About City Layer Tours
City Layer Tours is an independent, guide-led tour company founded by a filmmaker who wanted walking tours that felt like watching a film unfold on the street in front of you. We started as Touch Down in Los Angeles — our roots are in LA, and our flagship tour now runs in New York City too.
Each tour pairs a storyteller guide with smart-glasses AR, layering film, TV and music history onto the streets you're standing on. Small groups, real stories, the city itself as the stage.
What we believe
Story first
Every stop earns its place because of the story behind it, not just the photo op.
Small groups
We keep groups small so every guest can actually hear the guide and ask questions.
Technology that serves the story
Smart glasses are a tool, not the point — they disappear into the storytelling, not the other way around.
A local's perspective
Our guides live in the neighborhoods we walk, and it shows in the stories they choose to tell.
About the founder
City Layer Tours was founded by Eloi Gerard, a filmmaker and urban storyteller whose career spans three continents — and who believes a city is more than infrastructure: it's a stage for human connection.
Born in Belgium, Eloi spent a decade in China before landing in Los Angeles. He's a filmmaker by trade, a tech enthusiast by instinct, and a curious pedestrian wherever he goes. His work blends media, architecture, and social observation — and that's exactly what he brings to these tours.
He's not a native Angeleno, and that's his strength. His tours aren't about showing you “what locals know,” but about uncovering what everyone forgets to notice.
As a foreigner, he doesn't take LA for granted. He sees its contradictions, beauty, failures, and reinventions. The city tells stories through its buildings, streets, and silence — and he guides you through that narrative.
Touch Down in LA means: arrive, land, look closer. Today, that same mission lives on as City Layer Tours — now walking New York City too.
Our technology
Every tour is powered by Immersia, a live guided-tour platform that syncs slides, movie clips, and narration to every guest's screen in real time — one QR code, no app download. From the smart glasses of our NYC Movie & TV History tour to the guide-led walks of Downtown LA, the same toolkit lets our guides direct what each guest sees. Read the case study.
Frequently asked questions
Where do the tours start?
The NYC smart-glasses movie & TV history walking tour starts at 19 West 50th Street, New York. Look for the gold clock above the revolving doors, between Le Rock restaurant and Banana Republic. Your guide will be waiting just inside the entrance. Please arrive 10 minutes before your tour. The DTLA Hidden Gems and Hollywood Boulevard tours meet at points confirmed at booking, typically Pershing Square and Hollywood & Highland.
Do I need to own smart glasses?
No. We provide the smart glasses on the NYC tour (Smart Glasses Provided option), or you can bring your own XREAL, Rokid, Viture or TCL. A Classic Tour option without glasses is also available.
What languages are the tours available in?
The NYC tour is guided in English. For Los Angeles, check the language shown for your selected departure in the booking calendar. Smart-glasses viewing depends on your tour and selected format.
Can I book a private tour?
Yes. All three tours offer a private departure option, timed to fit your schedule. Contact us with your group size and preferred dates.
Have a question before you book?
We're happy to help with group bookings, private tours, or anything else.
Contact us