We booked the two hour Hollywood and Celebrity Homes Tour for 10:45 a.m. on Nov. 16. We arrived on time but waited 30 min. for the tour to start on account of some late arrivers. (Why couldn't they have been put on a later tour?) We were offered and accepted blankets because the day was a little cool and rather breezy in the open-air truck. The tour vehicle broke down at our first and only stop at the Mulholland Drive viewing point. It took 10-15 min. to bring a replacement vehicle. After this, our driver raced along Mulholland Drive through the Hollywood Hills, driving and talking at breakneck speed, presumably to make up for lost time, while we huddled in the back seats trying to keep warm. I tried in vain to ask a couple of questions, but our guide-driver did not interrupt his commentary to acknowledge or respond. (Perhaps the wind and engine noise was too loud for him to hear me.) Nor did he make any particular effort to make a personal connection with any of us.
Only when we entered Beverly Hills did he slow down to a more comfortable pace. While he was very knowledgeable and his commentary interesting, he made sure we knew that he was an actor and that most actors face great difficulty in getting work and surviving financially. As I stared at the sign recommending tips of $8 to $10 pp if you enjoyed the tour, I couldn't help but link the sign to his comments. NOT SUBTLE! In the end, we were thankful the tour was completed in just under two hours, despite the breakdown, but we resented the late completion which made us miss the start of another scheduled activity. All in all, this was not at all the entertaining and enjoyable tour we had expected on the basis of previous reviews. Hence, not good value for the time and expense of the tour.