The 15 Best Santa Monica Tours & Activities

Full-Day LA Tour: Santa Monica, Hollywood and Beverly Hills - Griffith Observatory, the best view and the shortest-feeling visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,431 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $95Our pick

See Santa Monica, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Griffith Observatory, and the Farmers Market in one useful 7-hour LA bus tour.

“Alana was amazing, very fun and knowledgeable. She gave us fun facts about the streets, restaurants, parks, hotels, and which celebrities frequented them at some point in time. She also managed to have a visit all the major attractions and take great pictures before the rain started later in the day. Her food recommendations were top notch, and I loved how we had 45 minutes to an hour for ourselves to wander, however we wanted.”

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Santa Monica Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Perfect 5 ½ Hour LA & Hollywood Tour from Santa Monica

2.Perfect 5 ½ Hour LA & Hollywood Tour from Santa Monica

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,124 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $75

See Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, the Walk of Fame, and the Hollywood Sign on a lively 5.5-hour tour from Santa Monica.

“The guide Jeo was very friendly and helpful. We had a wonderful city tour. We were picked up from our hotel, though it wasn’t a place of pickup.”

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Cycling Tours, E-Bikes, Santa Monica Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Small-Group Electric Bike Tour of Santa Monica and Venice

3.Small-Group Electric Bike Tour of Santa Monica and Venice

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 458 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $89

Ride Santa Monica and Venice on a small-group e-bike tour with beach paths, canals, Muscle Beach, local stories, and ocean views.

“Guide was excellent very little to fault about the whole experience. Even parking guy was helpful and kind.”

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Santa Monica Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Half Day Best of Los Angeles Tour from Santa Monica

4.Half Day Best of Los Angeles Tour from Santa Monica

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 221 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $69

See Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, the Farmers Market and Griffith Observatory on a 5.5-hour LA tour for $69.

“We took the half day tour with Talib this week - our first visit to LA and we just wanted a whistle-stop tour of the main sites. This was the perfect trip - not too long and a great way to tick off some must-sees during our short visit. However, the highlight of the experience was Talib - this guy is a superstar - funny, gracious, really knowledgeable and just a all-round nice person. Some Hollywood mogul should pick him up as a host of something because he just has that electric character that can't be taught. We enjoyed seeing the major sites, particularly the views from the Griffith Observatory,…”

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Beverly Hills Tours, Full-Day, Santa Monica Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

All Day LA Tour: Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica

5.All Day LA Tour: Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 211 reviews · 7 hours (approx.)

See Santa Monica, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Griffith Observatory, and more on a practical seven-hour Los Angeles coach tour.

“Sammy was a delightful tour guide he has a great sense of humor anyone who gets him is lucky as he is well versed on the history of Hollywood and he is also a people person with a vibrant spirit”

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Beverly Hills Tours, Celebrity Homes Tours, Santa Monica Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Santa Monica: Hollywood, Beverly Hills & Celebrity Home Tour

6.Hollywood, Beverly Hills & Celebrity Home Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 163 reviews · 3h 30m · from $47

Tour Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, celebrity homes, and the Walk of Fame from Santa Monica on a lively 3.5-hour open-air bus ride.

“This tour was a great way to see Beverly Hills and Hollywood! We would have never been able to navigate something like this on our own. Our tour guide, Brian, was fantastic and super knowledgeable. We highly recommend it!”

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Beverly Hills Tours, Celebrity Homes Tours, Santa Monica Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Hollywood, Beverly Hills, & Celebrity Home Tour from Santa Monica

7.Hollywood, Beverly Hills, & Celebrity Home Tour from Santa Monica

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 159 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $59

See Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Mulholland Drive, and celebrity homes on a small open-air bus tour from Santa Monica.

“We were looking for a tour beginning in Santa Monica and ending there as well. We were actually able to be picked up at our hotel. Our tour guide was George and is was wonderful. We would never have been able to see all of the places without this tour.”

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Santa Monica Tours, Surf Lessons, Surf Lessons in Santa Monica, Tour Reviews, Workshops

1.5-Hour Surf Lesson in Santa Monica

8.1.5-Hour Surf Lesson in Santa Monica

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 146 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $140

Learn to surf on the sandy-bottomed beach between Venice and Santa Monica with equipment, safety training, and an instructor included.

“It was an amazing time! Liam was the best instructor and so patient with our nephews! We would do it again!”

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2-Hour Experiences, Santa Monica Tours, Surf Lessons, Surf Lessons in Santa Monica, Tour Reviews, Workshops

Shared 2 Hour Small Group Surf Lesson in Santa Monica

9.Shared 2 Hour Small Group Surf Lesson in Santa Monica

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 144 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $85

Learn to surf at Santa Monica with Fun Surf LA, using included gear, small groups, beach training, and guided ocean practice for $85.

“John was a great instructor. The weather was rather cold and wet, so he gave us two wet suits each to keep us as warm as possible. Easy meeting spot. Great fun!”

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Cycling Tours, E-Bikes, Santa Monica Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Los Angeles: Santa Monica and Venice eBike Tour

10.Santa Monica and Venice eBike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 139 reviews · 3 hours · from $89

Ride an eBike from Santa Monica to Venice, visiting the pier, canals, Muscle Beach, skatepark, and coastal bike path with a local guide.

“It was very informative and Barb was super friendly”

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Cycling Tours, E-Bikes, Santa Monica Tours, Tour Reviews

Santa Monica: Bike and eBike Rentals with Map

11.Bike and eBike Rentals with Map

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 128 reviews · 2 - 8 hours · from $22Best value

Ride Santa Monica, Venice, and Marina del Rey on a flexible Cannondale bike or eBike rental with a map, helmet, lock, and family gear.

“If anyone is looking for a bike rental Look no further!!!! This place was bAbsolutely wonderful!!! We enjoyed our bike rentals so much! When we come Back we will 100 percent be using this bike rental again. When we arrived I had realized I booked mountain bikes and was totally Bummed but the owner worked With me and said loook if you’ll Be around for a little But I have some cruisers coming Back so we were like heck yeah! We barely Had to wait and wanted to go eat breakfast anyways which he recommended places To us and GREAT recommendations! Then he sent a text when bikes were ready…”

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Open-Air Bus Tours, Santa Monica Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Santa Monica: Los Angeles Open-Air Van Tour with Stops

12.Los Angeles Open-Air Van Tour with Stops

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 107 reviews · from $90

See Beverly Hills, Hollywood, the Farmers Market, celebrity homes, and the Hollywood Sign on a narrated open-air van tour from Santa Monica.

“Bea was an excellent driver and guide for Our tour today of the Beverly Hills area and the Hollywood area. She had interesting stories regarding celebrities where they lived and where they died. we got to see the infamous Diddy house and where Taylor Swift lives. Bee was very informative and enjoyable. I would recommend this tour for anyone who would like to see the highlights for this Los Angeles area.”

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City Tours, Cruises & Boat Tours, Marina del Rey, Santa Monica Tours, Tour Reviews

City Cruises Los Angeles Brunch Cruise from Marina del Rey

13.City Cruises Los Angeles Brunch Cruise from Marina del Rey

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 104 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $100

Review of the Marina del Rey brunch cruise, with buffet dining, free-flowing mimosas, live music, coastline views, timing, value, and tips.

“Our waitress was great. Food was delicious. It was a beautiful experience! I would definitely go again!”

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2-Hour Experiences, Santa Monica Tours, Surf Lessons, Surf Lessons in Santa Monica, Tour Reviews, Workshops

2-Hour Surf Lesson in Santa Monica

14.2-Hour Surf Lesson in Santa Monica

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 95 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $145

Learn to surf at Venice Beach with gear, safety training, and guided water time in a two-hour Santa Monica lesson.

“Dale was excellent - he was very patient and supportive while trying to learn the ins and outs of surfing!”

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Santa Monica Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Discover California Donut Culture: Santa Monica’s Sweetest Tour

15.Discover California Donut Culture: Santa Monica’s Sweetest Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 88 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $70

Taste classic and artisanal donuts, churros, and Santa Monica sights on a two-hour walking tour led by a lively local guide.

“Sam was an excellent guide. Not only did he give us the stories behind each of our stops, he also offered some history of Santa Monica as we were walking around. It was a ton of sugar, and we were craving protein when it was over, but it was a positive, memorable experience!”

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