@ Chuck our driver was amazing and was extremely knowledgeable about the area. The ride was…read morepleasant and relaxing. It's a great way to discover other parts of Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara was a bucket list stop for my girlfriend, and we booked the 2:00 p.m. trolley tour…read morehoping for a well guided introduction to the city's history and landmarks. Unfortunately, it ended up being one of the more disappointing parts of the trip. The seating is tightly packed. I understand maximizing capacity, but at 6'6" it was not comfortable. We moved to the front right side where there is a sideways bench behind the driver, which offered more legroom. That felt like a smart move until we realized most of the sights being pointed out were on the left side of the trolley. It felt like about 80 percent of the tour was oriented that direction, which meant we were constantly twisting around and still missing details. If you book this tour, sit on the left side. The narration also felt disorganized. The driver mentioned he was reading the traffic flow incorrectly and ended up doing much of the route "backwards." Because of that, he would introduce a historical figure or landmark, then later circle back and partially repeat the same information when reaching his usual talking point. There was noticeable repetition and filler instead of a smooth, cohesive storyline. Midway through the tour, there is a stop at Mission Santa Barbara for about 15 minutes. While it is nice to get off and stretch your legs, 15 minutes is nowhere near enough time to meaningfully experience the mission. You can walk through the courtyard and take a few photos, but that is about it. The mission deserves more time than a quick pass through. In practice, the stop felt more like a checkbox than a real opportunity to explore. Another frustration was departure time. The 2:00 p.m. tour did not leave at 2:00. The driver waited past the scheduled time to see if additional passengers would join. When you are visiting from out of town and carefully stacking your schedule, those extra 10 to 15 minutes matter. Overall, for about $30 per person, I expected a more polished and better organized experience. We both left disappointed. If you want a meaningful introduction to Santa Barbara, you may be better off exploring key spots on your own at your own pace.

I had the pleasure of visiting both the Hermitage Museum and the botanical sculpture gardens…read more It's unbelievable that all of this is on one man's property in the hills of Santa Barbara. The museum is filled with fun pieces of art, some of it interactive. The giant sculptures on the property are remarkable, with the sheer quantity of them amazing. I loved the themed areas like the zoo. The vegetation is also a wonder, especially seeing rare specimens, some of them hundreds of years old. I can't wait to go back and spend more time appreciating all the detail that went into the place!

One of the most interesting and numerous place to visit. Vigorous walking up and down the hillside.read more

Knowledgeable, interesting and full of visuals and well planned stops. Really enjoyed meeting Craig…read moreand felt the walking tour was very worthwhile. Good timing to grab breakfast and get lunch suggestions (and wine tasting coupons) as well. Cheers!

What a great tour! My husband, two teen kids and I were in Santa Barbara for the day. We signed up…read morefor the tour and were pleasantly surprised by the fun stops and interesting stories about the history of this beautiful city. A great way to spend an afternoon!

What a fun tour! We got to learn about some SB history and learn about tiles from both an artistic…read moreand historical perspective... we got a bunch of free swag with our Tile Spotter Premium tix-- a hand stamped Journal and tote featuring tile art from our tour guide, Roger Buster! I loved the energy, the pace, and all of the amazing information we received-- and I especially loved the "tile spotter" card that came with the tour-- it was like a scavenger hunt and walking tour all in one!

The tile walk was amazing! I learned a lot about the unique and beautiful tiles all over downtown…read moreSanta Barbara, including the different time periods and artistic influences. Also, we got to see a lot of beautiful local Santa Barbara architecture. Highly recommend this walking tour, whether you're a local or just visiting! Great for every one of all ages if you like learning about something new.

Celebrated my birthday in Santa Barbara and Melissa is an excellent tour guide. She arranged an…read moreexcellent itinerary and so informative about the history of Santa Barbara

Had a quick weekend trip with some girlfriends and decided on the wine & chocolate tasting tour. It…read morewas the perfect weather, Melissa was very knowledgeable about the history of Santa Barbara, provided lots of recommendations. Very pleased with our tour!

This was hands down one of the best tours I've ever had of any city. My father and I took a private…read morewalking tour of Santa Barbara with Ellen, owner of Santa Barbara Walking Tours. Originally slated for 90 minutes, the tour lasted a full two hours. What's more, Ellen was perfectly willing to keep on going. We only stopped because my father and I were worn out and hungry, our brains full while our stomachs were empty. Ellen showed us no shortage of historical and cultural and artistic sites while narrating a bevy of fascinating back stories, from a park that was originally the site of a hotel, to a church that had been rebuilt and moved, to a gorgeous old historic movie theater with an auditorium built to simulate the inside of a mission, to Charlie Chaplin's sometime residence. And so much more. And did you know Santa Barbara had literally no trees at all when the Spanish missionaries first arrived? Ellen also offers customized tours tailored to particular interests (e.g. the Sue Grafton murder mystery tour). Next time you're in Santa Barbara, be sure to reach out to Ellen through her website (http://www.santabarbarawalkingtours.com) to arrange a walking tour of this awesome and beautiful city.

Cute and funky tours of Santa Barbara... a bit of art and history (but keep in mind this isn't an…read moreancient European city by any means ;). I spent a couple decades in SB growing up yet saw and learned many new things I had no clue about which was cool. Quirky, funny and informative guide.

Jacob was professional, efficient, friendly. Everything you could ask for as he navigated shuttling…read moreguests at our party. The van was comfy and clean. I highly recommend this company!

By far the best tour company in town! Great day horseback riding and visiting the spectacular wine…read morecountry. If I could give them 6 starts I totally would :)

What a great hidden gem of a museum! Family and I stumbled here by accident because my son needed…read moreto find a restroom after shopping at Warbler Records across the street. It's somewhat off the beaten path as it's few blocks away from Downtown Santa Barbara. That's probably why the place was fairly empty during our visit. I love the adobe architecture of the building. It almost looks like a small mission turned into a museum. The front entrance to the museum faces De La Guerra Street but we entered from the side entrance through its beautiful courtyard. It was empty on the day of our visit but I can see this place getting busy if people rent the courtyard for weddings and events. The museum isn't that big but there were enough exhibits to keep us busy for about an hour. It was great seeing the history of Santa Barbara through its regular exhibits as well as some special ones. Admission is free but my wife and I felt compelled to make a donation because we loved the place so much. We saw a glass donation box by its gift shop so we put some cash in there to support the museum. Will try to make this a regular stop on our future visits to Santa Barbara.

My partner and I were looking for something to do on a lazy Saturday in town. We have already…read moreexplored much of what the Central Coast has to offer so we decided to revisit an attraction. The Santa Barbara Historical Museum came to mind after noticing their Project Fiesta exhibit was going on. It also just so happens that Yelp's "Travel Like A Local" campaign is going on simultaneously, so the timing was impeccable. This museum is a hidden gem somewhat off the beaten path. It is a few blocks from downtown State Street and two from the historic Presidio. Most tourists unfortunately miss it. Yet, this beautiful adobe building with a humongous boat anchor in front is worth visiting. Heck, there's no reason to not enter since it's completely free to the public (donations appreciated)! Upon entering, to the left is a gift shop with many local books and souvenirs. Yet it's easy to be distracted by the gorgeous central courtyard with a water fountain as its focal point. This is a popular venue for weddings, dances and other celebrations. Be sure to get a photo of an original Camino Real Bell, the marker used to connect the California Missions. There is also the Glenhill Library here. Many don't know that if you sneak out the back gate, you can step back into time with dirt ground, lush fruit trees, and La Casa Covarrubias. The museum also features a permanent exhibit called The Story of Santa Barbara. It's the perfect introduction to the Central Coast's long history of the native Chumash people, the influence of Mexico and the Spanish, the 1925 Earthquake and more. Upon my most recent visit was an unexpected discovery, an exhibit on Clarence Mattei: Portrait of a Community. I knew of the historic Mattei's Tavern, Inn and Stagecoach Stop after it was recently renovated and became part of a new luxury Auberge Resort in Los Olivos. Little did I know that he became a well-known artist. His first free-sketch was of Leutze's 1851 painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware at only 15 years of age! Prominent guests of the Tavern recognized his skill and sponsored his studies in San Francisco and New York. To this day you can see his art on the walls of the Tavern, but also here. Another current temporary exhibit is of Old Spanish Days/Fiesta, Santa Barbara's pride and joy. 2023 is its 99th anniversary! I had no idea that Fiesta was originally started to celebrate the opening of the Lobero Theatre. To this day, it remains the oldest running theater in California. The photos of almost a century caught by camera and shared at this exhibit are spectacular. All in all, whether it's your first visit to Santa Barbara or you're a life-long native, a visit to this museum is a must!