10 Private Tours in Santa Monica That You Shouldn't Miss

November 27, 2021 Oliva Fomby

The beaches of Santa Monica attract all sorts of visitors-- don't be surprised to see families playing on the sand next to a boot-camp fitness class with a barking instructor. Visit the Santa Monica Pier, a haven of shops, restaurants, and carnival attractions (including a Ferris wheel) atop a wooden wharf. By night, the Third Street Promenade is the place to be, bustling with activity from moviegoers, party animals, and talented street performers.
Restaurants in Santa Monica

1. 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.

2. California Coast and Canyons Helicopter Tour

16425 Hart St, Van Nuys, CA 91406, USA Group 3 Aviation
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5.0 based on 2 reviews

Take a breathtaking 30-minute helicopter flight above the Santa Monica Mountains and down the southern California coastline. See world-famous beaches like Venice Beach boardwalk and Muscle Beach, elite residential areas in Malibu and Pacific Palisades, and the iconic Santa Monica Pier.

Inclusions: Private tour

Exclusions: Gratuities, Tips/Gratuity - it is customary to tip your pilot

Reviewed By wahooniffer

Peter took me and my boyfriend (it was his birthday) on an amazing ride, it was a great experience!!

3. Los Angeles Private Tour

ParkPlace Cali Tours
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

Hollywood, Sunset Strip, Movie Star Homes, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive Private Tour covering the most important and fun hotspots in Los Angeles with stops for photos and meals. Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Marina del Rey and Malibu We will show you the best of LA's famed beaches with stops at the Piers to take in the sun and stroll on the sands.

Inclusions: Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only), Driver/guide, Live commentary on board, Transport by private vehicle, Bottled water

Exclusions: Gratuities

Reviewed By James Edmond S

There were Notes but actual phone missing and, unknown as to the involved reviewing wanted thanks,jes..

4. Two-day Los Angeles & San Francisco Private Tour

ParkPlace Cali Tours
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

This is an exclusive Two-Day Tour of Los Angeles and San Francisco.  We will pick you up at your LA area hotel to begin the tour of Hollywood including famous Walk of Fame, Hollywood Sign, Sunset Strip, Movie Stars Homes, Rodeo Drive then onto Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach, Muscle Beach and breathtaking Malibu along the Pacific Coast Highway.  We will then continue up the California Coast towards San Francisco, making stops in Santa Barbara, Monterey & Carmel.  The day will end upon arrival at your hotel in San Francisco (hotel your choice, Not Included in Tour Price).  The following morning we will resume the tour in San Francisco starting at famous Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, Colorful Castro district, a chance to ride a Cable Car and ride down famed Lombard Street all before return back to your hotel in Los Angeles.  On the return, we will make a stop in picturesque Danish village of Solvang.

Inclusions: All taxes, fees and handling charges, Professional photographer guide, Hotel pickup and drop-off, Transport by private vehicle

Exclusions: Gratuities

Reviewed By Fearless312701

Had a fun, relaxing, and informative tour of the beaches and Hollywood areas. Arman was a great tour guide. We went to all the areas highlighted in the booking information. It was a last minute decision to take this tour and we are so glad Arman could accommodate us. Recommend this tour if you want to see Marina del Rey, Venice, Malibu and Sunset Blvd to Hollywood and don’t want the hassle of driving yourself!

5. 5-Hour Limo Tour with Open Bar

Private limo tours by Sunpower
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5.0 based on 3 reviews

Your private tour guide is Michael Raines, who has worked for a number of limo companies as a driver and bodyguard to some of the biggest celebrities in the world. A TV personality on his own rite, Michael Raines has starred in two survival shows on Discovery and other Film and TV roles in the past 20 years. Just to hear his celebrity stories is worth the price of the ride!! You will ride in style in 6 passenger Lincoln town car with a duel bar setup for wine, beer and liquor with mixers, chocolates and nuts all complimentary. A Bluetooth stereo so you can use your playlist on your phone, with IPhone and android chargers with cables on the rear deck. Your tour is completely customizable, you tell us what you want to see and we will take you there in style.

Inclusions: Beer,wine,liquor,mixers,sodas and candy We have the best stocked limo in town!

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Reviewed By Penny R

Book today you won’t be disappointed! We loved hearing all of the history of LA and surrounding areas. Mikey knew just when and where we would like to take pictures and always offered to take them for us as well.

6. Private Tour: Beaches, Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Stars' Homes

Anaheim Gardenwalk, Anaheim, CA 92802, USA Californa Tour Lines
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5.0 based on 7 reviews

Enjoy a full day tour of all the best sights of Hollywood, Beverly Hills and more! Traveling in an air-conditioned Mercedes Sprinter van, you will be able to tour places the larger tour buses can’t go! You’ll visit Rodeo Drive, Griffith Park Observatory, the Walk of Fame, Sunset Boulevard and of course – the Hollywood Sign for that insta-worthy photo! Enjoy lunch at Farmers Market / The Grove and then visit beautiful Santa Monica and Venice Beach. A great day out taking in all the sights of LA!

Inclusions: Air-conditioned vehicle, Driver/guide, Live commentary on board, Professional guide, All activities, Bottled water

Exclusions: Food and drinks, Excess luggage charges (where applicable), Gratuities

Reviewed By jen8851133

Had a wonderful day with Zahir. We had one day to do a customized private tour with a family group complicated by the fact that the ages ranged from 18 to 94, and very little or no English was spoken by our visiting relatives. Zahir was knowledgeable, patient, flexible as we tried to accommodate everyone and see as much as possible. Great with suggestions for adjustments to the itinerary along the way. Highly recommended!

7. Chill Beach + Epic Coast: Private Adventure Tour

Go Legendary Los Angeles
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5.0 based on 3 reviews

The California Coast is amazing! And there is so much to see. Where to start and what to do can be a daunting decision. Sit back and just relax as we cruise along the Pacific Coast Highway from spectacular beach to spectacular beach. An experience that is bound to be imprinted in your memory as a classically epic California day! Go Legendary tours are private. And when we say private, we mean private — just the people in your group and your guide. This also means that all of our tours are customizable. We can tailor any of our tours to fit your specific interests and desired activity! We offer 4, 6 and 8 hour versions of the Chill Beach & Epic Coast Adventure. Below are highlights you’ll experience on your adventure. Amazing and meaningful experiences are tough to achieve in Los Angeles. Yes, we’re your guide but we’re also your host! Think of us as your friends sharing what it is to live like a local in Los Angeles. Itinerary below lists possible stops.

Inclusions: Bottled water, Air-conditioned vehicle, Private transportation, Parking Fees

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Reviewed By Jhorleny

I had the greatest time!! Derek was super cool and customized the tour to fit what we wanted to see.

8. Private Tour of Los Angeles For Any Group Size

A Day in LA Tours
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5.0 based on 17 reviews

This 7 and a half hour private tour is a fantastic way to spend the day exploring Los Angeles, Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Hollywood. Your tour guide will narrate your day-long trip so you can pick up some facts and impress your friends and family members with your knowledge of the LA area. You’ll get to spend up to 45 minutes at every stop, so you can have a hands-on experience. This tour offers free hotel pickup and drop-off within the Los Angeles area. With over 3,500 5-Star reviews on TripAdvisor, Yelp and Google – you simply can’t go wrong!

Inclusions: Transport by luxury air-conditioned van or bus, Driver/guide, Bottled water, Free Hotel pickup and drop-off from hotels and addresses in the Los Angeles area, Tour guide gratuity is included in the fare

Exclusions: cost of lunch

Reviewed By MsPearl105

This was the highlight of our short 4 day stay in Santa Monica. We definitely enjoyed walking to the Pier and surrounding areas daily, but we wanted to see the highlights of LA as well. Eight people on our party booked this tour and we couldn’t have been more happy that we did! We covered so much ground in a short period of time. Sure, we wanted to hang out on Rodeo Drive a little longer or stroll Hollywood Blvd more, but it’s a way to experience many places in about 8 hours. Alecia was knowledgeable, kind, professional & hilarious!! We enjoyed the other parties on the bus as well. This is a plus since you never know who’s gonna be on a tour with you. We saw our tour “friends” later at dinner and we were very cordial and chatted a bit more. My son was celebrating his 13th birthday (purpose of our Cali visit). When Alecia found out, she led the bus in singing Happy Birthday to him. She always played a song for him before dropping us off at our hotel. Talk about making the tour extra special! She even remembered my brother’s name. Maybe not a big deal to some, but it was to us. Alecia gave detailed and easy to follow directions each time before we explored a new area (where she’d be, how to remember where to meet up, public restrooms &WiFi, what to do if we encountered a celebrity). Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach, Beverly Hills (Rodeo Drive), Farmer’s Market Griffith Observatory, Hollywood, and more! The bus was very nice! Clean, air conditioned and phone/device charging capabilities!! Thank you, Alecia!!!

9. Mountain to Beach Hiking: Private Adventure Tour

Go Legendary Los Angeles
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5.0 based on 3 reviews

The Coastal Mountains and Palisades are LA’s crown jewel. To visit LA without experiencing the glory of the Pacific from a mountaintop is an absolute sin. Let us take you on a uniquely LA journey -- trek a stunning coastal mountain one minute and the next minute, sip a margarita with your toes in the sand. Go Legendary tours are private tours. And when we say private, we mean private — just the people in your group and your guide. This also means that all of our tours are customizable. We can tailor any of our tours to fit your specific interests and desired activity! We offer 4, 6 and 8 hour versions of the Mountain to Beach Hiking Adventure. Below are highlights you’ll experience on your adventure. Amazing and meaningful experiences are tough to achieve in Los Angeles. Don't fall into the trap of cookie cutter tours. Yes, we’re your guide but we’re also your host! Think of us as your friends sharing what it is to live like a local in Los Angeles. Itinerary lists possible stops.

Inclusions: Bottled water, Air-conditioned vehicle, Private transportation, Parking Fees

Exclusions: Lunch, Alcoholic Beverages

Reviewed By Jhorleny

I had the greatest time!! Derek was super cool and customized the tour to fit what we wanted to see.

10. Private Photo Tour in Los Angeles - Best Instagram Places in LA

Friendly Local Guides
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

Do you want postcard-perfect pictures of you in Los Angeles? This private Los Angeles photo tour is a colorful journey! The stunning pictures from this LA photo tour will be awe-inspiring and will portray your beautiful travel story visiting Los Angeles. You can choose any of the 6 suggested places for the photo tour to create your very own La La Land story. As a result of this photo tour, you will get 20-30 professionally-edited pictures that will make a great photo album full of lifetime memories and you can use these pictures for your Instagram feed (plus 100-150 originals, unedited). After this photo tour you will have enough photos for your Instagram for 1-3 months. These colorful pictures will make for aesthetically pleasing feed with inspirational imagery and, of course, signature colors, views, palm trees, murals and graffiti of sunny Los Angeles. The theme, style and itinerary of the photo tour will be customized based on your preferences.

Inclusions: Multiple start times available, Private walking photo walk, Iconic places for photoshoot, Customizable itinerary, All taxes, Taxi to the desired place of interest (if needed), Coffee and/or Tea

Exclusions: Gratuities

Reviewed By Karen M

Alina is wonderful! So kind and accommodating and an excellent photographer! We love our photos! Definitely exceeded our expectations and was one of our favorite activities on the trip!

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