Los Angeles · SELF-GUIDED TOURS
A shortlist you could hand a friend landing tomorrow: 15 self-guided tours worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.
See Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Venice, and Downtown LA by open-top bus with flexible hop-on hop-off routes and audio commentary.
“Got to see a lot of historical places! Wheelchair accessibility was great! I give this tour a 8 out of 10... only because NO air conditioning inside the bus! Very HOT!”
See Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Venice, and Downtown LA by open-air bus, with flexible stops, audio commentary, and real-time tracking.
“Moody drivers, incredibly dated commentary and unable to make the purple loop if you go to Santa Monica!! I’ll be requesting a refund!”
Explore Joshua Tree by car with offline GPS audio stories, park history, scenic stops, and a bonus Hidden Valley walking tour for $16.99.
“We debated between hiring a tour guide or going on our own with this audio guide and we are so glad we used the Viator Guide. It knew our route/location, without having to touch the screen it prompted us with interesting info about our exact location in the park allowing us to go our own pace! I will definitely be looking for other guides like this when we travel!”
Explore Palm Springs celebrity homes, mid-century design, desert trails, Sinatra lore, and Coachella Valley stories on a flexible audio drive.
“overall a very fun experience. EZ instructions, EZ application, well worth the cost. very pleasant experience.”
Explore Palm Springs and Joshua Tree by car with location-triggered stories, offline maps, celebrity homes, desert trails, and park history.
“This was a great summary of the sites. Although I ended up not following directly, I appreciated the summation of sights and descriptions provided.”
Drive from Sunset Strip to the Hollywood sign with offline audio stories about celebrity homes, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, and Hollywood history.
“I use my phone for photos and navigation, so I couldn't use the app to navigate and take photos at the same time as the audio would stop on the Bluetooth. Not use friendly and very heavy app, had to stop by a Starbucks and download 156mb of data on my iPad and still couldn't use it on two devices and we were four adults in the same car... All we could see were walls and bushes... Not recommending it a bit and I would have asked for my money back if it was worth my time...”
Explore Avalon’s waterfront with a $5.24 self-guided audio tour offering local stories, offline maps, flexible timing, and lifetime access.
“Terrible I did not receive the guide nor was I told how or where to get it. When I talk to the rep on the phone he did not tell me how to get it either. And my experience with the ferry to get the tickets were not registered either.”
Explore Death Valley by car with offline audio stories, GPS prompts, and flexible stops from Death Valley Junction to Badwater Basin.
“Nice audio narration and working with offline. Follow the instructions to save money and save time. Highly recommend.”
Explore Joshua Tree at your own pace with GPS-triggered stories, scenic hikes, rock formations, Keys View, and offline audio for $19.99 per car.
“One of our favorite tours! The Joshua trees are so very beautiful! We climbed on the rocks to see one of the arches. No disappointment here.”
Explore Avalon by golf cart with app-guided stops, coastal views, shopping, beaches, and practical tips about the separate rental cost.
“Really nice way to explore catalina, golf carts are super easy to ride. This only includes the tour, but still worth it”
Explore Palm Springs with a phone-led trivia hunt that blends local history, riddles, GPS missions, and a flexible downtown walk.
“Beautiful day to experience the finer points of Palm Springs. Great bonding for our Girls Trip! Lots of points of interest and on a beautiful day lots to see along the way”
Review of the Pacific Coast Highway smartphone audio tour from Los Angeles to Santa Maria, with route highlights, practical tips, and honest value advice.
“Made the trip fun with little facts and trivia questions along the way! Even if you're familiar with one of the POI, it the story behind it might not be something you know. It was great that gps automatically played when you're coming up on the new spot. Little quirky to get back on track if you don't want to stop at the POI and want to continue on. Definitely worth it for the price!!”
Explore Culver City’s movie history on a self-guided VoiceMap walk with studio gates, celebrity tales, local bars, and offline maps.
“We were in Culver City and wanted to go for a walk after brunch. What a great way to see Culver City and learn about its rich history while getting some exercise. Recommend. Good value.”
Review of Joshua Tree’s Hidden Valley self-guided audio walk, with route details, offline app tips, value advice, and honest drawbacks.
“Funny, informative, and helpful – if you’re solo, this is a great companion for that hike. It also works offline on your phone and keeps you on track, lest you take a wrong turn here or there (I did!). The hike, especially in the early evening, is absolutely stunning – definitely worth taking both the tour and this guide along with you!”
Explore Santa Barbara’s past and present on a self-guided GPS walk from Alameda Park to Stearns Wharf for $14.99.
“En realidad todos los puntos a visitar estuvieron perfectos, todo estuvo muy interesante, hizo que mi paseo tuviera sentido y no solo deambulara sin rumbo y sin conocimiento, además fue muy económica, me encantó y LA RECOMIENDO ampliamente, solo pediria que estuvieran en mi idioma ( español) porque creo perdí algunos detalles, pero pude entender la mayoría!”
Pick a coastline, a canyon or a back lot.
