History
Esotouric debuted in May 2007 as a spin-off of the popular 1947project true crime blog and soon was offering more than a dozen provocative tours into the secret heart of Los Angeles and the incredible personalities that made the city great, from the mad scientists of Pasadena Confidential to literary lions like Raymond Chandler and Charles Bukowski. Packed with original research, startling connections, snappy asides, vintage slideshows and visits to off-the-beaten-track landmarks, each Esotouric tour offers something fresh for natives or newcomers, and celebrates the true culture of a city too often dismissed as superficial and soulless. Esotouric's first Christmas present for regular riders was a special tour hosted by novelist James Ellroy.
Specialties
We're not your ordinary tour company. And our webinars, introduced during the COVID lockdown, aren't ordinary either. Tune in online or for an in-person tour. Our routes veer off into fascinating, neglected neighborhoods. Our expert guides are passionate, brainy and hilarious. Our tour themes are provocative and complex, but never dry, mixing crime and social history, rock and roll and architecture, literature and film, fine art and urban studies into a simmering stew of original research and startling observations. Even our snack stops are unique: a Chinese dumpling picnic in a garden of concrete sea monsters, donuts in the parking lot of Charles Bukowski's favorite liquor store, or Raymond Chandler-inspired gelato at Scoops in East Hollywood. When you take an Esotouric tour, in person or virtually, you're guaranteed an intelligent, unpredictable trip into the secret heart of the city we love. These tours are recommended for natives, tourists and anyone who likes to dig a little deeper and discover the world beyond the everyday.