Is the Hollywood Walk of Fame free to visit?

Yes — walking the Walk of Fame and seeing the TCL Chinese Theatre forecourt is free. A guided or self-guided audio tour (from around $25) is worth it for the stories behind the stars and to find specific names quickly along the 1.3-mile stretch.

How do you see the Hollywood Sign up close?

The best views are from Griffith Park. Guided hikes from around $30 climb to overlooks near Griffith Observatory in about two to three hours. There is no public entry to the sign itself, so the park trails and the observatory are as close as you can legally get.

Are celebrity homes tours worth it?

For a first visit they are a fun, efficient way to cover Beverly Hills, Bel Air and the Sunset Strip without driving. Open-air bus and van tours start from about $59, run roughly two hours, and are best booked a day or two ahead in summer.

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Theme day · Los Angeles itinerary

A Hollywood Day in Los Angeles: The Movie-Lover's Itinerary

Chasing the movies in LA? This themed Hollywood day pairs the Walk of Fame and the TCL Chinese Theatre with a celebrity-homes drive, a Griffith Observatory viewpoint and a hike to the Hollywood Sign. Here is how to spend one perfect day in Hollywood, plus the best-rated tours and tickets to book in advance.

At a glance

1Walk of Fame & TCL Chinese Theatre
2Celebrity homes by open-air bus
3Griffith Observatory & Hollywood Sign hike
4Sunset Strip after dark

Morning: Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame

Start on Hollywood Boulevard, where more than 2,700 brass stars line the sidewalk outside the TCL Chinese Theatre and its famous handprints. A self-guided audio walk or a small-group Walk of Fame tour (from around $25) adds the backstories the pavement leaves out. Go early: the boulevard is quietest before mid-morning, parking is easier and you will beat the costumed-character crowds around the theatre forecourt.

Midday: celebrity homes and Beverly Hills

Trade the boulevard for the hills on an open-air bus or van tour of celebrity homes, Beverly Hills and the Sunset Strip (from about $59). Over roughly two hours a guide points out mansions, gated drives and Rodeo Drive while you ride in the open air, camera ready. It is the easiest way to cover Bel Air and Beverly Hills without navigating the canyon roads or hunting for parking yourself.

Afternoon: Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood Sign

Head up to Griffith Park for the definitive Hollywood Sign view. A guided hike (from around $30) climbs to overlooks at Griffith Observatory, whose Art Deco domes and free galleries also starred in La La Land. Wear real shoes and carry water, especially in summer. Prefer wheels to trails? Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood and Universal Studios sit nearby for a behind-the-scenes backlot afternoon instead.

Evening: the Sunset Strip

As the light drops, drift west to the Sunset Strip for its neon signs, rooftop bars and legendary music venues like the Whisky a Go Go and the Roxy. Many celebrity-homes tours pass through here, so you can bookend the day where Hollywood nightlife began. For a grand finale, an evening Hollywood tour with a Griffith Observatory stop frames the whole basin in lights. Book any add-on ahead in peak season, when weekend slots fill fastest.