Top Santa Barbara Art & Culture

All Aboard Santa Barbara’s Original & Longest Running Trolley Tour and Charter Services See the American Riviera in 90 minutes Santa Barbara sightseeing at its finest on the original, fully narrated Santa Barbara Trolley Tour. For 30 years, we've been providing trolley tours in the Santa Barbara community. Join us as we visit local hot spots such as the Santa Barbara Courthouse, Santa Barbara Zoo, Museum of Natural History, the historic Santa Barbara Mission, and more, all fully narrated by our energetic and knowledgeable tour guides! Our pick up location is only a 10 minute walk from Stearns Wharf, at the Visitor Center located at 1 Garden St.

Get another perspective on the southern California coast during this leisurely kayak tour in Santa Barbara. Learn the basics of kayaking from your guide, and hear about Santa Barbara’s natural history and marine life during your tour. Includes use of all kayaking gear.

This private Santa Barbara kayaking tour lets you explore the marine life and landmarks of Santa Barbara Harbor and the spectacular coastline on the ‘American Riviera’ along one of four different routes. Take in views of rugged shoreline cliffs and the Santa Ynez Mountains, and be on the lookout for dolphins and seals. This 1.5- to 2.5-hour tour is led by an experienced kayak guide who points out natural features and customizes the speed of the ride according to your skill level.

Learn all about Santa Barbara’s spookiest ghost stories and supposedly haunted highlights—and enjoy top-rated local wine as part of the experience—on this two-in-one, small-group tour. Meet your guide right at an area winery, indulge in sips and samples, and listen to their tales of paranormal encounters. Then embark on a walking tour around town, from El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park to City Hall and Chinatown.

Our Wine Country Shuttle service allows you to experience 2-3 wineries at your leisure for the day. At each winery you can opt to purchase a tasting or enjoy wine by the glass or bottle. Food options will be available for purchase either at the wineries or in the quaint town of Los Olivos. If you want to explore the breadth and diversity that the Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country has to offer this is the tour for you! Our incredible guides will offer interpretation & history about the Santa Ynez Valley throughout the day.

Enjoy a picnic and some of Santa Barbara’s best local wines. Tour four vineyards, and sample a variety of wines at each one. See the wine-making process for yourself with a behind-the-scenes explanation from a winemaker. The best vineyards are selected depending on the time of year you visit, so you see a range of wineries with different atmospheres and strengths.

Explore Santa Barbara by electric bike, covering plenty of ground on a morning or afternoon excursion. Ride your easy-to-use beach cruiser to key landmarks such as State Street and the Santa Barbara Mission as your knowledgeable guide shares the city’s history during this Santa Barbara bike tour. Have your camera ready as you glide along the renowned Pacific coastline. Numbers are limited to five people, ensuring personalized attention and a small-group experience.

Explore Santa Barbara's wine country on a private tour for just you and your group of friends or family. You'll visit four wineries for wine tastings of different varietals, plus enjoy a provided lunch. Up to 14 people can be accommodated with pickup and drop-off in Santa Barbara or surrounding towns.

Eat delicious lunch food, drink great drinks and learn about downtown Santa Barbara on this 3.5ish-hour walking tour. Indulge your palate for a few hours with sipping, sampling, and savoring. You will enjoy food from 5-6+ local eateries, 1-2 wine tastings or 1 wine tasting plus another alcoholic beverage (depends on the day, it could be wine, beer or a cocktail). Go where locals like to go. This fun, informative and local walking lunch tour is sure to pleasantly fill you up and entertain the whole family. Great for a daytime activity and awesome way to learn about other places to eat and drink on your visit! TOURS CAN EASILY BE MADE PRIVATE - please email, call or text us for more information regarding private experiences. IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE WALKING OR HEALTH ISSUES, please let us know, we do occasionally offer slower paced tours or please consider a private tour experience to meet your comfort level.

Santa Barbara Wine Country is one of California’s most diverse wine-growing regions, renowned for its Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Sauvignon Blanc. Enjoy a leisurely afternoon exploring the vineyards, orchards, and olive groves on this half-day bike tour. Along the way, stop to sample a variety of red and white wines, as well as local olive oils and chocolates, and learn more about the region’s wine-making heritage.

Ride through the towns and vineyards of the Santa Ynez Valley wine region on this bike tour with transport from Santa Barbara. With a guide, you'll pedal a Rad Power E-bike or Specialized Sport bike to a winery and other spots for wine tastings, an olive-oil tasting, and an Italian-inspired picnic lunch. A bike tour allows you to enjoy better views of the scenery than from inside a car, and three different distance options are offered to suit your ability and preference.

Learn all about Santa Barbara’s wealth of history—including its many ghostly encounters and macabre events—on this small-group, after-dark walking tour. Meet your guide right downtown, and set off: you’ll visit key local landmarks like the El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park, City Hall, Santa Barbara Historical Museum, and more. You’ll even visit what is supposedly the most haunted building in California—and may just encounter disembodied specters as you go.

Ojai has a 100-year history of ceramics. Our studio, located a mile from the city center, is surrounded by nature, in the midst of a fruit orchard. We are the primary working studio for the great artists of the Ojai Valley. Visitors may watch potters work, and may "try their hand" at a range of techniques. After making their pottery, they may come back on another day to trim or glaze it, or they may pay a small fee for one of the potters to trim, glaze and high-fire the work. We will even ship the pieces anywhere in the country...

Indulge your passions for food, photography and fun during this 3-hour, small-group, culinary and picture-taking tour in Santa Barbara. Dig into some tasty food and drink during stops at three different local eateries, a microbrewery, two wineries and a distillery in the city’s artsy Funk Zone. As you snack and imbibe, you’ll get helpful tips to capture high-quality food photography using anything from a smartphone to a high-end digital SLR. This small-group trip, limited to 14 guests, includes a guide and all food and drink.

Welcome to the city of Friendly Ghosts! An exclusive experience with a maximum of 15 people on a tour. It is a perfect way to end your evening while enjoying SB. Our 1 hour and 30 minute walking tours have curated content from first hand accounts. You'll hear stories from as far back as the Old Spanish Days and from the different cultures that have called Santa Barbara home. Each guest will receive a gift bag of snacks! This is an "outdoor" walking tour only. This tour is a traditional history and ghost/legend walking tour. Your guides have diverse backgrounds. Including tour guide experience at on the Queen Mary at Old Mission Santa Barbara. This tour is organic and enchanted and not script based. Each tour is unique and filled with imagination and at times encounters with visiting ghosts. Our ghosts do not come to stay...they return (many times during your tour) for a sentimental holiday. Are you ready to see a side of Santa Barbara that most visitors miss?

Savor the best of historic Santa Barbara on a 3.5-hour culinary walking tour through the heart of this scenic, seaside city. Meet local chefs and artisans as you explore alongside your local guide, and get an insider’s take on the vibrant gourmet scene. Sample locally-made wines, handcrafted chocolate and gourmet cheese at a series of six tasting stops that include a public market, wineries and boutiques. Learn a bit of local history as you trace the relaxed course, which blends essential landmarks with hidden gems and local favorites.

Santa Barbara offers a wealth of history and architectural splendor—and this private walking tour is the perfect way to discover the city’s highlights and lesser-known attractions alike. Set off with your guide at a time that works best for you, and visit landmarks like El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park, City Hall, and the Granada Theatre. Learn about everything from the city’s origins to adobe construction as you go.

Explore California’s gorgeous coast on a scenic kayak tour. With a knowledgeable, experienced guide leading the way, bring the whole family and navigate Santa Barbara’s picturesque waterfront. Learn about the region's history and wildlife, admire the rugged coastal mountains, and watch for pelicans and egrets, dolphins and sea lions. You may even see a family of gray whales on its annual migration.

An open-air, eco-friendly bicycle rickshaw (pedicab) ride with a knowledgeable, friendly driver is the perfect way to get to know Solvang for the first time, or find out things you never knew about your favorite little Danish town nestled into the Santa Ynez Valley!

On this tour, we will peel back the layers of history to imagine what Santa Barbara, and the people in it, were like in the 18th and 19th centuries. We will explore the old core of Santa Barbara, known as El Pueblo Viejo, "the old town," centered around the Presidio, and discover what remains of the first few decades of the town. I will show you the must see sites, as well as some out-of-the-way architectural gems that only a local like me knows about. I have researched local history quite extensively and am very knowledgeable. What makes this tour unique is my in-depth understanding of local history, lore, and architecture, and my abilities to answer whatever questions you might have, as well as to show you the hidden places that aren’t listed in every guidebook. We can arrange beforehand to focus on what you find most interesting: Architecture? History? Adobe construction? Perhaps a combination of them all! I can cater to whatever interests you have!

Head for the Danish town of Solvang, nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley, for a food- and photography-focused tour. You'll make stops for multiple food and drink tastings (many traditional Danish treats) and listen to guided commentary. Your guide will also provide your small group with tips and pointers on how to get the best photos of your adventure.

Stroll through downtown Santa Barbara with a guide and small group to get the most out of your visit. You'll benefit from insightful commentary as you visit some of the top attractions, as well as some eateries you might not find on your own. Purchase food or drinks at the three historical cocktail bars and listen to the explanation of why each is significant. Traveling with a small group means you'll get plenty of attention from your guide.

For a foodie-friendly outing combining local history with California wine culture, you can enjoy the best of both with this Santa Barbara small-group tour. Start your midday adventure with convenient meet-up in the downtown area. With your guide leading the way, you can sip wine at two boutique tasting rooms, sample artisanal chocolates, and learn about the region's famed wine industry and top winemakers.

The Funk Zone (a business, arts, and culture district located just moments from the beach) is one of Santa Barbara’s hippest and most distinctive neighborhoods—and this small-group walking tour makes it easy to discover its highlights. Meet right outside the train station, and come thirsty: you’ll sip the fruits of local vineyards at two different wine tasting rooms. Other stops include an ice cream parlor, plus artsy neighborhood landmarks.