La Brea Tar Pits Segway Tour

The La Brea Tar Pits preserve an astonishing sight: actual Ice Age animal bones, trapped in natural asphalt beneath modern Los Angeles. I like that this tour gets you there by Segway, so you cover more ground than you would on foot, and I like the practical 30-minute lesson that lets beginners get comfortable before heading out. You also pass major Museum Row sights, including LACMA, Urban Light, and the Petersen Automotive Museum.

The main catch is price. At $169 per person, this is not a cheap way to visit the tar pits, especially since admission to the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum is not included. You are paying for the guided Segway ride, city views, equipment, snacks, and a different way to reach the site.

• Actual Ice Age bones: See remains of mammoths, mastodons, dire wolves, ground sloths, and saber-toothed cats.
• A 30-minute Segway lesson: You get instruction, a helmet, and time to learn the controls before the city ride.
• Museum Row sights: The route takes you by LACMA, the Petersen Automotive Museum, and the famous Urban Light installation.
• Two departure choices: Pick a morning or afternoon tour to fit the rest of your Los Angeles plans.
• A guide-led city ride: Learn about the tar pits, Los Angeles history, and the way early settlers used asphalt.
• Easy cancellation terms: Cancel at least 24 hours before the start for a full refund.

Riding from La Cienega Boulevard to the tar pits

Your tour begins at Another Side Of Los Angeles Tours, at 1080 S La Cienega Boulevard, in central Los Angeles. You return to this same meeting point at the end, so you do not need to arrange a second pickup location.

The experience lasts about two hours. That includes a 30-minute Segway orientation, the ride to the La Brea Tar Pits, time around the site, and the return trip. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so plan your own way to the starting point.

The first part matters more than it may sound. A Segway is simple once you understand how it responds to your weight, but you still want time to practice stopping, turning, and moving at a controlled speed. The tour provides a Segway, helmet, and safety equipment, so you do not need to bring your own gear.

You need a decent level of fitness and must be able to climb stairs without assistance. The ride is described as not physically demanding, but it is not a sit-down sightseeing trip. Pregnant participants cannot take part, and the maximum rider weight is 250 pounds, or 113 kilograms.

Why a Segway changes the experience

A Segway gives you a wider view of this part of Los Angeles than a short walk around the museum district. You can move between the starting area and the tar pits without sitting in a vehicle, while still avoiding the effort of a long walking route.

I especially like the built-in instruction period for first-time riders. You do not have to arrive already knowing how to operate a Segway. The guide helps you get your bearings before the tour moves on, and the available feedback suggests that the machines feel both exciting and manageable once the lesson is over.

That said, a Segway is not for everyone. You need to pay attention to the guide, other people, and the route. If you prefer to move slowly and stop often for long museum visits, a self-guided visit may suit you better. This tour is built around motion, narration, and a set route.

The experience operates rain or shine. That makes clothing worth thinking about, since the tour is outdoors and no weather exception is listed. Morning departures may work better if you want cooler conditions, while an afternoon departure can fit a slower start to your day.

Meeting the Ice Age at La Brea

The La Brea Tar Pits are famous because the remains are not simply old objects in a display case. Natural asphalt has risen from the ground over a very long period, trapping animals from the Pleistocene Era, which lasted from about 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago.

That asphalt created a rare record of ancient life. Mammoths, mastodons, saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, American camels, giant ground sloths, short-faced bears, and North American lions are among the animals connected with the site.

The guide explains what you are seeing as you move around the area. You can expect attention to the tar itself, the ongoing excavation work, and the way the pits claimed so many animals. It is a strong setting for anyone who likes science, fossils, natural history, or simply the odd fact that one of Los Angeles’s best-known attractions formed through sticky asphalt rather than rock.

One detail makes the site especially memorable: the bones are described as actual bone matter, not only fossils. That gives the visit a direct physical connection to the Ice Age. You are not just looking at a reconstruction of a mammoth. You are seeing remains recovered from the ground around you.

Admission to the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum is not part of the tour price. The Segway tour takes you to and around the attraction, but you should budget separately if you want to enter the museum. This is one of the most important points to consider before paying $169.

What you see around Museum Row

The route also brings you near several major Los Angeles sights on Wilshire Boulevard. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, usually called LACMA, sits beside the tar pits in the Miracle Mile area. It is part of Museum Row and was founded in 1961 after separating from the Los Angeles Museum of History, Science and Art.

You do not receive admission to LACMA with this tour. Its value here is location and context. Seeing the art museum beside a prehistoric excavation site shows how sharply Los Angeles can shift from modern culture to ancient history within a few blocks.

The Petersen Automotive Museum is also on Wilshire Boulevard. It focuses on automobile history and related education, and it is known as one of the world’s largest automotive museums. Again, the tour does not include entry, but you can take in the building and its place on Museum Row as part of the route.

Then there is Urban Light, the much-photographed installation outside LACMA. It consists of 202 historic streetlamps dating from the 1920s and 1930s, originally spread around Southern California. The lamps have become one of the city’s most recognizable photo spots, so this is a useful bonus if you want a few classic Los Angeles pictures without adding another separate stop to your day.

The itinerary identifies these nearby sights, but do not assume you will have a full museum visit or a long stop inside each one. The main destination is the tar pits. The other attractions add visual interest and help you understand the district.

The guide makes the difference

The guide provides narration throughout the ride, with special attention to Los Angeles history and the tar pits. This is more useful than simply following signs because the site can raise unusual questions: Why did animals approach the asphalt? How did the material reach the surface? How did people use the tar before modern building products?

You also learn that early settlers used the tar for building materials and fuel. That point connects the prehistoric site to the human story of Los Angeles, rather than treating the pits as an isolated scientific curiosity.

Jose is specifically praised for explaining Los Angeles history, pointing out less obvious places in Beverly Hills, and offering an insider’s view of film-industry processes. The available information does not guarantee that Jose will lead every departure, so you should not book solely on the expectation that he will be your guide. Still, his reported style gives you a good idea of the kind of added city context this company aims to provide.

A strong guide matters on this tour because the ride itself is only half the experience. The bones and asphalt are compelling, but clear storytelling helps you understand why the site matters. You are paying for interpretation as well as transportation.

Snacks, water, and the two-hour rhythm

Bottled water and small snacks, including chips, are provided during the trip. This is a modest inclusion, but it is useful on a two-hour outdoor activity, especially if you schedule it between meals.

The tour is long enough to give you a proper introduction to the area without taking over your whole day. You can pair it with a later museum visit, though you should leave enough time if you intend to enter LACMA, the Petersen Automotive Museum, or the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum. Their admission is separate, and the Segway route does not replace a full indoor visit.

The tour has morning and afternoon departures. I would choose based on the rest of your schedule rather than assuming one is automatically better. Morning works well if you want to use the afternoon for museums. Afternoon suits you if you prefer to start with a slower Los Angeles morning and make the ride your main activity later in the day.

The tour is offered in English. It is mobile-ticket based, and confirmation is sent within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability. Since the tour averages about 19 days of advance booking, reserve ahead if your Los Angeles dates are fixed.

Is $169 a fair price?

At $169 per person, this is a premium experience. The price includes the professional guide, 30-minute Segway instruction, Segway rental, helmet and safety equipment, bottled water, and snacks. It does not include hotel transportation or entry to the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum.

The value depends on what you want. If you only want to see the tar pits, paying for a guided Segway trip may seem excessive. A visitor who plans to spend most of the day inside museums may prefer to arrange each admission separately and walk between nearby sights.

I see better value if you want a compact introduction to the district, enjoy trying a Segway, and appreciate having a guide explain both prehistoric remains and Los Angeles culture. You cover the route in a distinctive way, get photo opportunities at Ice Age displays and Urban Light, and avoid having to plan every turn yourself.

The price also includes an experience rather than just access. You are not paying only to enter a site. You are paying for instruction, equipment, narration, and a moving tour that begins and ends at the same place.

Who should book this tour

This is a good fit for first-time Los Angeles visitors who want an active introduction to the Miracle Mile area. It also suits science fans, families with older children, and anyone who finds the combination of prehistoric bones and modern city sights appealing.

The minimum age is eight. Riders aged 8 to 15 need a parent present to sign the waiver and accompany them. Riders aged 16 and 17 need a parent present to sign the waiver, but they may ride without the parent accompanying them on the tour.

Service animals are allowed, and most people can participate if they meet the fitness requirements. Public transportation is nearby, which may help if you do not have a car. The tour can accept up to 100 people, although the actual feel of your departure may depend on how many people book that time.

I would skip it if you are pregnant, cannot climb stairs without help, exceed the weight limit, or strongly dislike outdoor activities in uncertain weather. I would also think twice if your main goal is a long, detailed museum visit, since admission is not included and the tour keeps moving.

Practical details before you reserve

Bring contact information, including an email address and phone number, when you book. Confirmation arrives within 48 hours if space is available.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the scheduled start. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start are not accepted for a refund, and the cut-off uses Los Angeles local time.

Plan to reach 1080 S La Cienega Boulevard for the start. The tour finishes there too. Since hotel pickup is not included, allow time for your own transportation, and remember that the attraction itself is not the starting point.

Should you book the La Brea Tar Pits Segway Tour?

Book it if you want the tar pits explained by a guide, like the idea of learning a Segway, and want to connect La Brea with LACMA, Urban Light, and the Petersen Automotive Museum. The actual bones and unusual asphalt setting give the tour real substance, while the city ride keeps it from feeling like a standard museum stop.

Skip it if you want the lowest-cost visit, a long indoor museum session, or complete control over how long you spend at each exhibit. The $169 price is easiest to justify when you value the moving tour, the equipment, the instruction, and the guide’s Los Angeles commentary as much as the destination itself.

FAQ

Where does the La Brea Tar Pits Segway Tour begin?

It begins at Another Side Of Los Angeles Tours, 1080 S La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90035.

Where does the tour end?

The activity ends back at the original meeting point on La Cienega Boulevard.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately two hours, including a 30-minute Segway orientation.

Is admission to the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum included?

No. Admission to the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum is not included in the tour price.

What equipment is provided?

The tour provides the Segway and safety equipment, including a helmet.

Are food and drinks included?

Yes. Bottled water and small snacks are provided during the trip.

What is the minimum age?

The minimum age is eight. Riders aged 8 to 15 must have a parent present to sign a waiver and accompany them. Riders aged 16 to 17 need a parent present to sign a waiver but may ride without parental accompaniment.

Is the tour offered in English?

Yes. The tour is offered in English.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start are not accepted for a refund.