Tours in Del Aire

Brian Freeman wanted two things out of his career: to meet new people and spend time outdoors. With this in mind, Mr. Freeman's path seemed obvious. He would start giving bike tours. A self-described "fact guy," the expert guide draws upon his extensive knowledge of the Venice area to delight both tourists and California natives. From the Venice canals to the spacious mailboxes of celebrity homes, the expert guide tells stories about famous locations and uncovers some of the area's hidden gems. "Everyone always says they had no idea the tour would be so exciting," he says. "People think Venice is just the beach, but just a block away there is so much more."

Mr. Freeman doesn't keep his groups confined to the seats and cowboy saddles of bicycles. He frequently points out ideal spots for photo ops and occasionally pauses for activities, such as letting groups spray paint their names onto a legal-graffiti wall. He also supplies optional helmet cams that capture videos for souvenirs.

cityHunt’s urban adventures thrust participants into unfamiliar territory, daring them to explore parts of their cities previously untraversed. Held in various neighborhoods within the nation’s largest cities, each scavenger hunt challenges teams to answer trivia questions and seek out items of interest in a bid to complete the hunt as the fastest squad with the most points. Some tasks might require a keen memory or knowledge of the city's history, while others might ask camera-wielding participants to snap a photo of certain object or landmark without pausing to day dream about all the civil and municipal engineering that must have gone into creating such an awe-inspiring place. At the end of each adventure, cityHunt staff members meet with squads to discuss their strong points and areas that could use improvement, making it an off-the-beaten-path team-building exercise for corporate clients and groups of friends alike.

While cruising with their starry-eyed passengers through Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and the Sunset Strip, the humorous guides for TMZ Hollywood Tour – Secrets and Celebrity Hot Spots impart juicy, never-before-heard gossip and periodically leap off the open-air bus to film passenger-spotted celebrities. Tour-goers can step aboard TMZ's comfortable, custom-designed, star-searching stagecoach and get ready to train peepers on the haunts and hangouts of famous personalities during the two-hour excursion.

Guides from the TMZ TV program punctuate celebrity-seeking safaris with exclusive videos that inspire laughs and gasps from the ride's television screens, sharing hot Hollywood secrets and behind-the-scenes stories yet to be revealed on the show or the TMZ website. Along the way, tour takers can also sing songs, play games to win prizes and get firsthand glimpses of the shops, restaurants, and clubs where partying stars meet to mingle.

The ocean-side city of Santa Monica, flush with food, culture, and history, provides ample fodder for Destination Food Tours’ signature outing. Led by a local guide, groups stroll to a succession of eateries such as Bar Pinxto, where chefs infuse tapas with traditional Spanish flavors. At MAKE—a completely raw restaurant—chef and author Matthew Kenney showcases the decadence of uncooked food, and at the tour’s final stop, N’ice Cream, scoops of organic gelato refresh taste buds and extinguish mustache fires.

As Karie Bible strides across Hollywood Forever Cemetery, the hem of her mourning gown absorbs dew from the gravesites of Johnny Ramone and Mel Blanc. She tours the cemetery for a living, leading groups to crypts and monuments that mark the remains of deceased celebrities. Whether recounting the legacy of silent-film icon Rudolph Valentino or kneeling at the spike of grass that marks Alfalfa’s final resting place, she immerses tour-goers in Hollywood history. Each tour lasts about two hours and sheds light on cherished stars, as well as lesser-known entertainers and community members.

The staff members at Another Side Of Los Angeles Tours take an unconventional approach to sightseeing. The goal is to fashion an experience that is as much about the sights as it is about the tour itself. Sightseers take to the air during helicopter tours, hot air balloon tours, and biking tours with optional ETs.

The company’s segway tours wheel saunterers through Mission Bay or the Gaslamp Quarter and the Embarcadero at sunset, when San Diego twinkles and teenage werewolves cycle through awkward states of half-transformation. In addition to information and adventure, the company frequently gives tour takers round-trip transportation, waives entrance fees, and serves bites to eat.