Top Santa Barbara Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises

Tour Santa Barbara wine country with a private guide on this full day outing. Perfect for couples and small groups who appreciate exclusivity, this tour visits intimate, family-owned vineyards not typically open to the general public. Get the VIP treatment with tours of the cellars and vineyards, often with the owners themselves. You’ll never stand at a crowded tasting bar on this tour—it’s red carpet treatment all the way.

Santa Barbara is home to some of California’s top wineries—and this private, half-day tour offers the perfect introduction to the region’s vineyards. Leave the driving and logistics to your guide, and set off at a time that works best for you. You’ll visit three different wineries in the Santa Rita Hills, Santa Ynez, and Los Olivos growing regions, and will enjoy generous samplings at each. A gourmet picnic lunch is also included.

A beautiful, scenic tour of California’s Central Coast Wine Region perfect for any wine lover! This Santa Ynez wine tour features tastings are three local wineries, lunch in the Santa Ynez Valley*, door-to-door shuttle service and a knowledgeable guide for the day. Wineries visited will vary based on availability. Your guide will discuss local history and insights into the Santa Ynez wine region along the way. *Please Note: Lunch is not included on Saturdays or Sundays due to winery restrictions on weekends. There will be lunch options available for purchase at the wineries.

Visitors who want a quick, fun overview of Santa Barbara's highlights will love this 90-minute trolley tour of the American Riviera. Drive past landmarks like the courthouse, the zoo, the Mission, and the Museum of Natural History. Learn about the town's culture and history from live commentary and note places that you might want to return to independently later.

Taste some of Santa Barbara’s great wines as you visit top winemaking destinations in Santa Ynez Valley. Make four stops for tastings at a mix of family-owned vineyards and small-production tasting rooms, and enjoy a picnic lunch. You’ll get an intimate experience of the wine region as you sample the wines and hear from your guide about winemaking in California.

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.

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.

Hop on a bike and roll through California’s wine country on two wheels. Soak in the Mediterranean vibes in the mainland US. Get your hands greasy - not from cycle chains, but from olive oil samples and lavender oil presses. Have a picnic lunch in the countryside then taste some wine before cruising back to Solvang.

Avoid the stuffy minivans and tour buses that go from winery to winery; instead, enjoy the wind in your hair as you cycle around the picturesque Santa Ynez Valley on this charming cycling tour. Head out from Los Olivos and explore the parks, villages and rural landscapes of the Valley. Enjoy a pair of wine tastings and sample locally-grown, locally-produced food at local farms and vineyards.

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.

Many wine tasting tours in the Santa Barbara region stop at large commercial wineries with crowded bars and cellar door tasting rooms. Avoid the crowds and savor a more intimate wine tasting experience on this tour around exclusive private estates and small-production wineries that aren’t open to the public. Sample premium wines in private tasting rooms and go behind the scenes with winemakers and owner-operators to discover the secrets behind their wines.

Don't worry about renting a car or choosing a sober driver; this private tour of the wineries of the Santa Ynez Valley includes all transportation. With a guide behind the wheel, you and your private party can taste as many wines as you like. Stop for a picnic lunch midway through the day at a local winery, over which you and your guide will talk about the local wines and compare tasting notes.

Relax while sipping wine in the Santa Ynez valley during a private 6-hour tour of southern California's wine country. Ride in style in a luxury vehicle with a private driver, visiting four different wineries for tastings and a winery tour. Includes picnic lunch at a winery or vineyard, and includes hotel pick-up and drop-off in Santa Barbara, Solvang, Santa Ynez, Los Olivos or Buellton.

Travelers who aren't afraid of spooky stories will love this ghost-themed walking tour of Santa Barbara. Learn about the town's history and culture through its otherworldly myths and legends. Over 90 minutes you'll explore some of Santa Barbara's most historic places while having fun. This is a small-group tour so you won't have to strain to hear your guide.

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.

Situated on a south-facing section of Californian coastline, Santa Barbara lies between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Santa Barbara's climate is often described as Mediterranean, and the city has been branded as the "American Riviera" due to its similarities with the French Riviera. The Spanish influence is evident throughout the city with white stucco buildings, red-tile clay roofs and Spanish street names. In fact, two of the city’s iconic landmarks that you’ll visit Santa Barbara County Courthouse and the the18th-century Old Mission appear to have been transplanted directly from Spain. You’ll also visit El Presidio Real de Santa Bárbara a former military installation also known as the Royal Presidio of Santa Barbara founded and built by Spain in 1782. The Spanish influence goes way back to 1602 when adventurer Sebastián Vizcaíno landed here after surviving a huge storm on the eve of Saint Barbara’s feast day.

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.

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.

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.

This wine tour features a delicious sampling of cupcakes from a local bakery. Your group will be picked up by an air-conditioned shuttle in the morning. We will preview the day and head up to Santa Ynez Valley. Once there, you will enjoy wine tasting at three of the area's best wineries. Wineries visited vary based on availability. Your group will visit beautiful Los Olivos and enjoy an incredible cupcake and wine tasting. Your guides will cover local human history and insight into the wine region along the way. Included: - Pick Up from Your Hotel - Cupcake tasting - All wine tasting fees - you will visit 3 wineries of those listed - Deli-style lunch (Not included on Saturdays or Sundays due to winery restrictions on weekends. There will be lunch options available for purchase at the wineries.)

Discover the great wines of the Santa Ynez valley during a private 4-hour wine tour. This part of Santa Barbara's heralded wine country is home to more than 120 mostly family-owned wineries. You can customize your itinerary in consultation with your private guide to create a half-day tour itinerary that visits the places of your choosing. Includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Lompoc, Buellton, Los Olivos, Solvang, Los Alamo, and Santa Ynez.

Get up close and personal with Santa Barbara Wine Country’s rolling hills, sun-dappled vineyards, and postcard-ready scenery on this e-bike excursion. Meet your guide in the morning, get acquainted with your bike, and then set off through the landscapes. You’ll soak up the tranquil ambiance as you go—and will also stop to sample local olive oils, and enjoy a tasting at a well-reviewed winery.

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.

From British classic to Caribbean icon, the Moke electric vehicle has become a symbol for fun in the sun. A Moke rental from Wheel Fun Rentals is the perfect way to enjoy all that Santa Barbara has to offer.