More about: Los Angeles Hop-On Hop-Off Buses
Los Angeles is one of the largest cities in the United States. The distances make it impossible to get around on foot, and if you rent a car, you have to be prepared to deal with traffic. That's why Hop-On Hop-Off buses are a great alternative for seeing the best sights in Los Angeles.
These buses allow you to visit the city's most iconic sights in just a few hours, without having to deal with traffic and public transport delays. If you don't plan on renting a car, a tourist bus will make it easier to get around the city and provide you with information about each place of interest.
Main tourist buses in Los Angeles
These are the main tourist buses in Los Angeles that you can take to explore the city:
- Big Bus Los Angeles Tourist Bus — from $69
- City Sightseeing Tourist Bus in Los Angeles — from $58
1. Big Bus Tour Los Angeles
The Bis Bus tourist bus offers two comprehensive tours of the city of Los Angeles. Both tours can be taken on the same day and are very convenient for planning your visits to the places that interest you.
In addition, the open-top bus offers panoramic views that allow you to see the city and the coast in all their splendor. It is therefore perfect if you are visiting Los Angeles in the summer.
The sightseeing routes offered by Big Bus are:
- Hollywood Tour: this is the red route and takes approximately 2 hours.
- Beach Tour: this is the blue route and takes approximately 90 minutes.
Hollywood Tour - Red Route
This tour allows you to see iconic Hollywood landmarks such as the Walk of Fame, the TCL Chinese Theatre, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, and many more. The entire tour lasts 2 hours and has a total of 12 stops.
This itinerary also allows you to use it as a means of transportation when taking one of the Hollywood tours offered by the city.
The first bus of the day leaves from stop 1 at 10 a.m., and the last one leaves at 4:30 p.m. Buses run every day, both in summer and winter, every 30 to 45 minutes.
The Hollywood circuit passes by more than 12 iconic Los Angeles landmarks, many of them related to the film industry, and is ideal if you have booked a visit to Universal Studios or the Warner Bros. studio tour in LA.
- Big Bus Visitor Center Hollywood
- TCL Chinese Theater
- Guitar Center "Rock Walk"
- The Comedy Store
- Whiskey A Go Go
- Beverly Gardens Park
- Beverly Center
- LACMA / La Brea Tar Pits
- Farmers Market / The Grove
- Melrose Ave Shopping
- Paramount Studios
- Hollywood and Vine
Beach Circuit - Blue Route
This circuit allows you to explore the Los Angeles coastline: its beaches, Santa Monica Pier, 3rd Street Promenade, Venice Beach, Muscle Beach, and many other sites.
This tour takes approximately 90 minutes and stops at six points of interest.
- Beverly Gardens Park
- Santa Monica Pier
- Santa Monica Beach
- Venice Boardwalk
- Main Street
- Marina del Rey
You can get off at any of these stops and take as much time as you want to explore each place before continuing your tour. You can also start your tour at any of the stops. These buses run every hour to hour and a quarter.
The Beach Circuit buses operate year-round, both in summer and if you're looking for things to do in Los Angeles in winter.
2. The City Sightseeing tourist bus in Los Angeles
The City Sightseeing tourist bus is another Hop-on Hop-off bus you can take to tour the city of Los Angeles. This bus runs three different routes in the city. You can buy a ticket for each route separately or buy a ticket that allows you to combine all three routes during the time you hire the service.
All City Sightseeing buses run approximately every 45 minutes and the tour lasts around 2 hours, depending on the route chosen. You can hop on and off at any of the stops and resume the tour as many times as you like during the time you have purchased the service.
Each bus also has pre-recorded audio guides in several languages that provide information about each place of interest. You can access these using the headphones provided on the bus or your own, if you have them.
The company also offers private sightseeing tours for groups on its buses. It is always best to buy tickets in advance online.
The City Sightseeing routes around Los Angeles are:
- The Hollywood Red Line
- The Yellow Route of Santa Monica
- The Purple Route through Downtown Los Angeles.
The Red Route of Hollywood
This tour allows you to see the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Rodeo Drive shopping district, and many other iconic Los Angeles landmarks related to the Hollywood film industry.
The tour runs every day of the year for about 2 hours, with departures every 30 minutes. The first departure is from stop No. 1 at the Dolby Theater at 10 a.m., and the last bus leaves at 4:30 p.m. from the same stop. This route has 16 stops at various points of interest in Los Angeles.
If you purchased the combined ticket for all three routes, you can combine this route with the Yellow Route when you arrive at stop No. 7.
- Dolby Theater
- Walk of Fame
- Guitar Center, Rock Walk
- Chateau Marmont
- Rodeo Drive
- The Comedy Story, Sunset Strip
- Whisky a Go Go
- Santa Monica Boulevard
- Beverly Hills
- Farmers Market, The Grove
- Melrose Avenue
- Pink's Hot Dogs
- Vine Street
- Hollywood and Vine
- The Petersen Museums
The Santa Monica Yellow Route
This tour allows you to visit Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Venice Beach, and other beautiful sites along the Los Angeles coast.
The tour lasts 2 hours without interruption, and buses depart every 45 minutes every day of the year, except on holidays, which I recommend you check in advance.
The route has 16 stops at different points of interest and begins at Ocean Ave, Santa Monica Pier at 9:30 a.m. The last bus leaves at 4:15 p.m. from the same stop.
As with all tourist buses, you can get on at any stop, not necessarily the first one, and resume the tour whenever you want after visiting the sites on the itinerary.
- Ocean Ave, Santa Monica Pier
- Wilshire, 3rd Street Promenade
- Montana Ave
- Brentwood Country Mart
- Westwood
- The Beverly Hilton
- Beverly Hills
- Rodeo Drive
- Century Plaza Hotel
- Intercontinental Century City
- One Westside Shopping Center
- Santa Monica College
- Barnard Way
- Venice Beach
- Main St.
Downtown Los Angeles Tour
This tour allows you to discover the most iconic places in downtown Los Angeles. The bus takes you to historic sites such as Union Station, Olvera Street, Chinatown, and Walt Disney, as well as museums, bars, and shops.
This circuit has 16 stops at various places of interest, lasts 2 hours in total, and runs throughout the year.
The tour begins at 10 a.m. at stop No. 1, in front of the Dolby Theatre, and the last bus leaves at 3 p.m. from the same stop. Buses depart every 45 minutes, and you can board them at any stop.
- Dolby Theatre
- Engine Co. #28 / 7th Street
- Westin Bonaventure Hotel
- Walt Disney Concert Hall
- Cathedral of Our Lady
- Chinatown Central Plaza
- Chinatown Shopping Malls
- Olvera St./Pueblo and Union Station
- Little Tokyo
- Grand Center Market
- Library Central
- Jewelry District
- Fashion District
- Convention Center
- L.A. Live/ Grammy Museum
- DTLA architecture
Like all Hop-On Hop-Off buses, you can get off at any stop and hop on the next bus once you've finished your visit.
But this tourist bus also offers you the advantage of being able to change routes on the same day using the same ticket. For example, you can go to stop No. 7 on the Yellow Route in Santa Monica and change to the Red Route in Hollywood, as the two routes converge at this stop.
How do Los Angeles sightseeing buses work?
Los Angeles sightseeing buses take you on a tour of the city's main attractions, without stopping at intermediate stops like public buses. Their services can be booked for one or more days, from morning until approximately 4:00 p.m.
You can hop on and off as many times as you like at any point along the route, during the time period covered by your bus ticket.
Of course, the bus does not wait for each person to finish their visit, but approximately every half hour, a bus will pass by each stop so you can get on and continue the tour.
In addition, you can hire the service for one or more days. Each bus has pre-recorded commentary in several languages about each place of interest, which you can access using the headphones provided. Or, if you prefer, you can use your own.
Why take a tourist bus?
Los Angeles is one of the five cities with the worst traffic in the world. Getting around on your own using public transportation can take a long time. Tourist buses, on the other hand, avoid traffic problems, as they tend to travel on less congested streets.
In addition, they have established routes through the city's main tourist attractions, making them a good introduction for those visiting Los Angeles for the first time and/or those who have little time to explore the city.
Getting around the city on a sightseeing bus is much more practical and economical than using local buses, as you have to pay the fare every time you get on.
What do you need to know before booking a tourist bus in Los Angeles?
Sightseeing bus tickets are purchased once and must be kept for the entire duration of the service. You can board at any of the available stops during that time, but you must show your ticket each time. If you booked the service online, it is best to print your ticket.
An interesting fact to keep in mind is that you can buy a ticket for a whole day, two days, or even three days. This is more economical for touring the city and visiting the suggested places of interest.
In addition, you can take the bus, get off wherever you like, explore the area, and then take the next bus, which is both practical and entertaining.
Keep in mind that it is best to book your tourist bus tickets in advance and online, as these services are in high demand. You can also buy your ticket at any stop on the route.
Audio guides and languages
One of the frequent questions about this type of tour is whether you will be able to hear the tour guide, but this is not a problem, as you can access audio guides using the headphones provided on the buses, or your own, if you have them.
This is a significant advantage as it allows you to enjoy the panoramic views of the city more fully, without having to strain to hear the guide on a large bus.
City Sightseeing and Big Bus tourist buses offer audio guides in 9 languages, which I recommend you check before booking the buses.
Do the buses have Wi-Fi?
All Hop-On Hop-Off buses are equipped with Wi-Fi and other amenities, such as air conditioning and heating. In addition to the audio guides, you will also have maps and brochures of Los Angeles at your disposal, which you can consult during the trip.
Advantages of booking a tourist pass in advance
When visiting Los Angeles, it is best to combine the tourist bus with a tourist pass to avoid delays and save money on admission to places of interest.
For example, the Los Angeles All-Inclusive Pass is a ticket that allows you to visit more than 30 attractions in Los Angeles. It also includes discounts at bars, shops, and other places of interest.
I recommend that you buy the pass in advance to ensure that you can visit the places of interest that require an entrance fee.
Services for people with motor disabilities
If you need to board tourist buses with your wheelchair, you must notify the company you have chosen in advance to ensure a seat on accessible buses.
Alternatives to tour buses
An alternative to tour buses is to hire private tours for smaller groups with a guide who will explain the different attractions you visit during the tour.
Some of these tours also include admission to museums, art galleries, and other places that require an entrance fee.
One of these is the tour of celebrity homes in LA, which is not included in the sightseeing bus tour.
These tours also include visits to other iconic movie locations such as the Walk of Fame, the Hollywood sign, the TCL Chinese Theater (the venue for the biggest movie premieres), the Dolby Theater (where the Oscars are held), and many more.