Top California Arts & Design

Save money on some of San Francisco’s top attractions, with a flexible pass to two, three, four, or five landmarks or experiences. Choose your favorite activities from more than 25 options, including cruises, tours, bike rentals, and museum outings. Plus, use the handy digital guide to help you independently navigate the Bay Area at your own pace.

Pair science with San Francisco nightlife and you have NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences. Prebooking your admission ticket is the perfect, child-free way to explore the museum after hours. Make your way inside and enjoy a lively venue of music, provocative science, and exhibits. Each special program changes weekly and is well worth exploring.

Immerse yourself into the golden age architecture of Los Angeles on this walking tour through Downtown. Take a chance to see the iconic landmarks of the early 20th century in the LA’s Historic Core including Bradbury Building, Grand Central Market, and historical districts. Follow your enthusiastic local guide as he leads you through the most interesting locations and sights. • Experience the historic travel as you stroll through the early 20th century blocks in the Historic Core • Explore the scenic streets and get a perfect overview of the city • Benefit from a small group for better experience • The tour is perfect for families and first-time time visitors

Look for whales as they migrate through the waters of the Pacific Ocean off of California on this whale-watching cruise from Monterey. Your naturalist guide shares commentary about the whales and their habitat as you search for gray whales (most common), humpback and blue whales, and other marine life such as dolphins and sea lions during your cruise.

Discover Los Angeles' artistic side, and get to know one of its most vibrant neighborhoods, on this private walking tour of the Arts District. Choose from morning and afternoon tour times, and meet your guide right in the area. You'll discover the colorful murals that have revitalized the area, will visit leading local galleries, and will learn all about local history and the creatives who call this corner of LA home.

Avoid the hassle of coordinating city sights and nearby nature trips from San Francisco with a small-group tour that combines urban highlights and redwood scenery in one seamless day. Instead of planning multiple outings, explore Woods National Monument and the waterfront charm of Sausalito before heading back for a city tour of key neighborhoods and landmarks (or vice versa, depending on bookings). It’s an efficient way to experience the region’s diversity without juggling logistics.

Get more out of your time in Los Angeles by taking a deep dive into the artistic neighborhood of Silver Lake—a place known for its celebrity homes, street art, and fantastic dining options. During the walk, get taken to the area’s most photogenic locations—such as Micheltorena Stairs, and learn about the area’s history and favorite local hotspots—including a bakery visit.

Take this private tour with a historian guide of the Getty and get all of your questions answered. This will take around one hour, and you’ll cover a lot of ground in the museum. This is for your private group of up to six guests. Don’t wander aimlessly, but have a purpose and get to the bottom of some of the pieces while your guide aims to demystify the collections.

For wine enthusiasts, Sonoma and Napa Valleys are the pinnacle of the North American wine experience. However, for the uninitiated, choosing where and when to go can be a little daunting. This tour shuttles you in style from San Francisco to three top-rated wineries, where you can enjoy tours and tasting. Upgrade to include a hop-on hop-off bus tour of San Francisco as well.

Take in the Financial District at your own pace with this affordable walking tour created by the San Francisco Chronicle. • See the neighborhood's often overlooked sites including an ornate office building that's only 20 feet wide, and hidden gargoyles and walruses • Hear from John King, the San Francisco Chronicle's urban design critic, as he guides you around the Financial District • Do it all in an hour or linger at stops along the way with complete control over when you start and finish • Get unlimited use before your booking date and after it • Use the virtual tour option at home Once you’ve booked, you’ll receive a ticket with instructions and a unique code listed under “Before You Go”. Then simply install the VoiceMap app and enter your code. The app displays directions to the starting point, and when you’re in the right place, just pop in your headphones and tap start. VoiceMap has automatic GPS playback, with turn-by-turn directions. It also works offline.

This self-guided, app-based private driving tour covers San Francisco’s iconic attractions—from the Painted Ladies to the Golden Gate Bridge. Follow a GPS map along a curated route with planning tools, scenic stops, and local stories, parking and exploring at your own pace. Enjoy lifetime access to the tour, usable anytime and offline. Support is available by chat, email, and phone if needed.

Explore San Francisco with this 2-day combo: a guided bike tour plus admission to Alcatraz Island. Venture to the infamous prison in the afternoon to hear audio commentary about former inmates like Al Capone. On the day after Alcatraz, cycle along the waterfront from Fisherman’s Wharf and ride over the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito via the car-free national park bike path. Your tour includes a full-day bonus bike rental.

Save time and money and explore both San Francisco and Alcatraz on this 2-in-1 tour. Enjoy a coach tour with a knowledgeable local guide. Learn about the City by the Bay through visits to top attractions such as Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, the Presidio, and the Palace of Fine Arts. Then, hop aboard a ferry for a scenic ride to Alcatraz and explore with the award-winning audio walking tour.

Beverly Hills is known for its high-end shops, hotels, and restaurants—but it can be tricky to narrow down a shortlist of photogenic sights without putting in the research time. With this tour, let someone else do the research and planning for you, so you can focus on taking in the views. Tour Beverly Hills’ highlights with a professional photographer to take your photos. Highlights include the world’s most expensive store—the House of Bijan, Rodeo Drive, and Beverly Canon Gardens.

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.

Examine one of Los Angeles’ most studied criminal cases on a guided true crime limo tour covering expanded locations tied to the Manson Family. Travel in a small group while learning how the crimes intersected with Hollywood culture, media, and the social climate of the era. The experience emphasizes analysis over myth, offering a deeper understanding of why the case continues to resonate.

Beyond the tie-dye and neon, the Haight-Ashbury is a masterpiece of redwood and revolution. This 2.5-hour tour reveals the neighborhood’s true soul through three lenses: its world-class Victorian architecture, a six-decade legacy of street art, and the raw history of the 1960s counterculture—minus the nostalgia. We’ll explore grand Victorian estates that rival the famous Painted Ladies, uncovering why these communal spaces became the literal infrastructure for a social uprising. You’ll walk past musicians' homes and iconic murals—including the city’s oldest—to see how a "rejection" of the status quo birthed a new aesthetic in art and sound. From the highs of the "Free" philosophy to the darker realities of the era’s decline, this is an insider’s look at how one neighborhood’s built environment fueled a global shift. Perfect for those seeking the wider story behind the legendary addresses.

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.

Step into the captivating realm of illusions, where reality is never exactly as it appears. Museum of Illusions is a one-of-a-kind, visual, sensory, and educational experience designed to engage your sense of wonder and challenge perceptions through the science behind optical illusions. We offer over 50 immersive, hands-on exhibits to explore. Our illusion rooms, installations and holograms let you defy gravity, grow and shrink your body, walk into a life-size kaleidoscope, and play tricks on your senses at every turn. It’s a mind-bending journey that deceives the senses and reveals how the brain interprets reality.

Discover a side of Solvang that few other visitors get to experience—and tap into the region’s supernatural lore—on this evening ghost tour. Meet your guide in the center of town and set off with EMF meters, dowsing rods, and other ghost-hunting tools to aid you. You’ll see historic highlights of the town, and can attempt to spot local spirits, all while your guide shares Solvang’s spookiest ghost stories.

Filoli is an unforgettable estate experience just outside San Francisco. Wander through 16 acres of vibrant formal gardens, explore a grand 54,000-sqft Georgian mansion, and discover miles of scenic nature trails where Dambo's giant Troll, Rose Wonders will be nestled in Filoli's Natural Lands. Originally built in 1917, Filoli offers a rare blend of cultivated beauty and wild landscape, now amplified by this incredible outdoor exhibition. It’s a perfect day out for all ages—where families can reconnect, kids can explore, and friends can roam. Enjoy a Garden Pop™ or sip a curated cocktail from one of Filoli’s seasonal pop-up bars. This historical California landscape bridges art, nature, and sustainability.

Enjoy the special opportunity to explore the only publicly accessible battleship on the West Coast—and learn all about its wealth of history—when you book advance tickets to the USS Iowa. Active since 1943, the ship has seen conflicts from World War II to the Korean War. With the accompanying mobile app, you’ll hear stories from soldiers and veterans about wartime life, and will have multimedia accompaniments to your excursion. Upgrade your experience to include guided tours of exclusive areas.

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 private self-guided driving tour and explore at your own pace, from Sunset Strip to Bel Air, Rodeo Drive, and the Hollywood Hills. Enjoy lifetime access with no expiry, so you can use the tour anytime on any trip.

Skip the crowded bus and explore Los Angeles your way with this immersive, self-guided driving tour through Hollywood, Sunset Strip, Beverly Hills, and beyond. This isn’t just another celebrity homes tour. You’ll cover dozens of iconic landmarks, filming locations, historic sites, and hidden gems—from world-famous spots you’ve seen on screen to places most visitors never even know exist. Drive at your own pace as GPS-triggered audio that shares the stories behind Hollywood’s biggest names, legendary locations, and unforgettable moments in film and pop culture. Also includes two additional self-guided walking tours—one along Hollywood Boulevard and another along Rodeo Drive, featuring even more stops and details best experienced on foot. Each stop includes additional content you can explore later, including: - expanded stories and behind-the-scenes details - curated photos to help you spot key locations - exclusive video clips featuring a longtime Hollywood tour guide