Downtown Los Angeles: History and Architecture Tour

Discover the rich history and stunning architecture of downtown Los Angeles on this engaging and informative tour. Explore the Historic Core, Little Tokyo, the Civic Center, and Bunker Hill, and indulge in traditional Japanese sweets from a legendary confectioner. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to truly understand and appreciate the heart of LA!

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Angels Flight Railway - Start the tour by learning about the shortest train in the world! We will discuss Angels Flight and its connection to Bunker Hill. The tour will end by riding Angels Flight down to our meeting point.
  • Pershing Square - The architecture deep dive begins at Pershing Square. The historic core in DTLA is home to some of the…
What's Included
  • Complimentary snacks
Additional Information

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…

Location
341 S Hill St
South Hill Street
We meet at the BOTTOM of the Angels Flight trolley. This is right across from Grand Central Market. Your guide will be standing off to the side, near the stairs.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(45 Ratings)
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Kamila_p
Oct 3, 2024
Priceless - My husband and I really enjoyed the History and Architecture of Downtown walking tour. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, respectful, funny and kind. We learned so much! I definitely recommend this tour to everyone, especially for lovers of cities and architecture.
Review provided by Viator
William_a
Sep 23, 2024
Great Walking tour - Really informative tour. Our guide Chris was wonderful. Covered a ton of history and ground in 3 hours.
Review provided by Viator
542reitaf
Sep 19, 2024
Amazing way to learn about LA - This was the first tour we (husband and I) had on our California vacation. This was an amazing tour. The guide was extremely knowledgeable of Los Angeles history and architecture, and presented the information in a clear and engaging manner. We have taken many similar tours in other travel locations and the quality can vary. The guide carried a tablet that allowed him to show historical photos and other support materials of historic significance without fumbling with a binder as we have experienced on other tours. We walked at a pace that was reasonable for the participants. His breadth of knowledge was impressive and he shared many random details about the historical buildings. For buildings of significance we did not go into, like City Hall, he provided pictures and pertinent information about how to access for a closer view on our own later. He showed us many hidden gems within the downtown district that would not have been found on our own. While it is a great tour, there is a LOT of walking and may not be ideal for small children that get tired of walking easily. The tour was well-timed and ended perfectly at Grand Central Market where there were almost endless options for lunch.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anonymous
Aug 30, 2024
Great tour! - Chris has full of knowledge of LA and it was fun to walk around with his talk. History of the city and buildings light me up about LA Downtown. It was absolutely fun!
Review provided by Viator
877sz
Aug 29, 2024
This tour is worth doing, so book it! - Chris is a fantastic tour guide! He is knowledgeable, friendly, and gives you a great perspective on downtown LA's history and architecture. Thanks Chris for your expertise.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roger_l
Aug 21, 2024
Learned so much about LA and it's history, and did so in a very friendly environment. - The guide, Chris has an exceptional knowledge of his subject and shares it with great passion and enthusiasm. Learned so much about LA and it's history, and did so in a very friendly environment. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Viator
Ellen_b
Aug 8, 2024
Great Tour - Chris was an incredible guide. He is very knowledgeable and interjects humor and a few personal details of various architects and their buildings. We learned a lot about the history of Los Angeles.
Review provided by Viator
Mikenicolucci
Jul 24, 2024
Very worthwhile tour of downtown LA - A thorough and enthusiastic tour of the evolution and architecture of downtown Los Angeles!! Chris is a very knowledgeable and very gracious guide.
Review provided by Viator
Angela_w
Jun 22, 2024
Stories behind Downtown Los Angeles - Great walking tour! Chris, the tour guide & owner, is very knowledgeable about Los Angeles. He loves LA and he is an open encyclopedia. Chris is very accommodating with his customers. My family enjoyed the walking tour! Thank you Chris!
Review provided by Viator
Trina_s
Jun 18, 2024
A Fun Way to Learn More about L.A. - Chris was a fantastic tour guide! His knowledge of architecture and the history of Los Angeles was so informative. I learned so many interesting facts. I recommend this tour to anyone who loves to learn about Los Angeles; the real stuff. You can take this tour even if you are not a tourist. It was fun to learn more things about this city.
Review provided by Viator
From $49
up to 15 guests
1 Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).