Big Bus Tours Los Angeles — Attraction in Los Angeles

We are locals but wanted "the tourist experience" of our city: not worry about driving and see what the tourists see. The Hollywood route hits the major and more popular attractions (although not the best ones if you ask most locals), but I suppose those are the places you would like to see at least once if you are in Los Angeles. The audio guide is entertaining and they give some interesting facts even I did not know about. LA weather is perfect to go on the top deck (wear sunscreen!).

I rated it 3 stars because I have experienced Big Bus in another major city (Sydney) and I am sad to say that what they have in LA is not up to par. To start the bus stops are not marked. in Sydney, they had actual signs on the lamposts, no way you could get lost if you were also using the app. You knew where to stand. In LA there are no signs at all, you only have the app with geolocation. if your phone dies, you are toast.

The app works ok, and it helps that it tells you where the buses are, but at least in LA, there was a lot of lag. I don't know if it is because they run too few buses this time of the year (we did a Saturday in mid-October) or what the problem is but there was just too long of an interval between buses (40 minutes or more). In Sydney, it was so quick and efficient (and we went there during their winter).

This big gaps in service and the poor signage ruined our experience because the bus we took at the start dropped us off in WeHo, almost one block after the official stop (I suppose that the driver did not have enough space to pull over), but the driver never told us that the bus stop was almost one block behind! So, we spend time in WeHo and headed back to where she had dropped us off. Waited for the next bus (about 20 minutes) and it just drove by!. Only after checking the app map we realized that the stop was on the block before where we were standing. We walked and had to wait almost one hour for the next bus (thankfully it was a quiet weekend and there were benches in an ice cream shop nearby). And no, the official Big Bus stop was not marked at all. Because of this delay, we could not take the Beach Loop Bus since only the last bus was available and that one would not be going back to Hollywood where we started. If I had been an actual tourist I probably would have been demanding a refund...but I did not want to spoil my day by fighting with employees who don't have a say.

I like Big Bus Tours because it is a great and easy way to get around a city when you are visiting. But the LA version is not their best. i am going to try them in London and...

We recently paid 180$ for two 2-day “Essential” Big Bus Tour tickets to visit LA. Having previously been on BB tours in other big cities (Dublin, Boston, London) we were confident about BB quality and didn’t shop around. Saying we were disappointed is quite the understatement. The only star we’re giving goes to the staff: everyone was very nice. But that’s about it for pros. Here goes for the cons: 1) LA is obviously a VERY large city. BBT offers two main routes that connect (blue in the beaches area and red in the Hollywood area). It takes at least one hour to go from the blue to the red area. And the timetable that BBT offers is very very tight: the earliest pickup time in the beaches area is 11AM and the latest bus to return to that area is at 3:45 from one specific point. Factoring in the time it takes for a complete tour in the Hollywood area (at least 2 hours) and that you may want to hop off at least once for lunch or something, this makes it absolutely impossible to hop “on and off” as is advertised. You are stressed with the schedule and any missed bus is fatal because the next one will be there in at least 45 minutes. 2) there is absolutely no sign indicating the bus stops. You have to look at a photo of the spot on your smartphone app to make sure you’re at the right place. 3) there were many spots indicated on the recorded comment along the route that I couldn’t locate 4) the “Essential Tour” included a guided tour of celebrity homes. It was nice but we were in an open top Sprinter van and there were no headsets for that tour so with the wind and traffic noise, I couldn’t hear large portions of the comments 5) also included in the tour fee was a guided tour of the Chinese Theater, supposedly between 9AM and 7PM. When we got there at 4PM on day 2, we were told there was no more tours available that day for BBT tickets owners. So that was that. So think about what you’re looking for in a tour before booking this one and if you need to connect between red and blue lines, you should know that you won’t be able to hop on and off as you...

We recently spent a week in Los Angeles, checking out iconic spots like Disneyland and Universal Studios. On our third day, we decided to explore LA from a new perspective and booked the LA Big Bus Celebrity House Tour. Our group consisted of six people: my wife and I from Canada, a friendly couple from Germany, and two travelers from Philadelphia. It was a nice, intimate group that made the experience feel more personal.

Our driver, Rodney, was fantastic from the moment we boarded. He welcomed us warmly and seemed genuinely happy to share his knowledge and stories. With his friendly and engaging approach, Rodney quickly made everyone feel comfortable, and his humor kept the atmosphere light and fun.

Rodney’s knowledge of the area was impressive. He shared detailed information about the neighborhoods, the celebrity homes we saw, and the lives of the people who live there, which added depth to the tour. He even told us about a few chance encounters he’d had with celebrities over the years, which brought an exciting and personal touch to the experience. His passion for the city was clear, and it made us appreciate LA even more.

What made Rodney stand out was his willingness to share stories from his own life as well, making the tour feel like we were spending time with a friend rather than just listening to a guide. He took the time to answer our questions and added extra insights that made the experience feel unique.

The tour vehicle was clean, comfortable, and well-maintained, which we appreciated since it added to the overall positive experience. The entire tour felt well-organized and worth every penny, providing a glimpse into the luxurious lifestyles and beautiful architecture of Los Angeles that we wouldn't have experienced otherwise.

If you’re looking for an enjoyable, insightful way to explore celebrity LA, I highly recommend this tour. Rodney’s energy and enthusiasm made it a truly memorable part of our trip!

*He even took a photo of us at one...