Top California Architecture Tours

Balboa Park is a must-do for most San Diego visitors, but many don't appreciate the long and rich history of this treasured cultural center. Go deeper into the park's many museums, gardens, and attractions on a guided walking tour that will help you plan where you want to go and appreciate how Balboa Park came to be. Plus, stay energized with an included coffee drink along the way.

Sophisticated and glamorous, Carmel-By-The-Sea sits on the Pacific just two hours south of San Francisco. The town isn’t all ritz, though—11 fairytale cottages line the hilly streets like something from a children’s book. On this self-guided audio tour, you’ll escape the crowds and explore the houses at your pace, led by a knowledgeable guide right in your pocket.

This walking tour of Downtown LA takes in the city's finest architectural monuments including the city's tallest building, the Broadway Theater District, Central Library, the NoMadHotel, and more. As you explore, hear a guide discuss the history and architecture of this vibrant city.

Uncover the scandalous, high-society history of San Francisco's most illustrious hill on a walking tour of Nob Hill. Hear the stories behind the grand hotels and stately mansions built by the city's powerful 19th-century business tycoons and politicians, and learn how the advent of the cable car and the disastrous 1906 earthquake shaped one of the city’s most affluent neighborhoods.

Harken back to San Francisco’s days as a Gold Rush boomtown on a 2-hour walking tour of the Financial District, once known as the rowdy Barbary Coast of California. Hear tales of buried ships, fortune hunters, and Wild West saloons as you explore the city’s former waterfront, and learn how it transformed into the business hub of modern-day San Francisco.

See the sights of Hollywood on this tour by open-top Mercedes minibus or Ford Van with a canopy, which allows you to enjoy unobstructed views as you go. Traveling with an on-board guide, you'll pass by attractions such as the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood Sign, Rodeo Drive, and movie studios. Plus, get a look at some of the mansions where past and present stars have lived.

Spend your day exploring the ‘City by the Bay’ before a scenic drive across the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods National Monument and the nearby waterfront of charming Sausalito. This narrated small-group tour takes in all of the San Francisco highlights, from Golden Gate Park and Haight-Ashbury to the Palace of Fine Arts and Presidio. Then wander on foot under California’s giant coastal redwoods before exploring the gift shops and galleries of Sausalito.

Spend an evening on the San Francisco Bay during this dinner cruise, including a 3-course gourmet meal of fresh, local ingredients prepared on board. After dinner, dance to the DJ's music or enjoy the nighttime views of Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the city skyline from the exterior deck.

Discover San Francisco on your own schedule with a 1-day electric bike rental. Hop on a regular bike or an electric bike, for an easier ride, and pedal past all of the sites on the top of your list. Visit the crooked path of Lombard Street, North Beach, Haight-Ashbury, the Golden Gate Bridge and more. This self-guided trip gives you the opportunity to create your own itinerary as you explore the beloved City by the Bay.

Experience San Francisco sights and Napa Valley wine tasting on a full-day private tour in a luxury vehicle. Create your ideal itinerary with visits to local wineries, a tour of Muir Woods and a stop for lunch or diner (own expense). Add group photos with Golden Gate Bridge backdrop if you choose. Don’t worry about a designated driver, navigating, or logistics, as you relax, take in the views, taste some of the world’s best wines, and get to know the Napa Valley.

Take a San Francisco Segway tour along the waterfront to see popular city attractions like Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, and Alcatraz Island. With an experienced guide, cruise along San Francisco Bay on a personal 2-wheeled Segway, and learn how to operate during a training session. Limited to 10 people per tour, this tour provides a small-group experience. Choose from several tour times throughout the day.

Take away the stress and uncertainty from booking an Alcatraz tour with this package that includes Alcatraz ferry tickets and a 90 min guided walking tour of Chinatown and North Beach. Get practical tips from your guide on visiting Alcatraz then follow them through the heart of the largest Chinese community in the Western World. This is the perfect way to spend half a day in San Francisco enjoying some of its quintessential experiences with the help of a local who is on hand both to guide you and sort out logistics.

Explore San Francisco with a local insider and experience an extraordinary afternoon. This half-day tour takes you sightseeing around the city with a guide to offer commentary. Neighborhoods include Fisherman's Wharf, Presidio, Haight-Ashbury, Golden Gate Park, the Castro, and North Beach plus the Golden Gate Bridge. Free Wi-Fi is available aboard the vehicle so you can post your snaps to social media en route.

Guided tours are relatively expensive and can follow rigid itineraries with tight schedules. This self-guided audio tour of La Jolla, a coastal town known for its rugged coastline and posh shopping, helps travelers save money and explore completely at their own pace. Follow your downloaded map app past art galleries, historic churches and hotels, and parks, finishing at the Sunny Jim Sea Cave. Start, stop, and pause the tour whenever you’d like.

The Getty Museum is home to so much art that it can be hard to know where to start. This private tour does the planning for you, while offering a choice between an overview of the highlights with a focus on a particular period of art history—think the Renaissance, Baroque, Decorative Arts, or Impressionism—or taking a close look at special collections.

Journey off the beaten path and into one of the most breathtakingly beautiful neighborhoods in the world. We'll meet in the old-monied Pacific Heights, home to tech moguls, political leaders, and even the princess of Genovia. I'll point out some of the mansions of "Billionaire Row" and take you down one of SF's signature, secret stairways. We’ll traverse the remains of the 1915 World's Fair and end at Marina Yacht Harbor. Learn the history of San Francisco's most exclusive neighborhood, it's residents, and the lasting impact of the Gold Rush and 1906 Earthquake and Fire. This tour is perfect for the photographer in all of us - with intricate Victorian architecture, manicured gardens, and magical views. San Francisco's weather can be unpredictable, so layers are always recommended. We run rain or shine! Our route is mostly downhill but does include 332 steps, so not ideal for large strollers or walkers.

If you want to truly understand LA, you need to visit downtown. This is where it all began! Over 3 hours, you'll learn so much about LA and the downtown area. We'll discuss history, architecture, food, city planning, shopping, art, and more! Guests frequently walk away from the tour amazed by how much they underestimated downtown LA. This tour focuses on a few major part of DTLA. We will cover the Historic Core, Little Tokyo, the Civic Center, and Bunker Hill. These areas will give you a deeper understanding of how much variety there is in downtown. Every block in downtown has its own unique feel. In Little Tokyo, you'll get to try traditional Japanese sweets from a family owned confectioner that has been around since 1903! This is the only tour in LA that visits this legendary institution. See LA in a Day offers the best walking tours in LA, heavily researched and delivered by guides with a passion for sharing the city they call home. See you on the tour!

Seeing celebrity homes is the highlight of many visitors' trips to Los Angeles, but you need to know where to find them. Rather than traveling around by crowded tour bus, take this self-guided driving tour and explore at your own pace, from Sunset Strip to Bel Air, Rodeo Drive and the Hollywood Hills.

If you’d like to explore Carmel-by-the-Sea’s Scenic Road but don’t want to be stuck in a group tour, try this Carmel-by-the-Sea Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour. This tour allows you to download the VoiceMap app on your smartphone and listen to the tour as you walk along the road at your own pace. Highlights include the Clinton Walker House - Frank Lloyd Wright, Carmel Beach Overlook, and La Playa Carmel Hotel.

Guided tours are relatively expensive and follow rigid itineraries with tight schedules. This self-guided audio tour of Folsom, a gold country town with a rich history, helps travelers save money and explore completely at their own pace. Follow your downloaded map from Folsom’s Historic District through Figueroa Street to Old Western Main Street and Truss Bridge. Learn about Gold Rush history, Native American history, Folsom’s Victorian homes, and more.

Bus tour: It’s this local knowledge that underpins all of our LA Tours and our friendly drivers and guides do everything they can to ensure our guests have the best time and take those perfect Hollywood Sign photos. Our secret spot to see the Hollywood Sign and take pictures is only used by us. Please beware of other tour companies who OVERPROMISE and UNDERDELIVER! We guarantee a clear view of the iconic Hollywood Sign, without other tourists walking into shot just as you take the photo. FERRARI Be Driven experience: you will be driven in an amazing FERRARI California T and you will discover the walk of Fame, some of the best views and multi million dollar Homes, this is a one of a kind Experience.

Learn about the history and culture of the Haight Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco with this puzzle game. Download the game onto your smartphone and use it even when you are offline. Solve clues and puzzles all over the neighborhood and learn about the history along the way. Play the game at your own pace.

Skip the line and delve deep into the art at the Getty with this private, customizable tour. Avoid the long lines with a timed entry ticket and choose to focus on the art that is most interesting to you. In the company of your guide, learn about the exhibitions and take breaks whenever you feel like it.

Explore two of San Francisco's most distinctive neighborhoods side-by-side on a walking tour of Chinatown and Union Square. Learn the fascinating history behind the oldest Chinatown in the United States, and be immersed in the city’s contrasting cultures as you stroll alongside cable cars through Union Square’s chic hotels, architectural landmarks, and luxury boutiques.