I’ve been a concierge in LA for over 10 years, and I’ll never forget my first private tour experience. I had already been a concierge for 8 years, so I knew everything I needed to know about LA. I thought there would be no way that I would learn something new by taking a tour… well, boy was I wrong!
I was absolutely fascinated by all the stories and the history of the city that I was walking by on a daily basis! I mean I had no idea that I drove by Johnny Depp’s home on a daily basis. Or that the trees that line the residential streets in Beverly Hills are the same type of tree, and that no street is the same. Of course, these are silly little facts, but they do stop and make you look at the city in a different way. How about a cool lookout to see the Hollywood sign so you can snap a picture without being crowded by other tourists? Yep, private tour companies can arrange that too!
Private tours are also starting to branch out and offer unique and probably bizarre experiences. For example, adults can book “dab tours” that’s a tour around cannabis growers and dispensaries in LA. Crazy stuff, if you’re into that sort of thing then all the power to you.
Now before you think, eh, they’re too expensive, they really aren’t. Let’s say you’re a family of four. By the time you pay for tickets on a group tour for all four family members, for a tad more, you can get a private tour. And the experience is ten fold!
As you can see I get really passionate about this because, well, because I get asked about tours on a daily basis. There are days that I get asked about tours by more that 10 families. And because I care about people having a good time, there is nothing worse than seeing someone opt for a tour that I am not a fan of, just to have them come back and complain about it. I love LA, and I want everyone coming here to love it too!
So with that being said, I have two favorite companies for private tours. And either way you go, you are bound to have a memorable experience!
Glitterati Tours offers awesome ground tours. They tour around the city in sleek SUVs. Why should you care about the vehicle? Well let’s just say you’re taking a celebrity homes tour (it is the most popular tour requested, so don’t be embarrassed!). Would you rather drive through fancy residential neighborhoods in a cheesy bus that screams tourist or drive through in a black SUV and look like you might actually live there? Easy answer! Glitterati picks up from hotels and drops off too, so there’s no finagling to meet in Hollywood through a sea of tourists. They have such fun tour guides that have you laughing for most of the tour! For more details on what they offer, check out their site at www.glitteratitours.com. Jimmy is the owner, and… amazing!
For those looking to take the private tour experience to the next level, there is Elite Adventure Tours. They offer ground tours too and have some of the most knowledgeable tour guides in the business. Their tour guide snaps pictures along the way, and by the end of your trip, you get to take home the pictures of your tour at no additional cost! But what I love about Elite Adventure Tours is that they also offer helicopter tours. And we aren’t talking cheesy helicopter tours, we are talking the real deal in some amazing choppers! Plus, they give you the best aviation headset on the market to make sure you can hear everything that’s being said. They incorporate their tours to involve both ground and air trips. Want to explore Catalina for the day? They can get you there in a helicopter and plan a whole day of activities from hiking to zip-lining. Love wine? If you plan in advance, they can get exclusive access to the Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate. Oh yes, and you can even get there by helicopter too! Of course, they can do so much more, so check out their site at www.eliteadventuretours.com. Tony is the owner… and just an all around awesome guy!
OK well there you have it. My two favorite companies that will give you the best experience around LA. And locals shouldn’t shy away either. Remember how much I learned? And I’m a concierge!
Have fun!