LA private tours

[RWC123]

Any recommendations for a private tour company in LA to do the typical sights-seeing spots?

[Fattony]

What do you consider "typical"? It's a huge area and there are more and more specialty tours. Many tourists automatically think Hollywood, but you can see the few real attractions (e.g., Walk of Fame, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Kodak Theatre) on your own in a short amount of time. We were in Universal City for a meeting, and took the subway to Hollywood. The Hollywood sign you usually see from a distance and it is just, well, a sign. You can also get to the biggest studio tours-- Warner Brothers in Burbank, Paramount in Hollywood and Sony (formerly MGM) in Culver City-- on your own. See http://www.metro.net for public transportation in L.A. County. Depending on your interests, you may want to take a tour to places you might not think of, or be able to get to on your own, such as a tour of stars' homes, a tour of places where famous movies have been filmed, etc. I thought some of the unusual tours by Esotouric Tours (eg., one focusing on the old crime novel writer Raymond Chandler) looked interesting, but haven't yet taken one. If you're big movie fans, you might consider one of the studio tours. I've been to Warner Bros. and Sony. I preferred both to seeing things from a bus.

 

Look carefully at how many places the tour will take you to, and how much time at spend at each one. Los Angeles is a huge area (even if one is talking just about the City of Los Angeles and not the larger County of Los Angeles, much less adjoining counties, such as Orange, where Disneyland is located).

[Bruin Steve]

Any recommendations for a private tour company in LA to do the typical sights-seeing spots?

 

Another bunch of qualifying questions:

 

Are you just in Los Angeles one day on a cruise port stop? Or are you staying in Los Angeles on an extended pre- or post-cruise or other sort of trip...?

 

If it is a port stop, your options for an organized "tour" are limited...The port is about 30 miles South of Hollywood and very few tour companies pick up there...

 

Sunseekers Tours, based in Long Beach, is the exception...

You might try contacting them...they can arrange either a group tour or a private tour with pick-ups at the port.

 

If you are staying a longer time, a lot depends on where in town you are staying...I would have possibly different advice depending on how convenient your hotel might be to some of the sights...and based on what time constraints you have.

 

Again, if you want an traditional, organized tour of some sort, there are multiple possibilities if you are staying in, say, Hollywood or in Santa Monica with pick=ups from hotels...

[RWC123]

Thanks for your responses......here's some additional info

 

Family of six in LA for a week prior to cruise

Staying in Marina Del Ray hotel

Will have rental car

Thought the private tour would be a cooler way to go over the tour bus scene

Typical sites to me would include Hollywood, Beverly Hills, etc.

Looked at one company, Elite Adventure Tours, 4+ hours in private car with guide, photos, etc. runs about $175/hr

 

Again additional thoughts and ideas are welcomed