On location · USA FILM LOCATION TOURS
American location touring means backlots more than landscapes: the tram through Warner Bros, the Universal lot, the celebrity-homes loop and a handful of New York corners. The 15 below are priced, timed and honest about how much you see on foot.
Spend three hours at a working Hollywood studio, beginning with a one-hour guided backlot tour before exploring sets and exhibits at your own pace. You can visit the real Central Perk set, sit in Sheldon’s spot from The Big Bang Theory, and see DC and Harry Potter displays. Guides speak English, French, or Spanish.
“no wonder Hollywood is called the dream factory . Come and see, you’ll feel it”
Spend about 7.5 hours touring Los Angeles by air-conditioned coach, from Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach to Rodeo Drive, Griffith Park and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Guides such as George, Colin, Jeff and Key add history, music and local tips. Lunch is at the Original Farmers Market, with select hotel pickup available.
“It was a great day spent in Los Angeles. I would take special moment to thank my Tour guide George. He went out of way to show us The beautiful Los Angeles cuty. He was quite an old guy, but he was very helpful. He is one of the best person the company who organise this tour has. He had like complete knowledge of every single street we passed through”
Spend about three hours at Warner Bros. Studio Hollywood with a small group of up to 14. Ride through working backlot streets, visit the Friends and Big Bang Theory sets, explore DC and Harry Potter displays, and try green-screen effects. Guides such as Maya, Maddie, Ken, and Javier bring the studio’s movie-making past to life.
“take the time to go through all that there is to offer during the tour. Our tour guide had a wealth of information that he passed on to us which made the tour very interesting.”
Cover Los Angeles highlights in about two hours with a guide such as Gavin, Kenny, Colin, Megan, or Sal at the wheel. You will pass the Hollywood Sign, Walk of Fame, Dolby Theatre, Chinese Theatre, Sunset Strip, Rodeo Drive, West Hollywood, and celebrity homes, with a 10-minute Beverly Hills Sign stop. Bring a jacket for the open-air ride.
“First time booking a tour in LA! I booked it same day and got a really good deal for 2 of us! The driver was charismatic, cheerful, knowledgeable and enthusiastic! Made our tour pleasant! She engaged the group by asking questions; laughing along with us. The drive was smooth!”
This seven-hour bus tour links Santa Monica Pier, the Original Farmers Market, Griffith Observatory, and Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. You get about an hour at each planned stop, plus lively commentary from guides such as Sammy and Alana. Expect traffic, an open-window bus, and a fast but useful introduction to Los Angeles.
“Great tour. It was advertised as 1 hr in each area but only 2 out of the 4 were 1 hr, the other 2 stops were only half an hour. Ideally maybe doing 45 minutes..”
Ride an open, fully narrated bus through Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and the Hollywood Hills. You’ll pass the Walk of Fame, TCL Chinese Theatre, Dolby Theatre, celebrity homes, Rodeo Drive, Sunset Strip, and the Hollywood Sign. Guides such as Brian, Fernando, George, Jay, and Sammy are known for humor and local stories, though traffic and evening darkness can limit views.
“Great views, great tour guide. Enjoyed all the stories and facts. Favorite house was Sylvester Stallone‘s. I took one star for the bathrooms. Please use the bathroom before arriving. They were awful. But the tour was great and worth the money.”
Ride an open-top Mercedes minibus or Ford Van through Hollywood, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and the Sunset Strip. Your guide points out celebrity homes, filming locations, Rodeo Drive, the Hollywood Sign, and famous theaters. Guides such as Tommy, Sam, Chase, and Christian are known for lively, personal commentary, though the tone can vary by driver.
“Definitely have your cameras ready, be ready for the unexpected and PLEASE ask lots of questions. Enjoy!”
Spend about 90 minutes touring Kualoa Ranch by vintage school bus with an English-speaking guide. See filming locations from Jurassic Park, Jumanji, Pearl Harbor, Lost, and Hawaii Five-O, visit a WWII bunker cut 300 feet into the mountain, and enjoy views of Kaneohe Bay, Mokoli’i Island, and the Ko’olau Range.
“On of the best tours we’ve been on. Well worth the money. The tour guides are very knowledgeable, and friendly. The history about the ranch and bunkers was awesome.”
Start at 6609 W Sunset Blvd and ride with an English-speaking guide through Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard, Beverly Hills, and the Hollywood Hills. You’ll see the Walk of Fame, TCL Chinese Theatre, Rodeo Drive, celebrity homes, and the Hollywood Sign area. Guides such as George, Roger, Joe, and Alana are known for mixing facts, film stories, and humor.
“Alana-our driver/tour guide was awesome! Easy going, friendly and very knowledgeable. We’re looking forward to doing the 7 hr “beach tour” with her sometime soon.”
Travel from the Las Vegas Strip to Los Angeles in a Mercedes vehicle with WiFi, snacks, water, lunch, and live commentary. With Steve, Jose, or Ward behind the wheel, you will visit Santa Monica Pier, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, the Chinese Theatre, and Hollywood Boulevard in a group of no more than 14.
“We did the day tour whilst staying in Vegas. Me, husband, 2 kids and my mum. The tour manager messaged a few days before to confirm pick up and I received a further text the morning of the trip from our tour guide Steve. Pick up was from our hotel at 6am. We had two stops on the way. We stopped at Santa Monica pier and had lunch there, which is included in the price of the trip. We then went to Beverly Hills and Hollywood. On the way home we also had two stops. Snacks and drinks were also provided on the bus free of charge, if you wanted…”
Ride an open-air bus through Hollywood, Mulholland Drive, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, West Hollywood, and the Sunset Strip. English-speaking guides such as Shane, Roger, Brian, and Colin add movie stories and local color. Choose the two-hour Hollywood route or the 3.5-hour Santa Monica version, with photo stops along the way.
“Wonderful trip through Hollywood and the area around it. Totally worth it. Also possible with kids (5 & 6)”
Spend a full day at Universal Studios Hollywood with access to rides, shows, themed lands, and the famous Studio Tour. Meet dinosaurs in Jurassic World, race through Mario Kart, visit Hogwarts, and finish at CityWalk. Your mobile ticket is valid on the selected date. Universal Express is available as an upgrade.
“Beautiful at the holidays! The City Walk is great before you even get into the theme park. We really enjoyed the theme park…Whoville, The Grinch, Studio Tour, Hogswart area…just a wonderful experience.”
Ride through Manhattan with a local actor guide who points out filming sites from Friends, Seinfeld, Ghostbusters, Spider-Man, Glee, Birdman, and more. You will see the Friends apartment, Ghostbusters firehouse, Central Park, Fifth Avenue, and other screen locations, with short step-off stops and clips shown aboard the bus.
“Benji was awesome! He showed us all the cool movie spots even on a day that it was raining. Would do it again. We got to get out a couple of times and stretch our legs which is good too.”
Ride through San Francisco with guides such as Bryan or Wylie, watching film clips beside the real locations. The three-hour tour visits Fort Point, Lombard Street, North Beach, Alamo Square, the Palace of Fine Arts, and more. Expect city history, movie trivia, photo stops, and a maximum of 13 people.
“Good sightseeing tour with telling stories about movies and actually see the scenes where it happens.”
Spend a full day at Universal Studios Hollywood with admission, one-time Express access to every ride and attraction, reserved show seating, and one reservation-free entry to Super Nintendo World when required. Ride Jurassic World, Hogwarts and Transformers, then take the Studio Tour and finish at CityWalk.
“Loved Universal Studios. The skip the line tickets were well worth the money. We were able to see and experience the entire park thanks to the skip the line tickets.”
Pick a production, a city or a working lot.
