A few years ago, my family and I took part in John's Free Walking Tour. I must say that it was one of the finest tours of any locale in which I have ever participated. At every stop, John had intriguing stories to tell, and he tirelessly answered any questions asked. This tour is well worth your time if you have a free half-day in Santa Barbara. In fact, I would strongly recommend it because, after the tour, your visit will be further enhanced by the information that John provides. Thank you for your wonderful work, John! read more

My husband and I did the funk zone tour with Mandi, the day after thanksgiving. We were the only ones doing the tour that day, and we truly appreciate that they still held the tour for us. Mandi was a such a good story teller, that we didn't even realize how the 90 mins passed. I have been to Santa Barbara and walked around the funk zone multiple times, but the stories provide such an amazing perspective on the area. The walking tour definitely enriched our trip to Santa Barbara. Would definitely recommend. read more

We visited Santa Barbara last week and began our trip with John's waterfront tour. John provided so much history on the city and it really enhanced the rest of our visit. Every place we went following the tour held greater significance. After the waterfront tour, we also did the tour of the Funk Zone. It was so fun to walk around and see a very different part of Santa Barbara. 10/10 we would recommend! read more

This is a wonderful little journey- whether you're a visitor or local. John has dug up the hidden secrets & share them w generosity & joy. Not to be missed. read more

Living in California, I visit Santa Barbara often but wanted to check out something a little different- glad I signed up! John shared historical photos and many interesting stories about Santa Barbara! The city is ever changing and it was fun to hear about its past! John is engaging and it's a great way to be outside for a few hours ! Highly recommend John's tour! read more

My family & I really enjoyed this tour. It was very informative & the tour guide was helpful in giving tips on what to explore in the area. If you are looking to get some history about Santa Barbara so you can appreciate the culture while you are visiting I would highly recommend. read more

John entertained and informed us as we walked around the happening Funk Zone neighborhood. He has a book with large historical photos to show things as they were historically compared to the current scene. Great for first time visitors or long time residents. As a long time local, I was surprised how much I learned about this part of Santa Barbara! read more

FreeWalkingTourSB - John Ummel our Funk Zone tour guide in front of the Hotel Californian. - Walking Tours Near Me

we loved Mandi's tour of the Funk Zone last weekend. She is very knowledgeable, personable and great fun to take a tour with. We highly recommend this tour and we got a lot of new information from Mandi. read more

Such a great little tour. Good pace, chock full of local history. Highly recommend for visitors and locals!

This free(!)walking tour is a great way to see the Santa Barbara Harbor area and learn about the history of the city. Our guide David was friendly and fun and answered all of our questions. I highly recommend it. read more

John took us on a fun, informative tour through the Funk Zone. We can't wait to come back and take another tour with him of a different part of Santa Barbara. read more

John's Funk Zone tour was enjoyable and fascinating to learn all the history rolled into the tour. As a long term Santa Barbara resident, I discovered places I had heard about but didn't know where they were. I also learned about aspects of Santa Barbara history that literally blew my mind. Additionally, I gained an awesome map of the area with a voucher for wine tasting. I highly recommend this tour for any history or ones who like to be in the know. read more

Great leisurely walk with John. Took the Waterfront Walk. John added so much to our visit and made our time in SB more than just looking at the boats and wine tasting (which are also nice). The early photos illustrated the huge changes in SB. Would definitely recommend to anyone. Lots of places to sit and listen, so easy walk for all ages. read more

I've been on John's Funk Zone tour and his Waterfront tour and they are both amazing. As a Santa Barbara native I already know a lot of the broad strokes of the local history, but John brings it to life with little details. He brings a book on each tour to show you before and after photos of buildings and landscapes. It's amazing to see how much the area has changed in the last 100-150 years. I highly recommend this tour to tourists and residents. Both tours are on even ground and have just the right mix of walking and talking. read more

This free walking tour is a must if you've never learned about Santa Barbara. John leads you around the Funk Zone and gives an engaging and entertaining history of the area. Not only do you get to see what that area was like in previous years, you get to see art galleries, wineries, and popular eateries. The tour finishes with him giving you a map of the Funk Zone so that you can make the most of your time there! The tour is about 90 minutes long (so wear comfortable shoes!) but it doesn't feel that long. John was friendly and knowledgeable and made this a fun experience. We definitely want to do his waterfront tour next time! read more

I just experienced the Funk Zone tour, with John, and having already gone on his Waterfront tour, I was not surprised by how great this new tour was! John is a fabulous guide, knowing his subject matter down to the most interesting details! He is also so aware of where to stop to chat (always finding a spot in the shade) and never spending too long on any single chat, moving us effortlessly from one location to another on the tour. Yesterday was a bit challenging (though did not seem so to John) due to the crowds for the wine event in the Zone, but John easily maneuvered through the throngs of people to educate us on all things Funk Zone related. I look forward to doing both tours again (can't wait to do a bit of wine tasting on the next Funk Zone experience). What a blessing to have such a great free tour in Santa Barbara! I am a local, having lived here for over 40 years, and found the tour informative and extremely interesting. I learned so much. Thanks, John! read more

John was great! It was an easy walk and covered some great stories. I knew nothing about Santa Barbara and walked away feeling like I knew a good amount for a first time tourist. Do yourself a favor and take the Waterfront tour!! read more

Fascinating walking tour with John our guide. Interesting for locals and visitors alike. John had a wealth of information for us as well as old photos depicting how many of the buildings look before they were repurposed. read more

I was looking for options to entertain an out of town guest and signed up for John's Waterfront tour. It was thoroughly enjoyable and exceeded my expectations. John was informative, friendly, well organized and considerate of the needs of those on his tour. The tour is an easy walk so that it can be enjoyed by those with a wide range of mobility. I would absolutely recommend this tour to anyone, including "locals" like me. read more

John was a very friendly knowledgeable tour guide. My husband and I were in town for a weekend wedding and decided not just to walk around but actually learn about the very interesting and diverse background the city of Santa Barbara. Highly recommend this free tour, encourage tippping to John at the end. Our next stop will be his funk area tour. read more

Great tour! Nice pace, lot's of interesting information we had not heard anywhere else. John was great, highly recommend it. We did both the waterfront and the Funk Zone. read more

You have to appreciate a man that saw a need in our town and made it happen! We were lucky enough to be a part of his inaugural "Funk Zone" tour and learn ALL about the 2x8 blocks of funk and how it got its name. He covered fun facts about a variety of businesses and not one area left me wondering "why did he include that?" He was thorough, interesting and left us wanting more! It wasn't too much walking. Just a delightful way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Whether you are visiting SB or have lived here all your life, this tour is for you! Grab a friend and sign up- you won't be sorry. He accepts tips and I wish I had more to give him...worth every penny. read more

If you're in Santa Barbara and want to get an amazing base of knowledge and information about the city, definitely go on John's walking tour. Don't let the word 'free' give you the impression this walking tour is anything less than high quality, informative and fun. John is an incredible wealth of knowledge and has spent a considerable amount of time studying city archives, consulting with historians and of course just getting out and enjoying this great city. He was also an amazing storyteller and painted historical pictures with such enthusiasm, detail & authenticity that we could practically picture the past (the actual photos he put together & brought along helped as well). We felt excited, intrigued and connected to the history of Santa Barbara in a way we never could've accomplished on our own. Highly recommend to anyone staying in or passing through the area. We're also excited to try out his tour of the Funk Zone when he has that up and running! read more

I would highly recommend that anyone visiting the city take the time to learn about the rich history. For solo travelers, walking tours are a great way to get oriented in the city, get some recommendations, and meet new people. Our guide John is incredibly knowledgeable about Santa Barbara history! He is also a great story teller so throughout the walk from the Maritime Museum to the SB visitor center, the group was so engaged. He provided some awesome recommendations for things to do and eat in SB and throughout California. The other participants were a little older but we had an fun time and I enjoyed meeting the other folks in the group. Be sure to bring a hat and/or sunglasses! John also mentioned that soon he'll be rolling out a new tour centered around a younger crowd in "The Funk Zone." I'll definitely be back! read more

The free walking tour of the waterfront was fascinating. John is a great leader with tons of interesting information. The tour is well-organized, John is easy to understand, and the whole experience is a real treat. read more

John led an amazing walking tour for our small group on a beautiful, sunny December morning. Despite a smaller number of reservations, he sent out an email a few days prior to our tour to confirm that he would lead one as scheduled. It was a gorgeous day for a 2-hour walking tour along the harbor. John did extensive research for the rich history of Santa Barbara, showed pictures throughout the tour to aid in his spellbinding storytelling of the city, and provided personal insights as a native of SB. His passion for this volunteered work was apparent to see. In turn, everyone from the tour thoroughly enjoyed learning about the city and appreciating the beautiful history it offers. John also asked us for feedback at the end of the tour, which showed how much he cares about the quality of this tour and his willingness to be flexible in his preparation. He hinted that a new tour on the Funk Zone is in the works! This tour was easily the highlight of our weekend trip to Santa Barbara. Highly recommended! Thank you John! read more

FreeWalkingTourSB - THE tree! We wouldn't have known the significance of this tree if it weren't for John. - Walking Tours Near Me

See all

John is an engaging guide who is passionate about his city and its history. We learned a lot on a 2 hour tour and enjoyed looking at details pointed out by John. It's a well paced tour with a lot of opportunities to sit down and rest your legs. I recommend it for all age groups as an insightful introduction to Santa Barbara. read more

The best way to discover the history of Santa Barbara, John is great and very knowledgeable! Thanks John!

I cannot say enough good things about this tour! I have been living in Santa Barbara for over a year, and this tour gave new light to locations and buildings I have seen hundreds of times. Very interesting and John is also incredibly kind and fun to be around. I would recommend to visitors and locals alike! read more

Even after having lived here in SB for 9 years we still learned new things about the Funk Zone, both from a historical and current development perspective. John is an easy going guy, flexible and very knowledgable about the area. I would recommend this tour to any tourist as well as to any new local arrival or long term resident that want to know more about the town in which they live. While this is a "free" touyr we tipped generously at the end because we feel it is an investment in the community to support local resources. By the way, be sure to wear your walking shoes and bring a hat--- although John was very good about utilizing shaded areas to educate us on whatever the current topic was. read more

John's tour was so informative, personable and just the right length. I highly recommend this to locals and visitors!

John is awesome! He is very knowledgeable about the city and its history and is also very friendly. He has a bunch of really neat historical photos as well! My wife and I had a great time and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this Free Walking Tour. It was best thing we did in our 3 days In Santa Barbara. read more

This walking tour and the highly knowledgeable guide, John, is a "must do" in Santa Barbara--whether you are visiting or a local. I am a local resident and took my parents (who live on the east coast) on the Waterfront Walking Tour. It was spectacular and exceeded all of my expectations--John is a wonderful story teller and has fully researched each and every fascinating fact presented on the tour. His stories are entertaining and incredibly interesting, along with wonderful old historic photographs relevant to each stop on the walking tour. The pace is leisurely with many places to sit along the way, making this an accessible opportunity for a wide variety of participants. It is by far one of the best walking tours I have ever been on in any city around the globe. read more

Great tour! John really is dedicated to sharing the history of SB and had great timing in telling his jokes too ;). Learned a lot and appreciated how interactive John was in getting to know us. read more

Our group included long-term locals as well as people from other countries, and we all loved this walking tour! As a local, I learned a lot from John's talks and carefully selected photos. We walked through neighborhoods and along paths I've never taken. John covered lots of diverse subjects relating to the history of Santa Barbara, and his talk was informative, funny, and nicely delivered. Now we want to take his Funk Zone tour! read more

We enjoyed this historical walking tour tremendously! John has researched and woven together pieces of Santa Barbara history and "fascinating facts" in the perfect way to inform, entertain, and enrich. I am so grateful we had the opportunity to experience this tour and expand our knowledge of the area we have lived in for the past 17 years. It had the perfect pace, length, and variety. I will send my out of town guests and recommend to all my Santa Barbara friends. read more

A fun, interesting walking tour of Santa Barbara. I enjoyed it as a resident but think it would be great for tourists too. His storytelling skills are really compelling. I also appreciated the frequent chances to sit or stand in the shade - he was very considerate about that. John really cares about SB history and it shows! read more

We're locals and were walking by his tour last week and listened in a little. We liked it so much, we decided to book it for this weekend. John is extremely knowledgeable about the history of Santa Barbara and the two hours went by way too fast. I know a lot of Santa Barbara history, and I was able to glean even more from John. This was an easy walk, lots of stops, and great authentic stories. Highly recommend. read more

We enjoyed the walking tour with our tour guide John. He has a great delivery and style, was well prepared and informative, and enthusiastic and friendly. We wanted to learn more about unique facts from the area, and John gave us that and more during the easy 2 hour walk. We appreciated that most of the walk was in the shade , as we visited during one of the hottest days on record. Our only suggestion to him was to incorporate some ghost stories about the Chumash burial grounds (assuming there are such stories) into the tour. Thanks John! read more

Had no idea that these kinds of things were even available, but was so excited when I heard about it; I jumped at the opportunity! And I am glad I did! Our guide was extremely knowledgeable of Santa Barbara's rich history. For those of you who love learning, knowing history and exploring new places; this is a great activity to do when you're visiting Santa Barbara! I took his Funk Zone tour and it was incredibly enlightening and fascinating exploring and learning about this lesser known area of of SB! read more