10+ Things to Do in Hollywood During Your Trip to Los Angeles

UPDATED JULY 2024
By Katie Sagal

Los Angeles is a vibrant city, full of art, history, and nature. Of course, many people flock to L.A. for the movie and television culture that the area is most famous for. But Hollywood isn’t always easily approachable – there’s so much to see and do that it can often be overwhelming. Fortunately for you, we’ve put together a curated list of our favorite things in Tinsel Town. So, if you’re looking for things to do in Hollywood during your trip to Los Angeles, check out our list of the best local activities and attractions, including...

  • Madame Tussauds Hollywood
  • Guinness World Records Museum
  • TCL Chinese Theatres Tour
  • Hollywood Behind the Scenes Tour
  • And more!

Save on Hollywood Attraction Admission

Admission to many of these top Los Angeles attractions and activities and more are available on the Go Los Angeles® Card. Choose as you go from top attractions and save up to 50% on combined admission vs. paying at the gate. See all available passes, attractions & prices – Learn more.

Things to Do in HollywoodMadame Tussauds Hollywood

Image of Computer Hardware, Electronics, Hardware, Screen, Monitor, Fashion, Adult, Male, Man, Person, Formal Wear, Tie, People, Hat, TV, Microphone, Female, Woman, Crowd, Suit, Fans of Hollywood will love the chance to experience celebrity culture and “meet” their favorite actors, musicians, and historical figures at Madame Tussauds. This fascinating wax museum is an incredible experience, and visitors of all ages get a kick out of the figures and exhibits. Don't miss the new Marvel Superheroes 4D exhibit. Enjoy multi-sensory components alongside the wax figures, all set in themed areas. Then, check out the exhilarating 4D film experience. Superhero fans of all ages will love it! Getting In: Madame Tussauds Hollywood tickets are available with the Go Los Angeles® Card.

TCL Chinese Theatres Guided Tour

Take a tour of this world-famous movie theatre and see where celebrity culture is concentrated in Hollywood. You’ll hear fascinating stories about Hollywood premieres and celebrities. Plus, you can tour their Forecourt of the Stars, which features cement hand and food prints of big name stars. Plan to go on your tour later in the day, or stick around for dinner, so you can see Hollywood Lights: The Magic of Movies at the TCL Theatre. This nightly light show features 3D projection mapping that fully covers the facade of the theatre with iconic moments from big-screen movies and 90 years of TCL Theatre history. The 4-minute show plays every 20 minutes starting at 8:30 pm every night. Getting In: TCL Chinese Theatres Guided Tour tickets are available on the Go Los Angeles® Card.

Hollywood Behind the Scenes Tour by Red Line Tours

Image of Shoe, Person, Walking, Sandal, Adult, Male, Man, Boy, Teen, Child, Sneaker, This comprehensive walking tour is a delightful way to explore the secret and not-so-secret hotspots in Hollywood. See everything from big name icons like the TCL Chinese Theatre and Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre to smaller sites like filming locations and the best place to get a photo of the Hollywood sign. If you only do one walking tour in LA, this Hollywood Behind the Scenes tour should be it! Getting In: Hollywood Behind the Scenes Tour tickets are available on the Go Los Angeles® Card.

Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Tour by CitySightseeing

Image of Adult, Male, Man, Person, Glasses, Female, Woman, Necklace, Urban, Bus, Vehicle, Expand your horizons beyond the Hollywood neighborhood to explore other areas of the city on this handy hop-on hop-off city tour. Open-air double-decker buses will escort you throughout Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and Downtown L.A. Get off at any stop that interests you for a fully customizable tour. Keep in mind that while these buses do explore the Hollywood region, they pick up at Santa Monica Pier. So, this tour may be best for those who only want to see a little bit of Hollywood. Getting In: Sightseeing Hop-on Hop-off City Tour tickets are available on the Go Los Angeles® Card.

Starline Movie Stars’ Homes Tour

Image of Pants, Adult, Female, Person, Woman, Male, Man, Shoe, Pickup Truck, Truck, Vehicle, Car, A two-hour tour that roams throughout the Hollywood area, this highly-rated Movie Stars’ Homes Tour showcases the homes and hangouts of top celebrities. The best part about this tour is the flexibility they have to drive through neighborhoods typically closed to most tour buses. Keep an eye out for any celebrity sightings, and have your cameras ready! Getting In: Starline Movie Stars’ Homes Tour tickets are available on the Go Los Angeles® Card.

Dolby Theatre® Guided Tour

Image of Lighting, Concert, Crowd, Person, Computer Hardware, Monitor, Screen, Indoors, This half-hour Dolby Theatre Tour is your VIP access to the home of the Academy Awards® Ceremonies. Step inside and revel in the elegance of this state of the art facility. Inspired by the elegance of a European opera house, with state-of-the-art technical capabilities, the Dolby Theatre has hosted the world's top performers. Celine Dion, Prince, Dixie Chicks, American Ballet Theatre, Barry Manilow and the Moscow Stanislavsky Ballet have all performed on this stage! Getting In: Dolby Theatre® Guided Tour tickets are included on the Go Los Angeles® Card.

Hollywood Museum

Image of City, Road, Street, Urban, Indoors, Chair, Furniture, Lighting, Person, Image credit: Hollywood Museum.
Behold the cinematic splendor as you peruse thousands of beloved items from Hollywood's glitzy history, spread out on four floors and across 35,000 square feet. See 10,000 authentic shoebox treasures showcasing 100 years of Hollywood! The Hollywood Museum boasts ten thousand items. Getting In: Hollywood Museum tickets are included on the Go Los Angeles® Card.

Guinness World Record Museum of Hollywood

Image of Microphone, Adult, Male, Man, Person, Female, Woman, Bride, Tie, Glasses, Belt, Explore record-breaking facts and feats, documented by the best-selling book, brought to life at the Guinness World Records Museum and take a turn attempting to set a new world record. Don’t miss weighing yourself (and your whole group!) against the world’s heaviest person, comparing your height with the world’s tallest man, and testing your wits about world-record achievements. Getting In: Guinness World Record Museum of Hollywood tickets are available with the Build Your Own Pass.

Griffith Observatory

Image of Building, Observatory, Grass, Tower, Located in the beautiful Griffith Park (another great place to explore around Los Angeles), the Griffith Observatory is filled with fascinating exhibits that focus on astronomy. You’ll see a Foucault pendulum and a Tesla Coil, among some other really cool technologies. You can also take in a planetarium show and look through their famous refracting telescope, located on the roof. Getting In: Admission to the Griffith Observatory is free.

Things to do Near HollywoodThe Broad

If you’re looking to infuse a little more culture into your life, a visit to the Broad is a must on your to-do list. The newest contemporary art museum in all of L.A., the Broad is filled with 2,000 fascinating, inspiring, and thought-provoking works of art. They also feature periodic special exhibits, so there’s plenty to see on repeat visits as well. Getting In: Admission to the Broad is free.

La Brea Tar Pits

Image of Grass, Nature, Outdoors, Park, Pond, Water, Animal, Zoo, Vegetation, Elephant, Mammal, Wildlife, Flag, Tree, Person, Explore one of Los Angeles’ natural marvels – the amazing La Brea Tar Pits. An excavation site for fossils from eons long past, today it’s still an active paleontological site. There’s also an accompanying museum that offers special exhibits and excavation tours. Getting In: La Brea Tar Pits and Museum tickets are included on the Go Los Angeles® Card.

California Science Center & IMAX

Image of City, Shop, Shopping Mall, Urban, Downtown, People, Person, This hands-on museum offers tons of exhibits showcasing science and technology in many forms. Permanent exhibits feature everything from aquariums filled with live specimens to a popular exhibit containing the space shuttle Endeavour. There’s even an IMAX theater and a number of rotating special exhibits (a small fee applies for these additional activities). Getting In: Admission to the California Science Center is free; and IMAX theater tickets are included on the Go Los Angeles® Card.

Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Hollywood

Image of City, Light, Traffic Light, Palm Tree, Tree, Neighborhood, Urban, Ripley’s has long been hailed as the home of all things weird and wild, and this installation is no exception. There are plenty of funky things to explore at this top Hollywood attraction, from exhibits about natural phenomenon to those containing man-made curiosities. Getting In: Ripley’s Believe it Not! Hollywood is separately ticketed and not available on the Go Los Angeles® Card.

Remember to Save on Attraction Admission

These are our top recommendations for things to do in Hollywood during your trip to Los Angeles. Go Los Angeles® Card, which can help you can save up to 50% on combined admission vs. paying at the gate. We hope you consider adding a few of these fun options to your L.A. vacation plans.

Katie Sagal
Go City Travel Expert

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Best Los Angeles Souvenirs

Wondering what to buy in Los Angeles or need gift ideas for family and friends? Well, you’ve come to the right place then! A sprawling and diverse metropolis, L.A. is one place where you can do some serious shopping. Buy souvenirs to remember your visit while making the memories last. From classic keepsakes to high-quality products, there’s a little something for everybody here. Read on for our top tips on L.A. souvenir shopping. Turn Souvenir Shopping into a Fun Activity Souvenir shopping can sometimes feel like a bit of a chore - but it doesn’t have to be this way. If you’re looking to avoid that experience, we recommend heading over to the Venice Boardwalk. Stretching for almost two miles across the pristine sands of the Pacific Ocean, this spot is perfect for soaking up the bohemian nature of the Venice area. A quintessential L.A. attraction, this boardwalk is known for its wide array of vendors selling original art, jewellery, t-shirts and much more. In addition, this spot is known for its hundreds of street performers of all kinds. Here, you’ll be able to see everything from break-dancing to broken glass walking, and everything in-between. Much more than just a place to pick up a little something to take home, this spot provides a great slice of L.A. life. If you’re anything like us, then your favorite part of travel is all of the food! For those who want to bring a taste of the city home with them, we suggest heading over to The Original Farmers’ Market. Though this stop is perhaps best known for its gourmet grocers and restaurants, we’re here to tell you that that’s not all there is to see here. Amongst all of the delicious eats, you can also pick up dried ethnic spices, speciality hot sauces, and a great bottle of Californian wine. If that’s not entirely your thing though, there are also stalls punting jewellery, clothes, housewares and fun novelties. Since the market is located in the Miracle Mile neighborhood, we suggest making a whole day of it by going to check out some of the world-class cultural amenities in the area - why not try out the Petersen Automotive Museum or the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum? Pick Something up at an Attraction Of course one of the best things about L.A. is its exquisite natural attributes. It only makes sense then for visitors to want to take home a little piece of the landscape. To do this, we recommend heading over to White Point/Royal Palms Beach, where you can soak up the sun and explore the natural wonders of the sea. Much more than just a place to pick up a nice souvenir, this stop merits a full-day excursion since there really is a lot to do here. One of the most popular activities has got to be exploring the fascinating tide pools dotted across the coastline. Here, visitors can get up close with the beautiful wildlife and see small fish, sea cucumbers, hermit crabs and more. Or, for those who like to get active, you can swim, surf or jet ski in the briny blue. Now, to take home a memento of the Southern Californian seascape, we suggest bringing a glass vial or jar with you and filling it with sand or collecting a few rocks or seashells from the beach. This is ideally the most environmentally-friendly way to remember your trip. If you’re not much of a shopper but want a souvenir to remind you of your time spent in the city, we recommend picking something up at one of L.A.’s top visitor attractions. At least for us, the best place to do this would have to be the Griffith Observatory. Perched atop the south slope of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park, this iconic city attraction grants panoramic views of the entire L.A. Basin, including Downtown, Hollywood and the Pacific Ocean. This is also one of the best places in the city to hike and catch great views of the Hollywood Sign - so don’t forget to bring a camera! After catching a few snaps, head down to the Griffith Observatory's Stellar Emporium Store where you can get some fun items to remind you of the experience. Here you can buy t-shirts, posters, mugs and much more celebrating the iconic Los Angeles skyline. You’ll also find nerdy-cool gifts like telescopes and constellation-themed merchandise. Or Buy Your Own Oscar! If your favorite part of Los Angeles is all of the glitz and glam, then you just might enjoy the next item on our list. Nestled between the famous cultural landmarks and attractions along Hollywood Boulevard, La La Land (no, not the movie!) is known for punting the very best souvenirs for pop culture lovers and cinephiles alike. This place is the largest gift shop in L.A. - and that’s really saying something. Inside, you’ll find everything from original movie posters and black-and-white film stills to mock props and clapperboards. If you’ve ever dreamed of owning your very own Oscar or perhaps a Tony, this is your shot! In addition, you’ll also find a lot of cool collectibles and quirky toys on the shelves. Perfect for that one friend who appreciates all things fun and kitschy, this spot has a wide variety of things to choose from. No doubt L.A. is a top visitor destination for a reason. In concert with this, the city goes all out with a wide array of markets and stores to make the memories last just that little bit longer. Whether you’re looking for unique treasures or just something a little kitschy, there’s an L.A. souvenir to suit every taste and budget. Explore the area to its full potential with GoCity’s All-Inclusive Pass or Explorer Pass. If you’d like to know more, connect with us on Instagram and Facebook. With Go City, you can see more, for less.
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Things to do in Chinatown Los Angeles

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From grabbing a bite to eat at the Far East Plaza to visiting the Chinese American Museum, we’ve made a list of all of the best things you won’t want to miss on your trip to Chinatown. Arrive with a game plan, check out your favorites and you’re sure to have a great time! Shop and Dine The next stop on our list truly is a little slice of history. First constructed in 1938, the Chinatown Central Plaza is known as one of the nation’s first shopping malls. Today, this spot remains the nucleus of Chinatown, and a total hub of excitement. As you might have guessed, this place is a little different from most modern shopping malls! Created to resemble the streets of Shanghai, it’s well-recognised for its fanciful architecture. Inside, you can pick up anything from vintage Chinese dresses and original art to loose leaf teas and stylish house plants. There are also a wide variety of great food stops to choose from. Still, the highlight of this place has got to be its massive 7-foot statue of Bruce Lee! We recommend visiting during the week if you prefer to skip the crowds. Of course, a trip to Chinatown just isn’t complete without exploring some of the area’s most delicious food stops. That’s right - just as any Chinatown should do, L.A.’s iteration of this historic ethnic enclave boasts some of the best fast casuals, bistros and pop-ups for you to sink your teeth into. If you’re looking for an unfussy quick bite whilst exploring, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Some of our favorites include Pearl River Deli, Phoenix Inn Chinese Cuisine and Lao Tao Street Food. The area is also home to the marvellous Philippe the Original, AKA the iconic progenitor of the French Dip sandwich. Pull up a chair, sit back and enjoy one of the best sandwiches of your life. Or, if you’re looking for a wide variety in choice, we suggest heading to the Far East Plaza. Built way back in 1976, this bustling food hall and beloved Chinatown mainstay earned its stripes as one of the best spots to grab authentic regional cuisine in the city long ago. Here you’ll find everything from steaming bowls of pho and classic crunchy spring rolls to lip-smacking ice cream in a wide range of adventurous flavors. No doubt you’ll be able to find something to take your fancy! Learn About the Area For those looking to learn more about the Chinese American experience, there couldn’t be anywhere better than the Chinese American Museum, located on North Los Angeles Street. A great stop for anybody who wants to incorporate a little education into their travel experience, this place works to document and present one of the biggest Chinese American populations in the U S of A. Inside, visitors can enjoy a wide array of exhibits covering fine art from Chinese creators as well as historical artefacts from as far back as the late 19th century. The nature of the displays is fascinating and broad; past ones have focussed on community settlement in Los Angeles, the growth and development of Chinese American enclaves and Asian American activist movements. A thoroughly unique cultural experience, this one is not to be missed. Undoubtedly, Chinatown is one of the best places to go for those who want to learn a bit more about the development of the city. Along with its great shopping destinations, pretty parks and delicious eats, the neighborhood is also home to some really unique historical sites. Standing out as one of our favorites, the Italian American Museum is a surprising and beautiful landmark tucked around the corner of Olvera Street. For those wondering about its background, the spot was constructed way back in 1908 to serve as a gathering place for the Italian community way back in a time when Chinatown was actually Little Italy! Today, this spot is recognized as the oldest remaining structure from L.A.’s Italian enclave and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Inside, visitors can enjoy a fantastic repository documenting the history of Southern California’s Italian roots. Its collection includes over 6000 artefacts with art, photos, documents and more. With the history that lingers on-site and its remarkable displays, this spot is well worth the visit. Get in Touch With Your Spiritual Side If you’re looking to get in touch with your spiritual side, we suggest heading over to the Thien Hau Temple on Yale Street. Formerly an Italian Christian Church, this unique building was bought in the 1980s and converted into a Taoist worship house. Whilst the temple is young, it serves as one of the primary places of worship for Asian L.A. residents. Take time to marvel at its beautiful intricate facade before stepping inside. Visitors can take guided tours to learn more about the fascinating history of the building and explore its wonderful interior. Inside, you can expect to see statues, sculptures, artworks and more with a strong Chinese influence. We recommend visiting during Chinese New Year or Labor Day, since you can get in on all of the fun and festivities! A distinctive architectural marvel and well-recognized place of worship, this place is a total must-see. Vibrant and bustling with life, Chinatown is always a fantastic place to explore. Whether you’re looking to learn more about the city or just grab a bite to eat, you’ll never be bored here! Explore the area to its full potential with GoCity’s All-Inclusive Pass or Explorer Pass. If you’d like to know more, connect with us on Instagram and Facebook. With Go City, you can see more, for less.
Sarah Harris

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