One of the things that I like most when visiting a new city is to just go around and see what it has to offer. I think that’s a common thing with all travelers. Of course, there is that aspect that every tourist must see; and then there is the real deal. Not everyone has to go through the “real deal” experience – for some, the touristy portion is enough. Then again, each to his own, right?

Hollywood is as touristy as it gets, but there are lots of ways to discover this place. If I were you, I would consider joining a Double Decker Bus Tour. There are various agencies that offer this service, but one that I have heard about a lot is Starline Tours. This is what they have:

Red Loop (Hollywood) 2 HOUR LOOP: Chinese Theatre, The Grove/Farmers Market, Walk of Fame, Kodak Theatre, Route 66, Rodeo Drive, Paramount Studios, Beverly Center, Shopping on Melrose, Sunset Strip, Pink’s Hot Dogs, La Brea Tar Pits, LACMA, Petersen Automotive Museum, Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Hollywood and Vine, RockWalk

Yellow (Beverly Hills and Santa Monica) 2 HOUR LOOP: Santa Monica Pier and Aquarium, 3rd Street Promenade, Montana Ave (Santa Monica’s Rodeo Drive), Brentwood Country Mart, Westwood Village, Hammer Museum, Rodeo Drive, Century City, Fox Studios, Marilyn Monroe’s Gravesite at Westwood Memorial

Purple (Downtown Los Angeles) 2 HOUR LOOP: Chinese Theater, Olvera Street, City Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the historic movie theaters along Broadway, the Los Angeles Central Library, Staples Center and the L.A. Live entertainment district, Grammy Museum, Fashion District, Jewelry District, Little Tokyo, Chinatown, Bradbury Building and Grand Central Market

Blue (Universal and Hollywood Bowl) CONNECTOR SERVICE: Chinese Theater, Universal Studios and The Hollywood Bowl Amphitheatre

For sure, those destinations ring a bell – places that you would need to see on a visit to the area. What I like about these tours is that they are “hop-on hop-off.” This means that you can get on (and off) a bus at any of their stops any time you wish. You may want to walk the streets for a while and then get on the bus again. It is a sweet deal!

Originally posted on May 19, 2010 @ 4:04 pm