Bikes and Hikes LA - Los Angeles Tours — Local services in West Hollywood

A well-organized team of wonderful people makes up Bikes and Hikes LA. I had the pleasure of doing two tours with them during my short two day stay in LA over this past weekend. I did the LA in a Day Bike Tour and the Hollywood Sign Hike.

The ~32 mile bike tour was a fabulous way to see several spots during my short time in LA. It opened my eyes to all the beautiful neighborhoods and things that LA has to offer. There's a lot of beauty that often goes unnoticed by many visitors. I love how my private tour (since no one else signed up for that day) didn't have that mainstream touristy vibe - it's exactly what my soul needed to enjoy the wonders of LA. I would HIGHLY recommend this tour especially if you have a short trip and enjoy the outdoors and soaking in the sights with your eyes. I did go with an e-bike and it was a good choice, as it made the hills a breeze (also the e-bikes are so comfy and easy to use). To be honest, I could've kept biking. It was such a blast!

My wonderful tour guide Ryan was really keen on safety and made this small town girl feel very safe and at ease biking through the busy streets. The tour pointed out several places that would be good to go back to later. I ended up going back to the Venice Canals to walk around and Culver City.

The following day, I was set to do the hike to the front and back of the Hollywood sign, but unfortunately an emergency came up and the guide couldn't make it. They offered me to join another tour, and lucky for me there was the shorter tour to the front of the sign 15 min after my original. With how hot it ended up being that day, I'm grateful I ended up doing the shorter hike even though I love hiking! I'm glad I ended up doing this hike as part of a tour because the "path" isn't a straightforward path. You end up going through residential areas. Also, let me say that Sarah, my guide for the hike, is a great photographer! She took my best photos on this trip! At the ended of the tour, she gave me a few suggestions for what to do next. She recommended a lovely bookstore in Culver City.

If you're visiting LA, I'd recommend leaving a few days without an itinerary in order to spontaneously wander the city. The guides are great at giving suggestions on places to visit.

I'll be sure to recommend them to any friends of mine that may visit the city. You MUST use Bikes and Hikes LA on your visit to LA! I'd also recommend it for anybody new to town. It's a great way to find some of those hidden gems and see a good glimpse of the area. Also, if you like biking, it's a great way to find nice places to bike around LA - it definitely seems like a great city for bikers.

Everything was lovely and I'm sure you'll enjoy it as well. Now go book a tour with Bikes and Hikes LA. Biking is the best way to...

We did the Ultimate Tour on electric bikes. Our guide was Erik, who was fantastic and very patient with us all. He clearly loves LA and is extremely knowledgeable about the history of the city. We did this tour the day after we arrived in LA, so it really helped us to get ourselves orientated in the huge sprawl of LA and help us decide what we wanted to do more of. The lunch was a wrap and a smoothie from a cute little place off Venice Beach. Excellent food and great value. Erik gave us so many tips on what to do in LA...we are first time visitors. Erik gave us a great tip on how to see the HOLLYWOOD sign up close and without the crowds. So the next morning we set out in an Uber to follow his advice. We had stunning views without the crowds. You will have to do a tour with Bikes and Hikes to get this tip! Our adventure that day included a walk down from the HOLLYWOOD sign to the Walk of Fame. Don't give this area too much of your time was another Erik tip. Google maps said 45 minutes downhill. It was 45°C. We got totally lost. We were facing a walk of over 70 minutes having already walked for at least 30 minutes. We didn't know where we went wrong and we couldn't fix our mistake. We are in our late 50' s and we were slightly worried about the walk in such extreme temperatures. We tentatively stuck our thumbs out when cars passed us. Within seconds a car stopped and the kind driver offered us water and a ride. We were so grateful. We were chatting and I mentioned that we had done a fabulous bike ride the day before. Then something almost unbelievable happened. The driver said 'Bikes and Hikes is my company '. We couldn't believe the coincidence. Chris, as we now knew him as, was obviously a friend of Erik's and loved hearing about our tour the day before. He dropped us at the Walk of Fame. We are still laughing about the experience. Thank you to the heroes from Bikes and Hikes for making our LA...

6 Hip Tips to Book the Hollywood Hike Tour

You can create memorable

moments, scenic photographs, and smiles if you book this hike. As an avid hiker that typically uses intuition or a compass, it was refreshing to have a guide. The main reason is that hiking restrictions are constantly changing with access to the sign. When you book a tour, you learn more and get more for the price.  Essentially, priceless.

We went on a Tuesday, slightly overcast and max temp. was 73°. There was a group of 16. Athleticism ranged from avid hikers to couch potatoes.  Even those that never walked a block, were able to make it to the iconic sign. No bathrooms. Not even at local gas stations. You'll have to hold it or release it in nature. I would recommend this trip for ages 9+.

Perhaps these tips may convince you to book it!

Sarah, the guide, is vivacious, high energy, humorous, and passionate with history. Tipping is good karma. My 11 year-old was so impressed with Sarah's presentation that she commented, "Sarah is very personable. That's a nice quality in a woman." Go figure.

Best time to go is overcast day. Photos are still beautiful. If it's sunny, it will be hot and uncomfortable and for some unbearable.

Views, vistas, photo ops, scenic, angles, IG friendly and picturesque moments.

If you live in San Diego or Santa Barbara this would be a freakin' cool day trip adventure.

Totally recommended for bachelor/bachelorette activity (take tequila for a toast at the top). Memorable for couples, families, mature couples or date one or date 100.

Booking, email communication and reminders was professional and timely.

Let me know how these tips...