kids 2 to 11, under 2 free.
• Grand LA Tour: $95 adults, $75 kids 2 to 11.
• Private bus for up to 14 passengers: $449 for the first two hours, plus $199 for each extra hour.

Parking at the Hollywood departure lot is $15 for the day.

A shared open-air bus is the cheapest way to see Hollywood with a guide, and the trade-off is a fixed route and shared seats.

Who it suits and what it costs

Budget travelers and families with young children get the most from this option, because child fares and free under-2 tickets keep totals low. Two adults and one child on the Original Hollywood Tour pay $125. Three people on a private two-hour tour with Another Side Tours pay $522 after the group discount.

That gap buys you privacy and a custom pace, not extra sights. If you only want the landmarks and a commentary, the bus is the sensible choice.

3. Starline Tours: celebrity homes and hop-on, hop-off

What the tour includes

Starline says it pioneered the Movie Stars Homes Tour in 1935, and celebrity homes remain its signature. Its range also includes a hop-on, hop-off bus, private tours and group charters. Its full-day tour covers Hollywood, Griffith Observatory, Beverly Hills, the Santa Monica Pier and the Farmers Market. The company is based on Hollywood Boulevard.

Starline is the pick when the celebrity homes tour is the whole point of your day.

Who it suits and what it costs

This option suits travelers who value an operator with decades of history and want a classic celebrity homes drive. The hop-on, hop-off format helps if you would rather spend an hour at one stop than follow a fixed script. Starline publishes prices on its booking pages and they vary by tour and date, so compare the duration and stops against the other buses here.

Choose its full-day tour if you want a one-day city overview by shared vehicle. Choose a private option instead if you have a group of three or more who want to skip the crowd.

4. Star Track Tours: day, night and package tours

What the tour includes

Star Track Tours offers eight tours: a day tour, a night tour, a private tour, a hotel tour, a Hollywood Sign tour and combination packages. The combinations pair its Hollywood star tour with the Warner Bros. Studio Tour or the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. It runs open-window buses along Hollywood Boulevard and builds custom private tours on request.

Star Track is the best match if you want Hollywood after dark or a ready-made package that bundles a studio or museum visit.

Who it suits and what it costs

This operator suits shoppers looking for Hollywood tour packages who like the idea of a night tour. Evening is the one time slot most daytime operators do not cover. Prices are listed at booking, not on the main page, so compare the day, night and combo tickets side by side.

Choose it when you are staying near Hollywood Boulevard and want to combine a bus tour with an attraction ticket in one booking. A private custom tour is available if your group wants its own route.

5. Studio tours at Warner Bros. and Universal

What the tour includes

Studio tours show how films are made, not how the city looks. The Warner Bros. Studio Tour Plus in Burbank takes groups of 12 on a two-hour walk through backlot streets, soundstages, sets and craft shops, and the prop department. Universal Studios Hollywood runs a tram Studio Tour through its working backlot, past sets from films like Psycho and Jaws, and includes the King Kong 360 experience.

Studio tours are the right choice only if you care more about how movies are made than about the landmarks.

Who it suits and what it costs

Film and television fans get the most out of them, especially adults and teens with a real interest in production. Universal’s general admission, which includes the Studio Tour, has been listed from about $100 per person on booking platforms. Warner Bros. sets its own prices by tour type.

Both studios sit outside Hollywood proper, in Burbank and Universal City. Treat them as an add-on to a city tour, not a replacement for the Hollywood Sign and Walk of Fame. Allow a full half-day for either.

Picking the right tour for your trip

Match the tour to your group. Couples, families and groups of three or more who want their own guide and pace are best served by a private tour. Budget travelers do well on a shared bus, celebrity homes fans on Starline, night-time and package shoppers on Star Track, and film fans on a studio lot. If you only have one day, choose a seven-hour tour that includes the coast, Hollywood and Beverly Hills.

If you are still unsure which length or route fits your dates, talk to a tour expert at Another Side Tours. Tell them who is traveling and how much time you have, and they will point you to the right tour.