Touring Hollywood homes can be done in a number of ways, from private tours given in classic cars to small minibuses to large double-decker tourist buses. There are even trolley cars that take tourists from one Hollywood home to the next. These tours often take several hours and can take as long as half a day or more.

Some Hollywood home tours advertise a list of the specific celebrity homes that will be visited. Because the tours often visit 40 or 50 homes, the list might be a shortened list of the most famous of the celebrities with homes on the tour.

When touring the homes, tourists generally stay in the car, bus, or trolley and view the homes from the street. In some cases, a tour guide may allow guests to leave the transportation to get a closer look at a home from the sidewalk or for scheduled stops on the tour.

Many tours include a photo opportunity in front of the famed Hollywood sign. Some also include a trip to Graumann’s Chinese Theater to let you put your hands and feet into the imprints of hundreds of celebrities. Some tours include a look at the Kodak Theater, the home of the annual Oscar ceremony. Read on as this guide explains how to tour Hollywood celebrity homes.

The first step in determining the right celebrity tour is deciding how you want to travel, how long you want to be on the tour and which homes you want to see. Major stars with homes in Bel Air, Beverly Hills and Hollywood, such as Jennifer Lopez, Nicholas Cage and Madonna will be on most tours. If there are any specific celebrity homes that you wish to see, inquire ahead of time about which tours will drive by those homes.http://www.hollywoodtours.us/?event=offer.type&productType=STARSHOMES&mpt=76&name=Movie%20Stars%20Homes%20in%20Hollywoodhttp://www.beachcalifornia.com/hollywood-celebrity-tours-starline.html

The smaller the transport vehicle, the higher the cost will be. If you choose a private car tour, it can cost five times as much as a bus tour, or even more. Choose one that is within your budget as well as your comfort level. Some tours offer open-top transportation. Some have crowded conditions and others have more personalized service.

Shop around for tours that include the extra-curricular Hollywood activities that you want to participate in. Each tour has an itinerary that spells out its stops and sights. Some include shopping excursions to Rodeo Drive or tours inside the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel where Pretty Woman was filmed. Some tours include Hollywood landmarks like The Viper Room, The Hollywood Bowl and the Beverly Hills Hotel.

A hotel concierge can recommend a celebrity home tour company. Ask at the front desk for recommendations and brochures.

Pack according to the length of the tour and the type of stops that the tour will make. A short trip of two or three hours and no stops may not require much planning, but longer trips and those with many stops will require taking along a few supplies.

Because many celebrity home tours include photo op stops, be sure to bring a camera. You may also want to bring along a moderate amount of cash in order to purchase souvenirs at any of the photo stops. Tourist spots like Graumann’s Chinese Theater often have small items for tourists to purchase. Some also have street performers that you may want to tip for a fun performance.

If the tour will be a long one, five hours or more, inquire about meal and snack availability as well as the bathroom situation. A bus may have a bathroom as well as snacks for the passengers. You may need to bring a bag lunch or a few drinks with you on the tour, or you may be able to buy drinks and snacks at one of the stops along the way. If you will be leaving the vehicle for photo ops or tours, be sure to bring sunscreen as well.

Participate in the tour by asking questions and interacting with the guide if possible. Tour guides are often full of information, and there isn't always time to relay all of it to the tourists. If you have a question about a home, when the celebrity is there or about the history of a house, just ask. Chances are that your tour guide will know something about it.

Try to get a window seat to make it easier to see the celebrity homes. In most cases, you will be driving by the homes and will have to rely on the windows to see them. Most tourist vehicles have tall, wide windows to make that easier, so even if you have the aisle, you will still be able to see most of the action.

Get out of the vehicle for all of the stops and take a look around. If it's a hot day, it may be tempting to stay inside the air-conditioned vehicle, but you will likely regret having missed some of the tour if you do. Part of the charm of Hollywood is the ambiance in the air, the hot sun and the warm wind. To really see how the celebrities live, get outside and experience it for yourself.