This post provides details about visiting Universal Studios in Hollywood. We also include information about the Universal Studios Tour, ticket prices, discounts, attractions to see and more.
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS TICKETS
The price of a ticket varies based on what you want to see, how many days you plan to visit, and when you will be coming to Universal Studios Hollywood.
If you’re looking for a skip-the-line experience, you can purchase a Universal Express ticket which will make it much easier to see everything available.
For an even better experience including gourmet meals and valet parking, you can get a VIP ticket. This option also includes exclusive backlot access, allowing you to get an even closer look behind the scenes.
The VIP tour is an entirely different experience from their main tour, so if you want to see as much as possible, check our attractions section for more details about this opportunity.
General admission can be purchased for either 1 or 2 days at a time, and the 2-day ticket option allows you to save at least $60-$70.
Ticket Prices
- 1-Day Ticket: $109-$129
- 2-Day Ticket: $149-$169
- Universal Express Ticket: $179-$279
- VIP Experience Ticket: $349
- Purchase tickets or learn more.
Please keep in mind that these prices reflect tickets purchased online. You can expect tickets to cost more at the gate.
It’s also worth noting that the studio tour is included with admission, so you don’t have to pay anything extra to get a behind-the-scenes look at Universal Studios.
TIP: You can save anywhere from 20% – 50% off Universal Studios Hollywood tickets with a Los Angeles tourist pass. Check our discounts section for more details.
NOTE: The studio tour offered by this studio is included with the price of admission to Universal Studios Hollywood. Read our tour section for additional information.
DISCOUNTS
This section covers all of the best discounts available on tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood, including information about tourist passes, discount sites and more.
Tourist Passes
If you’re planning to enjoy more than just Universal Studios while visiting Los Angeles, you may want to consider getting a tourist pass to save money on a variety of activities and attractions.
The following passes include tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood:
- Go Los Angeles Card
- Los Angeles Explorer Pass
- Build Your Own Pass
- Los Angeles CityPASS
- Starline Attraction Pass
The easiest option is the build-your-own-pass, as you only have to purchase two tickets in order to save 20% on both.
While this caps the savings potential, it’s also much better for anyone who isn’t planning a detailed itinerary in Los Angeles.
Alternatively, an all-inclusive pass provides one of the best deals with admission to dozens of attractions available for a specific amount of time (1, 2, 3, 5, or 7 days).
That said, Universal Studios Hollywood is only available on the 3, 5 and 7 day passes. Even so, you could save 50% or more off general admission prices by using this pass.
The only flaw with this option is that you have to use it for as many activities as possible to save the most money possible.
If each of the attractions you want to visit is rather expensive, the flex pass could be a great choice, as it allows you to pay one flat price for a set number of activities (3, 4, 5, or 7).
This could be a great deal and there’s potential to save up to 60% off general admission prices, but at roughly $31 per ticket, you definitely won’t want to use this pass for attractions that are already very affordable.
The final option is a preset package pass (CityPASS) which includes specific activities, and in the case of LA this is a great choice for anyone who wants to visit theme parks like Disneyland, LEGOLAND, and SeaWorld.
Aside from Universal Studios Hollywood, here are some of the best attractions included with each of these tourist passes:
- SeaWorld | $68
- Disneyland | $129
- LEGOLAND | $95
- Knott’s Berry Farm | $64
- Six Flags Magic Mountain | $93
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour | $72
- Hop-on-Hop-off Bus Tour | $50
- Madame Tussauds Hollywood | $30
- Pacific Park Santa Monica | $33
- TCL Chinese Theater Tour | $18
- Dolby Theater Tour | $25
- OUE Skyspace + Skyslide | $33
- Aquarium of the Pacific | $35
- Whale Watching Cruise | $50
- And more!
Depending on which service you choose, you should be able to save at least 20% – 60% off general admission prices for a variety of fun activities in Los Angeles.
For more details, please read our full post covering Los Angeles tourist passes.
AAA Discount
Members of AAA are eligible for the following discounts at Universal Studios Hollywood:
- $20 off the VIP Experience when purchased online.
- $10 off Universal Express tickets at the gate.
- 10% off at select CityWalk locations.
All you have to do is present proof of valid AAA membership to take advantage of these deals.
Military Discount
Universal Studios Hollywood offers special rates for both active duty and retired military. These rates are only available through participating military ticket offices and cannot be obtained either online or at the gate.
That said, even if you don’t have time to visit a military ticket office, you can still save $3 off general admission tickets at the gate.
Discount Sites
In addition to all the other opportunities to save money on tickets, you can also find admission to Universal Studios Hollywood on discount sites such as Groupon or Living Social.
On top of the deals they already offer (currently about 20% off), these sites typically provide additional coupon codes with anywhere from 10% – 50% off local activities.
Before making any purchase, please check both the top and bottom of each page for banners that may contain coupons you can use to save even more money!
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD TOUR
This tour is included with the price of admission to Universal Studios Hollywood, and it’s a combination of a behind-the-scenes tour and a theme park ride.
The studio tour is usually led by none other than Jimmy Fallon, but at times they’ll have special guests who hop on and serve as a guide. In the past, guests have included characters like the Grinch.
During the tour, you’ll visit 13 city blocks of the studio lot and see several notable sets from throughout the history of the Universal Studios.
Visitors can expect to see sets from movies like War of the Worlds, Jaws, King Kong, Psycho, and The Fast & The Furious. Some sets have actually been designed as more of an amusement park ride, bringing you closer to the action of filmmaking.
The tour runs for approximately 60 minutes and it’s offered several times each day. Although this may seem short, it also means you’ll have more time to visit other attractions in and around Universal Studios Hollywood!
OTHER ATTRACTIONS AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD
This section will provide a few details about some of the other activities and attractions you can enjoy at Universal Studios Hollywood.
This studio is like an amusement park, so there are several great rides to enjoy that we will discuss below. There are also quite a few shopping opportunities you may want to consider.
Backlot Access
If you want to get an even closer look behind the scenes, VIP tickets include exclusive access to the Universal Backlot, allowing you to check out actual sound stages and the prop department.
Many people report that while taking advantage of this opportunity, they have actually seen notable actors and celebrities!
This experience is best for movie buffs who legitimately want to learn more about the filmmaking process and see interesting locations related to their favorite films.
Universal CityWalk
Believe it or not, this attraction is actually located right outside Universal Studios Hollywood, and you don’t need to pay for admission to visit CityWalk.
With more than 30 places to eat, a 19 screen theater and 30 stores to shop at, there’s plenty to see and do here. Best of all, if you’re a AAA member, you can save 10% at certain CityWalk locations!
Amusement Rides
There are several themed amusement rides at Universal Studios, including some of the following popular examples:
- Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem
- Harry Potter: Flight of the Hippogriff
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride
- Jurassic World: The Ride
- Transformers: The Ride
- The Simpsons Ride
- And more!
Some of these rides are located in themed locations within the park that are designed to replicate the world within the films and shows they reference.
Themed Locations
In addition to all the rides available in Universal Studios Hollywood, there are also several areas in the park that replicate the look and feel of film locations in popular movies and television franchises.
Here are some of the most notable examples:
- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
- The Walking Dead Walkthrough
- The Simpsons World
- Jurassic World
- WaterWorld
- And more!
Each themed location typically includes at least a few rides, attractions, restaurants and shops where you can find a lot of great memorabilia related to your favorite franchises.
Character Sightings
Much like a theme park, you can expect to see several notable characters walking around Universal Studios Hollywood, including some of the following examples:
- The Minions
- The Simpsons
- Scooby-Doo
- Optimus Prime
- Bumblebee
- Spongebob
- Curious George
- Shrek, Donkey & Princess Fiona
- And many more!
Aside from character sightings, you may also spot a few celebrities on the Universals Studio backlot while taking their studio tour!
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