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.

My boyfriend and I discovered this quaint outdoor Santa Barbara Visitor's Center since it was down…read morenear the Saturday Fisherman Market area. It is located on the 4th floor and it claims to have one of the most stunning views of the city. Despite being a quick visit, I really enjoyed the conversation we had with the kind volunteer working here. We got a useful map of the city that came with coupons along its' edges. There were also a lot of brochures and information on the city activities for tourists. Super helpful. This is one of many visitor centers in the city. We were lucky to enjoy their balcony that was pier facing for a quick moment alone before other travelers came in. It was so peaceful and beautiful. Definitely a memorable part of our trip.

Just go to the 4th floor! Such a beautiful view with a…read moreprivate feel like balcony. Friendly staff and good info/knowledge about the area Recommend all around .

What a great deal--absolutely free tour, no reservations necessary, led by a very knowledgeable,…read moretrained local volunteer docent. The 1929 Moorish/Spanish Colonial Revival Courthouse is both a state & national landmark, said by some to be the most beautiful government building in the U.S! Every day at 2pm, and some days at 10:30am too. Starts in the "mural room" on the 2nd floor. Takes about 1 hour, and you can join or leave at any time. Gives you a good feel for the history of the building, the town and the region, going back to the first European landing by Cabrillo in 1542. Really stunning tile work, ceiling and wall paintings, adobe, beams and arches. Still houses 6 county courtrooms, hall of records etc. The 'sunken' garden on the east side of the main archway is gorgeously landscaped with dozens of different palm varieties; you can often see weddings going on both there and in the mural room. Booth from which you can buy postcards, brochures etc (or make a donation to their Foundation, which supports the ongoing renovations). Don't forget to go up to the top of the famous tower at the end of the tour for a 360-degree view of the entire city and bay!

Just took the tour yesterday-the docent was knowledgable, personable and provided interesting…read moredetail on the history and architectural details of this stunning treasure. The Tunisian tiles, the Spanish Mudahar influence throughout, and even a "Bridge of Sighs' from the courthouse to the old jail! The Italian rosette stained glass window, conch shell archway pattern in one area and Masonic cornerstone (with a Masonic date convention!) are some of the treasures within. We lucked out, the Law Library was opened to us during the tour by someone using the library; one wall had a painted "California Island" map-I've seen some of these maps at Stanford, it was a treat to see one as part of the design here! Absolutely worth the time, this a active, historical treasure not to be missed.

I came here for an event today so really my review is tailored more towards the events that Casa is…read moreholding but also to acknowledge the fabulous grounds and building though I admit I don't have full context for the history or background. I would definitely come back here to learn about the house and to take the guided tour. This wasn't the purpose for me coming today but the gentleman who works here noted that it's a great tour and I know friends who have enjoyed learning about the family and the history of the house, getting a deeper dive of information. I came here with some friends for their first hosted event Sound Bath. A wellness day if you will. From start to finish everything was very organized and thoughtful. The staff hosting the event and the spiritual wellness guide and sound healer was wonderful. Everyone was nice and you felt welcomed. Not pretentious and just very positive and good vibes. We had a nice group and everyone was respectful and on time for the sound bath so it went off without issue. It was a relaxing experience and the grounds were very nice to hold this outdoor event. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, we found an area with shade, very nice. Very faint sounds of cars in the distance here and there which wasn't ideal but out of their control and once things settled in you really couldn't hear much external noise. After the relaxing sound bath we were offered tea and light pastry snacks. I opted for a water and began exploring the grounds instead of partaking in the refreshments. The grounds are lush and lovely, very zen. Loved the beautiful trees and walkways with small fountains and running water. It was green and pretty all around from the recent rains. Definitely a great location for events and to learn a little SB history. I will definitely do my research and come back again soon.

Yikes, this is an expensive tour but it is a rarity to see a period house with most of the original…read moreoccupants furnishings etc. The tours are docent led and very informative. If you like these types of tours, this one is quite worth it.

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!

If you're doing a food tour and you're walking through the city, you should definitely have some…read morehands sanitizer or have spots along the way, picked out to be regularly washing your hands. You also should refrain from touching people's plates and cups as you discuss and show them the food items. I understand it's a food tour, but especially when you don't have clean hands, it's highly unsanitary! It's also a good idea to not greet dogs and let them lick all over you ... your hands.... your arms AND your face while you're interacting with people who are eating food, bringing them food from the restaurant & leading a tour. It's a good idea to give people space after you give them the information about the tour and the food and the art and let them socialize with the people that they came with. We should not have experience the person who is giving the tour or learning how to give a tourist next to you constantly asking you questions about what you're eating, what you're trying, where you're from or other questions that are really irrelevant .. it is pretty annoying & doesn't allow you to enjoy the experience fully. It's not a good idea to take shortcuts, because it's easier for you as the tour guide. One of our group members ate meat. The other 2 are vegetarians, but to keep it simple or make it easier. She was repeatedly offered vegetarian options and not given the opportunity to try the meat options along the tour. This was frustrating as you were very clear when setting up the tour, what the food restrictions were, we reminded them again when we got to the beginning of the tour and also reminded along the tour. How often will we need to say it in order to get the full experience. Although the tour guide and her trainee were very nice & social, it is not likely not an experience we'll do again.

We had a fun day in Solvang with our guide Hannah. Although we were locals, it was great to find…read moresome new spots we had not visited before. Hannah was very friendly and accommodating to our requests. There was plenty of food to eat and a couple of adult beverages included. The photo tips were marginal, but we didn't care as we booked the tour for the fun of walking around town and tasting the delicious food. The highlight was Kim Jensen, owner of the Ingeborg's Danish Chocolates, giving us a wonderful tour of his factory and sharing lots of chocolate treats!

Great experience. We were a couple minutes late and they were really nice about it. It was hard for…read moreus to get down to the boat as my dad has a walker, so we had to figure that out. Not their fault at all, just harbor logistics However, it all worked out perfectly. The boat only holds six, but it holds six plus the driver more than comfortably. There was room for our bags, some food, my dads walker and tons of leg room. This business owns three boats including Lil Toot and Whisper. We went on Whisper the elctric boat. We went around the harbor and had a nice and smooth drive, great weather, and the driver was very patient and friendly with my 88-year-old dad. It was an hour tour, and he let my daughter play her spotify playlist and we paid about $190 through a 3rd party company. I would definitely recommend them!

Cheap, fun, and easy - Lil' toot is a fun way to get across from the harbor to the Stearns wharf (…read moreor vice versa) and get a taste of being out on the water with minimal time or monetary commitment. The views are nice and it is a short and slow ride through the harbor. The captain and first mate are friendly and knowledgeable about the many delicious restaurants and businesses in the area. I had a blast! After we exited at the wharf, we walked back and it wasn't bad. We parked in the Harbor and used paid parking ($3.50/ car)bc all the 90 min free spots were taken. Maybe for an earlier departure you could grab a better spot.

My husband and I picked Solvang for our Memorial's day weekend and we wanna try a tour that doesn't…read moretake too long and this Pedicab Tours are the right decisions! Our tour guide were awesome and gave us an awesome tour,It was so relax and chilled riding with him.The end of the tour he drop us off for wine testing and it was awesome end. If this is your first time visit Solvang or you wanna do a tour,I highly recommended this one.

My wife and I went on this tour for our anniversary and it was absolutely wonderful! We got extra…read morelucky and had two tour guides, one on another bike, as she was still learning the route. John and his daughter Ashanti (the two tour guides) were amazing. They were both extremely friendly, knowledgable, and really set us up for a great rest of our anniversary. They pointed out things that we never would have noticed had we not gone on this tour, and warned us that most things close pretty early in solvang which helped us plan our trip better as well. I can not recommend this tour enough.