Tagged along with a friend visiting from New Jersey on the Manson tour over the summer and just getting to this review now. Native Angeleno here, and I was kind of excited to go. Maybe it was the heat, maybe I was just not in a good mood, but I did not enjoy myself. Lots of endless endless nonsense. Richard knows a lot - maybe Kim does too, but he was the talker. The thing is, these two fetishize some odd things about LA. The eastside tour sounds like poverty porn. Not for me. read more

A WARNING! Today, We (a sub-group of 4) were set up with a group of about 17. The instructions from our field trip coordinator were easy to follow: Purchase tickets then confirm with Esotouric Tour. So I purchased our tickets for 4 on Groupon, and made the proper phone call to Esotouric to assure our reservation letting them know I was with the particular large group, giving the name of our group. It was a man I spoke with, and he did seem flustered as we spoke briefly, with me letting him know I had made my purchase, that I was with the large group of which had already been reserved, was there anything further I needed to do? Would they need to see my tickets? The answer was a simple no, that the names were on the list, just like my coodinator expressed. When we got there today, my coordinator's name was on the list, but somehow my name plus 3 others was not, but the female tour guide assured me that we would get seated even though we were not on the list as there were plenty of seats available as she eyeballed the line. She expressed for me just to wait a few minutes while she checked in everyone else who was on the list. I/we waited. After the line had dissipated, my friend noticed that the tour-guide was selling tickets, and asked her about this, as we were waiting to be acknowledged for our already purchased tickets for this tour. The tour guide explained that she was getting to us, all the while continuing to sell tickets to those who had not made reservations, who were not on the list. When everyone was settled onto the bus, they did a head count, and did not have enough seats for us 4. Know that I realized at the time of purchase of the 4 tickets, and at today's sign-up, that there is an instruction to email them, of which I did not because of what seemed like our group's special arrangement, I made the call instead to Esotouric because of the special circumstances to confirm I was a part of our group's list, and the male tour-guide's assurance made me confident we were going on this trip. To me, and the other 3 of us who witnessed, what turned out to be a fiasco, that what the Esotouric guides did was to sell tickets at the higher $58 price than to take our already purchased Groupon price. Also, when my friend approached the male tour-guide to discuss this, he became agitated, frustrated, unable to handle this situation, walked away from her, said something to the female tour-guide while she began packing up the table, and its contents, and just moved on without addressing us... read more

Four of us went on the tour of San Gabriel and Boyle Heights on 8/27/12. Most of the tour seemed to be views of places that no longer exist . There was no mention made in the on-line description that at least an hour and a half would be devoted to Chicano Punk Rock. None of my group was interested in the subject and would not have booked if we had been aware of such a large chunk of what we considered wasted time. There were four tour guides. The leader, Richard, was disjointed in his presentation and constantly interjected and spoke over the other three people when they were giving their portion of the commentary. It was distracting and off putting. He really does need to either drink less coffee and calm down, or OPEN HIS EYES when he speaks and possibly give a more coherent presentation. Nathan was a treat. He is extremely passionate about the architecture, etc. Once again, a bit more coherence would be appreciated. There was way too much "in joke banter" among the four of them. I don't really need to know that one of them love the Mexi-tessen. How about telling us what it is and why you love it. Also, we all know about yelp. Thanks for telling us how wonderful it is to use it to find good dim sum. I know that Kim will write a rebuttal, but since she asked for our opinion, here it is. The reservation process with Kim was lovely. I just wish that the tour had followed through. Guisados was delicious and we plan to go back there on our own. Wish that I could say that we really enjoyed ourselves, but we were extremely happy when the bus got back to the origination point and we could escape. read more

Esotouric will make you a flaneur (via bus) of the city of Los Angeles! My husband and I have been riding the Esotouric bus for a few years now. The first tour we embarked on centered around the infamous Black Dalia murder and our most recent adventure was on the James M. Cain tour. Each tour is unique, informative and strange (but in a good way!). I have to admit some tours are better than others, but regardless Richard, Kim, Joan, and Nathan dispense information and dispel false information that will make you see the city of Los Angeles in a whole new way. These tours are great for anyone who is interested in noir literature and film, architecture, true crime, or just random bizarre incidents that have occurred in the city of Los Angeles. You may even witness such bizarre incidents through your very eyes! For example on the recent James M. Cain tour we were graced by the presence of the UkuLady. If you think she is a bit on the strange side, watch her sing in the middle of a Mariachi Plaza. read more

Overall there was lots of information and the tour guides definitely knew their stuff. However, Kim and Richard bickered a LOT in front of the tour at times making it super awkward for those of us on the tour. Also, it was hard to believe that they had been doing this for years! For instance towards the end of the tour Kim was walking us through who the potential suspects were when Richard interrupted her to have Joan talk about some other random topic. Then we returned to the list of suspects. The flow would have been more natural to have Kim finish her bit then move on to Joan. Finally if you have sensitive hearing bring ear plugs. They shout into the mic and it was quite painful for my poor eardrums! read more

I took the "Low Down on Downtown" Tour and it was terrible. The guide was rude, unprofessional, and highly disorganized. He spent much of the time discussing his personal political agenda and criticizing the people who fired him from his last job. It was a bizarre narcissistic rant and I found it highly offensive. There were some interesting old timers with stories to tell about downtown LA in the 1940's, whom the guide constantly interrupted. the tour was expensive ($58/person) and not as informative as a similar tour offered by the LA conservancy ($10/ person). I'm sorry I gave the Esotouric people my money. read more

I recently took their Blood and Dumpling tour (I took the same tour in 2008 and it contained some similar stuff but was also freshened up) and I can't say enough about the enthusiasm Richard and Kim have for the subject of local history. They remember repeat customers names, and are just a real pleasure to be with. read more

I have been on every one of their tours and each one was enjoyable and informative. Kim and Richard research their information very well and bring a human element to the stories told, especially about crime victims such has Elizabeth Short (the black Dahila) my favourites are Eastside Babylon, The Black Dahila, and Echo Park. The best four hours you will spend on a bus. Their literary tours should not be missed my favorite being Raymond Chandler. read more

Went on the Crime and Hotel Horrors of DTLA tour. I was very excited to go on this tour after hearing good reviews from friends. But the tour did not quite deliver my expectations. I'm glad I purchased a discount ticket on GoldStar. I would be upset if I payed full price. The tour was 5 hours long. Much too long without a lunch break. The tour guides were very passionate and knowledgeable but their delivery was scatter brained. The information lacked organization and focus. They interrupted each other many times and kept repeating themselves (" we have another tour which covers that") The tour would be much more thorough, informative, clear and interesting if there were videos, clips, PowerPoints, and paper pamphlets for the passengers to follow and absorb the lecture. I felt jipped in the lack of information learned considering it was five freaking hours long. The bus seats were super comfortable but the tv screens were tiny and very blurry. And there was NO TOILET PAPER in the bus bathroom. After looking at the other reviews, it seems my tour did not cover the same locations as the others which is really disappointing. No Dutch chocolate factory, Alexandria or lunch. With more organizational effort this tour could be totally amazing and way more entertaining. But as is, not worth the time or money. I recommend the Dearly Departed Tours. read more

I gifted my boyfriend with their LA Noir tour for his birthday. It was led by John Buntin, the author of "LA Noir". Being an LA native, it was fascinating to learn more about the seamy history of the city during the 20's to the early 50's. The bus was comfortable and well-equipped with TV monitors showing still photographs and film to illustrate the stories being told. We were driven to the sites where notorious crimes took place. Midway through the tour there was a cookie/coffee break at the lovely Hollenbeck Home. The married couple who organize these tours really make you feel welcomed. Though John was the narrator of the information, Kim and her husband were along for the ride and made sure everything went smoothly. It's obvious they have a passion for what they do and are very knowledgeable. If you are interested in LA history and would like to experience the city in a unique way, definitely check out one of their tours! read more

Kim, Richard, and Joan know their stuff. A highly enjoyable afternoon. Looking forward to the Black Dahlia tour in October

Just took my third Esotouric Tour (Reyner Banham Route 66) and enjoyed it as always. Sometimes it's a journey of the imagination as the building may no longer be there but Richard, Kim and Joan weave a tale with photos, clippings and stories that keep you engaged nevertheless. You will be taken to spots you might never have known existed and gain an appreciation for the evolution of our fair city. Looking at some of the negative reviews I'd agree that it's not a highly polished, scripted delivery but for me that's part of the charm. These are quirky and fun people, passionate about the history of the city and I'd rather have that than a more canned experience. read more

Esotouric is a unique experience that is a perfect outing for the right kind person. Note what I said there, "the right kind of person." I happen to be that kind of person so I loved it, but I could definitely see that it would not be everyone's cup of tea. I was on the Real Black Dahlia tour, which lasted about 4 hours. The guides, Richard, Kim and Joan are all characters in their own right and more than a little eccentric. But if you're going on a Black Dahlia tour aren't you probably the kind of person who likes eccentric characters to begin with? The same goes for the other tours they do. Richard and Kim do tend to bicker a lot, but I found it comically enjoyable, almost like some old-time radio routine. You could see that it came from their passion for the material ("you forgot to mention that...."). I really liked Joan Renner, she is super friendly and answered a bunch of extra questions I had during the stops while the group was walking around. She works at the LA Police Museum and knows a TON about L.A. crime history. One of the issues is that many of the sites associated with the Black Dahlia case are pretty dull and unassuming these days. A random suburban street, a warehouse in the fashion district, etc So don't expect to "see" fascinating sights like you would on a walking tour of Paris or Manhattan (at least on this tour, I can't speak for other tours they do) except for perhaps the Biltmore Hotel, which is still gorgeous. But the point is that these were the locations where the history happened, so that's what they have to work with. I thought of it more of a lecture that had visual aids (but take note that I am the kind of person who enjoys an interesting lecture so I don't mean that in a pejorative sense) rather than a true walking tour as there isn't much walking and most of the lecturing takes place on the bus. Also I should note that I had an online coupon for the tour, so it only cost me $29 dollars. If I had spent closer to $60 I might have expected more. I just think it's so great that they are doing something like this that I think people should encourage and support them as much as possible. Perhaps they don't have all the frills of a more "slick" tour operation, but who needs another tour bus showing you where Tom Cruise lives? I will definitely be taking more of their tours in the future. read more

I had purchased groupons for Esotouric and realized they were going to expire soon. So we booked the Raymond Chandler tour since it was the only one we could get on before our groupons expired. Although hubby and I didn't really know much about Raymond Chandler, the tour was very interesting and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The tour guides are extremely informative and are good at presenting the info in an interesting way. We don't live in LA, and honestly, it was really nice to just sit on the bus and have it take us through areas of LA we would never drive through. Just taking in all of the architecture and the atmosphere was a treat. We loved the ice cream stop that we stopped at as it had dairy free options for my hubby. Make sure to grab breakfast at Daily Dose before the tour. Recommended and we will definitely go on another someday! read more

I enjoyed the Black Dahlia tour very much. Although there wasn't much new information and I had been to the body dump site on my own years ago, Kim, Richard & Joan are quite knowledgable on this subject. I would consider them the experts on the Black Dahlia/Elizabeth Short. I truly believe if given access to everything the police have, they could solve this case. read more

My wife and I went on the Black Dahlia tour. I have been fascinated by the story of Elizabeth Short since the early 90's and have read and researched her story a lot. I had no idea the Esotouric did a tour like this until my wife bought it for me for my birthday. The tour did not disappoint. We started at the Biltmore and if you haven't been there, get there early at walk around. It's a classic look into the golden era of downtown Los Angeles. Richard, Kim, and Joan did an excellent job as we drove around looking at places touched by the haunting figure dubbed the Black Dahlia. They were knowledgeable and even helped me learn things I didn't know as well as cause me to look at things from a different perspective. The bus was comfortable and Cesar, the driver, was nice and helpful. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in Elizabeth Short's final days, a sordid bit of Los Angeles history, or seeing a part of downtown. read more

We did the Black Dahlia tour and loved it! I can't imagine anybody knowing more about the case than Kim, Richard and Joan. Also, I learned so much about areas of L.A. that I've never been in before, along with wonderful old sites downtown. read more

There's a reason these guys were voted Best of LA. They ARE LA. Richard and Kim live and breathe it, they study it, they help to preserve it for future generations. They work hard and are fascinated with the layers of history this city has, and it's infectious. I have been on a number of their tours, ranging from Hotel Horrors and Main St. Vice to South LA Road Trip to Weird West Adams and more. Fair warning, it's a 4 hour bus tour. Be smart and bring snacks or a bag lunch. They will tell you this in the confirmation email. There is also usually a cookie or coffee break. Whether you live in LA or are just visiting, if you want to uncover the secrets the city has (and I assure you there are plenty), you will get a dose of real LA with Richard and Kim. If you are looking for Rodeo Drive or TMZ Hollywood Homes there are other buses you can take (although if there were any murders in these places, Richard and Kim would probably know about it). I learn something new every time I'm with them. As someone who's lived in LA a few years now, they point out things I never noticed and pass by every day, like an old neon sign, or old hooks where the red car wires used to be, etc. Sitting on the bus feels like you're in their living room, and the dynamic is that of a loving, interrupting (mostly Richard with Kim but I find it hilarious), adorable couple. There's nothing else in LA like Esotouric. If you're interested in the history of this crazy young city and its people, and are okay with the occasional dose of macabre, you will have a great time. read more

Wandered around West Adams this weekend with Esotouric and I had a great time! If you are visiting LA this is a great company to experience the interesting and gritty side of our city. If you are a local and you want to see parts of LA that will surprise you book a tour. If you are infatuated with true crime stories, then book a tour you will learn a lot! I'm definitely going on another tour again soon. read more

Went on the haunted and true crime tour in in June. Not happy with it at all!! The bus was a mess the a/c leaked water on to myself and passenger ahead off me. We spent most our time on the bus touring skid row. The snack that was provided we could not have because random people not on the tour stuck their dirty hands in the cookies which should have been monitored by staff. As a group we paid for the snacks and received none!! I watched people on skid row doing drugs and pee in public, that was not mentioned in there website. I would not recommend this tour. read more

Everything has been said by other commenters. Too long, too expensive, and the weirdest non-relevant detours - like when we all had to get out of the bus to look at the apartment where one of the tour guides grew up. WTF???? The last hour of the tour was the most excruciating blow by blow account of a legal battle someone fought with the state, I have never been so bored in my life. Not worth the money. read more

Anybody who likes to see things that are usually missed in a busy commute should go on one of these tours at least once. One of my favorite experiences (several years ago) was actually seeing the inside of the historic Clifton's Cafeteria. read more

I highly DO NOT RECOMMENDED this tour. I am writing this while taking the tour in Pasadena. It is 102 degrees outside and the a/c does not work. It is extremely hot in this bus. I highly believe this bus is not up to DOT standards. Save your money and do not take this tour. I seriously want a refund, what a waste of time and money. read more

Whoa, so much negativity on some of the reviews, but I can why some hated it. If the attention span is of a 5 year old, you'll be bouncing off the walls. This review is solely based on the Hotel Horrors tour, the concept of it seemed really cool. The only downfall to this tour it does seem a bit long. As for your hosts, both very knowledgeable and informative. Although most of the information I've learned before, it was nice hearing it from different perspectives. Plus I did enjoy the video snippets presented during the tour especially the marriage ceremony, quite hilarious. I think the highlight of the tour was driving through skid row, no that wasn't part of the tour. As the bus waited at the red stop light, I could see the local residents amused by us trapped inside the bus. Are we the observers or are they?Overall the tour was good, its not often you get to ride in a bus for 4 hrs without dealing with downtown traffic. For the inactive non-walkers, this is your tour. read more

I love Esotouric! I just got back from "Haunts of A Dirty Old Man: Charles Bukowski's Los Angeles" and previously have done "Crawling Down Cahuenga: Tom Waits' LA", both were phenomenal. I highly recommend these tours. This company is not a cheesy bus tour, they help uncover the not so long ago history as told by some first hand accounts, archival footage, and a lot of research. Tour guides Richard, Kim Kooper, and David Smay(Waits) are LA experts in the good, bad and ugly of that make up the history of LA. **P.S. the bus is really nice, air conditioned, and has a bathroom on board that is usuable:) read more

My husband, sister-in-law and I attended the Black Dahlia tour. It was really instructive and, though I feared it might be ghoulish, it really avoided that and instead, presented the information and particularly the period around the murder in a light that you will rarely get from another source, I think. The content of the tour was first rate as were the tour guides and the arrangements. Recommend these folks highly. read more

Considering how long I've lived in LA, I should have taken this tour a long time ago, a visit to to the old Los Angeles. Kim and Richard have strong opinions as they share the story of beautiful old buildings, some ruined by indifference and outright greed. We learn the story of Bunker Hill and how 9000 people lost their home to civic and developer greed. We visited McCarther Park. which used to be apopular place to be, but with the direction and suggestion of the LAPD, became a sterile "park" without any grass (!) and hardly any shade. One thing I learned from this tour is that you can't trust the city officials. You know what they're saying now in 2012 as they turn Hollywood into New York City, why they're going to cover the freeways with parks. This is not a touristy tour, but one Angelinos should take at least for perspective. read more

My friend Loretta and I took the Bukowski tour on May 2, 2015. I highly recommend that tour and am planning on attending other tours. Kim and Richard were fabulous tour guides. Great information and sites. Brought me back to my time in the area 1970-1971. Thank you for all at Esotouric. Don read more

Definitely need to post a review of this in hopes that I can save others from 4 hours of scattered story telling, tour guide bickering, charter buses getting stuck in small narrow Hollywood neighborhoods, AND last but not least save others from being duped into a "coffee break" at the headquarters of one of the most wacked out cults I've ever heard of. The reviews you read below that provide negative feedback are spot on in regards to the scattered story telling and lack of attention. I'd advise scrolling down and reading those as well. My review is more to focus on the one stop on the trip no one knew we had signed up for. Once on the bus, we were only advised there would be a coffee break and bathroom at 2:15pm. I would think its safe to assume when given that information you would think your pit stop is somewhere around an actual coffee shop with the rest of civilization. This was not the case. As we approached a neighborhood with a bungalow surrounded by gates we were told our "coffee break" would be at The Aetherius Society. Definitely no clue what this was until Richard (the scattered tour guide) gave a brief example of what we would "learn" there and hear about their views on the meaning and purpose of man. Of course now I am thinking, hmm this is odd I don't remember this being on the description of the tour we purchased? Right. Because it was not. So I decide to give benefit of the doubt and say maybe, just maybe they'll tie in some murder mystery that happened here and that's why this was a stop. WRONG! We are shuffled into this tiny churchy looking room with weird crosses and religious type symbols everywhere and a shrine to their "leader" and asked to sit down and then we were presented with the guy who worked at this place who proceeds to give a long spiel on what they believe and how we came to earth and how the UFO's and aliens talked to the leader and sent transmissions to him and so forth and so on (google it for a great laugh). At this point I'm laughing out loud not only because it was hilarious story telling, but also laughing in disbelief that this whole busload of people were duped into sitting through some cult's spiel on the meaning of life. At the end, the speaker also made sure he got in his recorded "transmission" to play for everyone. At that point I walked out, but could still hear it outside. Remember the crazy special effect sounds Star Trek used in their shows because it was so low budget??? That would be the equivalent of what could be heard. Again a good laugh. Unfortunately, these nut-jobs were our ride back to our vehicles in downtown so my friends and I had to stick it out until the very long 4 hour joke of a tour was over. To top it off, there were other actual murder stories that were skipped over because we "just wouldn't have time now" (to quote Richard). Of course we don't have time for what we paid for, because we spent an HOUR sitting in a creepy room listening to a belief system created by some guy that was a cabbie in London and claimed a voice told him "Prepare yourself! You are to become the voice of Interplanetary Parliament."(quote from Wikipedia) then created a cult and called it the Aetherius Society. I guess if believing ET if the way to salvation then this tour is for you, but if not DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. read more

Took the "Reyner Banham Loves Los Angeles: Bus & Walking Tour of Downtown L.A" recently. Check-in was prompt. Tour left on time. Bus was comfy. Two of the five monitors were broken. Took four hours. First stop was the recently re-opened Angel's Flight which we rode down. Next we crossed the street to Grand Central Market. The guide took us inside but we DID NOT walk through. Advertised that there was a significant walking component but instead we would board the bus, get off, listen, board again only to be driven often as little as 2 blocks. The tour guide and his wife are very knowledgeable however there was often no structure and many off-topic tangents. The F-bomb was dropped too many times than I care for. As were political opinions. A 30 minute break at Clifton's Cafeteria was not enough time to wait in a crowded line and eat. Last stop was at an artist's personal loft - all work contained phalic and pornographics. Unsure why it was even part of this tour. I suggest sticking to facts about the actual buildings and areas, actually walking through or around the areas, toning down the language, keeping political opinions internal and replacing the artist stop with something more significantly downtown historical. read more

Esotouric-- we opted for the "Blood and Dumplings" tour about a year ago.. I'm really torn between giving it 2 or 3 stars..as I think it really deserves a 2 star instead of a 3.. here's why I'm on the fence.. The tour is now $63.00 per person.I believe it was about $50 per person last year when I purchased as a bday gift) We were really looking forward to this and yes, I'm glad we did it, would I ever go back and do more of their tours? Probably not..(unless it was a gift to me.. I think this tour lasted about 2 hours longer than it needed to.. I also think they purposely add a lot of "filler" that was a complete "waste of time" because they really didn't have much to show/tell you. They drive and talk and point a lot. Not to say 50% of it fairly interesting and I do think they are in this industry for all the right reasons...I just think this particular tour could use some tweaking. What I liked about this tour best (spoiler alert) the trailer park we visited and the history behind it. The dumplings. yes they were good, but frankly, I didn't get much because there were so many other people who took way more than they should have (you know the type) (they served them to go style and you just grabbed your own) We basically winded around SFV and heard stories that were not all that interesting.. In fact, one of the stories that really captivated us came from a fellow tour taker) and ugh!!f I hear the name.. Charles Bukowski one more time...I do appreciate "their appreciation" of LA's quirky crime hstory. and noir.. the bus was very comfortable..but this tour really lacked "blood and guts".. read more

Went on the "Hotel Horrors & Main St Vice" tour today with a couple of friends and had a great time. We found the tour leaders to be knowledgeable and enthusiastic with a good sense of humor. They had all the spots well arranged in advance, lots of good stories, and took turns talking about the things that they were each expert in. We got to go into the Alexandria and the Hotel Barclay, which were cool and made cooler by the stories and folks inside. Liked the break at Clifton's Caf. The guides made sure we knew exactly what to expect every step of the way, how much time we'd have, what we would do at each place. Used the video screens and DVD images well. No complaints from me. In fact, my friends and I want to take the Eastside Babylon Tour next. read more

Went on the Raymond Chandler tour because my friends were going and asked if i wanted to tag along, which i gladly did. To be honest, I have never even read Raymond Chandler, but have see enough film noir to get a sense for the subject. The tour was amazing, we had the opportunity to walk thought some wonderful old buildings that have sort of been forgotten over time, and all of the back stories about chandler and crime and corruption in los angeles was really interesting. Our tour guides were very knowledgable and had a wonderful enthusiasm for the subject. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone who has an interest in los angeles history and architecture. read more

I went on the Bukowski tour and I loved every minute of it. I see where some reviewers are talking about how Richard gets off topic a bit here and there but hey, this is not the jungle cruise. It's not a scripted by the numbers tour. It's two people talking about things they are very passionate about and that's an awesome thing to be around. I found it fun, interesting and informative. I would absolutely recommend this tour and I hope to attend others in the future. read more

Bought this as a surprise mystery gift for my husbands birthday. Knew next to nothing about the tour but only that I wanted something unique and different. I feel like I won the jackpot finding out about this tour company. They are really fun, knowledgeable guides. Kim and Richard know so many little hidden interesting stories about their themed tours. We took the Birth of Noir: James M. Cain's Southern California Nightmare. What a great 4 hrs. we had driving all over L.A. to very unique venues. You have the opportunity to get out at various stops and walk and explore with the guides pointing out great little stories about architecture, streets, people, art as it relates to the tour topic. So much fun. They are well organized and the day is full of surprises. I am a native angeleno and consider this a fun tour for those of us who think we know our city...let me tell you the Esotouric bus will take you places you probably have never been to before. It's a great education for tourists and locals alike. I loved it. A+ for a really fun day. read more

I went to the tour entitled "John Fante's Dreams of Bunker Hill." The tour included a historian and a gentleman who grew up in the old Bunker Hill. I left the tour feeling excited for what I learned about Los Angeles history and about a fantastic writer. The tour was on point, but also flexible enough for us to ask questions and explore other stuff that came up. One will get a much better view of Los Angeles with an Esotouric tour versus a "star gazing" tour. Recommended for tourists and locals alike! read more

This was one of the most wonderful events I have ever experienced in Los Angeles. I cannot say enough about the level of understanding of history, the deep respect and passion these folks have about all the wonderful facets of Los Angeles. I want to take more tours with Esotouric because my feeling about Los Angeles just went up a hundred percent -- what a rich city with interesting stories and people and intrigues -- the literary component of the John Fante tour was inspired and engaging. I think everyone who comes to LA should go on a tour to get a foundation of understanding of neighborhoods, how they sprang up, and the politics behind the city. Amazing and I am super excited to go on another one with Esotouric!!! read more

Went on the Crime Bus tour. Boring, pointless, ill-conceived. Stopped for apparently no reason in Angelino Heights and got out and looked at a house we saw on the bus already, stories uninteresting and uninterestingly told, no reason to stop at the Amy Semple MacPherson parsonage. read more

There was a bus waiting outside of Clifton's, full the of the god-damnedest bunch of characters I ever laid eyes on. "What the hell is this?" I asked the goof in charge. "It's a literary and historic tour of scenes in crime fiction," he replied. "Thanks for the scoop," I mumbled, pulling the brim of my hat low against the glare of the midday sun. I walked down the crowded sidewalk past the pushers and the panhandlers, the rich swells walking their little dogs and the immigrants looking for work. Eggheads. Now I really need a drink. read more

"Weird West Adams" was great fun! A step back a century in time to re-discover the dark goings-on in the magnificent,somewhat faded mansions of the rich and famous of early Los Angeles. Names like Sherman, Rindge and Doheny came alive again as we roamed the exclusive,little pockets of LA where they once ruled. The dirty little secrets of racial covenants.told the other side.Richard,Kim and Joan bring it all to life with great knowledge,humor,compassion and respect.I have been on many Esotouric tours,including WWA a few years ago,and was delighted to find Saturday's was about 80% brand new!A wonderful Saturday! read more