The 10 Best Movie & TV Tours in California, United States

December 14, 2021 Trinity Boughner

California is a fertile, peaceful place where you’ll find a near-equal balance of vineyards and deserts, beaches and mountains, hippies and traditionalists. Catch an epic wave in Big Sur or swirl a glass in Napa Valley. Be dazzled by the Joshua Tree night sky or just star-gaze in Hollywood. Swish down the slopes of a Tahoe ski resort, or cruise across the Golden Gate Bridge with the top down and the music blasting. Above all, don’t forget to soak up some Golden State sunshine.
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1. Downtown Los Angeles Filming Locations Walking Tour

307 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013, USA LA Walking Tours
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5.0 based on 4 reviews

This is the tour of Hollywood history in Downtown LA and actual filming locations for many popular movies! You will tour the largest backlot in the world and watch the scenes of your favorite movie clips. Watch out, we may even get caught in a film production! * Scenes including, but not limited to, La La Land, 500 Days of Summer, Blade Runner, Bosch, The Artist, The Soloist, Bridesmaids, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Independence Day, Inception, etc...

Inclusions: Local guide

Exclusions: Gratuities

Reviewed By AnnaCPass

Really fun tour, my guide Neil was personable with a wealth of knowledge on all things LA. While I thought I knew some background on these haunted spots, Neil was able to provide lots of new and interesting information. Only negative spot was the infamous Cecil hotel is currently all boarded up with not much to see. Would definitely recommend booking the experience!

2. Private Electric Bike Tour of Santa Monica and Venice Beaches

Pedal or Not Electric Bike Tours, 214 Pier Ave east of Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405, USA Pedal or Not... Electric Bicycle - Tours
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5.0 based on 29 reviews

Get a taste of Santa Monica and Venice on this private tour by electric bike. A great experience for locals and visitors alike. You'll cruise along the beach bike path enjoying the sun, ocean view and energetic atmosphere of Santa Monica and Venice Beach on your easy-to-use electric bike. Stop for photo opportunities at top Santa Monica attractions including Santa Monica Beach, the Santa Monica Pier as background and the spot where Hollywood celebrities partied in the Golden days of Hollywood. Hear fun stories about the city’s pop culture and history from your guide. You will roll on to vibrant Venice to see the skate park, street art and the bustle of the crowd on the ocean front walk, then off to the Venice canals before a final stop at Muscle Beach and zipping back to the shop.

Inclusions: Use of electric bike and helmet, Bottled water, Professional guide, Photo memories package ($30 value), PPE - mask and light plastic gloves available upon request, PPE - small 1 oz hand sanitizer on bike for your use

Exclusions: Gratuities (+-15% as guideline if you enjoyed your tour)

Reviewed By 667aaliyab

Our bike tour with Barb was the perfect addition to our Santa Monica vacation. She gave us amazing facts while traveling up and down Venice Beach, Muscle Beach & Santa Monica Pier. The best part was we didn’t have to pedal.

3. Private Tour: Hollywood Highlights or Celebrity Homes of Beverly Hills

Another Side Of Los Angeles Tours, 1080 S La Cienega Blvd #108, Los Angeles, CA 90035, USA Another Side Of Los Angeles Tours
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5.0 based on 5 reviews

Take a 2-hour private tour of famous Hollywood landmarks or the celebrity homes of Beverly Hills and Bel-Air with an insider guide who combines sightseeing with insightful commentary. You'll discover Hollywood’s history — from its storied past to present day — as you explore Tinseltown at a leisurely pace. Alternatively, learn a bit about the history of Beverly Hills as you’re driven by private vehicle through LA’s most affluent neighborhood. Snacks and bottled water are included with round-trip transport from your hotel.

Inclusions: Narration by a professional private guide, Transport by air-conditioned private vehicle, Bottled water and snacks, Hotel pickup and drop-off

Exclusions: Gratuities

Reviewed By MsSimplyRed

We opted for a 3 hr private tour for our family of 4 + a toddler and it was a great decision! Kenneth was excellent in laying out all our options for a private tour and getting us quickly booked and set up to go. Darnell was a gracious host and showed us what we wanted to see while teaching us about this city. Great job!! Excellent customer service all around.

4. Fun Movie Star Homes Tour

6720 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA Hollywood Star City Tours
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

See Hollywood and it's surroundings in a fun, windowless bus which allows for excellent views without obstructions in less than 2 hours. The tours depart from Hollywood and are narrated by knowledgable tour guides.

Inclusions: Live commentary on board, Driver/guide

Exclusions: Gratuities

Reviewed By Markhoveling

It was a great experience. The tour guide provided us with a lot of information. I really recommend this excursion.

5. Los Angeles Ports of Call Tours

Sunseeker Tours
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

Arriving to port of Los Angeles or Port of Long Beach by Cruise ship??? Then this tour is for you! Tour famous Los Angeles landmarks and local institutions on this fun, action-packed day trip from Port of Long Beach and Port of San Pedro at 9:00 am ( along with your luggage). See top Downtown Los Angeles area, and attractions including TCL Chinese Theater, Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Beverly Hills, Venice Beach, Santa Monica and the Hollywood Sign. Get a close-up view of famous movie locations, see the biggest ports in the US and explore Hollywood Boulevard on this tour that's a well-balanced mix of guided tours and free time. At the end of the tour, You have an option to be dropped of to LAX Airport at 4:00 pm, or to any hotel in Santa Monica, San Pedro or Long Beach at 4:30 Pm. and back to the Cruise Ship at 4:30 pm.

Inclusions: Local taxes

Exclusions: Lunch, entrance fee to any museum.

Reviewed By 815greaseg

John the driver was amazing! We loved his stories and felt like we had inside info into all that we saw! Would definitely recommend this fun adventure to anyone ????

6. Playground of the Stars Palm Springs Tour

Jack Alley
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

There are a number of movie stars and celebrities who have (or had) a home here. In some cases, it was the hideaway, for others, the primary home. Without a doubt, its heyday was in the '40s, 50's and '60s, partly driven by the constraints of the old Hollywood studio system, which required them to be able to report to work at a moment's notice. In recent years, young celebrities have flocked to the desert, renting homes, or in some cases buying a second home as a refuge. Palm Springs will always be part of that Tinseltown allure. Locals and visitors still marvel at many celebrities' houses, some for their architectural prowess, others for their curious history. You don't want to miss this tour, because these people made this area what it is today. They had such a profound impact on Palm Springs, you can still feel there presence. The tour takes you to all of that, and then some. Palm Springs was built by movie stars for movie stars.

Inclusions: Bottled water

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Reviewed By isabellY9654EV

My family and I were in Palm Springs for the week, so we decided to take Jack's tour on one of our days and it was the best choice of my trip! From the start, he was very accommodating and answered any questions my family had. He's a great storyteller and this made our trip so enjoyable. There was no limit to his knowledge of Palm Springs, he rattled off facts from even the most specific of questions. Also, he weaved in dates, home prices, and names effortlessly. You could tell he loves Palm Springs, he was prideful of everything he described. We got to see a lot of cool mid-century modern buildings, homes of the rich and famous, and historical landmarks. He was friendly and you can tell he loved his job! I highly recommend Jack and his tour if you're ever in the area! Thanks for an amazing day!

7. Private Tour of Los Angeles

6720 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA Open Bus Tours
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5.0 based on 3 reviews

This tour is private for you and your family only, nobody else . the tour guide will be concentrating on you and your family only. you can even change some part of the tour if you wish and if we can . Our sole goal is your satisfaction .

Inclusions: Private transportation

Exclusions: Gratuity for the tour guide

Reviewed By L8095HZkylel

The tour was awesome and the tour guides made the experience more than worth it; we’re going again for sure when we come back

8. Hollywood Sign: Walk to the Top

6100 Innsdale Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90068, USA Hollywood Hikes
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5.0 based on 139 reviews

****WE ARE OPEN and HIKING**** Join me for a Walk right to the TOP of the Hollywood Sign! I'll guide you up the best path to get to the sign while entertaining you with fun historical facts and stories having to do with one of the most recognizable signs in the world. I do a morning hike and an evening hike for the sunset hour! In addition to storytelling, I've curated this hike to give you the best pictures for your Instagram and memories for a lifetime! I'll help you get the best photos of the sign, the skyline, and other scenic panoramas that will make your social media light up with likes--I GUARANTEE at least 10 LIKES on instagram :). You can follow me along @hollywood.hikes. I'll show you how to take once in a lifetime photos in the absolute best locations throughout Griffith Park including a stunning panorama from above with the sign in the background and Los Angeles below. Don't miss out on the most iconic attraction on the West Coast!

Inclusions: Bottled water, Snacks - Granola Bars, Fruit, Snack Bars, Sunscreen, Hats, Free Street Parking, I provide a Wifi Hotspot if you need assistance calling a Uber or Lyft., Snacks

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Reviewed By Randyh7777

Wow what an amazing hike!! Our tour started right on time with JB as our guide. JB did an amazing job & really made the hike interesting with all his information & humor. Glad I chose to hike with this company & would definitely recommend.

9. The Best of LA Tour from Anaheim or LA: Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Beaches

Sonesta ES Suites Anaheim, 1855 S Manchester Ave, Anaheim, CA 92802, USA LA in A Day Tours
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4.9 based on 185 reviews

Free Hotel pickup and drop-off from over 70 hotels in the Anaheim Resort Area and hotels in the LAX area. This is a fun and fantastic experience of the area’s most iconic sights and landmarks. This guided tour is perfect for families, couples and all ages! We have four 35-45 minute stops and 1-hour for lunch. On our tour you’ll experience the following: Santa Monica and the world famous Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach, Muscle Beach, the famous canals and skate park, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Dr., the Beverly Hills sign, The iconic Farmer's Market at the Grove (serving a variety a great dishes), The Griffith Park observatory - where you have a perfect photo opportunity of the Hollywood Sign! The Hollywood walk of fame where you find your favorite celebrities' stars, the Grauman's Theatre (find famous hand and footprints), The Kodak Theatre (where the Oscars are held), the Sunset Strip, and much more whilst being entertained by fun, friendly, informative and hilarious guides!

Inclusions: Water Bottles, Downtown LA and North Hollywood pickups will be given an Uber voucher to get home from the last stop, If you requrie a wheelchair please book 48 hours in advance and contact the us directly

Exclusions: Lunch

Reviewed By JavierAngulo8412

If you go to LA this tour is amazing, the guide explain every spot and give you time for photos, walking around etc. everything was great

10. San Francisco Movie Sights City Tour

43 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA San Francisco Movie Tours
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4.9 based on 601 reviews

Experience the cinematic side to San Francisco on an interactive, family-friendly tour that includes clips from more than 55 movies and TV shows filmed in the picturesque city. Revisit scenes from 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' 'Dirty Harry,' 'Vertigo,' 'Bullitt,' 'The Princess Diaries,' 'Full House,' and 'Star Trek IV,' among others. Learn from an actor-turned-guide who shares knowledge of San Francisco's filming history.

Inclusions: Driver/guide, Live commentary on board, Pickup and drop-off from a designated meeting point, All taxes, fees and handling charges

Exclusions: Gratuities, Food and drinks, Hotel pickup and drop-off

Reviewed By mtodrzak

I took my teenage special needs daughter to visit the Full House house and we both thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the tour. We both learned so much about how scenes were shot in some of the most iconic films ever made. Our Host Bryan couldn’t have been more gracious and entertaining not to mention extremely entertaining. It will be one of the highlights of my daughter’s birthday and am so glad Bryan went out of his way to make that happen.

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