Hollywood might be about glitz, glamour and the stars, but that doesn’t mean you have to pay full price for it. Visitors looking to get the most bang for their sightseeing buck opt for the Hollywood CityPASS, which features admission to a combination of Hollywood’s most visited attractions. With CityPASS, visitors save around $40 (almost a 50 percent savings). So what sights are covered? Good question. Check out this overview of the Hollywood CityPASS Tour and then discover more of the best ways to see Hollywood.
1. Starline Movie Star Homes Tour
Hop on the Starline Tours of Hollywood minibus in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and be whisked away to a real-life fantasyland of movie stars. In just two hours, see more than 40 celebrity mansions in Beverly Hills, Bel-Air and the Hollywood Hills, belonging to the likes of Tom Cruise, Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Ball and Humphrey Bogart. You’ll also become familiar with Sunset Strip’s most infamous clubs and bars, Rodeo Drive’s upscale boutiques and the renowned “Pink Palace,” the Beverly Hills Hotel.
2. Madame Tussauds Hollywood
Madame Tussauds Hollywood draws rave reviews from Hollywood visitors who want to snag a photo with Johnny Depp or Jennifer Lopez. Featuring three floors and 18 themed areas, including interactive exhibits where you can karaoke or present at an awards ceremony, the museum offers one of the most unique opportunities in the city to mingle with the stars.
3. Red Line Tours
As LA’s only daily walking tour company, Red Line Tours has continually shown visitors the best of LA — all on foot. Featuring a unique “live audio” listening system and knowledgeable, seasoned guides on headsets so that not one bit of truth or rumor is lost, the company gives visitors all the interesting factoids and tidbits about LA’s major landmarks: El Capitan Theatre, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Downtown’s Bradbury Building and many more. Expert guides will point out the filming locations of top Hollywood blockbusters like Back to the Future and Charlie’s Angels. Tours last around an hour and a half.
4a. Kodak Theatre Guided Tour
If you’ve ever imagined yourself giving an acceptance speech at the Academy Awards, a tour of the Dolby Theatre is a must. The $94 million landmark within the Hollywood & Highland Center is the permanent home of the awards and has hosted the American Idol finale, the ESPY awards, the BET awards and many other star-studded events. On the 30-minute tour, you’ll see an Oscar statuette, sit in the seats celebrities have occupied and visit the George Eastman VIP Room, where the stars hang out when they’re not on stage.
4b. Hollywood Museum
The Hollywood Museum boasts more than 10,000 artifacts and props that chronicle Tinseltown’s most spectacular productions, just steps from the Walk of Fame. For the romantic, there’s Nicole Kidman’s Moulin Rouge costumes and one of Scarlet O’Hara’s Gone with the Wind dresses. The action film junkie will delight in a Roman canopy bed from The Gladiator and a sand beetle from Starship Troopers. And for fans of thrillers, the actual prison cellblock that housed Hannibal Lector in The Silence of the Lambs occupies the museum’s basement. See these artifacts and costumes from the likes of Bette Davis, Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth and thousands of others.