LA in a Day Tour: Hollywood, DTLA & Santa Monica

Overview

L.A. is so big – how are you going to see the city in one day? Easy! Join our LA in a Day tour and see 3 completely different neighborhoods of the city - Hollywood, downtown and Santa Monica. There’s no breezing through on buses with a pre-recorded audio commentary playing (which is always out of sync), on this tour we show you the hidden nooks and crannies of the city that other tour companies don’t (including 7 different venues that have held the Academy Awards Ceremony) and give you a feel for the real Los Angeles.

We're pioneers of the all day metro and walking tour of Los Angeles. Why did we create it? Because we want you to feel like you're an Angeleno for the day and to fall in love with the city like we did.

* Tour starts 10 am daily
* Travel on Los Angeles Metro included in ticket price
* There’s a big range of food options and all types of diet can be accommodated (vegan, gluten-free etc)

City: Los Angeles

Sun 01 Jun

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $135.00

Make a reservation

Sun 01 Jun

Starting at $135.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

We donate $1 for every guest to a non-profit, Climate Cents.

We'll show you how to use the LA Metro - the easiest and cheapest mode of transport here.

Tour Guide

Travel on Los Angeles Metro is included in ticket price.

Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Aim to get to the meeting point 10-15 minutes early. If you’re late you may miss the tour.
This tour is not recommended for children under 15 y.o.
By making a booking for this tour you agree to be bound by The Real Los Angeles Tours terms of service.
We recommend ride-sharing or taking the metro to the meeting point, then you don't have to pay $30-40 to park your car all day (IF you're driving in LA).
Please check dates/times carefully BEFORE making a booking.
This is a walking tour and we move at a reasonable pace. If you have mobility issues please book a private tour via our website.

What To Expect

Hollywood Walk of Fame

We’ll start your LA in a Day tour in Hollywood (where else) and show you how and why L.A. became the center of the American entertainment industry. There’s a huge amount of fascinating movie history surrounding the famous Walk of Fame, including the oldest house in Hollywood (where Charlie Chaplin’s kids went to school), the Capitol Records Building, the Egyptian Theater, the Dolby Theater (home of the Oscars) and the TCL Chinese Theater, and you’ll learn about it all.

Hollywood

Experience this famous neighborhood at ground level and learn its fascinating history.

Hollywood Sign

See and learn about this icon of Los Angeles.

TCL Chinese Theatres

See the famous theatre and its forecourt of the stars. Take time to get some photos for Instagram while there too.

Civic Center

We take the subway to downtown – it’s actually the fastest way to get there. DTLA is where the city was founded, in 1781, and it has a huge number of iconic buildings, such as Los Angeles City Hall and the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

City Hall

An icon of Art Deco design and famous from movies and TV shows.

The Music Center

A lovely part of DTLA.

Walt Disney Concert Hall

One of the most influential modern buildings, in terms of design.

The Broad

Pass by this newest addition to the Grand Avenue cultural collection.

Angels Flight Railway

Take this historic funicular down from Bunker Hill.

Grand Central Market

We pause your LA in a Day tour for lunch at one of the top food destinations in America, Grand Central Market. There are a huge number of (very reasonably) priced options here and all types of diet can be accommodated. You'll love it.

Downtown Los Angeles

Every week hip new restaurants, bars, Apple stores, creative offices and apartment blocks are opening in the area. Many people don’t realize it’s also the best-preserved historic downtown of any major city in America (with some of the best architecture in the world, including many beautiful examples of the Beaux Arts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, modern and post-modern styles).

Fine Arts Building

Step into this beautiful lobby from the 1920's (weekdays only).

Santa Monica Pier

Walk out onto this historic pier, built more than 100 years ago and often used as a location in classic movies.

Show 11 more stops

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (11)

D B

Dec 2024

Guide Paul led us on a great adventure through not just the main attractions but into wonderful indoor and outdoor spaces we never could have discovered on our own! We walked and took light rail, visiting spaces above ground and below, indoors and out. Paul spoke without notes and could answer all our questions. He assured our comfort and safety at all times and shared his interests and experiences very entertainingly. We got to see the LA that locals know, not just tourist stuff…a great tour, just what we wanted. Thanks, Paul!

philipb755

Sep 2023

We are a family of four from London staying in Anaheim and booked this tour as it gave us a a snapshot of the sights in LA in exactly what it says it does' LA in a day'. This is a perfect day trip, early start at 7.00am pick up from your hotel in Anaheim and then 12 hours of sightseeing and fun all for under $100 per person, great value. The tour bus is very comfortable and our tour guide/driver, George, was a bundle of energy and fun keeping us entertained and gave us a potted history of LA and its growth since the 1940's. George made the trip a pleasure for us with stops on route for lots of photo opportunities and great advice on where to eat and drink. We were dropped back at our hotel in Anaheim at 7.00pm ,great door to door service, great value for money, great fun if you want a snapshot of LA this company is the one to book.

Roving56926169634

Jun 2023

Trip was cancelled 10mins before departure(due to an unfortunate situation with the tour guide), and the tour operator did not have a backup plan. Seemed unprofessional to me. Not a good spot to be in, for a newbie in the city.

Response from Host

Aug 2023

We would have loved to have done the tour for this guest and we certainly regret that we couldn't. The reason that it was canceled at the last minute is because the guide was involved in an accident on the way in to the tour. In situations like that there is nothing we can do - other than call, sincerely apologize and issue a full refund. That is the backup plan in these rare instances. It's happened 3-4 times in the 10 years that The Real Los Angeles Tours has been operating, unfortunately. We obviously hope it won't happen (for lots of reasons), but it's outside of our control.