There was not a free walking tour scheduled during the 2 days we were in Santa Barbara so we…read morearranged 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!

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!

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.

One of the greatest experiences with any company I've had in quite a while! Flawless from start to…read morefinish!!! The staff is extremely knowledgeable and very very accommodating as well as encouraging! I took my wife on two days of hiking, the first day I went with her on a shorter two hour hike with a normal/average difficulty and then the following day she went back again for a challenging/difficult hike. She said it was one of the most wonderful experiences she's ever had. And I can occur the first day was amazing! I think the attention to detail and information provided by our guide Kelsey was just incredible. From the moment I booked the two days of hiking for myself and my wife through the end of the hikes everything was smooth as could be. I would highly recommend this company to anyone thinking of hiking in the Santa Barbara area. I am looking forward to using the Santa Barbara Day Hike Company again! As most of you know I don't give out five stars lightly in my reviews and I only wish I could give the Santa Barbara Day Hiking Company more! Treat yourself to a day hike with this awesome company! It will be an afternoon you will never forget!

Very friendly and warm-hearted guide. You can learn a lot from her! And it's a great place for an…read moreescape from stressful city life!

After being super excited to walk, explore, eat, and drink with friends.....we were all totally let…read moredown by the amount of actual tastings provided. Out guide was Nancy, and she was super sweet, thoughtful, and insightful, but my review isn't based on her. It's based on experience and value. What did $270 plus tip get us over 4 hours? 2 regular sized margaritas, one small one and a total of 5 Street sized tacos and some very unathentic churrros. I would have loved to have options of some kind, we were served whatever meat they wanted to serve. These tacos were not authentic and definitely were not filling, we all were starving when we left. We definitely did more walking and talking than eating and drinking. Would definitely say, for the price, you're better off bar/taco hopping yourself. I gave 3 stars since I went with good friends and Nancy was sweet.

What a wonderful tour we had! I am so happy we went on this…read moretour, we had a fantastic guide, Georgia, that was so very knowledgeable about the Santa Barbara history and she also had a great spunky personality that made the tour even better. We got plenty of food! Definitely no need to eat lunch after as was our plan. Delicious dishes! My favorite was a Thai salad with Mango, but we also had street tacos, and a cheese board oh wait maybe that was my favorite... or maybe the ice cream?! Oh also had chicken parmigiana and tagliatelle served with a fun Margarita! Yummy.... We also had one really great wine tasting, the only "bad" part was that I really wanted to order some wine but we kinda moved on before we got the chance to order. If I would change anything I would ask that they maybe give you a little more heads up. Georgia did a great job weaving together stories about both historical events and famous people in SB history with architectural information. I would highly recommend you put some comfy shoes on and book this tour ASAP!

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.

We attended Market Foray's cooking class in January, and it was one of the most enjoyable and…read moreeducational experiences I've had in the kitchen. We started with a trip to the farmer's market, where Laurence pointed out different items and talked through the differences in different types of food (green garlic was new to me!). We later met at her home, and the cooking began. She did a good job of rotating the tasks throughout the group, and explaining the techniques as she went. We got to taste as we went, and after all the chopping was done, wine was served. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and the other participants were friendly and engaged, making it a fun, social experience as well. And, of course, the best part was sitting down at the end to enjoy the fruits of our labor. The dishes we prepared were full of flavor and creativity, and I walked away feeling incredibly satisfied and inspired to keep cooking. I highly recommend this class to anyone who loves food and wants to expand their culinary horizons. Whether you're looking to learn new techniques, discover fresh ingredients, or just have a fun day out, Market Forays is a fantastic choice.

Amazing experience! It was great shopping and cooking with Laurence. She opened the group up to a…read morewhole new world of ingredients from the local farmers market and fish market. We made a whole array of dishes and they all were so simple to make yet so delicious. I would highly recommend taking one of her classes and I would happily do it again

This was a decent ride around a small part of the city. My driver was Joe. He seemed knowledgeable…read moreabout the history and landmarks. We stopped at a church to take pics and had sufficient time to snap other photos along the tour. This was especially perfect for a warm, sunny day.

Santa Barbara Trolley Tour (Booked via Viator.com)…read more We booked this tour through Viator for $28 per person (non-refundable), and I have to say -- it's an affordable, worthwhile way to see Santa Barbara and Montecito if you're short on time. The tour runs about an hour and a half, narrated the whole way through. Our guide, Rusty, was excellent -- knowledgeable, engaging, and easy to listen to. He mixed history with fun local details, pointing out landmarks, residents, and even a few celebrity homes. His energy kept the ride interesting from start to finish. Pro tip: Seating is a bit of a luck-of-the-draw situation. There are about four or five seats where the window is completely down -- perfect for pictures. Otherwise, most windows stay up and only open a crack for air. If photos are important to you, get in line early so you can grab those open-window spots. It's two people per bench. The rest stop was at the historic Santa Barbara Mission. We had about 15 minutes to use the restrooms, pop into the gift shop, and take pictures of the Mission's beautiful exterior. (The church wasn't open during our visit, but it often is, so worth checking next time.) Along the way, Rusty also pointed out some things I never would've noticed -- like enormous fig trees scattered around town, a fossil of a blue whale, and even a giraffe peeking its head out near the zoo! The Spanish-style architecture throughout Santa Barbara was another highlight, and being able to see so much in a short span of time made this tour feel really efficient. Meeting & Drop-off Spot: The Garden Street Visitor Center (close to the Carousel House). For brand-new visitors or anyone with limited time, this is a perfect introduction to Santa Barbara. Big kudos to Rusty for making it such an engaging ride.

I think there's some confusion between companies here, so just to clarify this is a wonderful tour…read moreled by a local guide named Julie. Julie was incredibly warm on our tour, and offered fascinating stories of local ghost lore, history and even architectural tidbits about the buildings we visited. She is extremely knowledgeable about Santa Barbara and has a curious, open-hearted and respectful approach to the ghost stories she tells. This was a very engaging tour and we learned a lot about the area!

My husband and I were looking for something fun, unique, and a bit out of the ordinary--and we're…read moreso glad we found the *one and only* original Santa Barbara Ghost Tours! After reading their glowing reviews, we knew this was the company to go with, and they did not disappoint. We opted for the **Paranormal Pairing Tour** and couldn't be happier with our choice. The experience was fantastic from start to finish. Our guide, Allison, was absolutely brilliant--her storytelling was captivating, and the ghost stories she shared felt so real and engaging. Walking through Santa Barbara after dark, we were immersed in its history, eerie tales, and hauntingly beautiful sights. The flow of the tour was perfect, with just the right balance of history, mystery, and atmosphere. We enjoyed every minute of this unforgettable evening and can't recommend it highly enough. If you're looking for a fascinating way to explore Santa Barbara's spookier side, this is it!

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 :)

Danny went above and beyond in helping us w/ our booking…read more Maddy was very knowledgeable about the history of SB, great restaurants & happy hours to enjoy & fun things to do. The driver was a boss on the streets & the water. Very enjoyable!

This is the best well-rounded tour of Santa Barbara! You will be taken through the town AND out on…read morethe Pacific Ocean! I was searching for something to do since we had nothing planned. I found this tour online. It's called Land Shark Tour. They still had reservations available, so I booked it. The tickets were $45 each adult plus a $10 Convenience (Service) Fee. TIP: To assure a seat on a specific tour, book online. If you want to take your chances, you can wait as standby and will need to pay using CASH. The meetup spot is on E. Cabrillo Blvd., just West of Stearns Wharf.Look for a sign indicating where we meet up for the tour. There are no actual reserved seats. You choose as you board. People with reservations are boarded first followed by the standby people. I asked Captain Mike which side was the better one for viewing and was told, "The inside". LOL Now that I've taken the tour, I would say the driver's side is slightly better. My most favorite part of the tour was when the road vehicle turned into a watercraft! We went by the seals & birds on the dock and buoy. We saw Lil Toot taxiing passengers across the way. I might take that next time. It also provides a narrated tour. Our captain got us around without a hitch. The tour guide was the star of the show, she was so awesome! Maddy is very knowledgeable about the area and shared about the history. She also has a great delivery of fun facts! Her voice is used for various promotion bits for Santa Barbara. At the end of the tour, she played "Happy Birthday" on her trombone! Nicely talented! When in Santa Barbara, take this tour! Just do it!!