Private Tour of Griffith Observatory
4.5
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About
Free cancellation • Full refund if cancelled up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time).
Reserve now & pay later • Secure your spot while staying flexible.
Lowest price guarantee • Find a lower price online? Get the difference refunded!
Ages 13-99
Duration: 3h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Highlights
- Private guide and expert on the Griffith Observatory
- Curated itinerary design by former Griffith Observatory employees
- Glimpse of the night sky as seen from the Samuel Oschin Telescope at Palomar Observatory
- Photo op with a statue of Albert Einstein statue
- Panoramic views of the Hollywood Sign
- Optional upgrade on-site for your ticket to see a 40-minute show in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium
- Entry/Admission - Griffith Observatory
What's not included- Gratuities
- Parking
- Start:
- Griffith Observatory, 2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USAIn front of Astronomers Monument on front lawn Please Note: We are an independent tour company and are not affiliated with the City of LA or their employees. If you ask Observatory staff about the tour they won’t be able to help. You MUST check in with your guide at the Astronomer’s Monument.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 46280P8- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travelers can participate
- Please Note: We are an independent tour company and are not affiliated with the City of LA or their employees. If you ask Observatory staff about the tour they won’t be able to help. You MUST check in with your guide at the Astronomer’s Monument.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 46280P8
From
$349.00
per adult
Select date and travelers
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- Griffith Observatory, 2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USAIn front of Astronomers Monument on front lawn Please Note: We are an independent tour company and are not affiliated with the City of LA or their employees. If you ask Observatory staff about the tour they won’t be able to help. You MUST check in with your guide at the Astronomer’s Monument.
- Pass byAstronomers Monument
- 1This world-class observatory features one of the largest Foucault Pendulums, a 50,000-volt Tesla Coil, an interactive periodic table of elements, and more. View the night sky as seen from the Samuel Oschin Telescope at Palomar Observatory.
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Top rated
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- melissaeZ1894LL0 contributionsOutstanding guide, very friendly and informative. Amazing jobOur Tour guide was amazing. Very informative and friendly. We really enjoyed our tour and history of Hollywood. We would definitely book again.Written March 22, 2025
- carllelz_0 contributionsUnprofessional Tour Coordinators. NEVER BOOK HERE!Booked Downtown LA Food And Culture and they cancelled last minute. Definitely avoid. Such a waste of time. I repeat by all means avoid this tour provider!Written March 22, 2025
- Tanya M0 contributionsFantastic tour!Matt was fantastic! He was quite knowledgeable and his stories were wonderful. We had a great tour! Highly recommended!Written March 22, 2025
- michelesJ4264SO0 contributionsHidden gems and insights from a localOur tour with Paul was truly exceptional. He has such a wealth of knowledge about LA and a real passion for his city. You feel like you're getting the straight goods from a local and it makes the tour really special. I think visitors will be surprised to see some of the hidden gems downtown. Loved the Grand Central Market. Paul's recommendations were bang on. We loved the MacArthur Park pastrami sandwich from Wexler's Deli. Take this tour. You won't regret it or forget it. Five stars for Paul!Written March 20, 2025
- D8068OZkimw0 contributionsHeat intimate experienceMatt was amazing!! Thank you in depth and fascinating stories. Lots of authentic photos and try appreciation for HollywoodWritten March 10, 2025
- Keith P0 contributionsLA in one day!Saw all the major sites/ attractions in one day.Pace was very good. Got time to take photos. Guide was very knowledgeable and gave a good history of everything.Written March 3, 2025
- beachghost0 contributionsExcellent Tour! Excellent Guide!Matt was an outstanding tour guide! He shows a clear passion for the area and its people. He's very knowledgeable, and I can tell he's always working to grow his knowledge. The tour itself is very interesting and hits a lot of highlights. As a SoCal native, I got to see downtown LA as I've never seen it before.Written March 1, 2025
- 223jk0 contributionsDowntown LA with very knowledgeable and friendly guideExcellent in depth knowledge by our guide Matt. He even extended the tour to visit more iconic buildings for a few peopleWritten March 1, 2025
- MBDad330 contributionsDefinitely worth it. Great time lots of great historical informationMatt was great . Would definitely recommend him again. Exceptional historical knowledge. He went above and beyond. I live in LA and learn a lot of things that I didn't knowWritten March 1, 2025
- scottmS6643MX0 contributionsTour Griffith Park observatoryWe went to Griffith park observatory and it was great! Estevan was our guide and was very smooth and knowledgeable about the history of this famed site. The pace, tips and humor was spot on. Thank you again!Written February 17, 2025
- lumiere140 contributionsExcellent nerd outThis was a fun birthday celebration for me and my friends. We’re true nerds and love learning more about the history and people of LA. Our guide went the extra mile to engage with us and encouraged us to ask questions. We were locals of SoCal, but we learned a lot and had fun.Written February 15, 2025
- bdimz0 contributionsA Must-do in LADespite being very busy, this was possibly the highlight of our trip to LA. Parking was a challenge but the views are incredible. The space exhibits in the basement were pretty cool, too.Written February 14, 2025
- Explore627129261150 contributionsBest tour in Hollywood!!The best experience I had in Hollywood! Outstanding!! Paul is just so smart, knowledgable and kind. That guy is just gold!!Written February 9, 2025
- Y1730WUvictoriar0 contributionsGriffith Hike with PaulPaul was an awesome tour guide! It was such a great hike and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone in or travelling LA.Written January 29, 2025
- W6649JKmigueld0 contributionsHollywood sign tourOur guided tour via Go City was great and our tour guide Katie was awesome, very knowledgeable and great personality. Easy hike and can be enjoyable by all fitness levels!Written January 29, 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
13 reviews
Excellent
10
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1
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Paul Ashkenaz
Los Angeles, CA3 contributions
Private Tour Griffith Observatory - great tour and guide , learned a great deal about the history of the observatory and astronomy. It was topped off with a wonderful planetarium show . The whole experience was fascinating and enjoyable and I highly recommend the tour.
Written November 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kim M
7 contributions
Dec 2021
James is a wonderful tour guide. Definitely worth the money to have an experience that he will give you. He is very knowledgeable and has lots of info to share with everyone. You get the full 3 hour experience. The only downfall was the week before we received a call from Dara who said we had to change our time from 4:00 to 2:00 or cancel. There was no wiggle room. We had to rearrange our plans to accommodate the change. I was also told by Dara I would get a parking pass that I never received. Parking in the meters is $10 an hour.
I would go for the tour with James and his knowledge!!!
I would go for the tour with James and his knowledge!!!
Written December 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shareef P
2 contributions
Jan 2020
Oh wow! Lisa was such an excellent host and tour guide as we hiked up to the Griffith Observatory. Very kind, very patient, very knowledgeable when it came to the history of Hollywood and the Hollywood sign. I would definitely recommend her to anyone involved!
Sincerely,
A Happy Tourist
Sincerely,
A Happy Tourist
Written February 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tom C
2 contributions
Jun 2022 • Family
Great tour! Our guide Estevan was extremely knowledgeable and loved to see his enthusiasm. Great interaction with him. Set up was easy and great follow up with Dara. Would definitely recommend to anyone visiting!!
Written June 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Teri C
Minneapolis, MN10 contributions
Mar 2023
Estavan great. Extremely knowledgable. It was a bit of an overkill for us, so much info and standing for almost 3 hours. I believe I was thinking booking this tour would get us a better chance to public telescope observing. It does not. One does not get to view the new show Signs of Life either. If you are an astronomer buff and can handle this much detail - this is your tour. Again, Estavan a great tour guide.
Written March 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This review is absolutely false. The new planetarium show, Signs of Life, is included with the tour. I confirmed with the guide, Estevan, that he personally walked you into the theater for the show before saying goodbye. I even have the receipt of your planetarium tickets. Confused as to why you would lie about this? We even reached out to you to get more details and heard nothing back. Also, the tour description clearly states it's a 3 hour guided tour of a museum, if you needed to sit down, that would have been fine if you told Estevan you needed a break. If there seems to be a miscommunication here please reply to the several texts/emails we've sent you to resolve this. We pride ourselves on ensuring our guests have a wonderful time and hope we are able to figure out what happened here. Thanks, Dara
Written March 9, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Teri C
Minneapolis, MN10 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
Long presentations, would have done on my own instead. No entrance into main observatory. I thought by booking with this company would somehow give us special access- not at all the case.
Written July 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for reaching out. We're sorry for the negative experience you had. Please contact our customer service at exp1.com/contact/ so that we may assist you in this situation. Thank you.
Written August 9, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Marla K
4 contributions
Mar 2023 • Family
Anjelica was the perfect guide for us! She was amazing with my niece and gave us so much fabulous information. We will recommend her to anyone who will listen 😃
Written March 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jim Colegrove
Santa Maria, CA1 contribution
Apr 2022
It was all great! Tour guide was very knowledgeable and answered our questions clearly. The back story is that this was a Christmas gift to my wife - but because of the lingering COVID things head to be cancelled twice... We finally made it!
Written April 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
b h
1 contribution
James was personable, informative, and very knowledgeable about the facility. Would definitely recommend him as your tour guide.
Written February 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tim G
2 contributions
Nov 2021
DON'T MISS THIS EXPERIENCE!!! Gave this as a gift to my wife for her birthday as she had never been there and we even live in So. Calif. Our guide JAMES who has 10-15 yrs experience with the Observatory could not have given us a more complete, professional, or respectful tour of the grounds and we got to experience this local piece of history from the inside out. It was indeed an "insider's view" from a guide who's passion for the location and the science was clearly and proudly displayed through his enthusiasm.
Written November 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The tour guide shows you everything in the observatory. Explains everything that you wouldn't know even if standing there reading things. I really wanted to look at the stars and that never happened even though I was told I was going to see that.
Written January 17, 2022
Hours are posted on trip advisor when u look at booking ur reservation. No obligation to pay until 48 hours before ur reservation. They may put a credit card on file as I did, but it was not charged for 3 months until I was ready to go
Written December 19, 2021
Where is the closest handicapped parking to the beginning of the tour?
Written November 12, 2021
Does this tour include all day entrance to the observatory?
Written September 14, 2021
What time does the tour begin. Couldn't readily find it on the website. Thanks.
Written July 24, 2019
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.