They’re household names around the world, making them rich and famous in the process, so it’s time to explore the streets that the world’s great celebrities call home.
(Photo: Getyourguide.com)
Tours of Hollywood and Beverly Hills are the premier experience for any trip to Los Angeles. For that lucky elite few whose talent captivates us on screen and the airwaves, it’s only natural that the lifestyle that goes with their fame would garner as much interest as their movies do. A guided tour through the mansion-lined streets and past the iconic sights of Tinseltown is the best way to capture the excitement and magic of this truly unique place. Here are five of the best tour options.
Hollywood & Celebrity Homes Open-Air Bus Tour
Some people shy away from the celebrity homes tour, but we all know that the real curiosity that brings folk to Hollywood in the first place is to rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Perhaps even to meet one of our heroes and, who knows, maybe even get seen, spotted, elevated. Well, this tour can’t promise stardom, but it certainly offers an up-close and personal glimpse of it during a two-hour drive through Beverly Hills in a customized, open-top bus. The itinerary includes all the area’s highlights and passes by the homes of stars such as Tom Cruise. From $37 per person.
Beverly Hills and Hollywood Guided Bus Tour
Another popular guided bus tour of Hollywood’s homes and highlights rolls past the mansions of Kardashians, Biebers and Jacksons. It passes the Playboy Mansion, the Walk of Fame and Rodeo Drive. It’s an odd feeling to explore these places, at once so familiar, thanks to the countless movies and TV shows that continuously reinforce their importance in our daily lives, and yet so exhilarating to experience in person. Your tour guide will add depth, context and entertainment to the tour. From $39 per person.
(Photo: Viator.com)
Shared 3 Hours Los Angeles VIP Tour
If you’re more interested in visiting the photogenic highlights of the wider Tinseltown area of LA, with a focus more on the machinery of the silver screen than the stars it creates, then this is the tour for you. Over three hours you’ll be taken to some of the most Instagrammable spots, including a great view of the Hollywood sign, the American Film Academy, Sunset Strip and the fascinating, Hansel and Gretel style Spadena House. As with all tours on this list, it runs daily. From $49 per person.
Perfect 5 ½-Hour LA & Hollywood Tour from Santa Monica
Surf City Tours have taken their uniquely designed, open-sided sightseeing bus and plotted out the ultimate half-day-plus itinerary around Hollywood and Beverly Hills. If you want to walk away feeling as though you’ve been given a comprehensive initiation into all things Tinseltown, then this is the tour for you. It’s not just about seeing the sights; it’s about learning the stories behind their fame. Learn about the crime scenes, filming locations, trendy hangouts and celebrity scandals that have taken the drama off the screen and into Hollywood’s streets. From $90 per person.
(Photo: Getyourguide.com)
Private Full-Day Los Angeles Tour by SUV
To step a little deeper into the realm of the celebrity lifestyle, why not hire your own luxury SUV and personal driver for a few hours? Curate your own experience by picking out the types of experiences you’d prefer to have from the Hollywood Hills to Venice Beach. A recommended route is provided if you’d prefer, knowing that you can ask to stop and explore at any sight you’d like along the way. Tours are cheaper in the morning and the SUV can fit up to seven people, so this option is actually the best value for larger groups. From $447 per group.