MIKE DIDNâT JUST GIVE A TOURâHE LED A CINEMATIC QUEST THROUGH HOLLYWOODâS GLORIOUS ABSURDITY
I came to LA for sun, stars, and maybe a glimpse of someone mildly famous at a gas station. What I got? A mind-blowing, soul-awakening, laugh-till-you-snort journey through the neon-drenched heart of Tinseltown led by none other than MIKEâa man who clearly bathes in charisma and eats TMZ headlines for breakfast.
As soon as Mike picked up the mic (coincidence? I think not), the temperature dropped 10 degrees from sheer coolness. The sky got bluer. Birds started doing synchronized choreography. Somewhere in the distance, a saxophone solo played. I knew we were in good hands.
He didnât just show us Beverly Hillsâhe narrated its secrets like a National Geographic host on Red Bull. đľď¸ââď¸ âThat mansion? Technically owned by a producerâs dog. The poodleâs name is Biscotti. Heâs in three unions.â đ§ź âThat car wash? Brad Pitt once cried there. Donât ask why. Just feel it.â đŽ âThis taco stand right here? Quentin Tarantino once ate here while writing the plot twist to Kill Bill. Probably.â
Mikeâs commentary was like riding a rollercoaster through IMDB. He doesnât just know Hollywoodâhe is Hollywood. He once locked eyes with a Kardashian and lived to tell the tale. He waved at a gate and Iâm 99% sure Tom Hanks waved back. I asked Mike where the bathroom was and he said, âDepends. Are you method acting or just living your truth?â
And letâs talk about the energy: The man never stopped. The tour lasted two hours, but Mike was giving Oscars-level performances the entire time. Accents, jokes, history, gossip so juicy it should come with a dental dam. He once described a driveway as âsensually understated with a hint of âI make $12 million per movie.ââ
Highlights: ⢠A dramatic reenactment of the moment Britney Spears hit that paparazziâs car with an umbrella (Mike played all the roles). ⢠Spontaneous trivia game that I lost but still felt like I won. ⢠A solid five-minute rant on how Nicolas Cage is an underappreciated genius (heâs right).
By the end of the tour, people were emotional. One guy tried to tip Mike with his Rolex. A teenage girl asked if he would adopt her. A tourist from Ohio fainted after he mentioned Keanu Reeves lives âsomewhere around here, possibly.â
FINAL THOUGHTS: If youâre in LA and donât go on this tour with Mike, Iâm not saying youâve wasted your life⌠but youâve missed out on a surreal, hilarious, star-studded, mildly unhinged masterpiece. This isnât a tour. Itâs a fever dream. Itâs an event. Itâs MIKEâS WORLDâweâre just lucky to be...
   Read moreI went on the Celebrity Homes tour with my family on Monday, August 4 and I thought it was very well-done! We were walking down Hollywood Blvd looking at the Walk of Fame Stars and just happened to pass by the tour office. There was a family from Seattle who ran to catch one of the tours. That is when we decided to follow them and go ask about the tour price, times, and when the bus will be returning. The lady at the front desk was super sweet and gave us a thorough explanation for how the tour would work. She led us to our bus which was operated by our driver, Sal.
We only had two families on the bus, us and the Seattle family. Sal, who led us through the tour, was very funny, kind, and understanding. He explained things clearly and made sure we could all hear his explanations. I thought it was a well-planned trip and definitely worth the last minute travel plan to go on a tour.
To Hollywood Bus Tours Team: I appreciate how your team is very organized and puts an emphasis on quality service rather than just money-grabbing. Please keep going with the same commitment and dedication to providing fun tours. You are doing great!
To Sal: Thank you for your tour guide expertise. All the best to your completed 2 years and ongoing work with...
   Read moreI will be honest. It went on this trip under duress. I had no interest in it all. However, I stand in awe and most definitely corrected. We brought the tickets online, booking a specific day and time in advance. This I recommend. Donât leave it to chance- it is a popular trip and I think it is the highest rated on the Google and the Trip advisor. I can see why! Located on the main street, arrive early and check out a sizeable chunk of the of the wall of fame and several other landmarks. Our tour was with Brian. We did the two hour tour. I canât speak for the others, but if you get Brian, then boy are you lucky. Brianâs knowledge is encyclopaedic and his humour spot on. The tour ticks off a significant number of boxes in the two hours, taking in stuff you could never do by yourself in a day. There is one stop for the iconic Beverly Hills sign. Sadly, all good things must come to an end and with a heavy heart we pulled up to our place of departure. Thank-Brian. You made a believer out of this old cynic after all. Do yourself a favour- forgo the rest and pick these guys. Oh and there is a five odd hour version as well. Oh! And sometimes you spot stars from the bus. Fingers...
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