The Long Way Up Goes Behind the Hollywood Sign
A guided climb to the ridge above the Hollywood Sign, with a working comedian leading and a dog along for the walk.
Most people photograph the Hollywood Sign from a parking lot several miles below it. This walk goes the other way. It begins at the Innsdale Trail and climbs through Griffith Park until the letters sit below the path.
The route tops out on the ridge behind the sign, where the view splits in two directions. Los Angeles fills one side. The San Fernando Valley fills the other.
The guides are working Los Angeles comedians, and a dog walks with the group. Bottled water is included, confirmation is instant, and the ticket stays on your phone. The tour holds close to 5.0 from more than 2,600 reviews.
Hollywood Sign 2.5-Hour Tour with Comedians and Their DogsHollywood Hikes · Meets at the Smokey Bear sign on the Innsdale Trailwww.viator.comTwo Options, Two Different Walks
The booking page sells two versions under the same listing, and they do not cover the same ground.
The full tour is the two-and-a-half-hour one. It is the version that climbs to the top and goes behind the letters. The 75-minute express stops at the closest legal viewing spot in front of the sign and turns around there. Anyone booking for the ridge behind the sign will not get there on the shorter option.
What the Top Actually Shows You
The itinerary names what comes into view from the summit. On the city side: the Hollywood skyline with the Capitol Records building and the Roosevelt Hotel, then downtown, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica beyond it. Turn around and the land drops into the San Fernando Valley, with Burbank below and the San Gabriel Mountains along the back.
Golden hour is what the operator sells this on. Departure times change with the date. Check the slot you are booking if the light is the point.
Getting There, and the Parking Rule
The meeting point is the Smokey Bear sign at the start of the Innsdale Trail, on a residential street. The operator asks guests not to knock on the door or ring the bell at the house on that corner, and not to disturb the neighbors.
Free street parking is there Monday through Thursday, and there is none Friday through Sunday or on holidays. On those days the operator expects you to arrive by rideshare or be dropped off. It carries a wifi hotspot at the meeting point for anyone who needs to call a car afterwards.
Who It Suits
The operator rates the walk for all fitness levels and says it is not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health. It climbs on fire road and trail. Expect to be going uphill for most of the way out.
Children under two go free and can ride in a pram or stroller. Service animals are allowed. Bring water, sunscreen, comfortable shoes, and cash for tips, which are not included. A text script of the tour information is available if you ask for it in advance, which matters to anyone who would rather read than listen.
Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the departure time. The operator will also call the walk off for bad weather or if too few people book.
The full version runs two and a half hours on your feet, most of it uphill and then back down the same trail. You finish where you started, and the last stretch down has the letters below you with the whole basin spread out past them.