Santa Monica to Venice and Back on a Beach Cruiser
A guided beach-cruiser ride down the sand to Venice's boardwalk and canals, then back up Abbot Kinney and Main Street.
The ride starts at Santa Monica Beach Bicycle Rentals on 4th Street, where the guide checks riders in from 15 minutes before the 10:00 AM start and the bikes are already waiting. From there the group heads down to the beach, passes Santa Monica Pier and rides the beach path to the Venice boardwalk and Muscle Beach.
The second half turns inland: the Venice Canals, a coffee or juice stop on Abbot Kinney Boulevard, then Main Street, City Hall and Tongva Park before the bikes go back to the shop. The listing sets the whole loop at two hours.
The booking covers the guide and the bike. Food and drinks are on you, including the coffee or juice on Abbot Kinney, and the operator asks for a 15 to 20 percent tip if you enjoyed the ride, payable cashless.
Santa Monica & Venice Bike TourGuided beach-cruiser ride from 4th Street to the Venice canals and back, daily at 10:00 AM, two hours.www.viator.comDown the Sand, Past the Pier and Muscle Beach
The first stretch is the beach. The route passes Santa Monica Pier, which dates from 1909, then the listing budgets about 20 minutes on the beach path among rollerbladers and joggers, then the Venice boardwalk with its tattoo parlors and dispensaries and a stop at Muscle Beach.
A rider writing in 2021 described the path as running mostly beside the ocean and "really flat," a workout that was "by no means strenuous." Each leg gets 10 to 20 minutes in the listing, long enough for a look around and a bit of the area's history from the guide.
Into the Canals, Then Coffee on Abbot Kinney
Past the boardwalk the route leaves the sand for the Venice Canals, which the listing calls a spot of hidden beauty and tranquility and gives about ten minutes. Abbot Kinney Boulevard is the stop built for a break, with about 20 minutes at its coffee and juice bars.
Riders describe the same two stops. One wrote in 2025 of stopping "along the canal, and in a local coffee shop"; a family writing the same year remembered "seeing the canals and getting ice cream on Abbot Kinney."
Back Up Main Street to City Hall
The return runs up Main Street, past independent shops, bars and restaurants, to the 1938 moderne City Hall and Tongva Park beside it. Third Street Promenade is left for after the ride.
Who Can Book, and What the Listing Asks
A booking starts at two riders aged 7 and up; a solo traveler cannot book this one alone. Children under five can ride in a child seat for 25 dollars paid on the day, with no ticket. The booking form has no option for a five- or six-year-old.
The listing ticks "suitable for all physical fitness levels" while its own health note asks that riders be in appropriate physical condition and able to ride a bicycle on the road, and it does not recommend the ride for spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health. Flip-flops are not allowed.
Cancel at least 24 hours before the start for a full refund; after that there is no refund. The listing also lets the operator cancel if too few people book.
📍 Check in at Santa Monica Beach Bicycle Rentals, 1428 4th Street, from 9:45 AM. The listing asks riders to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early and to bring the ticket on paper or a phone.
The guide cannot hold the group for latecomers, and the operator's ticket says there is no phone or email help line; it says the ticket carries everything you need. The shop is two blocks from the Downtown Santa Monica E Line station, and the parking structure next door has no guaranteed space. Bring sunscreen.
The ride finishes back at the shop, a street from Third Street Promenade, with the afternoon free for the places you just rolled past.