Architecture Tours L.A. is the perfect mix of informal and ultra-pro. The tours are small—only five people can fit comfortably into the luxury van—which makes it intimate, but it also means reservations are a necessity. Weekends get booked way in advance, but you can get a weekday spot a few days in advance.
There’s also the matter of time: Each tour takes about three hours, and you’re limited to one neighborhood per tour. When I went, we toured Silver Lake and Los Feliz, but there are separate tours for Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Downtown, Pasadena, and more.