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

What a great tour! My husband, two teen kids and I were in Santa Barbara for the day. We signed up for 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! read more

We took the old town tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable, the detail maybe too much for general audiences. I enjoyed the stories of the neighborhoods and landmark buildings. We visited architect Jeff Shelton in his studio, spending more time than I needed. I was surprised that the tour did not mention City Hall, a must do for Santa Barbara. read more

Every time I visit a new place I look up the free walking tour. It's a great way to learn something and take in the sites with a like minded crowd. John was an exceptional host who was well versed in the area. He kept a casual pace with lots of stops and was full of useful info. He was a history teacher before and it shows. You start at the Maritime Museum and end near the Amtrak station near the funk zone. So there is about a 29 min walk back to the start. However the website provides several different spots to park. We chose to make the longest part of the walk up front. We also purchased the 10.00 wine tasting which was a great deal. It is a free tour and very much worth your time. Make sure you bring a tip. read more

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My family and I spent a beautiful afternoon with John, the owner of SB Walking Tours. I'm a longtime local of the Santa Barbara area, and I was surprised by how many new and interesting facts I learned on the tour. We took the waterfront tour and discovered so much rich history about our city. John kept the experience fun, engaging, and informative. It was the perfect way to learn about Santa Barbara and see this beautiful place from a fresh perspective. I highly recommend taking a walking tour--whether you're a visitor or a local! read more

Highly, highly recommended. Our tour guide Mandy was amazing and super knowledgeable. She sure did her homework and introduced us to a lot of cool places. Love learning about the Funk Zone and why it was called like that. Again, check it out. Can't wait to go back and do the other tours!! read more

FreeWalkingTourSB - Walking Tours Near Me

We highly recommend the Old Town tour given by John. John is very knowledgable, fun and friendly guide and you will learn a lot about the history of the downtown area by taking his tour. You will receive some very revealing information that gives you hidden insight to how Santa Barbara became the charming town that it is today. A highlight of the tour is visiting some of the architectural gems of the Santa Barbara architect Jeff Shelton and also visiting his quirky, charming studio...he is a City of Santa Barbara Treasure in the truest sense of the word. And the Old City Tour s a little journey worth taking. read more

Booked on a whim w after arriving the night before in Santa Barbara. Didn't know what to expect, but my expectations were exceeded! Informative and entertaining. Our guide was a former high school history teacher which enriched the experience. Great recommendations for lunch afterwards. The only drawback is that the tour did not end where it began. read more

I heard about these tours from my hotel and easily booked one by scanning the QR code on the ad. We went to the Funk Zone tour with Mandi and it was such an amazing experience. I went to school here before the Funk Zone was a thing and learned so much about the history and interesting facts about SB. Mandi was extremely engaging, funny, and a wonderful guide to the area. I gained some interesting perspectives from the area and found so many restaurants and breweries to check out. I really wish I could have done this tour on my first day in SB but next time for sure I'll set it up early so I can make an itinerary of things to revisit on my second day. The tour took 1.5 hours and ends at the ice cream shop which is a perfect way to end the day. There are also great photo ops. I would highly recommend taking advantage of these tours. Really wonderful experience, thank you! read more

A great tour. John is so knowledgeable about Santa Barbara. I took the Funk Zone Tour and enjoyed learning about the history of that area. Highly recommended! read more

On a recent trip, my hubby, brother-in-law and I went on a great walking tour with John. He was so knowledgeable, nice and covered history that we had no idea about. Thanks John for helping make our trip extra special! Highly recommend these folks! read more

I've taken both the Old Town and Funk Zone tours. Both were informative and fun. I highly recommend them to everyone, including long-time SB residents. read more

David lead our group of friends from Arizona on the harbor walking tour. We all give David and his informative talk a huge thumbs up. Highly recommend this free walking tour. read more

There was not a free walking tour scheduled during the 2 days we were in Santa Barbara so we arranged for a paid private one. It was totally worth it! Our tour guide David was a truly enthusiastic and friendly companion and we learned so much that we wouldn't have otherwise. I was a little tired from a previous week in LA and was somewhat apprehensive about a 1 and 3/4 hour tour but there were ample rest stops with opportunities to sit down. We took the water side tour and I would have liked to take the other two, had we had time. Highly recommend! read more

John's depth of knowledge and sense of humor make this tour so much fun. He loves to share historical and architectural details and it really comes across. We did the Downtown Walking Tour and really enjoyed it! read more

Free??? Wwhhaatt? (A nice gratuity is highly recommended). Came down to Santa Barbara last week as I needed a mental break vacation. Luckily, John was still offering his tour and we signed up for the Waterfront tour. We were the only ones on the tour, so it felt like a nice private tour. John was very informative and loved the research he had done to share with us. We walked from one point to another and went thru the history of the Waterfront. Be prepared to walk and take in the scenery. It was a great 2 hr tour. I just can't believe it was free and so worth it n read more

Craig was great. We did the waterfront tour. Very informative, low key, and he did an awesome job finding us seats and shade on a hot day. Thanks again! read more

amazing waterfront tour!! so much informative information and our guide, Craig was awesome! so articulate and friendly and had such a great presence. definitely want to try the other three tours :) 10/10 would recommend!! read more

My friend and I really enjoyed our tour of Old Town this last weekend.,There were plenty of gems in the tour for us. I highly recommend that you reserve a spot with www.FreeWalkingToursSB.com for your day or week in Santa Barbara. They know their stuff. read more

Wow! We joined John on the Old Town tour and enjoyed it so much! He is clearly passionate about Santa Barbara history and its people. We learned a lot and saw some beautiful scenery. Last year we went on the Funk Zone tour and enjoyed it as well. Would DEFINITELY recommend this as a fun few hours to spend in beautiful Santa Barbara! read more

This was a wonderful experience! John is extremely knowledgeable and he's great at presenting information in an engaging and enjoyable way (which makes sense because he used to be a teacher!). I was impressed that this walking tour was free (although you can give him tips via cash or Venmo after your walk). I've visited the Santa Barbara area several times before, but this was the first time I felt I really got to experience the culture and history behind the area. Thanks so much, John! read more

Very knowledgeable tour!! We loved it. Must visit if you are visiting Santa Barbara for the first time. read more

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Did the waterfront walking tour with Dave. He did a great job of interacting with everyone on the tour. He had great knowledge of the history and fables associated with Santa Barbara. We were in Sta. Barbara on a cruise. The starting and ending points (different locations) were an easy walk to the cruise tender location. read more

Reminded me of the educational and free walking tours in Rome and Barcelona. John was a charming guide, and I highly recommend this tour for all ages. The walking pace is slow and steady, and I really appreciated that many of the stops were either shaded or seated. We gleaned many fun nuggets of knowledge and also loved John's spectacular recommendation for lunch at the end. read more

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Completed the funk zone tour with John. Very friendly and knowledgeable about the information he shared.

What an enlightening, and totally entertaining, tour to take of the Funk Zone. Mandi has a delightful way of presenting the history and nuances of a unique section of Santa Barbara. If you are looking to have a fun experience, this one is not to be missed. Pat G. read more

Great way to see Santa Barbara and learn about some of the history of the city. John is a terrific guide and really brought his A game. Highly recommend. read more

I'm a Santa Barbara local and always wonder about interesting and historical homes and buildings I see around our city. I got the Old Town tour for my mom for Mother's Day and we both loved it. John is professional, knowledgable, and the tour has a perfect balance of history and contemporary anecdotes, residential and commercial, walking and stopping/talking. Highly recommend! read more

Mr. John Ummel's Walking Tour of Santa Barbara's Funk Zone is an excellent introduction to the district's storied history, rebirth and current cultural offerings. He engages participants while presenting useful -- and accurate -- information with good humor. I recommend this entertaining stroll to natives and visitors alike. David Echols director, Personal Tours Ltd. read more

My girlfriend and I were in SB for the weekend and we booked the Funk Zone walking tour. The tour was great! It was a fantastic highlight to our day, and we finished our visit to the Funk Zone with a tasting at SB Winery read more

FreeWalkingTourSB - Wine tasting at SB Winery after Free Funk Zone Walking Tour - Walking Tours Near Me

John is an exceptionally knowable person and educated us all with Santa Barbara and it's histor. Because we are new to Santa Barbara, I feel that I have a greater appreciation of my home. I highly recommend John for his knowledge, photos and wonderful explanation of this beautiful city. Sharon read more

Joined funk zone tour at last minute when a friend invited us. Very informative history of the funk zone. John really did his research and is well spoken, friendly and chock full of information. Nice picture book of the area helps to put things in perspective. read more

Jessica was very personable and did an awesome job!!! She knew all the history of the Funk Zone. We really enjoyed our tour with her and would highly recommend it to friends. Thank you Jessica! read more

My husband and I took all three (3) walking tours with John and Craig this past week. We truly enjoyed all 3 tours, as we learned so much history of Santa Barbara. Both John and Craig have a plethora of knowledge to share on these tours. As Southern California natives, we're still asking ourselves why we hadn't visited San Barbara sooner. We'll be back! read more

Really enjoyed the tour. We are locals and thought it would be a good idea to learn more about our home town. Our town guide John was so informative and helpful. Very knowledgeable and delightful. We to his tour of the Santa Barbara Waterfront and definitely plan to take the Funk Zone tour soon. read more

Excellent tour! We had a great time and learned alot. Thanks for the recommendations!

This was the BEST walking tour I have ever experienced.Hands down. John was amazing because he reflected a passion for history, accuracy, humor and social consciousness. He caste a spell on me and I wanted more. At this moment I am actually reading Island of the Blue Dolphins because of him! I am looking forward to his Funk Zone tour. PS-I owe him $10. He is such I classy guy that he never even hinted at tipping. By the time I found a cash machine ....he was gone. read more

Thank you John for an informative and entertaining walk around the old town Santa Barbara.

Our Funk Zone walking tour with David far exceeded our expectations! Actually, since it was a free tour, we weren't sure what to expect! David was knowledgeable, friendly, articulate, and the old photos he shared really brought the history of the area to life! On top of that, at the end of the tour, he gave us a coupon for a free scoop of McConnell's ice cream. Also highly recommended. read more

Absolutely stellar walking tour of the Santa Barbara Funk Zone. Mandi was excellent. Knowledgeable, fun and interesting. If you're in the area, this is a must do. It's free, but I'll bet at the end of the tour you'll want to tip handsomely. Well worth it! read more