Venice Beach Podcast Tour: Shadows of the Slum by the Sea 69 min - Image 1
Venice Beach Podcast Tour: Shadows of the Slum by the Sea 69 min - Image 2
Venice Beach Podcast Tour: Shadows of the Slum by the Sea 69 min - Image 3

Photo 1 / 3

Venice Beach Podcast Tour: Shadows of the Slum by the Sea 69 min

Not rated yet

Rated on 1 provider · Why

  • Los Angeles
  • 1 hr 9 min
  • Updated November 1, 2026

Explore Venice Beach’s canals and counterculture history on a 69-minute audio tour with four stops, expert stories, and in-app navigation.

About this tour

Look beyond Venice Beach’s luxury boutiques and overpriced lattes to uncover the strange, gritty history behind its counterculture spirit. This 69-minute, self-guided Venice Beach Podcast Tour follows the story of a millionaire’s failed attempt to build a high-culture Italian utopia and the unlikely community that grew in its wake.

Cover 2.2 km and four stops as you explore the neighborhood’s man-made canals and hear how outcasts, bodybuilders, beatniks, and skaters helped transform a neglected “Slum by the Sea” into a cultural landmark. Podcast-style audio features experts and locals, while an interactive in-app guide lets you ask questions about the story and your surroundings. Precise navigation helps you move between stops at your own pace.

Start at Venice Canals Walkway in Los Angeles. Public transportation is available nearby, and the tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. Choose this Venice Beach Podcast Tour to hear the people and places behind the neighborhood’s unconventional past.

Highlights

  • Trace the story of a millionaire’s failed Italian-inspired utopia
  • Explore the canals and the roots of Venice’s counterculture
  • Hear experts and locals bring the neighborhood’s past to life
  • Discover the bodybuilders, beatniks, outcasts, and skaters who shaped Venice

What's included

Included

  • Verified facts woven into an engaging story
  • Interactive in-app guide for questions about the story and surroundings
  • Precise navigation between the stops
  • Immersive podcast-style audio featuring experts and locals

Ratings on each provider

The ratings and review counts each booking site shows for this tour.

Important information

  • Service animals are allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Meet at Venice Canals Walkway, Los Angeles; check local transit connections on the day of travel

How this score is calculated

This tour has no TourTruth score yet: Viator doesn't show a usable rating for it. It gets a score as soon as a provider lists one.

How the score works
  • Each provider rating is turned into a percentile: the share of that provider's ratings it beats, weighted by review counts.
  • Listings on different providers are combined in proportion to their review counts.
  • Tours with few reviews are pulled toward the average until more reviews come in, so a handful of perfect reviews can't top the list.
  • The result is shown from 0 to 10. Tours without a usable provider rating are not scored.

More Walking Tours in Los Angeles

from $6.82

on Viator

Check availability