The World's 15 Best Observatory Tours

1.Royal Observatory Greenwich & Prime Meridian Entrance Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,095 reviews · from $32Our pick

Explore the Royal Observatory Greenwich on a self-guided visit with a multilingual downloadable guide. See Flamsteed House, the Octagon Room, Harrison’s marine clocks, the Prime Meridian, a 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite, and sweeping views across London. Planetarium shows require a separate ticket.

“Electronic tickets made it very easy. Time slot not strict and could enter any time of day. Great view.”

Check dates →Read our full review

2.Griffith Observatory Hike: Guided Tour through Griffith Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,020 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $34Top rated

Walk 3.5 miles through Griffith Park and the Hollywood Hills with a first-aid and CPR-certified local guide. Hear Hollywood stories, view the Hollywood Sign, Los Feliz, Downtown LA, and more, then visit Griffith Observatory with skip-the-line access. Morning and sunset departures are available.

“Katie is a very knowledgable tour guide, very friendly and super nice. She knows the history of the landmarks that we hiked. Unfortunately, the weather was extremely hot because it was a mid-day. Not much of a shade. Totally an incline hike. It might be better if early morning or late afternoon hiking. Overall, still recommendable but be sure in a good weather.”

Check dates →Read our full review

3.Mount Teide Observatory Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 818 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $25

Visit Mount Teide Observatory for a 90-minute guided tour in English, Spanish, German, or French. Learn how the Canary Islands’ clear skies aid astronomy, view sunspots and solar flares through two solar telescopes, and step inside a professional night telescope. Bring warm clothes, sunscreen, and sturdy comfortable shoes.

“Absolutely fascinating to young and old. We are a mere pin prick if that, in a vastly expanding universe. To look at our closest star the Sun through an infra red telescope and see solar flares and black spots in which 10 earths could fit blows your mind. If you’re visiting Mt Teide then you have to do the Observatory Tour. 10/10”

Check dates →Read our full review

4.Hollywood Night Tour with Griffith Observatory

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 531 reviews · 1h 30m · from $49

Ride through Hollywood with an English-speaking guide such as Brian, Craig, Darren, or Daren, passing the Dolby Theatre, TCL Chinese Theatre, Pantages, and Sunset Boulevard. You’ll have up to 30 minutes at Griffith Observatory for city views. The open-air bus can feel cold, and Monday visits include outdoor grounds only.

“Great to see the bright lights of LA and Hollywood and enjoy this busy city. The Guide shared lots of stories and details. Enjoyed the time at Griffith Observatory for the lights and views.”

Check dates →Read our full review

5.Royal Observatory Greenwich & Prime Meridian Entry Ticket London

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 367 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $33

Visit Royal Observatory Greenwich for about two hours, stand with one foot in each hemisphere, and follow a downloadable audio guide through Flamsteed House, Wren’s Octagon Room, Harrison’s clocks, the Shepherd Gate Clock, and the Great Equatorial Telescope. Add nearby free museums and Cutty Sark for a full Greenwich day.

“Our tour guide (Ross) at the Royal Observatory was extremely interesting. How lucky to be able to share the view from your office with all who visit. Thank you”

Check dates →Read our full review

6.Griffith Observatory Insider Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 306 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $52

Spend 90 minutes inside Griffith Observatory with a small group of up to 15 people and an English-speaking guide such as Estevan, Barry, or Angelica. Learn the building’s science, film lore, and history, see the Foucault Pendulum and Tesla Coil, pose by Einstein, and enjoy Hollywood Sign views. A Samuel Oschin Planetarium ticket is included, but parking is not.

“Our guide was wonderful and his energy was contagious. Would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting SoCal”

Check dates →Read our full review

7.Griffith Observatory Insider Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 287 reviews · 1h 30m · from $52

Spend 90 minutes exploring Griffith Observatory with an English-speaking guide such as Barry, Angelica, or Estevan. You’ll see key exhibits across 67,000 square feet, hear stories about science, architecture, movies, and Los Angeles, take in Hollywood Sign views, and attend a 40-minute Samuel Oschin Planetarium show.

“Barry was great! He has great knowledge and interesting information and we really enjoyed this tour! Thanks Barry for such a great experience. I learned quite a bit and found it really fascinating!!”

Check dates →Read our full review

8.Griffith Observatory Guided Hike/Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 199 reviews · 2h 30m · from $34

Join an English-speaking guide such as Michael, Katie, Mark, or Noelle for a 2.5-hour Griffith Park hike from the Greek Theatre to Griffith Observatory. Expect steady uphill walking, film locations, Hollywood history, Downtown LA views, photos, and entry into the Observatory building.

“Phenomenal views!! Our guide, Stephen T, was entertaining and very knowledgeable of the history of LA and Hollywood. This hike was the highlight of my four day trip to LA.”

Check dates →Read our full review

9.Private Getty Center to Griffith Observatory Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 185 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $172

Spend about six hours with a private guide and air-conditioned vehicle, visiting the Getty Center and Griffith Observatory while passing Beverly Hills, the Sunset Strip, Hollywood, and the Hollywood Sign. Guides such as Brian, Matt, Gregory, Chris, and Estevan bring local stories to the drive. Plan ahead for traffic and lunch.

“We learned so much on this experience! Chris, our guide, was absolutely amazing! The cool, interesting tidbits we picked up were just as amazing as the views!”

Check dates →Read our full review

10.Mount John Observatory Stargazing Experience, Tekapo

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 160 reviews · from $139

Travel from Lake Tekapo to Mount John’s 1,029-metre summit for 1 hour 30 minutes of guided stargazing. You’ll use powerful telescopes, learn Southern Hemisphere constellations, and receive extreme-weather jackets. Guides may include Kieran, Alice, or Olive, with English and Mandarin tours available.

“This was an amazing experience. I have been a keen star gazer for many years but have never seen a dark sky like this one before. There were three experts on hand who were well qualified and showed me things that I did not know.”

Check dates →Read our full review

11.Mount Teide Observatory Astronomical Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 126 reviews · 8 hours · from $121

Spend eight hours exploring Mount Teide with a guide, visiting the world’s largest solar observatory, watching sunset, and viewing stars through long-range telescopes. Guides such as Lucas and Micaela explain astronomy in clear, friendly terms. Pickup is available from selected north Tenerife hotels. Bring warm clothes and closed shoes.

“Excellent trip. Exceeded our expectations. Guide very knowledgeable and informative.”

Check dates →Read our full review

12.Hollywood Sign Hiking Tour to Griffith Observatory

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 106 reviews · 2 hours · from $613

Walk with a private English-speaking guide from Los Feliz through Griffith Park to Griffith Observatory. You will climb the equivalent of 12 flights at an easy pace, pass Ennis House, hear Hollywood stories, and photograph the sign from a scenic viewpoint. Guides have included Gregory, Paul, Matt, Chris, Lisa, and Maria.

“our tour guide Paul was very informative and funny, we learnt about the history of the area and even got a chance to look at some awesome houses in the area”

Check dates →Read our full review

13.Hollywood Sign Hiking Tour to Griffith Observatory

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 99 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $39

Join guides such as Paul, Lisa, Matt, or Chris for a roughly three-hour hike from Griffith Park through Los Feliz to Griffith Observatory. Expect steady inclines, city views, Hollywood Sign photo stops, striking homes, local history, and a small group of no more than 15 people.

“Phillip was our tour guide and we had so much fun! He was Very knowledgeable about Los Angeles history and we loved the tour.”

Check dates →Read our full review

14.Royal Observatory Planetarium Show Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 89 reviews · from $16Best value

Enter London’s only operational planetarium for a 30-minute live show led by a Royal Observatory astronomer. Your booking is assigned to the day’s program, such as Sky Tonight, We Are Guardians, Audio Universe, or Starstruck. Expect spacecraft images, CGI, and views across London from Greenwich Park.

“We absolutely loved our day at the observatory & planetarium. All the staff members were lovely & always helpful. The observatory was really interesting & we learnt a lot from all the information. Our highlight was the planetarium. We had Jess , she was exceptional. We haven't stop talking about it since we came home. We will definitely be visiting again & bringing our 9½ & 8 year old granddaughters, as the are very much into planets & everything to do with star formations & our solar system.”

Check dates →Read our full review

15.Stargazing Experience at Cowan’s Private Observatory

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 85 reviews · from $82

Meet at the Dark Sky Project in Lake Tekapo, then take a short shuttle to Cowan’s Private Observatory. In sheltered craters, an astronomy guide uses lasers and powerful telescopes to point out planets, star clusters, constellations, and the Milky Way. The 90-minute experience suits first-time stargazers and families.

“The sky is amazing. The guide is super knowledgable and friendly. Very memorable experience for the kids.”

Check dates →Read our full review