Overview
The self-declared "Media Capital of the World", Burbank is a small city in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California, in the Los Angeles area. It is the home of the headquarters and primary studios of Warner Bros. Discovery and The Walt Disney Company, and of the animation studios of Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon.
6 sights · 3 things to do · 2 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés · 9 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Burbank
Warner Bros. Main Backlot
One of the two WB backlots. This one is closest to the Studio Tour (see above). It features everything from a Midwest town center, old New York cityscape, French Street, residential neighborhood, to a jungle lagoon are o…
Warner Bros. Studio Ranch
The focal point has been a series of faux houses along "Blondie Street", and house with a pool across the street, that have been used in the exterior and some interior filming of a variety of movies and television progra…
Martial Arts History Museum
The world's first martial arts history museum is a cultural and educational look at how Asian history became part of American history through the martial arts. The museum takes about 40 minutes to visit.
Walt Disney Studios
Completed in 1940, this expansive lot serves as the corporate headquarters for The Walt Disney Company and contains its primary film, television, and animation production facilities. Tours of the studio are not available…
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
Tours of the Warner Bros. lot are conducted in twelve-person carts that visit the backlot sets, soundstages, production facilities, and the Warner Bros. museum. Reservations are offered for the first three tours each day…
Downtown Burbank
Shops, movie theaters, eateries, etc., on San Fernando by the mall. Take the 5 and get off on the "Olive" exit. That should put you in the thick of things.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Jan–Dec. Summer highs reach about 89°F; winter lows dip to about 44°F. Wettest: Feb and Jan.
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- BUR Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport, Burbank — 2 mi away (major hub). Directions
- LAX Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles — 17 mi away (major hub). Directions
*Terminal A: American Airlines & American Eagle, Breeze Airways, JetBlue, Southwest, Allegiant.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $82–$120 a night (typical $120), from 4 listed prices.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$120, mid-range ~$200, comfortable ~$290.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood, Warner Bros. Main Backlot, Martial Arts History Museum
- Lunch Bob's Big Boy
- Afternoon Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Studio Ranch
- Dinner Burger King
- Evening The Blue Room
Day 2
- Morning Downtown Burbank, Pickwick Gardens
- Afternoon Los Angeles Equestrian Center
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Although commonly thought to be named for agricultural researcher Luther Burbank, the city is actually named after its founder David Burbank, a dentist, farmer, and entrepreneur.
Climate
Get in
By plane
*Terminal A: American Airlines & American Eagle, Breeze Airways, JetBlue, Southwest, Allegiant.
* Terminal B: Alaska Airlines, Delta & Delta Connection, Frontier, United & United Express * JSX have their own private terminal at Hanger 2 at 4561 W Empire Ave further west of the main terminal.
There are direct rail (see 'By train' in below) and public transportation connections as well as shuttle, taxi and ride share connections to downtown Burbank, downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood and the surrounding areas from the main airport terminal.
The next nearest airport for commercial flights from additional domestic and international destinations is Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) 28 mi south (via US Hwy 101 & I-405 or I-5, I-110 & I-105) near Santa Monica & Culver City. Travelers flying in with their own aircraft or on private VIP flights can land at Van Nuys (VNY) 15 mi west (via US Hwy 101).
By train
Train stations
Train operators
- In Burbank, its routes stop only at Burbank Airport South Station. The following routes stop in Burbank:
- Coast Starlight operates daily between Seattle and Los Angeles. Stops include Tacoma, Lacey, Centralia, Kelso, Vancouver, WA, Portland, Salem, Albany, Eugene, Klamath Falls, Dunsmuir, Redding, Chico, Sacramento, Davis, Martinez, San Francisco (Emeryville), Oakland, San Jose, Salinas, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Van Nuys, and Burbank.
- Pacific Surfliner operates daily between San Luis Obispo and San Diego via Los Angeles.
- Metrolink provides commuter rail from Los Angeles via the San Fernando Valley. Routes stopping in Burbank:
- Antelope Valley Line operates between Los Angeles and Lancaster Sun Valley via Glendale, Burbank, Sylmar San Fernando, Newhall, Santa Clarita, Palmdale and points in between. Burbank stops are Burbank-Downtown station and Burbank Airport North station.
- Ventura County Line operates between down Los Angeles and Ventura East station via Glendale, Burbank through Van Nuys, Northridge, Norwalk, Simi Valley, Camarillo, and Oxnard. Burbank stops are Burbank-Downtown station and Burbank Airport South station.
By car
Go Interstate 5 (I-5,The 5, The Golden State Freeway)
Interstate 5 connects California with the rest of the western states. From northern and central California, follow I-5 South to Los Angeles, then leave the freeway on any exit between Hollywood Way and Western Ave. From Los Angeles, and regions south of Los Angeles, follow I-5 North to Sacramento then leave the freeway on any exit between Western Ave. and Hollywood Way.
Go California State Route 134 (The 134, The Ventura Freeway)
The Ventura Freeway, or CA-134, connects CA-210 to US-101 through the southern end of Burbank. Exit the Freeway between Alameda Ave. and Riverside Dr. to drive through the Ranchero District or by movie studio lots such as Walt Disney Studios.
By bus
The majority of the intercity bus stations and stops for the greater Los Angeles area are located in "Skid Row" east of downtown Los Angeles, downtown Union Station, El Monte, Long Beach, Huntington Beach and/or east L.A. (along Olympic Blvd but can be elsewhere too). To a lesser extent some also have stops in North Hollywood as the nearest stops with the following:
- Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach offers bus connections from the Gold Runner in Bakersfield from multiple places in Southern California including Burbank. Tickets for the Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach are only for those making connections with an actual Amtrak or Amtrak California train.
*
Get around
Public transit service in Burbank is spotty; as with most of Los Angeles, most people tend to drive, so you may find yourself the only one heading to the bus stop after your TV taping or studio tour. The city has its own bus system, Burbank Bus, with a few routes that link major destinations in the city, but service only runs during the weekday rush hours, making it of limited use for the casual visitor.
More extensive service is provided by the Los Angeles-wide Metro system, which has multiple bus routes serving Burbank. Among the more frequent Metro routes are the #94 and (weekday only) Metro Rapid #794 along San Fernando Blvd and Empire Ave, the #164 along Victory Blvd, and the #165 along Empire Ave; all of these routes pass through Downtown Burbank, and the 94/794 and 165 stop near the airport. Less frequent but of note are the #155 along Olive Ave, which connects Downtown Burbank to the studios and Universal City, and the #222 along Hollywood Way, which stops near the airport and connects directly to Hollywood.
See
See Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
Tours of the Warner Bros. lot are conducted in twelve-person carts that visit the backlot sets, soundstages, production facilities, and the Warner Bros. museum. Reservations are offered for the first three tours each day and for the following day's tours, otherwise tours are on a first-come, first-s-served basis.
*
See Warner Bros. Main Backlot
One of the two WB backlots. This one is closest to the Studio Tour (see above). It features everything from a Midwest town center, old New York cityscape, French Street, residential neighborhood, to a jungle lagoon are on the Studio’s backlot. The sets can be dressed to resemble any time, period or look imaginable. They also have 31 large sound stage buildings where various movies and TV programs have been filmed. Tour is available with the VIP Studio Tour listed in above. Ask.
*
See Warner Bros. Studio Ranch (Columbia Ranch)
The focal point has been a series of faux houses along "Blondie Street", and house with a pool across the street, that have been used in the exterior and some interior filming of a variety of movies and television programs. Such shows filmed there are WandaVision (2021); Lethal Weapon (1987); I Dream of Jeannie (1965); Partridge Family (1970); Dennis the Menace (1959); National Lampoon Christmas Vacation (1989); Bewitched (1964); Blondie (1956); Father Knows Best (1954); etc. The houses and "Blondie Street" are slated for demolition late 2023 and eventually replaced by a series of large sound stage buildings, offices and parking lots.
See Downtown Burbank
Shops, movie theaters, eateries, etc., on San Fernando by the mall. Take the 5 and get off on the "Olive" exit. That should put you in the thick of things.
See Walt Disney Studios
Completed in 1940, this expansive lot serves as the corporate headquarters for The Walt Disney Company and contains its primary film, television, and animation production facilities. Tours of the studio are not available to the general public. There are only two ways to tour the studio if you are not employed there: one is through Adventures by Disney, which offers a tour of the studio as part of their pricey six-day, five-night Southern California tour package. A far less expensive way is by becoming a member of D23, Disney's official fan club, which occasionally offers member-exclusive tours of the studio.
Do
Do Los Angeles Equestrian Center
A large equestrian center with boarding facilities, a riding school, horse rentals, and access to miles of equestrian trails in adjacent Griffith Park.
Do Television show tapings
TV audiences are needed for tapings of all manner of television productions, in particular game shows and sitcoms. Burbank is home to the production facilities for many shows produced by, among others, ABC, Disney, TBS, and Warner Bros. You can get tickets online usually free of charge from sites like on-camera-audiences.com, although if you have a particular show in mind your best bet might be to go to the show's website itself.
Buy
Eat
Eat Bob's Big Boy
The oldest remaining Bob's, built in the 1950s. A national landmark, this diner is a short distance from the Warner Bros. Studios main gate, and celebrity sightings are common. Drew Carey in particular is seen frequently eating burgers here.
Eat Burger King
Filming location of Doc Brown's garage (or at least the facade in 1985) and the opening credits of Back to the Future. Filming took place in the south parking lot, by the drive through lane of the restaurant.
Drink
Drink The Blue Room
A kitchy bar where the locals hang out. Everything is colored blue, and the drinks are cheap. Featured in a bunch of movies.
Sleep
Stay Safari Inn
Small 1950s or 60s-style hotel with palm trees and kind of a hip kitch. If you saw Quentin Tarantino's movie True Romance, you'll recognize it.
Go next
- Hollywood. Tinseltown is a must-see for any visitor to the Los Angeles area.
Nearby
North Hollywood
City / town · 10 listings · 3 mi away
Universal City
City / town · 3 mi away
Glendale
City / town · 27 listings · 5 mi away
Studio City
City / town · 14 listings · 5 mi away
Van Nuys
City / town · 22 listings · 7 mi away
West Hollywood
City / town · 40 listings · 7 mi away
Sherman Oaks
City / town · 13 listings · 7 mi away
La Cañada Flintridge
City / town · 3 listings · 8 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.