Malibu Open-Air Tour from Santa Monica with Celebrity Homes
Description
Discover the beauty of Malibu on this 2-hour open-air sightseeing tour along California's legendary Pacific Coast Highway (PCH.). Departing from Santa Monica, you'll enjoy breathtaking ocean views as you cruise past famous beaches, celebrity homes, luxury oceanfront estates, and some of Southern California's most spectacular coastal scenery. Along the way, your knowledgeable guide will share entertaining stories about Malibu's history, Hollywood filming locations, famous residents, and local landmarks. Highlights include the historic Getty Villa and exclusive Carbon Beach—also known as "Billionaire's Beach." Enjoy a 30-minute stop at the iconic Malibu Pier to stroll the pier, browse the shops, grab a drink or snack, take incredible photos, and soak in the relaxed Malibu lifestyle before returning along the coast. Begins and Ends at Santa Monica Visitor Center & Cafe.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Welcome aboard, everyone! Today we'll be taking one of the most beautiful drives in Southern California. We'll depart from Santa Monica and head north along the world-famous Pacific Coast Highway, following the coastline all the way to Malibu. Along the way you'll enjoy incredible ocean views, pass some of California's most famous beaches, and see landmarks like the Getty Villa, Carbon Beach, Surfrider Beach, Malibu Pier, and Point Dume. We'll make a 30-minute stop at the iconic Malibu Pier before making our way back to Santa Monica. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride—this is California at its best!
We're now driving along the legendary Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH, officially known as California State Route 1. This is one of the most scenic highways in the world, stretching more than 650 miles along California's coastline. The section we're traveling between Santa Monica and Malibu is especially famous for its breathtaking ocean views, beautiful beaches, and luxurious beachfront homes. It's been featured in countless movies, TV shows, commercials, and road trip adventures, making it one of Southern California's most iconic drives.
Drive through Malibu visiting celebrity homes, filming locations, city landmarks, and more in Hollywood's #1 celebrity beach-side town.
Take in the beach of this iconic Malibu Beach
See the esteemed Pepperdine University
See The Getty Villa in Malibu
You've made it to Malibu! For the next 30 minutes, enjoy one of Southern California's most iconic destinations. Walk out to the end of the pier for breathtaking Pacific views, visit the shops, grab a coffee or a bite at Malibu Farm, or simply relax and soak up the laid-back Malibu vibe. We'll meet back here in 30 minutes—have fun, and don't forget your photos!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(486)
Tour no longer exists, do not book. No communication from your company that this no longer runs and we were only told when we went to pick up spot specified in the confirmation email (wrong spot) to go to another pickup spot where we were told the company went out of business and the tour no longer runs.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We sincerely apologize for the confusion and frustration you experienced. 🩵 Hollywood Bus Tours recently merged with Surf City Tours, and unfortunately, some guests were affected during the transition. We're truly sorry for the lack of communication and the incorrect meeting information you received—that's not the experience we want anyone to have. We would love the opportunity to make this right. Please email us at reservations@hollywoodbustoursla.com, and we'd be happy to offer you a complimentary tour so you can experience Los Angeles the way it was meant to be. We hope to have the chance to welcome you back and earn your trust.
Beware! We booked a half day Malibu Tour with Surf City less than two weeks ago. Paid in full and received a confirmation. On the day of the tour, we arrived at our meeting point as instructed only to learn that the company was acquired last week by Hollywood Tours and that the tour we paid from was no longer available. Zero communication from Surf City and a phone number for the company that no longer works (even though their web site is still up). Hollywood Tours did their best to make a bad situation better and we were able to rebook a shorter Malibu experience. So disappointed in Surf City and I hope this review saves someone else money and frustration.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience, and we're truly sorry for the confusion and frustration you encountered. We sincerely apologize that you were not properly notified during the transition following the acquisition of Surf City Tours. We're glad our team was able to assist you on the day of your tour and arrange an alternative Malibu experience, but we completely understand your disappointment. Your feedback is incredibly valuable, and we've been working to ensure all contact information, communications, and booking updates are accurate so situations like this don't happen again. Thank you again for your patience and understanding, and we hope we'll have the opportunity to provide you with the seamless experience you originally expected.
Nice trip, a lot has been told. Many tips also where you should go to eat or swim. Enthusiastic driver. Every now and then we had to add music and guess which artist we heard. Laughable.
Thank you so much for your incredible 5-star review! 🩵🚌 We're thrilled you had such a fun experience! ✨ We're so glad you enjoyed the stories, local recommendations, and the music trivia along the way—it’s one of our favorite ways to keep the tour interactive! Thanks for riding with us, and we hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable LA adventure soon! 🌴
Forewarning you are taking a chance with booking this tour. I booked a month ago in advance and arrived 2 hours in advance but the owner/tour operator no showed to our tour. Very sad when we made very early transportion arrangements from Burbank. Viator should be ashamed to allow booking of this company through their website as others have stated the same about this owner/company. It may be a hit and miss but not worth taking a chance, I would go with a more reliable tour as this one ruins vacations and doesn't care about rescheduling or cancelling. Thanks Viator for or a waste of our time.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience, and we are truly sorry to hear what happened. We completely understand how frustrating it must have been, especially after planning your day and traveling from Burbank. We wanted to let you know that Surf City Tours has been under new ownership and management since July 15, 2026, and the experience you described is not the standard we are committed to providing. We would genuinely love the opportunity to restore your confidence in us by inviting you on one of our tours. If you have a moment, please reach out to us directly at reservations@hollywoodbustoursla.com. We would love the chance to make things right and show you the experience we strive to provide every guest.
Great tour, with experienced guide, at Malibu! Would not hesitate to repeat excursion with Surf City Tours.
One of the best tours in the LA area! Would highly recommend to those wanting a very fun and personable tour, Adam was amazing!
This was a fun way to experience Malibu. My tour guide Adam was great. He did a great job explaining the history of Malibu, while at the same time showing me some celebrity homes and other places of interest. Malibu itself was very picturesque and breathtaking. If you're in the LA area, and want to experience Malibu without worrying about parking and traffic, then this is the way to go, and I would definitely recommend this tour.
Too bad, I read your comments with very good references, but in my case I was cancelled just a day earlier and modified my travel plans, I definitely do not recommend it. Although they sent me a Mail a few hours earlier, they didn’t give me any reason or even any alternative, they just cancelled me. I'm waiting for my refund that I'm told will be 3 to 4 days...
Excellent tour! Dave our tour guide was phenomenal and his knowledge of the area was on point 👍🏽 we learned so much and truly enjoyed the open air jeep which made it all that more fun 🤩
We had a wonderful time on our Malibu tour with Surf City Tours.! Ir was extremely informative and Dave was a font of information! We also had an opportunity view the homes of Pierce Brosnan, Lady Gaga, Cher and Bob Dylan.
