VIP Tours of California - Grand Tour of Los Angeles

On my way home from my GAP year away my husband and I decided to stop in LA. We stayed in a Holliday Inn hotel near LAX, once we arrived here we found a brochure on VIP Tours and decided to go on what they call the most popular tour which was called the 'Grand Tour of Los Angeles'. It cost in American dollars $59 (adult) and $40 (child). One American dollar is roughly equal to roughly 0.6 United Kingdom Pounds.

It was very easy to book this tour with the representative in our hotel for the next day. We had a few different times we could have chosen to go on out tour. On the morning of the tour a bus lifted us at the hotel and took us to their offices so we could pay for the tour and change buses to start the tour. This annoyed me slightly as I felt that we were wasting my valuable holiday time. It would have been better if we were able to pay the representative in the hotel or on the bus.

To start the tour we drove straight to Venice beach and got off for a short stroll. To be honest the beach seemed dirty and had graffiti all over the place. You had the opportunity to take your picture under the big 'V' sign. It wasn't really beach weather the day I was there and the place seemed deserted. It was rather windy and not overly warm, I would imagine that the place would be totally different on a nice day. There were a few scatters about and people out walking with their dogs.

Beside the beach which had very tall palm trees there was lots of tiny colourful shops however most of them weren't opened but it was first thing in the morning when we arrived. I was disappointed that I didn't get enough time to explore as you only stopped for about 20 minutes or so.

After the beach stop we headed to the Farmers Market. Here you could get a snack. This place was buzzing with people and had every type of shop you could think of. It was very crowded and I reckon bargains could have been found if you had the time to look for them. Every corner had a different quaint shop. It to me seemed like lots of permanent stalls and it was fun exploring. I think it would be easy to get lost looking around.

The most memorable think to me about here was a shop that was dedicated to pet's sweets. I had only ever seen a place like this on the television and was rather amused by it all. My husband and I got food here as the guide highly recommended it but to be honest mine wasn't that great maybe I just went to the wrong stall.

Once we had shopped and been fed we got back onto the bus to resume our tour. Rodeo Drive was out next destination however we didn't get off so we had to get the feel for it while driving though heavy traffic. It was annoying as you were trying to soak in everything in a short space of time with buses and cars blocking your view at times. This is the area the stars go shopping and has all the expensive shops like Gucci and Giorgio Armani. So you were constantly straining your neck to see if you could see someone famous, well I know I was anyways!

Near to here was Hollywood's walk of fame where we got off and was able to explore and look about. The walk of fame is basically a street with those famous stars on the pavement. Apparently they have over 2000 stars and are constantly adding more. You spend most of your time walking looking at the ground. To be honest I personally didn't know who half of the stars were. I did manage to find Britney Spiers and Winnie the Pooh.

On this street the famous Mann's Chinese Theatre is located and out the front you can see the footprints and handprints of the most famous celebrities. I thoroughly enjoyed comparing my feet to the likes of John Wayne and Will Smith. The stars that have done this have been invited to give their imprints by the man who owns the theatre. The theatre is a nice photo stop itself as it is unique.

On this strip you have the Kodak Theatre which is home of the Oscars. Plus you can see the Hollywood sign from the strip, granted it is rather small and in the distance, but nevertheless you can get a picture of the sign and the hills surrounding it. At this stop you will have some time to explore however you better walk fast as there is a good distance to cover and explore in a short time your tour guide will give you.

After this stop it is back onto the bus and towards the music centre where you will see theatres, Walt Disney Concert Hall and water fountains. We had a brief stop to take a picture of the unique Walt Disney Concert Hall with its odd shape and steel like exterior. It really is like no other concert hall I have ever seen before.

Back onto the bus again and we drove through Chinatown getting to see the Chinese quarter with all the small Chinese style shops. Again we did not stop here but instead onto Marina Del Ray which is the largest man-made small boat harbour. We then went to see an old Mexican home which was interesting and different.

Overall I enjoyed this tour as you did get to see a lot in a short space of time. I do this however feel it was slightly rushed and you didn't get enough time in places. The tour guide was very friendly and gave you lots of information and facts as you visited different areas. I felt that the tour was reasonably priced as you got to see so many areas. I am glad I took the tour as I never would have been able to find all the areas by myself that we went to. It did give you a feel for the area and I would recommend that someone do this tour to get their bearings of a place the first day they arrive and then they can explore by themselves afterwards.

If you want to contact this tour company they have 24 hour lines (310)641-8114, (714)956-9595. From LA (800)438-1814, from Anaheim (800)750-8114, Fax number (310)641-1210. The website is www.viptoursandcharters.com or www.viptoursofcalifornia.com. If you want to email them the email address is infor@viptoursandcharters.com and info@viptoursofcalifornia.com.