Los Angeles bus and bike tours compared

The short answer

The nine products split into four decisions. Hop-on hop-off tickets give you a loop of stops to use at your own pace, celebrity tours are guided bus rides past homes and hotspots, guided bike tours ride a set route with a guide, and rentals hand you a bike and a map.[8][6][4] None of these products lists admission to the places it names: on every one of them, landmarks are stops or sights along the way.[7][5][3][1]

Hop-on hop-off: three tickets

The Big Bus Los Angeles Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour has three options: Discover Ticket (24 Hours), Essential Ticket (48 Hours) and Explore Ticket (72 Hours). All three include the Hollywood Loop (red route) and the Beach Loop (blue route) with a multilingual audio guide. The Essential and Explore options add a 30-minute walking tour of the TCL Chinese Theatre, redeemed at the tour kiosk at the theatre entrance. SkyGate's page lists the Hollywood Loop stops, including the TCL Chinese Theatre, the Sunset Strip, Museum Row, Farmers Market / The Grove and Paramount Studios, and Beach Loop stops at Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica Beach, Venice Boardwalk and Main Street.[1]

The Big Bus Los Angeles Hop-On Hop-Off and Celebrity Homes Tour adds a driver-guided Celebrity Homes Tour in an open-top minibus to the same two loops. Its options are 24, 48 or 72 hours, and you choose a date and timeslot for the Celebrity Homes Tour, which also becomes the first day of your hop-on hop-off ticket. You collect the Celebrity Homes ticket at Stop 1, the Big Bus Visitor Centre. This combination does not list the TCL Chinese Theatre walking tour.[2]

The City Sightseeing Los Angeles and Hollywood Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour is a separate hop-on hop-off ticket, valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours from first use. SkyGate's page describes three routes and more than 42 landmarks, naming the Dolby Theatre, Ocean Avenue, Walt Disney Concert Hall and Venice Beach, with pre-recorded commentary and a rewards booklet.[3] The page does not list the routes or stops, and XTOUR has not verified them. You redeem the voucher at a bus stop, with customer service staff or with the driver depending on the option.[3]

Celebrity bus tours

The Los Angeles Celebrity Homes Bus Tour is a two-hour drive with a driver-guide in an open-top minibus from the Big Bus visitor centre on Hollywood Boulevard. SkyGate's page names the Hollywood Hills, Mulholland Drive, Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive, and a view of the San Fernando Valley and Universal Studios from the Universal Overlook. The page says the tour is not wheelchair-accessible.[4]

The TMZ Celebrity Bus Tour, Hollywood is a two-hour guided tour passing Hollywood, the Sunset Strip and Beverly Hills. You meet at the pagoda in the Chinese Theatre forecourt at 6925 Hollywood Blvd and check in at the Big Bus Tours Visitors Centre there. SkyGate's page says celebrity sightings are not guaranteed.[5] XTOUR's reading: choose TMZ for gossip and hotspots, the Celebrity Homes tour for homes and hillside views.

Guided bike tours

The Guided Bike Tour of Santa Monica and Venice Beach is the shorter ride. It starts at Unlimited Biking, 1431 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, at 10:00 and ends at 13:00, following the beach path to the Venice Canals, Marina del Rey, the Art Walls and Muscle Beach. One option uses a standard bike and sells child tickets from age 1, and the other uses a pedal-assisted e-bike for riders aged 13 and over. SkyGate's page says tag-along attachments and toddler trailers are not permitted on tours.[6]

The Los Angeles Cycling Tour with West Hollywood and Beverly Hills is the long city-to-coast ride. Its itinerary meets at 8500 Santa Monica Boulevard at 10:00, starts on Route 66 in West Hollywood, rides through Beverly Hills, Westwood and Brentwood to Santa Monica Pier, stops for lunch at your own expense in Venice Beach, walks the Venice Canals and visits Marina del Rey, ending at 15:00. SkyGate's page gives the distance as 51.5 kilometres, mostly on bike paths, with some hilly sections. The two options are a city bike or an electric bike, and the electric option needs a minimum height of 145 cm. The page says children under 6 cannot join and riders must cycle on their own.[7]

Self-guided bike rentals

The Santa Monica Beach Bike Rental is collected from Unlimited Biking at 1431 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica. Its six options are a bike or an e-bike for 2 hours, 4 hours or a day, each with a helmet, lock, bike bag and area map. The standard-bike options sell child tickets for ages 1 to 12, and the e-bike options are for riders aged 13 and over. SkyGate's page says the last rental is two hours before closing and bikes must be returned before the store closes.[8]

The Los Angeles Bike Rentals product is a 24-hour rental from Bikes and Hikes LA, with a city, electric, mountain or road bike. Every option includes a helmet, safety vest and lock, and the electric option adds a portable battery charger. SkyGate's page says the electric and road bikes need a minimum height of 145 cm, and that bikes must be collected between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM. The options do not give a pickup address, and XTOUR has not verified it; SkyGate's page names Bikes and Hikes LA on Santa Monica Boulevard.[9]

How to choose

• Two loops covering Hollywood and the beach, with the theatre walking tour on the longer tickets: the Big Bus Los Angeles Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour.[1]
• The same loops plus a guided celebrity homes drive: the Big Bus Los Angeles Hop-On Hop-Off and Celebrity Homes Tour.[2]
• A separate hop-on hop-off ticket with recorded commentary and three routes: the City Sightseeing Los Angeles and Hollywood Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour.[3]
• Celebrity homes and hillside views only: the Los Angeles Celebrity Homes Bus Tour.[4]
• Celebrity gossip and hotspots: the TMZ Celebrity Bus Tour, Hollywood.[5]
• A guided morning on the beach path, children welcome on the standard bike: the Guided Bike Tour of Santa Monica and Venice Beach.[6]
• A full guided day from West Hollywood to the coast: the Los Angeles Cycling Tour with West Hollywood and Beverly Hills.[7]
• Your own route by the beach for hours or a day: the Santa Monica Beach Bike Rental.[8]
• Your own route for 24 hours with a choice of bike types: Los Angeles Bike Rentals.[9]

Before you book

• Unlimited Biking rentals and tours need a valid photo ID and a credit card for the security deposit.[6][8]
• Electric and road bikes from Bikes and Hikes LA need riders of at least 145 cm.[7][9]
• The post-tour beers on the West Hollywood cycling tour are served only to participants aged 21 and over.[7]
• Bus operating hours and frequency are not in SkyGate's listings, and XTOUR has not verified them.