This was our first visit to Solvang. We caught the last trolley ride of the day on a Thursday afternoon. It was a great way to see the town and learn a bit of the history. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who has never been here before. read more

My kid said the experience was just OK--not the greatest, but definitely worth a try. We had already seen some of the main attractions, so we decided to take a tour to dive deeper into the city's history. We spent the day wandering around, soaking in the sights, chatting with locals, and even visiting a charming little art and nature museum. However, I found the tour to be a bit lacking in substance. Much of the information was vague, leaving us with unanswered questions. There was even a development featuring some unique houses that piqued our curiosity. My family and another family on the tour tried asking the guide about it, but we didn't get any answers. When we passed the museum, the guide briefly mentioned the famous troll but skimmed over some intriguing details, like the fact that it was crafted by a Danish artist using reclaimed wood--except for its imported head direct from Denmark. We learned those fascinating tidbits almost immediately upon entering the museum earlier. (The whole point of this town is that it's a Danish settlement.) There were other aspects that fell short, too. The website implied that we would have a chance to go inside the museum during the tour, but since we took a later trolley ride, the museum was unfortunately closed by the time we arrived. I really wish they had made it clearer that we wouldn't be able to visit. My biggest complaint, though, is the price. At $34, it felt like a steep investment for what we received. I believe if the ticket had been around $10, it might have felt more worth it. As it stands, we walked away feeling a bit disappointed and like we didn't quite get our money's worth. They also will let you know at the end. If you would like to give her gratuity, that you can. read more

Took a wrong turn from my hotel and google maps led me on a wild goose chase! Front desk person was patient and helped guide me through my 15 minute ordeal (I was literally 5 minutes away). Cons: no assigned seating. Waited 25 minutes to start (seemingly for walk on ticket purchasers to get on). Not sure how I feel about this but I think I kind of was ok w it...since it was the last evening tour, we didn't really look at the downtown, but instead at decorated houses... Pros: tour guide gave solid recs about food places. read more

Based on the reviews I wasn't sure what to expect but my family had a wonderful time! Our tour guide was upbeat and seemed very knowledgeable about the town, I had a 2 year old and a 9 year old and they both enjoyed the ride. Thank you for a fun experience!! read more

Thursday, 12-19-2024: We had seen the trolley about town and decided we'd like to go on a tour. Tickets are purchased in the trolley or at their ice cream parlor. We had time to kill before the trolley returned so we looked at some shops & opted to purchase tickets at the ice cream parlor. Unfortunately, we didn't try any of their offerings but plan to do so whenever we return. The charming, friendly blonde lady introduced herself as a third cousin of Mrs. Claus and as the tour guide. She also introduced the friendly driver in the cowboy hat. She welcomed passengers aboard and took payments and tickets. The trolley's interior was festively decorated in a Christmas theme. The interior was in great condition and woodwork was beautiful. It was a fun, leisurely tour hitting areas of interest like the 250 year old oak tree and the Elverhoj Museum to name a few. Our tour guide narrated articulately and was very informative. It was a nice tour that we enjoyed very much. They also have a night tour and the trolley is lit up with Christmas lights. The Solvang Park showcased a wondrous synchronized music & light show, which they drove by. I think we will do the night tour the next time. read more

See all

Honestly this tour was not the greatest. I understand that we were the last tour of the day, but the lady giving the tour kept talking like she was ready to just clock out. All she kept repeating is "it's 5 o'clock, so everything is closed already " " can't stop there because it's closed already" "want to try that place? Come tomorrow because it's closed already." I understand that we were the last tour but you can still try to make it enjoyable. Maybe it's better earlier in the day, but our experience wasn't great. read more

I booked the horse trolley for our party of 5 for a bachelorette. This was a highlight for our whole group. We enjoyed learning about the horse team and about the town's history. It was a unique experience and we were happy to do it. I expect the experience would be the same each time (same route, same stories) so I would just do it the one time and don't plan to rebook. read more

Solvang Trolley & Carriage - Horse trolley - Transportation Near Me - Solvang, California

Nice to do if you're new to the city. They past a lot of notable Solvange land marks and the tour guide was very knowledgeable.

This could definitely get expensive for a family, but at least for me the value was there. Solvang is very touristy, and getting some historical context made the trip much more enjoyable. Got to see a lot of details I wouldn't have noticed otherwise. Biggest pro: dogs can ride! I had a tough time figuring that out in advance (even the woman at the ticket booth wasn't sure), but the woman leading the tour even had doggie treats on hand. And my dog enjoyed sticking his head off the side. I could see large dogs being a problem when it's not crowded, but not an issue on a weekday morning. Biggest con: they're super disorganized. They didn't open when the said they would, and the tour guide showed up late. If I'd purchased a ticket for a specific time I would have been very annoyed. But I just showed up and bought as I boarded, so not the end of the world. read more

Solvang Trolley & Carriage - Ice cream discount for trolley riders - Transportation Near Me - Solvang, California

See all

Bought tickets for a possible new holiday tradition. When we got to the trolley, all seats were taken except those in the very back. Unfortunately, our view was blocked by a wheelchair ramp. Every time the trolley stopped the "view" of the light show in the park or a special house was completely invisible to us. Suggestions: Don't sell so many tickets that someone gets placed in those seats. Have assigned seating; those who purchase tickets first have best seats. Play music softly enough so patrons can hear what is being said read more

It was a nice tour, but we got the trolley that didn't have a working microphone because the guide said it wasn't working because there was no battery!! Well, go get a new battery then. Most of the people on the trolley couldn't hear the guide!! Not a good a thing if you're on a tour!! Then when I went across the street to where I bought the tickets, I told the lady selling the tickets and she said she knew about the microphone and stared at me!! Hello!?!? Not cool!! read more

On Saturday evening hubby and I decided to sign up for the 25 min guided tour on their 1915 replica of the Honen(Danish for little hen)Trolley. This historic wooden street car was pulled by mother and daughter, Claire and Stella. Such sweet hard working Belgium draft horses, the most popular draft horse breed in America for a reason! ~Pricing and info~ Tours: First come, first served, offered every 30 min. Price: $18 for adults, $16 for 65+ seniors and $14 for children, they accept both cash and card. Tip bag is located in the trolly if you choose to do so! Discounts: Offered at various local businesses with your trolley ticket purchase! Sound: Their are no speakers so it was a bit hard to hear at times, but the tour guide was very sweet and asked if we had any questions! So next time we'll just have to arrive early and find a seat by the tour guide! Seats: Open-air trolley seats up to 20 passengers! You cannot visit downtown Solvang(Danish for sunny field) without paying a visit to Solvang Trolly! It's been in operation since 1973 and you'll definitely learn a lot of history about the Danish capital of America! This includes replicas of some of Denmark's most historical sights, the well-known Little Mermaid bronze statue, the Round Tower guarded by dragons and the lucky life-size nesting European White Storks that reside on the Danish style rooftops! How many will you find? read more

See all

Sometimes what makes a tour company successful are the tour guides. Linda, our tour guide, is very knowledgeable about the area and her information was incredibly useful, including the restaurants. She also went above and beyond to help us with an issue and we appreciate her service. Thanks again!! read more

Overpriced at 18$ for a 20 min drive. And it's only 20 min because of the traffic or else it would probably be 10mins. I purchased timed tickets and still had to wait in line with the rest of the people that bought their tickets at that moment. The tour guides are a lot older and ours seemed so bored with no energy whatsoever. They took their sweet old time locking up strollers and chairs that you cannot take with you. However they do allow children, wheelchairs and dogs to get on. They need more organization when it comes to everything from the line, to where to get tickets, and those that get timed rides should be priority. read more

They never answer the phone. I tried to cancel via email. Twice. No response. They just took my money. Thieves. Don't use them.

Apparently, they have a horse drawn trolley, which probably would've been a lot more fun. The motorized ones are OK. Our particular guide didn't really say a whole lot except to complain about the people protesting the prop 50 issue. It is a little expensive for what you get. read more

Summary: Save your money, you don't need an overpriced carriage ride run by UNCOUTH, DISORGANIZED, LAZY, UNPROFESSIONAL and RUDE people (especially the fake, wonna-be-cowboy, panzy driver) to go around 3-4 blocks of a city which can be better experienced on foot in just 30mins! Details: I visited Solvang on my birthday weekend, unfortunately, my experience was ruined thanks to Solvang Trolley & Carriage Co. Upon noticing this trolley during my stroll, I decided to take the tour but was met with disorganization and rudeness that completely ruined my day. When I approached the trolley, there were no clear signs or instructions on where to purchase tickets. I saw an older lady nearby who seemed to be selling tickets, but she was engaged in deep conversation and didn't acknowledge me, or even looked at me even though I was clearly trying to figure out where to buy tickets. Confused, I asked the trolley driver (the one that wears a cowboy hat) for help, only to have him point me back to the lady. What shocked me the most was when the driver came out of the trolley then stood closely behind me and openly mocked me , saying things like, "I hate when people ask me where to buy tickets, ughh, just look around...haha" in a derogatory tone, loud enough to ensure that I could hear him. I was so appalled by the driver's behavior that I decided not to purchase the ticket and walked away with tears in my eyes. It's incredibly disappointing that a business in the customer service industry would treat a visitor so poorly. What should have been a simple and friendly exchange turned into a humiliating and upsetting experience. Shame on them! read more

If I could give less stars I would. I do not recommend this during the holidays to see lights. The description said we'd be given hot chocolate and we didn't get any. But more importantly it was an hour and a half tour through the residential streets. We were expecting every house being completely decked out with lights but there were hardly any houses with a bunch of lights and none were great. We were so disappointed. I emailed them to get a refund or partial refund or something due to not being satisfied and never got a single response. Oh well won't be doing that again. Waste of time and money. Don't do it. read more

Friendly staff. The tour guide was informative of the town's history and made the ride memorable. read more

Solvang Trolley & Carriage - Solvang Trolley - Transportation Near Me - Solvang, California

We decided to book the Holiday Lights Trolley Tour. When we booked our tour we were under the impression that we would see a lot of lights. We did not have that experience. First off Linda, our tour guide, was extremely rude and threatening. When I got in line at 5:45pm she said it was first come first serve seating so I got on first and selected my seats. I double checked that they were leaving at 6pm she said she needed to leave as soon as possible because she didn't want us missing the "light show," (we still are confused because we never saw one.) I told her I needed to run across the street to grab a jacket. I was parked literally across the street took me a total of a minute to walk over to my car to get my jacket. Before I went to get my jacket Linda said if you get off and we leave then you can't get back on. I was taken aback by her tone and body language. Once I got back I noticed my family had been moved. I asked what happened and they said Linda said they had to move to accommodate a party of 10 that we were waiting on. I was extremely upset that not only was my family moved but we were waiting on a party when I was just told that they wouldn't wait for me. Next our trolley had no lights on the inside and no music. We also were not served hot cocoa or cookies. I spoke to another person who also did this trolley ride and her experience included all of the things we were not given. Linda also made it very uncomfortable for anyone to laugh or talk because she shushed a 2 year old for being excited and loud, which he was not. There were also many times where it was eerily dark and silent. It set a very uncomfortable mood. I decided to do this experience so my elderly mother would have a wonderful Christmas memory with her granddaughters. My mother was so sad and disappointed. I do not recommend doing this trolley ride and honestly the description of this trolley ride should be modified. read more

This is a "figure it out as you go" type of situation. Here is what I learned... The pickup point at on the corner of Second Street and Copenhagen. The address is 1634 Copenhagen Dr, Solvang, CA 93463, in front of the First Street Leather store. The Solvang Trolley is a 25-minute narrated, horse drawn tour throughout downtown Solvang. It is pulled by a pair Belgian draft horses, which weigh 2000 lbs each. A team of two horses are capable of pulling a mind-blowing 22,000 lbs! To give you an idea of what that means, that's five of these trolley cars packed to max capacity of twenty people in each car. The horses are rescues. They have twelve of them and they all only work for a few hours. They're very much taken care of by the owners. It's first come, first serve. Tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for seniors and $12 for kids. As the day goes on, tickets get further sold out. So it's best to show up early and purchase tickets for the time slot that you want. Otherwise you're out of luck. I went on a Saturday and was only able to get four tickets for a time slot two hours later. If we wanted everyone in our party to ride, we would've had to wait three hours for the next available ride. I highly recommend the tour and to do it as early in the day as possible, so you can hear about the history of Solvang to decide if you want to explore some of the places and landmarks that are talked about after the ride is over. There are also businesses that are mentioned that give you a discount if you show your trolley ticket! read more

Solvang Trolley & Carriage - You can take photos with and next to the horses (assuming it's a good-natured one). He was sweet enough that you could pet him. - Transportation Near Me - Solvang, California

See all

If you're in a laid back mood and want to do something touristy while in Solvang, this is an enjoyable option. Pay for your ticket in cash at the loading site in the middle of Copenhagen Drive. Or by card or cash across the street at the ice cream shop (might as well get a cone while you're there!). The trolley is pulled by a couple of well-cared for horses. You go up and down a few of Solvang's streets for about 20 minutes or so. The woman who was our "tour guide" was personable and delightfully delivered her schtick with a fun freshness despite probably having delivered it 10,000 times before. She is the daughter of the ice cream shop owners and gave some fun stories about Danish folklore, facts about the horses, and information about the town. Is it worth the money? Probably not. But it's just one of those touristy things one does in Solvang! read more

Solvang Trolley & Carriage - Transportation Near Me - Solvang, California

I can't remember the name of the lady who was narrating as we rode the trolley, but she was very friendly and awesome narrator. The ride is definitely worth every penny and your passes don't expire. read more

This was advertised on line as a horse drawn trolley. Being an animal lover I thought it would be fun! Well the "horse" is just horsepower of the motor in the open air bus. They drive in circles and you don't get much out of it. The people were nice but as others state unorganized! Walk on foot you'll see more! read more

When I come to Solvang, I always like to take the person who've I brought there for the first time, to experience the trolley. This year I brought my niece and we were told by a young lady in a blue dress to come back in an 1/2 hour or so because they were just leaving. We waited around for just around 45 mins- 1hr just to be told that was their last ride and they were going home for the evening. I was very disappointed because they could've told us that was the last ride without making us wait around for absolutely no reason. read more

it is very disorganized. tried to purchase tickets online but it won't let you. purchase it where the line is, they just sell tickets there with no time slots. you wait for the trolleys and if it's full, you have to wait longer. read more

Solvang Trolley & Carriage - the female in blue selling tickets last minute. you can tell how disorganized it is - Transportation Near Me - Solvang, California

First time out here in the area with my kids. Wanted to take the trolley hoping it would be fun and a learning experience. Instead the ride was very short, half of the things learned was the history about the horses and the speakers wife. Very nice person but I wanted to here about the history of the town more vs. The horses and how his wife made him his clothes etc. The price for the short ride is overpriced in my opinion, way too short, and needs to have more of the towns history talked about. Overall I wasn't happy and wouldn't ride the trolley or recommend it. read more

Solvang Trolley & Carriage - Transportation Near Me - Solvang, California

The kids wanted to try this the moment they saw it. You will not miss this carriage when you are walking on the beautiful streets of this danish village. Rode by the two majestic horses, decorated with all bells and whistles is certainly an eye catcher. When we went to take the ride, we were lucky that it was the last ride for the day and the carriage was about to leave. Kids and Seniors had discounts to ride which was good. The ride lasted 25 to 30 minutes with great guides on the tour explaining the different buildings and history of the city. The trolley was completely run by 3 women and great job so far. read more

Christmas is my happy time of the year... the lights... the cheer... it's just magic. The Solvang Trolley lights ruined my weekend and my cheer. I excitedly booked our tickets a few weeks ago and looked forward to it only to be put into a trolley with light necklaces and then driven around the dark neighborhoods of Solvang. We probably saw 10 houses that were decorated (I'm being generous on the numbers). For $25 we could have gone to the Santa Ynez Valley Holiday Lights but instead were given crap. We didn't even get the hot chocolate that was promised at booking! Don't do it! If you bought tickets already see if you can get a refund. I wish I could. Now our holiday moods have been ruined and we will have to find something else to do since the Santa Ynez Valley lights are over and we had to travel home today. read more

I was gonna buy 4 tickets but the girl working today at the Copenhagen and 2 nd st "ticket booth" wouldn't even look up from her phone she was tik toking on and seemed annoyed I was even there. I'm out. Lost revenue..... back to wine tasting I guess. read more

Very cute activity to do while in solvang , however the tour guide spoke very muffled . In Her defense she was wearing a face mask but it she could definitely try to speak louder and more clear . I missed about half of all of her facts due to not being able to hear her properly. For reference I was sitting in the front row. Afterwards I listened in on a different tour guide and he was able to give the tour clearly despite wearing a mask . read more

Overpriced with minimum to none interesting content. Might as well walk on feet and save $18.

What a fun ride. The ride time is perfect if you have kids with you. No one wants to go on an hour ride in our hour. We wanted the experience then walk around because there is so much to see. They were so accommodating and absolutely kind. The girl in the blue dress on Mother's Day really helped our group and met our needs. The price isn't bad for the experience. Save your tickets to get discounts. read more

Very nice trolley tour. Helped us understand more about Solvang, thatched roof, stork on the roof and why there is only limited of chained stores, e.g. subway and domino, in this Danish town. read more

People, people, people, it's a trolley, in a two-horse town, for the price of a movie. What do you expect? Loops? Driving by George Clooney's house? No, you get mildly interesting stories about bakeries and rooftops and more bakeries. All from a sweet cat-ladyesque tour guide with forced nervous laughter. You just chill out a bit, getting pulled by horses you hope don't have gas. Tip: Ride the driver's side if you want to see the horses do the criss-cross leg pattern necessary from them to make the U-turns. They remind me of those really good rollerskaters at the rink. PS. To the one one-star reviewer who said she paid $50 and was on a bumpy 90 minute tour... I think you must have climbed into someone's truck on accident. read more

I had a great experience with the trolley tour despite what others mentioned in their reviews. We had a group of 15 and made reservations for 1:30pm on a Sat. afternoon in middle of Jan. Therefore we received a group discount and a trolley just for ourselves. Our group was on time as were the driver and tour guide. Off we went! The lady was really pleasant and thorough with the history of Solvang. She highlighted a couple of restaurants and shops. My friend asked about couple of restaurants we passed by and I appreciated the tour guide's honesty when she didn't know about something. I rather hear "I'm not sure or I don't know" than to hear lies. My other favorite part was the introduction of the horses (Stella and Claire). The tour was about 30 minutes. Another fun fact was that our driver is the son of the original owner, he's taken on the family business that's been around a couple of decades. All in all, I had a great time. Great service with a smile! I hope that the family business continues to thrive! read more

See all

The Trolley light tour was disorganized. No process to check in customers...just one big crowd, fight almost broke out and no one was in line anymore. We were the 1st in line and ended up being the very last to board the trolley. They ignore customer complaints and don't even attempt to make things right. read more

I had a horrible experience trying to get tickets for the trolley this weekend. There doesn't seem to be set times or any form of organization. Over the course of two days the workers provided a time to return to purchase tickets, and then when I would show up at the exact time they continued to extend the wait by 20 minutes multiple times. I tried getting tickets at different times and each evening the trolley would sell out. Extremely disappointed. The lady in the skirt running the trolley was rude and didn't take any accountability after she would provide wrong information. read more

Loved this little trolley ride! My son was so overjoyed. The horses are so sweet! Things move a little slower in Solvang so the wait for the trolley was longer than expected. The trolley has definitely seen a few trips, and it is the priciest trolley ride I've been on, but our hosts could not have been any nicer. The trolley isn't allowed on the main street but we saw a lot of neat things on the back streets. I mostly just loved our horses, Claire and Stella, they were the sweetest! Claire does this super cute u-turn move that is a must see. It was a very enjoyable ride and I will definitely be back again. read more

See all

I watched 2 horses carry 22 people in this city sized trolley today, with a heat advisory in effect. Unacceptable treatment of these animals. They definitely are not following regulations to protect the health and well-being of the horses. They should be ashamed of themselves. read more

Solvang Trolley & Carriage - Transportation Near Me - Solvang, California

See all