Hollywood & Celebrity Homes Tour from Santa Monica

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/15

Duration3h 30m

GroupUp to 13

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Start at Santa Monica Pier, end knowing why LA runs on celebrity.

You’ll ride an open-air bus from Santa Monica Pier through Hollywood’s famous neighborhoods with a local guide sharing wild stories and facts. Expect stops at Rodeo Drive and the Walk of Fame for photos (and maybe people-watching), plus plenty of views over Los Angeles that feel straight out of a movie.

3h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Hollywood and Beverly Hills sightseeing tour

Pass through Santa Monica
Pass by Santa Monica Pier
Pass by Pico Blvd
Pass by Century City
Pass by Wilshire Blvd
Stop at Beverly Hills Sign and Rodeo Drive
Pass by Beverly Hills
Pass by The Beverly Hills Hotel
Drive through The Hollywood Hills
Drive down Mulholland Drive
Pass by Hollywood
Stop at The Hollywood Walk of Fame
Pass by West Hollywood
Pass by The Sunset Strip
Take The Sunset Strip to San Vincente via Bel Air, Westwood, Brentwood
Pass by Westwood
Pass by Brentwood
End at The Shore Hotel in Santa Monica

The Experience

I’ll admit, I didn’t expect to start my day at the Santa Monica Pier and end up gawking at the gates of some mansion in the Hollywood Hills — but here we are. The bus was open-air, which sounded touristy at first, but honestly? It felt right. Ocean air still clinging to my shirt as we pulled away from the pier, seagulls yelling overhead. Our guide (I think his name was Tony?) had this way of mixing old gossip with actual facts — like, he’d point out a house and say “That’s where so-and-so supposedly threw a piano in the pool,” then shrug and wink. Not sure if it’s true, but it made me laugh.

We cruised through Beverly Hills after that, with palm trees flickering past and people walking tiny dogs in sunglasses (actual cliché, but real). Stopping at Rodeo Drive for half an hour felt surreal — I tried to pronounce “Beverly Wilshire” like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman and totally failed. There was this faint smell of expensive perfume drifting out of one of the shops; I couldn’t tell if it was intentional or just LA being extra. Then back on the bus, winding up Mulholland Drive — you know that feeling when you see something familiar from movies but it’s suddenly right there? That hit me hard as we looked down over the city.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame stop was busy and kind of chaotic in a fun way — street performers everywhere, some guy dressed as Spider-Man posing for tips near Marilyn Monroe’s star. Tony told us about filming locations on Sunset Strip as we rolled by; he made us guess which clubs had seen more scandals than concerts. Honestly, I still think about that view from the hills with all those palm trees poking up through smoggy sunlight. The whole tour just sort of blended together into this weirdly perfect LA afternoon — not polished or glamorous, but real enough that I’m glad I did it.

What’s included

Your day includes an open-air bus ride with an expert local guide narrating all those classic LA stories as you pass through Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Mulholland Drive, Sunset Strip and more—with photo stops at Rodeo Drive and Hollywood Walk of Fame before returning to Santa Monica Pier or The Shore Hotel.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Hollywood Bus Tours