L.A. Uncovered

If you think touring Los Angeles means riding around on a crowded bus to see the stars’ homes or the Hollywood sign, you have been seriously misinformed. This fascinating city has such a diverse culture and history you could visit time and time again and still not learn all there is to know about this fascinating destination.

The next time you’re in town take one of the more unique tours the city has to offer and discover the real L.A. — the one that only a true insider would know — and learn the secrets of its storied past.

Cartwheel Art offers walking tours that take you far off the beaten path with tours like Underground L.A. This fascinating experience takes you to sites of Prohibition-era murders and heads beneath the streets to explore a hidden tunnel and speakeasies from the city’s past. Tours last 2.5 hours and cost $85 per person.

The Graffiti and BBQ tour delves into the city’s street art subculture with visits to local graffiti yards used by local crews to produce elaborate creations. Led by a seasoned graffiti artist, this tour not only lets visitors see some of the amazing works of art firsthand, but also provides educational insight into the art form itself. Tours last three hours and cost $58 per person.

Graffiti in East Los Angeles. Photo: Mel Surdin | Dreamstime.com

Esotouric offers a variety of bus tours that give you a glimpse into the stranger side of the city. With four categories of tours to choose from — True Crime, Literary, Rock & Roll and California Culture — there is something for everyone. The True Crime tours explore many of the city’s most famous crimes, like the Black Dahlia murder and the Manson family crime spree. Tours span the city’s neighborhoods and include quirky stops like a Chinese restaurant for a dumpling tasting as part of the Blood and Dumplings Tour.

Esotouric’s South L.A. Road Trip tour shows visitors sites that wouldn’t be on a typical city tour and demonstrate the varied architecture and culture that helped make the city what it is today. Stops include an 1840s adobe house (located in the middle of a trailer park), buildings featuring Googie architecture and sites that key to the hot rod culture of the city. All of Esotouric’s tours are packed with fascinating facts and stories about the city’s history and evolution.

Ticket prices, along with tour lengths, vary, but regardless of the tour you choose, you will be sure to walk away with a better understanding of what makes Angelenos love their city and why visitors can’t stay away.