The best Los Angeles big bus tours

Hop on hop off bus in Los Angeles: how it works and the routes

A hop-on hop-off bus in Los Angeles is a pass for 1 to 3 days. You get on and off at any stop on its routes. Two companies sell it on GetYourGuide: Big Bus and Starline.

Big Bus Los Angeles

The Big Bus ticket gives unlimited rides for 24, 48 or 72 hours on an open-top double-decker. It has two routes: one through Hollywood and one out to Santa Monica. Stops include the Walk of Fame, Beverly Hills, the Sunset Strip, Museum Row and Rodeo Drive. Commentary is digital, in several languages, with souvenir earbuds. The Big Bus app stores your ticket and shows where the buses are.

Starline (the LA tour bus hop on off)

The Starline pass covers its Hollywood Route and Beach Route, plus express shuttles to Santa Monica. Every ticket includes a direct shuttle to Griffith Observatory. The audio guide streams to your phone in nine languages, and free earbuds are included. The CitySightseeing LA app shows the buses live.

How often do the buses come?

Neither booking page states how often the buses run. Use the operator app to see where the next bus is before you walk to a stop. Leave extra time between stops, because LA traffic can slow every bus.

Half-day and full-day guided tours of Los Angeles

A half-day tour covers the big four: Hollywood, Griffith Observatory views, Beverly Hills and the Farmers Market. A full day adds the beaches in Santa Monica and Venice.

• Best of LA (5.5 hours, from €52): stops with free time; pickup is an option at booking.
• Small group (5 hours, from €79): up to 12 people, with pickup from selected hotels in Hollywood and Downtown.
• Full day (7.5 to 9 hours, from €82): six stops, including a lunch stop; lunch is not included.
• Grand Tour (7 hours, from €68): open-air bus with a driver-guide and an hour at Santa Monica Beach.

Private tours in Los Angeles

Private tours in Los Angeles cost more, but you set the pace. The Best of LA and full-day tours both show a private option on their booking pages. Choose it at checkout if you travel with children or older relatives.

Home tours in Los Angeles

Celebrity homes are private, so expect gates and hedges more than houses. The TMZ combo above is the only celebrity tour on this page. Book it for the stories, not for views of homes.

Is a hop-on hop-off bus worth it in Los Angeles? An honest answer

For most first-time visitors, no: a guided tour gives more for the same money. The bus passes rate 3.4 and 3.8 on GetYourGuide, against 4.5 to 4.9 for the guided tours. On a bus, you also wait at stops and hear recorded commentary instead of a live guide.

The bus is worth it in one case. You have two or three days, you stay in Hollywood, and you want to visit places at your own pace. Then a 48 or 72-hour pass can work out cheaper per day than paying for several tours.

Practical: tickets, cancellation, accessibility, holiday closures

You get your ticket on your phone after booking. Each pick shows free cancellation on its booking page; check the exact cut-off there before you pay.

Both bus passes are listed as wheelchair-accessible on their booking pages. The Santa Monica half-day tour says it is not suitable for wheelchair users. Neither bus page lists holiday closures, so check the operator's own site if you travel on a public holiday.