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Beyond Los Angeles
Old and New Downtown Los Angeles Walking Tour

Old and New Downtown Los Angeles Walking Tour

Los Angeles, USA

Old and New Downtown Los Angeles Walking Tour

Recommended by 99% of travelers
Los Angeles, USA
  • 2 hours (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Some things just don't get old, especially when they're part of LA's historic Downtown core. On this 2-hour walking tour, your small group visits some of the finest architectural sites from the city's golden era: the Pantages, the Bradbury Building, Grand Central Market and the Broadway Theater District. There's no better way to get a feel for the City of Angels than exploring it on foot, so let a local guide lead the way as you absorb the colorful street scenes, history, and people.
  • Explore the local streets on a walking tour of the city
  • Benefit from the knowledge and experience of a local guide
  • Gain a great overview and orientation of the city, ideal for first time visitors
  • Families will enjoy this comprehensive, stress-free walking tour

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.9
based on 224 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Sort by: Most insightful

Phil was excellent in...

Jane_V, Jul 2025
Phil was excellent in telling us about history of the down town area. Extremely knowledgeable and was happy to answer all our questions.

Outstanding Tour of DTLA - Phil was the best!

MaryKate_S, Jun 2025
We had a fantastic time on this tour! Phil was an outstanding guide—deeply knowledgeable and a natural storyteller who brought the city’s history to life. We loved exploring downtown, hearing fascinating stories and fun details that blended the past with the present. I was touring with my mom, and Phil was so thoughtful—he found a bench right when she needed a rest. It was the perfect way to kick off our LA Art Tour. Thank you, Phil!

It's an easy walk in...

Deborah_K, May 2025
It's an easy walk in downtown LA. Phil was a great guide. We went during the week and it was just my husband and I on the tour. We we're able to ask questions and get a lot of insite about LA.

Great tour. Good pace.

Jonathan_B, May 2025
Our guide Phil was friendly and knowledgeable and made everyone feel at ease with his laid back style. So much history in Downtown LA that it was impossible to cover everything. That’s the only reason I didn’t give this 5* because there wasn’t time to see all the significant historic buildings I would have liked. Despite that, interesting tour at a nice gentle pace.

Great information on how...

Janet_J, Apr 2025
Great information on how Downtown LA developed from the 1800’s to today. Interesting to hear about and see what still exists from the past. Phil was great!

A Tour of Downtown Los Angeles

John_K, Apr 2025
Our tour of downtown Los Angeles was absolutely fantastic. It was very interesting, and informative.

Very knowledgeable tour...

Lindsay_M, Mar 2025
Very knowledgeable tour guide. Had a great time learning about the history and buildings of downtown LA.

Great experience!

Margherita_B, Jan 2025
Phill was great! Would totally recommend this tour with him to get a sense of the history of Los Angeles!

Exceptional Tour Guide and Unforgettable Experience!

Devika_S, Nov 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We had an amazing experience on the Downtown LA Walking Tour, and Phil was absolutely fantastic! His passion for the city’s history and architecture made the tour incredibly engaging. He shared fascinating stories, answered all of our questions with patience, and even pointed out hidden gems we would’ve missed on our own. Phil’s enthusiasm and deep knowledge truly brought the city to life. This tour was the highlight of our visit, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone exploring Los Angeles. Thank you, Phil, for making our day so memorable!

Small group, perfect balance of info and number of locations

Susan_B, Nov 2024
Phil is knowledgeable and informative in this very small group tour today, just 4 guests. The history of the Downtown streets was fascinating, giving a context to what we see today. Perfect balance of information and moving on to the next location.

Knowledgable LA native guide

Elizabeth_F, Oct 2024
Highlight was seeing the inside of the Bradbury building! Loved learning about the jewelry district.

fascinating stories

Casandra_S, Oct 2024
The guide had great experience and knew a lot about the history of each place, it was an excellent way of getting to know DTLA.

A Downtown walk offering surprising insights

Martin_H, Oct 2024
Our visit to the Bradbury Building from inside was both intriguing and informative, like all other places along our route.

Great Walk Through Downtown Los Angeles

Anonymous, Sep 2024
Phil did a great job sharing the history and stories of Downtown LA. The length was just right and I came away with more ideas of places to visit for my next trip.

AMAZING TOUR

Debra_R, Sep 2024
This was an AMAZING tour from start to finish!! Phil was fascinating and extremely knowledgeable. We LOVED the places we stopped and his stories! I have lived in LA for forty five years and had never seen or knew the history of the buildings and downtown area!HIGHLY recommend

Informative, entertaining.

Gretchen_B, Sep 2024
This is a wonderful tour and Phil is fantastic, so knowledgable and entertaining! The tour is so good I had done it last year with my daughter and came back this year with my sister. I highly recommend!

Awesome tour!

james_d, Aug 2024
Phill was a great and knowledgeable guide. Really, really fun tour. I was in it mainly for the Bradbury Building, as it’s been in movies I love, but the entire tour was fantastic. Highly recommend!

Informative, friendly and fun

Ninar_Y, Aug 2024
Was a great tour. Was fun and informative. I liked our tour guide. He knows the city well and he shared many interesring details about the city. He is interested in architecture and so he will share quite abit about each building he shows you. I would recommend taking his tour.

Great experience to find about LA's beginnings

Carmen_D, Jul 2024
We enjoyed finding out about LA's beginnings and seeing the downtown's landmarks! Our guide was very knowledgeable.

Walking Tour

Maria_H, Jul 2024
We had a wonderful time and learned a lot about locations in the city and their history! Thanks for the tour.

Fun in the shade

Rebeca_P, Jul 2024
Phil was an excellent guide. He clearly loves the city and has extensive knowledge of its history. He also has extensive personal knowledge of the city. It was a well-paced tour and accommodated those of us who are older. Phil was happy to answer any and all questions. He made sure all our stops gave us a chance to stand or sit in the shade. That was great for those of us who do not have a warm sunny climate at home.

Great tour of DTLA

David, Jul 2024
Phil was incredibly knowledgeable and engaging. We ended up going longer than two hours and it was worth it

A lovely way to step back in time.

Pam_F, Jul 2024
We learned so much on this tour. Our guide Phil was warm and friendly and very knowledgeable about the area. We loved it and would highly recommend for anyone wanting to take a step back in time when LA was a much different place. .

Highly Recommend!!

Erika_P, Jul 2024
My boyfriend and I traveled from NC to LA to check it off of our bucket list and Phil was absolutely amazing! He was extremely knowledgeable about the history of downtown and was super open to answering all of our questions! He was also very personable and even offered to give us suggestions for restaurants and clubs/bars to visit during our trip!! Would highly recommend if you’re interested in learning about DTLA!! Thank you Phil! -The hooligans that got kicked off of angels flight LOL

Easy walk with friendly and knowledgeable guide

Esther_M, Jun 2024
We had a wonderful time with Phillip, our guide. Even though we had been in downtown LA several times over the last 15 years, we learned a lot. He is very knowledgeable with lots of stories. I enjoyed all the social and architectural information. This is an easy walk as well.

Excellent tour with an amazing guide!

Ulf_A, Jun 2024
The vivid attitude of our guide, that made his amazing stories of olden days mixed with current phenomena very memorable. Minimum (!) two thumbs up 👍👍✨

Fantastic way to explore LA’s downtown

Nicola_M, May 2024
Phil was a fantastic tour guide. He was extremely well spoken, very knowledgable about downtown LA, and was able to give us lots of great tips. Will definately be recommending to any friends visiting

Great tour and we were...

Siddharth_T, May 2024
Great tour and we were able to learn a lot of DTLA that we wouldn’t have otherwise. Our guide Phil was really nice and very knowledgeable.

Parts of Los Angeles I never knew

Jill_I, May 2024
Our guide, Phil was extremely well informed, friendly and very helpful. He knew the history of virtually every building in the downtown area.

Phil rules!!!

Scott_P, May 2024
Phil was amazing! Super engaging and knowledgeable. Will certainly recommend. Thank you for your time and expertise!