Took a tour with LA Sightseeing a few days ago with a friend from out of town. I always see people lined up for these tours on Second Street in Santa Monica, but never got around to taking one myself—I figured that since I already live here, I wouldn’t get much out of it. But my friend had never been to LA before, so I had the idea to go—and we ended up having a blast!
First of all, our driver was great: funny without being annoying, and knowledgeable about the area. I even learned a few new fun facts about the Santa Monica/Venice area, where I’ve lived for like five years.
I was a bit worried about being cooped up on a bus for several hours, but the tour actually stops to let you out at places like Venice Beach, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, etc., so you have time to walk around and take pictures and things. Next time I have a friend in town who hasn’t spent much time in the city, I’ll definitely put LA Sightseeing on my list again!
The bus was comfortable and clean (we took the mini-bus, which seats maybe 20 people. We wanted to take an open-air bus tour, but the weather wasn’t good—next time I want to try it!) All in all, the tour offered a good overview of city at a good value.
Pros: -Friendly drivers, comfortable buses, stops at fun places
Cons: None, really, on our tour
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