Thinking about giving up a precious LA morning to see backlots and soundstages instead of beaches and brunch? Here’s the straight answer: the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Burbank is one of the few attractions that feels like real Hollywood, not the theme-park version. It isn’t cheap and it isn’t quick, but for film and TV fans it usually justifies the parking, the ID check, and the detour over the 134.
The standard Studio Tour ticket is currently $79 for ages 11+ and $68 for ages 5–10. That buys a total experience of around 3 hours, with roughly 45–60 minutes guided in a tour cart through active backlots followed by about 2 hours self-guided in exhibits and sets. Kids under 5 aren’t allowed on any tour at all, and children must tour with an adult. You will be asked for a government-issued photo ID if you’re 18+, and there is a metal-detector screening at entry, so budget time for that security step.
If you want a longer guided portion and fewer crowds around you, the Studio Tour Plus runs about 4 hours total, with 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours of guided time and lunch included at Central Perk Café inside the Stage 48 building. Adult tickets for Plus are $160, kids $138. The TCM Classic Films Tour is for old-Hollywood diehards and clocks about 3½ hours total, with 90–110 minutes guided, at $99 for adults and $79 for kids. The top end is the Deluxe Tour at $330 per person (ages 11+), roughly 6 hours including a seated commissary lunch and extended access like the Property Department.
Tours generally operate daily with first check-ins starting around 8:30 a.m. and last tour times in the mid‑afternoon window. The WB Studio Store typically stays open later than the last tour, often until 7:00 p.m., which helps if you want to shop after your time on the lot. Because this is a working studio, not all sets and stages are open every day. Routes shift around active filming, which is part of the charm and part of the unpredictability.
| Tour option | Price | Total time | Guided time | Included extras | Age rules |
| Studio Tour | $79 adult · $68 child | ~3 hours | 45–60 minutes | Backlot cart tour, Stage 48 exhibits, DC and Wizarding World finale areas | Kids 5+ only; 18+ show ID |
| TCM Classic Films Tour | $99 adult · $79 child | ~3½ hours | 90–110 minutes | Golden Age focus; additional historic locations; classic-film clips | Kids 5+; 18+ show ID |
| Studio Tour Plus | $160 adult · $138 child | ~4 hours | 1h 40m–2h | Welcome reception, lunch at Central Perk Café, extended guided time | Kids 5+; 18+ show ID |
| Deluxe Tour | $330 per person (11+) | ~6 hours | 2h 40m–3h plus seated lunch | Fine-dining commissary lunch, deeper access like the Property Department | 11+ only; 18+ show ID |
There is also a current bundle that pairs the Studio Tour with the on-site Superman Experience exhibit. That exhibit opens Thursday–Monday, generally 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., and is closed Tuesday–Wednesday. If the Superman add-on matters to you, schedule your day on a day it’s actually open rather than assuming it runs daily.
Practical rules you won’t want to discover at the door: video recording and large bags are restricted in many areas, and bag screening happens before you reach the lobby displays. The tour is offered in several languages on set schedules, including English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Italian for standard tickets; if you need ASL interpretation, you can request it with advance notice.
Weekday mornings are your friend. The backlot is a real workplace, so arrivals before 10 a.m. often feel calmer. Plan to be at the Tour Center 30 minutes before your timed ticket to deal with parking, ticket scanning, security, and that ID check for adults. If you show up right at your time, you’ll spend your first minutes watching your group disappear while you’re still in the elevator line.
The Studio Tour bills itself as a roughly 3-hour experience, and those numbers are real if you keep a normal pace. Where time leaks away is the self-guided half, mostly at Stage 48: Script to Screen, which stacks interactive exhibits, the Friends set area, and the café and shop under one roof. Add 20–30 minutes if you want photos at the Friends fountain outside or to linger over costumes in the DC and Wizarding World finale galleries. If you book Studio Tour Plus, lunch at Central Perk Café is included and structured, so your whole visit reliably lands around four hours.
Hours typically run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for tour departures, with the Studio Store open later. The last tour groups leave in the afternoon, and you want to be inside self-guided areas by 5 p.m. if you’re on a later start. A few days per year close to production or events. The online calendar will flag those dates; if your window is tight, check before booking flights.
Guest parking for the Studio Tour is in the structure at 3400 Warner Blvd., Burbank with a posted fee of $20 per vehicle. Follow the Tour Parking signs on the south side of Warner Blvd; EV chargers are available, and the height clearance is around 7 feet. Rideshare drop-off and pickup use the same 3400 Warner Blvd address. Don’t rely on neighborhood street parking for a 3–4 hour visit; much of Burbank around the lot is posted for two-hour limits or permit zones, and parking enforcement is not shy.
Skipping the car is doable. From the Universal/Studio City Red Line station, Metro Bus 155 runs toward Burbank. From Hollywood/Highland it’s Bus 222, and from North Hollywood the 501 express is your fastest bet. All of the listed routes drop you within about a quarter mile of the Tour Center entrance. If you’re mixing attractions, a morning at Warner in Burbank dovetails nicely into an afternoon in nearby Toluca Lake or over the hill to dinner in Hollywood.
You’ve got four credible studio tours in greater Los Angeles, and they are not interchangeable. Here’s the blunt breakdown from a local who gets tapped to chaperone relatives:
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood (Burbank). This is the most hands-on of the big ones without turning into a theme park. The $79 base ticket covers a guided cart ride through active backlots plus time in exhibits and sets. Minimum age is 5. Parking is $20 on-site. The tour route changes day to day, which means sometimes you’ll get a quiet New York Street and other days you’ll steer around a live shoot. If you want more face time with a guide and guaranteed time in areas like the Property Department, that’s what Plus and Deluxe pay for.
Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour (Universal City). It is included with theme park admission and runs roughly 60 minutes by tram. That’s a great value if you’re already in the park, but it is a different vibe. You sit the whole time, you see massive standing sets, and you roll through effects sequences like King Kong and Fast & Furious that are big and loud. If you’re not planning to spend the day in the park anyway, you can’t just buy the Studio Tour alone; you need a park ticket for the whole visit.
Paramount Pictures Studio Tour (Hollywood). The standard two-hour cart tour is typically $69, with longer upgraded options: a 3-hour Premier Tour at about $150 and a 4½-hour VIP Tour around $220. Paramount’s minimum age is generally older than WB’s, and its Visitor Parking Lot A charges about $20 for the basic tours while VIP parking is comped. If your interests skew to Golden Age history and you like a smaller-lot feel, Paramount hits that note nicely.
Sony Pictures Studios Tour (Culver City). A mostly walking tour through historic Columbia Pictures facilities, usually priced in the mid‑$50s range before fees. Schedules are set by day and season, and the minimum age is typically 12. If you want a tour you can do without a car once you’re on the Westside, Sony is the most Culver- and Metro-accessible of the bunch.
Bottom line for most visitors staying near Hollywood or the Valley: if you want a backlot ride with big sets and a one-hour time commitment, Universal wins because it’s baked into the park ticket. If you want a deeper, guide-driven look at how TV is made right now, do Warner Bros. and consider Plus when you’ve got a film or television obsessive in the group who will ask good questions for two hours straight.
After check-in, you’ll start with a brief welcome in the lobby and the Storytelling Showcase. The guided portion takes you onto the backlots where your guide will point out active soundstages, standing streets, and a surprise or two depending on permits that day. WB owns a lot of TV right now, so don’t expect one-favorite-show coverage. Expect a sampler across franchises, then time to explore the indoor exhibits.
On the self-guided side, Stage 48: Script to Screen is the time sink. It’s built to let you play with sound mixing, see how costumes come together, and sit on the recreated Central Perk set. If you booked Studio Tour Plus, your lunch at Central Perk Café is included and spelled out: one hot or cold entrée, a side like chips or a salad or a pastry, and a drink. Without Plus, the café still takes walk-up orders, but queues hit 20+ minutes at mid‑day and seating fills quickly.
The finale galleries serve two huge fandoms in one sweep: DC Super Heroes & Super-Villains and the Wizarding World area. This is where the best costume work lives and where lines for photo stations can stack. If you started early, you can usually get 5–10 minutes with each section before the late morning crowd catches up. The Friends fountain out front is a reliable five-minute wait for a photo before noon on weekdays, and often much longer on Saturday afternoons.
A few practical time-savers drawn from too many family visits to count:
For most visitors, the base ticket’s mix of 45–60 minutes with a guide plus 2 hours of self-guided time hits the mark. Upgrade to Plus if you want more time with a guide and a guaranteed Central Perk Café lunch without dealing with lines. If you’re touring with kids under 10, the standard tour usually fits their attention better.
Weekday mornings are consistently the easiest. Tours begin around 8:30 a.m., and arriving 30 minutes ahead lets you clear security smoothly. By late morning the Stage 48 exhibits and the Friends photo spots get busy, so earlier slots help you move faster through those areas.
Yes, if you keep the clock in mind. The Warner Bros. visit takes around 3 hours door to door for the base ticket. Universal’s tram tour is roughly 60 minutes but requires theme park admission, so you’ll spend more total time at the park. A morning at WB in Burbank paired with an afternoon at Universal in Universal City works if you start early.
Very. Every guest 18+ needs a government photo ID to enter, and children must be at least 5 to go on any tour. Security also screens bags and sends everyone through metal detectors, so budget that time at check-in.
If you’re choosing between tours, start with your format: a 3-hour behind-the-scenes day with exhibits you can roam equals Warner Bros., a 1-hour tram inside a full theme park equals Universal, and a tighter, more old-Hollywood cart or walking tour points toward Paramount or Sony. If someone in your group lives for behind-the-scenes craft stories, spend for WB’s Plus tier and give them the extra guided time.
Published: September 10, 2026 · Reviewed by the This Los Angeles editorial team