Best haunted tours in LA

Discover the spookier side of Los Angeles on these not-for-the-fearful tours.

Nicolas Reffray

Nicolas Reffray

9 min read

Best haunted tours in LA

Roosevelt Hotel, Los Angeles | ©Fraser West

If you are attracted to the paranormal and would like to know all the details about the real crimes and ghost stories of Hollywood, you should definitely join one of these fun tours of L.A. You will discover the other side of one of the most incredible cities in the United States.

Of all the tours there are to see and do in Los Angeles, the ghost tours are among the most chosen by its visitors. When the sun goes down you will meet your guide, who will take you through the spookiest places, while telling you true stories that will amaze you. Here I have selected the best and spookiest tours in the city of Los Angeles. Are you up for it?

1. Walking tour of haunted Hollywood: real crimes and spooky tales

Haunted Roosevelt Hotel| ©Leka Wall
Haunted Roosevelt Hotel| ©Leka Wall

Tour the dark side of Hollywood. On this L.A. ghost tour you will see theaters, hotels and places where spooky events have occurred. From the hand of your local guide, an expert on the subject, you will learn all about the ghost stories, real crimes and gruesome secrets of the city of the stars.

A tour not suitable for everyone, where you can enjoy the paranormal at its best. On this 2-hour tour you will see the other side of the incredible Pantages Theater, the Hollywood sign, the Chinese Theater and the Walk of Fame, as well as the Dolby Theater, where your guide will tell you all about the Manson family murders.

This is definitely one of the top 10 things to do in Los Angeles at night, that is if you dare!

Details of interest

  • Price: from 37 euros per person.
  • Duration: approximately 2 hours.
  • Means of transportation: walking tour.
  • Advantages of this option: thanks to your expert guide, you will have the chance to know places and things you did not know about the city of stars.
  • Disadvantages of this option: not suitable for children, as it may cause nightmares.

Book the Los Angeles Ghost and Crime Tour

2. Downtown Hollywood Ghost Tour

Los Angeles Chinese Theater| ©Jack R
Los Angeles Chinese Theater| ©Jack R

With this tour you will get to know another of the most iconic sites among Hollywood's ghost stories. On this tour you will hear from your guide the stories of some of the tragedies that have overshadowed the city over the years. Los Angeles has not always been all rosy, you can be sure of that.

You will visit the Capitan Theatre, the First National Bank of Hollywood, the Magic Castle and the Chinese Theatre, which has been the scene of a violent crime that nobody says anything about...

Get ready for an incomparable experience through the Hollywood night, where the stars don't always shine.

Details of interest

  • Price: from 29 euros per person.
  • Duration: about 1 hour.
  • Means of transport: walking tour.
  • Advantages of this option: you will see sites that are uncommon in this type of tour in Hollywood and L.A., and thanks to your personal guide you will learn about the stories that inhabit these streets.
  • Disadvantages of this option: It can be a bit short.

Book the Los Angeles ghost tour

3. DTLA Murder Mystery Ghost Tour

Biltmore Hotel, famous for its ghost stories.| ©Angel
Biltmore Hotel, famous for its ghost stories.| ©Angel

Learn all about Los Angeles' criminal past on this sensational mystery tour. Your guide will tell you in detail about all the murders and questionable suicides that have occurred at the sites you will visit.

You will visit the Clifton Hotel, the L.A. Courthouse, the Biltmore Hotel and the Alexandria Hotel, places that have become famous for the ghostly apparitions or crimes that have taken place there. You will also make a stop at a typical L.A. bar, where you can have some cocktails before starting the tour.

This is, without a doubt, one of the best tours of Los Angeles that you can do. This 3-hour adventure through the dark side of sunny L.A. will be an unforgettable experience. And when the sun goes down... anything can happen.

Details of interest

  • Price: from 50 euros per person.
  • Duration: 3 hours approximately.
  • Means of transport: walking tour.
  • Advantages of this option: you have 3 hours to visit the most paranormal sites in LA.
  • Disadvantages of this option: not recommended for small children.

Book the Los Angeles ghost tour

4. Hollywood Boulevard Ghost Walk

Hollywood Knickerbocker Apartments| ©Gary Minnaert
Hollywood Knickerbocker Apartments| ©Gary Minnaert

On this approximately 2-hour tour of Hollywood Boulevard, you can visit some of the sites believed to be haunted by the ghosts of big screen actors and actresses who are not resigned to being dead.

Places like the Dolby Theatre, the Hollywood Wax Museum, the traditional meeting place of the most select Hollywood Musso & Frank Grill, the Hollywood Knickerbocker Apartments, Hollywood and Vine, Ripley's Believe it or not, the Pantages Theater, the TCL Chinese Theater and the most haunted building of all: The Hollywood Roosevelt, where the first Oscar awards were held, and in which they say that the ghosts of, for example, Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift circulate.

A very good option if you want to visit the highlights of Hollywood Boulevard and be surprised by how many spooky stories it hides.

Details of interest

  • Price: from 29 euros per person.
  • Duration: between 1:30 minutes and 2 hours approximately.
  • Means of transport: walking tour.
  • Advantages of this option: you will get to know the best kept secrets of Hollywood Boulevard.
  • Disadvantages of this option: the itinerary is closed.

Book the Los Angeles Ghost Tour

5. Lost Souls of Hollywood Boulevard: a ghost tour with smartphone audio

A tour with headphones| ©Matt Machin
A tour with headphones| ©Matt Machin

Live an absolutely private experience, learning all about the ghosts of Hollywood Boulevard. This is a different kind of tour, without a physical guide. From your Smartphone, and using headphones, you will be able to follow the story of each of the places you pass by. It's almost as if a ghost is guiding you on this adventure through the night of L.A.

The proposed tour lasts between 1 and 2 hours, but of course you can do it at your own pace, pausing the story as many times as you like. Thanks to the GPS map you will be able to see where you are and which are the points to follow this ghostly and terrifying tour.

You will visit places like the Roosevelt Hotel and Boardner's by La Belle, as well as the Pantages, Knickerbocker and Hollywood Pacific theaters.

This night tour is ideal to do in the warmer months, that's why it is one of the best things to do in Los Angeles in summer. Another thing to keep in mind is that, once downloaded, the tour is yours and you can repeat it as many times as you want!

Interesting details

  • Price: from 8 euros per person.
  • Duration: between 1 and 2 hours approximately.
  • Means of transport: walking tour.
  • Advantages of this option: you can manage the time at your own pace, since you do not have to adapt to other travelers, nor to a guide.
  • Disadvantages of this option: you do not have a physical guide to ask what comes to your mind.

6. Tour of Los Angeles for adults only: The Fame Kills

Wax Museum Tour Starts at the Wax Museum| ©Ignat Gorazd
Wax Museum Tour Starts at the Wax Museum| ©Ignat Gorazd

Nothing can be more frightening than a wax museum, and in the case of Madame Toussaud's Museum, where the resemblance and level of detail of the figures is supernatural, you will feel that the personalities will come to life at any moment, undoubtedly one of the best museums in Los Angeles and a must stop on your trip.

On this guided tour of L.A.'s nightlife you will hear about some of the most famous names of the silver screen, their rise and fall. At places like the Pantages Theatrer, if you're lucky you may encounter the ghost of Howard Hughes, or the industry's loved and hated Orson Wells.

Along with your guide you'll visit the Chinese Theater and the Walk of Fame, where so many personalities have left their mark forever etched in cement.

Details of interest

  • Price: from 35 euros per person.
  • Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes approximately.
  • Means of transport: walking tour.
  • Advantages of this option: you will know inside the most important wax museum in Hollywood, along with all the chilling stories that your guide will tell you.
  • Disadvantages of this option: the itinerary is closed.

7. Notorious Los Angeles: private tour of the haunted and true crime city

Hollywood Forever Cemetery| ©Wayne Steinberg
Hollywood Forever Cemetery| ©Wayne Steinberg

On this half-day guided tour you will be picked up from the comfort of your hotel and driven in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle through the most chilling sites of Los Angeles.

You will pass through the Cemetery of the Stars, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where renowned figures such as Rudolph Valentino, Judy Garland, Chris Cornell, Johnny and Dee Dee Ramone, among others, are buried. You can also visit the sites of the Black Dahlia and Manson Family murders, among others.

You will visit the Museum of Death, the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Greystone Mansion, as well as the Spadena House, the Sunset Strip, the Sunset Tower Hotel and the Chateau Marmont, where great movie and rock 'n' roll personalities lived and died.

Details of interest

  • Price: from 178 euros per person.
  • Duration: approximately 4 hours.
  • Means of transport: tour aboard an air-conditioned minibus.
  • Advantages of this option: you will be able to know details of the city's past, its crimes with an expert guide and the comfort of riding in a minibus.
  • Disadvantages of this option: it can be a bit extensive, since you must have half a day to do it. It is done when the sun goes down.

Book the Los Angeles Ghost Tour

How to book a ghost tour in L.A

Booking online| ©Porapak Apichodilok
Booking online| ©Porapak Apichodilok

As always, the best way to book these types of tours is online. This way you are guaranteed that you are hiring a reputable company and you can check reviews and opinions from previous travelers to see if they recommend them or not. If, on the other hand, you book a ghost tour on the street you may get a surprise and not enjoy the experience to the fullest, or the company or the guide offering it may not be entirely professional.

Duration of ghost tours in L.A

On the walk of fame| ©Aaron Daveler
On the walk of fame| ©Aaron Daveler

These types of tours range from 1 to 4 hours, depending on the number of locations you will be visiting and the amount of time you will be at the locations. Remember that a longer or more expensive tour is not always synonymous with better. I recommend that you look at the available tour options and choose the one that best suits you and your particular interests.

What will I see on this type of excursion?

Museum of Death| ©Logan W
Museum of Death| ©Logan W

Each of these tours offers a different route, but all of them have in common the city of Los Angeles and its gruesome past. From hotels and theaters where ghostly presences have been seen to haunted houses and scenes of terrible murders, these tours will not leave you indifferent, that I assure you. You will hear the most chilling stories that L.A. hides, where rock stars and movie stars are the protagonists.

How much does a ghost tour of L.A. cost?

Money in Dollars| ©Karolina Grabowska
Money in Dollars| ©Karolina Grabowska

The prices of this kind of tours vary according to the number of hours and places visited. A guided tour is between 29 and 178 euros. There are also more affordable options that do not include a guide, but rather download podcasts that are synchronized with the tour you take around the city. This option can be had for about 8 euros approximately, and is also highly recommended.

Book the Los Angeles ghost tour