Bus Tours from Hollywood Boulevard

The open-air bus tour: two departures

Hollywood, Beverly Hills & Celebrity Homes Open-Air Bus Tour has two departure options, and they relate to the Walk in different ways.

From Hollywood, 2 hours. The bus boards “at The Hollywood Visitor Center on the world-famous Hollywood Walk of Fame”, according to the listing. It then drives through Hollywood to the Hollywood Hills, with views of the Hollywood Sign and the city, along Mulholland Drive and past celebrity homes and filming locations. It stops for 10 to 15 minutes at the Beverly Hills Sign for photos and restrooms, continues along Rodeo Drive, through West Hollywood and along the Sunset Strip, and returns to Hollywood.

From Santa Monica, 3.5 hours. This option starts at the Santa Monica Visitor Center. The listing includes a 30-minute stop at the Beverly Hills Sign and Rodeo Drive and 30 minutes on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The listing’s includes line mentions hotel pickup, while its description gives fixed departure points; the listing is the place to check pickup details. It also adds a self-guided Walk of Fame walking tour in an app as a bonus. Guests are asked to dress for the weather on the open bus, and the listing does not allow oversize luggage, large bags, alcohol or drugs. Wheelchair access is not stated. The bus tour close-up has more.

The night tour with Griffith Observatory

Los Angeles: Hollywood Night Tour with Griffith Observatory lasts 1.5 hours with a guide in English, in an open-top vehicle according to the description. Check-in is at 1738 N Orange Drive, just off Hollywood Boulevard. The listing names the Dolby Theatre, TCL Chinese Theatre, El Capitan Theatre and Pantages Theatre on the boulevard, and also mentions the Egyptian Theatre and Amoeba Music. The route continues along Sunset Boulevard and stops for 30 minutes at Griffith Observatory, with views over the city.

The listing asks guests to bring a jacket and a charged phone. It does not allow luggage, large bags or pets; assistance dogs are allowed. Wheelchair access is not stated. The night tour close-up covers it in full.

The Monday caveat at Griffith Observatory

Griffith Observatory is free to enter and closed on Mondays, according to its official site, griffithobservatory.org. The night tour’s listing notes the Monday closure and says the outdoor areas remain open, so on a Monday the stop is at the outdoor areas rather than inside the building. The listing also says routes may change because of events at the Greek Theatre or traffic.

What is seen from the bus and what is seen on foot

From a vehicle, the Walk of Fame is a street to pass along: the stars are set into the sidewalk, so reading names needs time on foot. The Hollywood departure of the bus tour boards on the Walk, which leaves time before or after the ride to walk a stretch. The Santa Monica departure builds 30 minutes on the Walk into its itinerary. The night tour drives the boulevard past the theatres rather than stopping on it, per its listing. The self-guided walk and the star directory page cover the part a vehicle cannot.

Languages on board

Both tours have a live guide in English. The bus tour adds an audio guide in 11 languages: Catalan, Chinese, English, Spanish, Italian, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, German and Korean. The night tour’s listing mentions English.

What reviewers mention

On the bus tour, Diana from the UK mentions a knowledgeable guide and bits of gossip, Rachel from the UK how many areas it covered, and Thomas from France the comfort and the neighbourhoods. On the night tour, Chrysanthi from Greece mentions the observatory, Cynthia from Germany the amount of information and Andrea from the UK the local knowledge.

The bus tour and the night tour side by side

Check dates for the open-air bus tour

Two hours from the Hollywood Visitor Center or 3.5 hours from Santa Monica.

Check dates for the night tour

1.5 hours on the boulevard and at Griffith Observatory. The which-tour page sets these against the other four products.

Frequently asked questions