You can take tour buses, visit celebrities’ homes, and even put your hands in their handprints, but there’s nothing better than saying you got up close and personal to the famous Hollywood Sign that the average person only sees from a distance.

With proper research on which turns to take and where to park, the hike to the Hollywood Sign is an absolute must for tourists and locals alike. When embarking on the hike, make sure to know where that certain “left turn” is; if you accidentally go right you will find yourself in Griffith Park.

The forty-minute hike involves stamina and hiking shoes, but the view is absolutely breathtaking. With cameras left and right protecting the sign, the closest you might get to the white letters is behind a fence. Yet the experience and view are well worth it. This is one tourist spot even a Hollywood tour bus couldn’t get you to.