any good tours to take in Los angeles

[lssg]

We will be in los angeles a few days after our cruise, any good tours to take, is it worth paying for a tour of the stars homes or just get a map and do it ourselves. We will have a car, so should we skip a tour and see hollywood sites with just a map? Or has anyone taken a great tour at a reasonable price?

[trish1c]

Although walking is allegedly taboo in LA, I remember taking a really great walking tour of downtown LA. Wandering through Venice Beach & Santa Monica was fun (but there were a lot of homeless people; many broke my heart but some were a little scary). I enjoyed driving down to San Diego for the say & going to Old Town, dog beach (I'm a huge dog lover; if you're not, don't go here) & Sea World.

[mek]

I was in LA last month and took an all day tour that did the Getty Museum - which was wonderful, downtown Hollywood, stars' homes, and Beverly Hills. It was with LA tours and cost $80.

[Splinter]

Regardless of if you take a tour or buy a map on the street corner and drive yourself, be prepared to see a lot of houses where famous stars USED TO live. Few will actually live there anymore, and you won't see them.

 

I would instead think going to Universal Studios, stopping off at the Mann Grauman Chinese Theater to see all the old hand and footprints and seeing the Getty Center would be a more interesting day...but I live in So. California already. You could also drive out to Malibu just for the drive, then swing back to Santa Monica and take a stroll past Muscle Beach to see some SoCal freaks.

 

Alternatively, come down to San Diego for a day or two and swing by Laguna Beach for a few hours on your way down or back.

 

LA is a driving town. Get a car, but watch rush hours and plan for enough time, esp. if going into the City.

[Curt Jerome Wild]

We will be in los angeles a few days after our cruise, any good tours to take, is it worth paying for a tour of the stars homes or just get a map and do it ourselves. We will have a car, so should we skip a tour and see hollywood sites with just a map? Or has anyone taken a great tour at a reasonable price?

Hey there!

If you really want a decent Hollywood tour try Red Line Tours "Hollywood Behind the Scenes", which is a walking tour that focuses on the Hollywood and Highland area. There is a lot of history densely packed in this area that tourists usually miss.

But, since you have a few days and a car, I would recommend that you get some books and use them for your own custom made tours.

If you want the best most up to date Hollywood/Stars Homes thing, then you should get "The Ultimate Hollywood Tour Book" by William A. Gordon.

If you're more into unusual unique history, gossip and scandal then get "This is Hollywood: An Unusual Movieland Guide" by Ken Schessler.

If you want cool walking tours of all different parts of LA then get "Walking LA: 36 Walking Tours" by Erin Mahoney.

I think that you should be able to get these all online (I'm just looking at them on my bookshelf).

I'd check all that out first, and then plan and decide before your trip.

Hope that helps.

CJW

PS Forget buying any of those maps to the stars homes. They're all outdated and incorrect and useless.

[lssg]

Thanks for the two book names...I will check them both out...there just seems to be too little time (3 days) and so much to see in Los angeles ...I want to make the most of the time we have because who know when we will make it back to LA....thanks again

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Yes, 3 days is actually not a lot of time, and there are SO many different things to do and see.

That's why you should really do your research and plan ahead.

Remember the thing about LA is that almost anything that you have an interest in, exists somewhere around.

(It's the only place I know of where you can go to the beach in the morning and ski in the afternoon in late winter, early spring).

So, the key is to really identify the kinds of things that interest you, and focus on that.

CJW