I’m finding it very tricky to review this tour. I agree with the latest reviews, there’s a morning and an afternoon, two halves of a day.
The driver (who I prefer not to name ) was very professional and picked me up just after 8am. Then we picked up the rest of the group and he introduced himself properly. He told us how the day was going to be and that in the afternoon, we could either stop in Venice beach or in a more local place. He said it was our option BUT he also said he doesn’t like to stop in Venice beach because is too touristy (bit of a strange statement when we were all tourists) and is dangerous and full of homeless people. So in theory, he gave us the option, but in reality there was never an option. He was very very clear stating that he didn’t want to stop in Venice beach.
Now, I understand the safety concerns. But I’ve been in tours all over the world and at the end of the day if I choose to go to a dangerous area, then it’s my choice and my own risk. I think the driver should understand that the people who use tour companies want to see the landmarks, and Venice beach is definitely a landmark. Or Santa Monica. Unfortunately I was on the wrong side of the bus so I couldn’t even take a picture of it.
The morning was pleasant and we managed to see everything that was advertised. Please bare in mind that you will have less than 10 minutes to take a picture of the Hollywood sign.
I’m not 100% sure if I can recommend the tour as it is. It would probably be more pleasant if a decent stop in one of the beaches was in the itinerary. The afternoon is just a long drive with a 15m toilet break.
I would recommend the tour as it is in the morning, but not the afternoon, if that make sense.
On a positive note, the driver was extremely acknowledgeable and shared a lot of history and interesting facts about all the landmarks and places of interest.
Réponse de l'hôte
May 2022
Thank you for submitting your review. Clearly the afternoon was not what you had hoped for. Nor is it what we would like it to be. Both Santa Monica and Venice have become difficult attractions for us to include on our tours. Santa Monica has imposed significant parking limitations making a meaningful stop there difficult if not impossible. Venice, is also a challenge. For the past couple of years, the beach and surrounding area has frequently been in the news for assaults, robberies and disruptions as the result of significant numbers of homeless individuals moving onto local streets and the beach. That said, we understand that many of our guests still want to visit the boardwalk there. The comfort and safety of our guests is our primary concern. We inform our guests of the situation at the beach as well as an alternative to Venice, Marina del Rey. The groups decision will dictate the route. The "too touristy" comment was an attempt to let the group understand that the board walk consists of about 12 blocks of t-shirt and souvenir stalls. The image of body builders on muscle beach and talented street artists wandering the board walk is, for all intents and purposes, gone, if it ever actually existed. Again, I appreciate your having shared your observations with us.