- $58 for a four-hour, guided bus tour from Esotouric
- Dig into lesser-known LA history
- Original research sheds new light on old stories
- Choose from true crimes, architecture, the history of rock ‘n' roll, the lives of LA authors including Charles Bukowski, Raymond Chandler, and more
- View tour schedule
- Energetic, knowledgeable, and hilarious guides
- Snack stops at strange locations with unique foods
- Pick-up location varies with each tour and will be provided once you book a tour via phone or email.
- Must bring identification.
- 72-hour notice required for cancellations.
- Valid for regularly scheduled tours, not for special events.
Reviews
Yelpers give Esotouric's one-of-a-kind, intelligent, and unpredictable adventures a solid four stars:
- Our tour guide was first class -- clearly very, very knowledgeable on the subject and terrific at conveying his enthusiasm for the material...and I got to see parts of downtown I would not have had reason to venture into by myself. – Matthew P.
- Everything is incredibly well researched, with a plethora of pictures, old newspaper clippings etc. to boot, which are shared via the monitors on the bus as each fascinating story unfolds. – Sarah T.
- If you're into quirky, off-beat history, you need to check out Esotouric. They offer both bus and walking tours with themes of crime, literature, architecture, art and more. – Rosalin L.
Esotouric
Many people feel an indescribable urge to follow in the footsteps of celebrities long passed—hoping that a connection to their genius or charm still lingers in the air of their apartments and favorite pubs. The guides of Esotouric understand and share this urge, though they prefer to roam the paths of history by bus. After scouring the famed neighborhoods of Los Angeles in search of interesting and outlandish locations, they share their findings on bus adventures that retrace the trails blazed by local artists, filmmakers, writers, and actors.
Esotouric's odysseys wind through haunts such as Raymond Chandler's favorite breakfast spot and the salon Charles Bukowski visited for his weekly knuckle-hair perm. Coloring their tours with anecdotes about the films adapted from his noirish stories, guides also visit locales captured in the cinematic landscapes of James M. Cain. Various tours explore Southern California’s culture, literature, and architectural sides, giving history hounds the chance to sniff out sinister deeds in old-time tattoo parlors, burlesque shows, and crime scenes.
