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Getty Center

Getty Center: Our most recommended tours and activities

California Coastline Helicopter Tour

1. California Coastline Helicopter Tour

Glide through the melting sunset over the California Coastline, sweep over the Santa Monica Mountains, or get great views over the exclusive homes of the Pacific Palisades. This is a unique and thrilling 30-minute helicopter tour exploring the Los Angeles Coast. The California Coastline tour is available at any time during the day and is a must for anyone who loves the ocean. Take off from the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, heading south to fly over the Santa Monica Mountains and drop down into the spectacular coastal homes of Pacific Palisades. Fly low-level along the world famous beaches of Santa Monica, the Santa Monica Pier, and Venice. On your way back to the Airport, you'll fly over the new Getty Center, with its grand architecture appearing ever more dramatic from the sky.

Los Angeles: Getty Center Museum Guided Tour

2. Los Angeles: Getty Center Museum Guided Tour

Explore one of Los Angeles' top sights with an art historian on a guided tour. Visit the Getty Center Museum and discover facts and revelations about the architecture and J. Paul Getty in addition to the impressive art collection. See works by Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Bernini, Monet and van Gogh. Meet your guide at the Getty Museum Tram or in the Front Entrance to the Museum and prepare to journey through time. Before you start your tour, let your guide know if you want to focus on a specific art period or want an overview the highlights of every period of art. Stroll through the impressive art collection, from illuminated manuscripts, paintings, drawings, and sculptures, to paintings from the Middle Ages to the late nineteenth century’s post-Impressionism.Meander through the museum's six buildings with your guide and enjoy the best panoramic view of Los Angeles. At each gallery, you will be amazed by "peek behind the canvas" from your guide. Learn how each artist impacted history and the future as you discover little-known facts about them. As you pass through the Renaissance paintings, learn why and how so many nudes are featured and how symbolism was used before the masses became literate. Visit the Dutch Masters and learn why they painted so many dead bugs, wilted flowers, and objects that were not from their country! After you see the highlights of the permanent collection, head to the Decorative Arts Pavilion. Marvel at historical items belonging to the French Kings and Marie Antoinette before finishing your tour.

Los Angeles: Getty Center & Griffith Observatory Guided Tour

3. Los Angeles: Getty Center & Griffith Observatory Guided Tour

Explore these two beautiful landmarks that are a must-see while visiting Los Angeles. Take advantage of this great offer and save the hassle of navigating them and trying to get to them yourself. Enjoy thousands of pre-20th-century European paintings and decorative arts inside The Getty and beautifully landscaped gardens right outside. Experience 67,000 square feet of exhibition space and a planetarium, which the observatory features. Experience it in the best possible way, with a guide, to make sure you get the most out of the experience. This tour was designed not only by some of the observatory’s former employees, but also an astronomical artist that worked on the current planetarium show. Your experience will be enhanced by taking you on a curated journey through art, space and time, and will cover everything from art and science to history, architecture and movie trivia. Don’t forget the opportunity to add a show in the world-famous planetarium theater with our optional upgrade available for ages 5 and older. It’s a 40-minute immersive show with live narration that’s truly out of this world.

Los Angeles: Small Group Sightseeing Tour with Hotel Pickup

4. Los Angeles: Small Group Sightseeing Tour with Hotel Pickup

Welcome to the most comprehensive city tour in Los Angeles! Begin your exciting adventure in the heart of Downtown. The first stop will be at the historic Olvera Street where one of the oldest churches in Los Angeles “The Plaza Church” is located. From there you will be transported back in time to explore the world famous Union Train Station which is known as the "Last of the Great Railway Stations." The route will continue through downtown, passing by Chinatown, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, the Civic Center, Broadway, and the city skyline. You will see the fashion district (which consists of over 1,000 stores), some film locations from famous Hollywood productions, and the Staples Center Arena before heading northwest toward Griffith Park. Griffith Park offers the best view of the city as well as the world famous Hollywood Sign; the views are simply breathtaking. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is the third major stop on this tour and is among the most popular stops in Los Angeles. The Hollywood Walk of Fame will give you the opportunity to walk among the “stars” that have made significant contributions to film, radio, television, theater, and the recording industries. The legendary Chinese theater located alongside the Hollywood Walk of Fame hosts movie premieres as well as other special events. You never know, you may be able to witness a red carpet premiere while there. After many attractions, you deserve a break. Next, you will stop at the historic Farmer's Market, which is one of the greatest places in Los Angeles to enjoy a variety of foods and beverages. "The Grove” which is located next to the Farmer's Market will not go unnoticed. You can take a ride on a historic 1950’s trolley and enjoy the features of a large center garden that includes an animated fountain with many shopping opportunities. Now that you've had time to relax and eat, you will be whisked off in the early afternoon to another world! From the Sunset Strip, you'll pass by iconic locations such as the Whisky a Go Go and the Chateau Marmont, before reaching Beverley Hills. While in Beverly Hills you will experience the charm of Rodeo Drive and may even feel like a star yourself. You'll soon see how varied and diverse this metropolis really is as you get an insight into what life is like once you've been discovered by the Hollywood Studios. Back on Sunset Boulevard heading west will bring you past the Getty Center. From there you will finally feel the breeze of the ocean. The Santa Monica Pier is a landmark of the city and has served for many backdrops in countless Hollywood films. Finally, round off a fascinating day with a nice walk along Venice Beach where you will be entertained by many different artists and showmen. “See and be seen” is the motto here. You will not be disappointed! With countless attractions in the most exciting city in the world, you will finally be brought back to your hotel or to a prearranged drop-off location by late afternoon. You won't sit on a big sightseeing bus on this tour. Capped at a maximum of 18 people, a familial atmosphere always develops during the tour. The tour makes frequent stops, allowing you to discover everything at a relaxed pace.

Los Angeles: Famous Neighbourhoods and Celebrity Homes Tours

5. Los Angeles: Famous Neighbourhoods and Celebrity Homes Tours

Get an insider look at LA culture, history, landmarks, and hot spots. Stop at The Santa Monica Pier, The Grove/Original Farmer's Market for shopping and lunch, and see Griffith Observatory before scoping celebrity homes. Meet at 9:45 AM to board your bus. First, see The Hollywood Walk of Fame, embedded with more than 2,500 terrazzo and brass stars bearing the names of celebrities honored for their contributions to the entertainment industry. One of the most famous streets in all of Los Angeles. See where many film locations for movies and TV shows take place. Then, head to The Sunset Strip. Drive past restaurants, bars, and nightclubs that are popular with celebrities. From here, continue to West Hollywood, the area that is home to many celebrities, as well as some of the best nightlife in all of Los Angeles. You'll see Beverly Hills next, located on the west side of Los Angeles. It is home to some of the most expensive real estate in the world. Next is Rodeo Drive, a famous shopping district located in Beverly Hills. Keep your eyes open for celebrities and paparazzi. Continue to see views of Bel Air, and The Getty Center. Then, stop at Santa Monica Pier for an hour. Go for a stroll on the pier, get some food and drinks, or play carnival games. See the 3rd Street Promenade, which is a pedestrian-only shopping district. Drive through Culver City and past Sony Pictures headquarters. The next drive-by is by Fairfax Avenue! You'll also see the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Petersen Automotive Museum, and the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum from the outside.The next stop is for an hour-long lunch at The Grove, also known as The Original Farmer's Market. Choose from over 80 places to eat, drink, and shop. After lunch, you'll cruise past Melrose Avenue, Paramount Studios, and Griffith Park on your way to your last one-hour stop at The Griffith Observatory. You will get the best views of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Sign from The Griffith Observatory.   Finally, head back to The Hollywood Walk of Fame to switch buses for your 2-Hour Celebrity Homes Tour (the 2nd part of your combo). Ride in an open-air bus past celebrity homes, including Tom Cruise, Katy Perry, Leonardo DiCaprio, Elvis Presley, Quentin Tarantino, and others. You will also see Rodeo Drive and have a 15-minute stop at The Beverly Hills Sign. (Please note you can take both tours on the same day or split them up into two days. The time when booking refers to your 5.5 Hour: Half Day Tour of The Best of Los Angeles. After booking please reach out to Hollywood Bus Tours directly to schedule your 2 Hour Celebrity Homes Tour.)

Other Sightseeing Options in Getty Center

Want to discover all there is to do in Getty Center? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Getty Center

Overall rating

4.9 / 5

based on 301 reviews

Although short in time, we added the Getty tour in our schedule and the whole experience paid off. Ellen our tour guide customised the tour to our needs and our 4 children were really eager to participate and actively follow. Ellen was lively, sweet and pinpointed details that kept them focused and intrigued throughout. She even offered them small gifts at the end of the tour! PS. The building is a gem. Unfortunately we could not see much of it and the surrounding area in this unprecedented foggy afternoon but we will be definitely returning.

The Getty museum is spectacular. The building and location are amazing. And the collection is stunning. We thoroughly enjoyed our guided tour with Ellen. She is great. We travelled with three teenagers and they also loved her 2 hour tour and stayed focussed on her great stories for the whole period. Highly recommended!

It was a wonderful tour. Our guide was on time and extremely knowledgeable about the Getty and fine art. She was very patient and answered all of our questions…..would do this again with her if the opportunity comes again.

Lovely experience, friendly reception, and great informative polite pilot, I highly recommend these guys for everyone

Amazing! Got to see all of LA with the help of Sean and shay. Fab tour guides.