Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [118]
Neon Cruise ( 213-489-9918; www.neonmona.org; tour $45; 6:45-10:30pm select Sat) From movie marquees to hotel signs, vintage neon is hot. Start by touring the fabulous Los Angeles Theater, then see LA’s best neon art from a genuine London double-decker bus. Call for tour dates and book early, tours always sell out.
Architecture Tours Los Angeles ( 323-464-7868; www.architecturetoursla.com; tour from $68; tours 9:30am & 1:30pm, reservation required) If you think LA architecture begins with Frank Lloyd Wright and ends with Frank Gehry, these van tours will broaden your horizon as you take in styles ranging from Tudor to utopian.
Dearly Departed ( 323-466-3696; www.dearlydepartedtours.com; tour $35; 1pm) Scott Michaels is LA’s king of death and scandal and will clue you in on where celebs kicked the bucket, George Michael dropped his trousers, Hugh Grant received certain services and the Charles Manson gang murdered Sharon Tate & Co. Creepy, hilarious but not for kids or the prissy.
Urban Shopping Adventures ( 213-683-9715; www.urbanshoppingadventures.com; tour $36) Wanna dress like Beyoncé? Knockoff Gucci bags make you drool? Wonder where Kate Winslet gets her outfits? On these custom-guided shopping tours you’ll get the inside scoop on bargain basements and tomorrow’s fashions. Both walking and bus tours available.
Starline Tours ( 323-463-333, 800-959-3131; www.starlinetours.com; tour from $32) These standard narrated minibus sightseeing tours are predictably cheesy but not a bad way for first-timers to get oriented. Options include city tours, tours of the stars’ homes, night tours and trips to theme parks. Buses leave from Hollywood Blvd.
Walking & Biking
Contact the tour company to find out times and departure points.
Los Angeles Conservancy ( 213-623-2489; www.laconservancy.org; tour $10, reservations required) Downtown LA’s intriguing historical and architectural gems – from an art deco penthouse to a beaux arts ballroom and a dazzling silent-movie theater – are revealed on 2½-hour walking tours operated by this nonprofit group. Check the schedule and book tickets online or by phone.
Red Line Tours ( 323-402-1074; www.redlinetours.com; tour $22) Learn the secrets of Hollywood and Downtown on these ‘edutaining’ walking tours with nifty headsets to cut out traffic noise. Guides use a mix of anecdotes, fun facts, trivia and historical and architectural data to keep their charges entertained.
Downtown LA Walks (www.downtownlawalks.com) Get the nitty gritty on Downtown LA history, arts and culture or shopping with self-guided walking-tour podcasts ready to be downloaded for free to your MP3 player.
LA River Walks ( 323-223-0585; www.folar.org; suggested donation $5; 3rd Sun of month Jan-Nov) Discover the history, mystery and ecology of the LA River and find out why it’s not just that ugly concrete channel you’ve been making jokes about. More extensive bus tours ($55) also run several times a year. Check the website for upcoming dates.
Metro Rail Art Tours ( 213-922-2738; www.metro.net; tour free; 10am 1st Sat & Sun of month) Some of LA’s best contemporary art is not in a museum but in its metro stations. Discover edgy works by such artists as Jonathan Borowsky, Sam Erenberg and Gilbert ‘Magu’ Lujan on these two-hour tours leaving from the Hollywood/Highland station on Saturday and Union Station on Sunday.
Perry’s Legends Beach Bike Tour ( 310-372-3138; tour $30; 11am May-Sep, reservation required) The mysteries of Muscle Beach, Jim Morrison’s house and Skateboard Mamma all feature on this leisurely 90-minute bike tour of Santa Monica and Venice. Your guide communicates with you by headset. The tour charge includes water, a helmet and an additional 90-minute