Los Angeles Downtown History & Architecture Walking Tour - Angels Flight & Little Tokyo

From Angels Flight to Little Tokyo
Discover Downtown LA on Foot

Downtown is where Los Angeles began, and its history is preserved, showing its growth from just 44 settlers to the metropolis it is today. This tour is led by a local guide who created it, in English, covering about 8km over approximately 3 hours as you explore various parts of Downtown.

Ride Angels Flight and Explore Bunker Hill's Architecture

The tour begins with a ride on the Angels Flight funicular, built in 1901. Featured in numerous films and TV shows like Bosch and La La Land, your ticket is covered by the guide. Upon reaching the top, you'll hear stories about Bunker Hill's history and the community that once relied on Angels Flight.

As you pass through Bunker Hill, you'll encounter LA's iconic museums and performance venues, including the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), The Broad, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and The Music Center. With buildings designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architects like Frank Gehry and Arata Isozaki, this tour is especially appealing to architecture enthusiasts.

See LA's City Hall and Courthouses from Movies in Civic Center

LA's symbolic City Hall has appeared in countless films and TV shows, including Batman, Superman, War of the Worlds, The Lincoln Lawyer, and The Rookie. In the Civic Center, you'll also see the courthouses where famous figures like O.J. Simpson, the Night Stalker, Bugsy Siegel, and Charles Manson stood trial.

Taste Mochi in Little Tokyo and Head to the Historic Core

In Little Tokyo, stop by Fugetsu-do, a confectionery that opened in 1903, to try mochi, and walk through the Japanese Village Plaza and Elison Onizuka Street to learn about the area's history.

Finally, move to the Historic Core to see the building used in the movie Blade Runner, the Bradbury Building, the Bibi M. Mason Memorial Park, and The Last Bookstore, a large bookstore housed in a 1915 bank building. The tour concludes near the starting point (341 S Hill St) after the guide offers restaurant recommendations at Grand Central Market.

※ The itinerary is for reference only and may be subject to change due to local circumstances.