Travel at your own pace and jump on and off as often as you like to see the sights, visit the attractions, or go shopping with the Los Angeles Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour. The open-top bus gives you great views and you will be treated to an informative audio commentary.
Each loop has a different duration. The full Red Loop (Hollywood / Beverly Hills) and the full Yellow Loop (Santa Monica) each take about 2 hours. The Blue Route and the Purple Route each take about 1 hour.
The Red route has 15 stops and Blue route has 4 stops plus both routes share the same terminal at Chinese Theatre. The Purple and Yellow routes have 13 and 10 stops respectively and start at Olvera Street Union Station.
Here are some highlights from each of the four routes:
Red Loop (Hollywood)
First departure from Hollywood Blvd at 9:30am
Chinese Theatre: See the celebrity handprints, footprints, and autographs in the theatre’s forecourt.
The Grove/Farmers Market: Fantastic variety of quality open air shopping, dining, entertainment and old world grocery merchants.
Walk of Fame: Side-walk embedded with more than 2,000 five-pointed stars featuring the names of human celebrities and fictional characters.
Rodeo Drive: Where the stars go for retail therapy.
Melrose Ave: This funky, new wave, shopping/walking/dining/people-watching area is both bizarre and delightful.
Sunset Strip: The 1 ½ mile stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through West Hollywood and is lined with boutiques, restaurants, rock clubs and night clubs.
Pink's Hot Dogs: A Hollywood Classic and Oprah's Watering hole in LA.
Hollywood Forever Cemetery: Last resting place of many luminaries from the world of entertainment including Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks and Douglas Fairbanks Jr, and Peter Finch.
Yellow Loop (Beverly Hills and Santa Monica)
First departure from Beverly Hills Post Office at 9:30am, and first departure from Main St Visitor Information Center at 9:35am
Santa Monica Pier and Aquarium: The Aquarium features sharks, rays, eels octopuses and other marine life native to Santa Monica Bay.
Third Street Promenade: A pedestrian street and one of the premier shopping destinations in West Los Angeles.
Westwood Village: Best known as the home of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Hammer Museum: An art museum and cultural center
Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery: Where Marilyn Monroe is buried (Corridor of Memories #24). Hugh Hefner, of ‘Playboy’ fame has bought the crypt next door.
Purple Loop (Downtown Los Angeles)
First departure from Chinese Theatre at 9:30am
Olvera Street: The oldest part of Downtown LA and part of the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument, Olvera Street has a distinctly Mexican flavor.
Walt Disney Concert Hall: One of the most acoustically sophisticated concert halls in the world. The cutting-edge architecture features a series of striking stainless steel curves.
Staples Center: Multi-purpose sports arena
Jewelry District: Largest jewelry district in the US showcasing designer jewelry, precious stones, and gold and silver items.
Chinatown: Excellent restaurants, small specialized grocery stores and art galleries, many featuring non-Chinese modern art.
Grand Central Market: A hive of activity with stalls offering fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry and fresh fish from California and around the world.
Blue Loop (Universal and Hollywood Bowl)
First departure from Hollywood Blvd at 9:30am
Universal Studios and ‘Citywalk’: Spend a day touring Universal Studios and an evening enjoying the delights of Citywalk, where there are all sorts of outlets offering food, drink and entertainment.
The Hollywood Bowl Amphitheatre: Famous modern amphitheatre set in a natural ‘bowl’ in the hills. The 18,000-seat venue has been the scene of some of the most memorable musical moments in Los Angeles history including symphonies, opera, jazz, ballet, and rock concerts, as well as Presidential addresses.