How Many Days Are Needed at Universal Studios Hollywood?

Universal Studios Hollywood is home to a theme park, an entertainment complex, and a real-working movie studio. If you’re planning a trip to the destination, you may be wondering how many days it takes to experience everything. We believe that question is best answered based on a few factors, such as crowd levels, your budget, and what you plan to experience. To help you plan out your trip, we broke this guide down into scenarios/sections so that you can select which one best matches your case.

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The Common Trip: 1 Day

Universal Studios Hollywood arch serves as the entrance to the theme park
Universal Studios Hollywood arch

With just 1 theme park, it’s actually quite easy to hit up all or most attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood in just a single day. That’s why most guests only visit the park for a day. Though Universal Studios Hollywood does have a good lineup of exciting rides, shows, and other experiences, the park is not overcrowded with attractions, making it rather easy to do everything at the park on most days. The key word is most days. It’s crucial that you avoid a trip to the park on holidays, holiday weekends, and other busy periods (you can use our free crowd calendar to help you choose a good day to visit). That’s because wait times for attractions can get exceptionally long, limiting your ability to experience a number of attractions. By choosing the right day to visit—and with the help of our free Universal Studios Hollywood planning guide—a 1-day trip is feasible for most visitors. Plus, it’s the most affordable option.

After your day in the park, you can even spend some time at Universal CityWalk, a dining, shopping, and entertainment complex. It’s a great way to end the day!

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An Extended Experience: 2 Days

Hogwarts Castle, home to the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

Though it’s plausible to experience Universal Studios Hollywood in just 1 day, a 2-day trip allows you to enjoy the park at a leisurely pace, giving you more time to appreciate some of the incredibly detailed themed areas, participate in interactive activities, and revisit attractions. If you’re visiting during a busy period, a 2-day visit may be necessary due to exceptionally long wait times (our free crowd calendar can help you choose a good day to visit). Of course, a 2-day ticket comes at a slightly higher cost, but if it’s within your budget and you’re interested in taking a more relaxed approach, why not? No matter how many days you ultimately decide, our free Universal Studios Hollywood planning guide will help you get the most out of your trip.

You can extend your Universal Studios Hollywood trip by spending the evening at Universal CityWalk, a shopping, dining, and entertainment complex located just outside the gates of the theme park. It’s a great way to spend your time after visiting the park.

Ready to purchase tickets?

You can purchase tickets directly from Universal Studios Hollywood or from a trusted agency. If purchasing from a third-party seller, be wary of possible scams. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.