We had a really nice time at Vino Vaqueros. Our group did the 9am ride, which ended up being a…read moregreat call as the weather was cool and comfortable, and it made the whole experience more enjoyable. Char was our guide, and she struck a good balance of keeping things relaxed while still making sure everyone felt comfortable, especially since a few people in our group hadn't been horseback riding before. I rode Boomer, who was steady and easy to ride, and we appreciated that they gave a simple safety overview before heading out. After the ride, we did a casual tasting of both a red and white wine and then chose a glass of our favorite to hang with. The setting was quiet and pretty, and it felt low-key in the best possible way. One of the dogs Nana even joined us for the ride. Overall, it was a calm, well-paced outing that felt thoughtfully run without being overly structured.

Had a lovely time on our trail ride! Some of the horses were a bit stubborn at times, but whatcha…read moregonna do? Just added some amusement and laughs to the experience hahaha. Our two guides were great and one took plenty of pictures during the ride, which was really nice because we got to have those memories documented without worrying about having our phones out while on horseback. The trail itself was a beautiful view of the springtime flower blooms on the hills. I'd recommend bringing a hat or sunglasses because it can be a bit bright, and there's room for a water bottle in the saddle bags.

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!

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!

Such an amazing experience! We learned so much about the history of Santa Barbara while having a…read moregreat time. Land Shark Tours was definitely a highlight of our trip, and I can't wait to come back and visit again!

I could go on and on about how great Stagecoach Wine Tours was! It was truly the best experience…read morefor my birthday getaway. From the very beginning, Eric, the owner, was such a pleasure to work with. He was incredibly accommodating and flexible, especially since our Airbnb was located in a more mountainous area of Santa Barbara. Our driver, Tom, was absolutely fantastic. He was a great driver, extremely knowledgeable about the area and wineries, and shared so much interesting information throughout the day. Another great perk was that lunch was included, which made the day even more enjoyable and convenient. A great little unexpected touch was a stop at a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar stand between wineries. It was such a nice addition to the day and made the tour feel even more personalized. If you're looking for a stress free wine tour with wonderful communication, I highly recommend looking into Stagecoach Wine Tours. The pricing is great and it was truly an amazing experience. Will definitely be booking with them the next time I am in Santa Barbara/surrounding areas!

We had such an amazing time on our wine tour! Everything was so well-organized and the staff…read morecouldn't have been more accommodating. The wineries we visited were beautiful, and the whole day flowed perfectly! Very relaxed, fun, and full of great wine. Tom was the absolute best guide knowledgeable, friendly, and made everyone feel welcome. And a big thank you to Eric, the owner, for creating such a wonderful experience and making sure every detail was just right. You can tell how much pride he takes in what he does. If you're thinking about booking a tour, this is the one to go with. Top-notch service, great people, and an unforgettable day!

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!

SAME THING ONLY DIFFERENT…read more Ah... festivals. Always different. Always the same. Everything smells like weed. Except the guy standing in line beside me. He smells like sardines. And weed. Out-of-town dudes in man-buns crowd alongside pretty young women dressed vaguely like Native American princesses. Not sure Indians had bubble-gum flavored lip gloss though. Everyone is 'Gramming. A giant beach ball passes by with intention. The volume is concussive. The energy palpable. When the live music starts, I picture my 9th grade English teacher Mrs. Delaney, hands on her hips, shouting back grammar corrections. "Cause I'mma pimp you up" "'BE-cause I am GOING TO pimp you up', young man!" "Cold split you in two" "COLDLY split you INTO two!" "Then let you catch it in the du-rang" "OK not bad..." "Take the Bentley back to school" "YOU GOT THIS! WOOO!!" Good music, passionate people, and great alcohol-- the keys to success for all festivals. But after a while, an existential question rises out of the chili pot smoke... Use the filth-laden portable toilets, or risk sobering up too soon by discontinuing the refreshing beverage routine in the hot afternoon sun? Maybe we'll just go find sardine dude to pick up some herring-infused indo... Pro tip: Had a great time. We sampled a lot of chili dishes, enjoyed copious amounts of local beer and wine, and clapped a lot because... well like most white people, we have no idea what to do with our hands when we dance.

First timer and was hesitant because of the weather forecast, but glad I came!…read more It was outdoors in the camp grounds and surprisingly it was warm with a slight breeze and only sprinkled a little red here and there! There were many vendors just selling merch like novelty items, kitchen towels and trivets, jewelry, and soap. At the entrance there was a stage where a band played for the first half then a DJ took over for the second half! Music was great and the crowd was lively! A lot of the vendors say this was much bigger than last year. There were many vendors some large breweries we'll known breweries like SLO brew, Fig mountain and smaller local ones as well. Really enjoyed the sparkling rose and the rose from a veteran owned stall (there's a pic included). There were tastings for wine, seltzers, gin, and whiskey!! Each stand either had an entry in Chile verde, red chili, salsa, or alcohol - some stands were were entered in multiple areas. Some stands had toppings you could add like corn bread, sour cream, cheese, and onions and the chips were all served with the central coast favorite taco works tortilla chips! One chili that stood out for me was a ground turkey butternut squash one made by the rotary club - it was hearty and had a slight sweetness, didn't think I would have liked it but it was one of my tops! So at end of your tastings you vote on best choice! Overall would deff come here again!!

Cristi and Art Spot are so great! I am an SYV local but had never been to Grimm's Bluff so jumped…read moreat the chance to do a painting in the vineyard event for a little introduction. Grimm's Bluff is stunning with so many fantastic sites to paint. Art Spot chose their private lake with the mountains and a bit of Cachuma Lake (Cristi joked about it being a unique painting in the vineyard experience to not actually paint vines!). Stunning scene. But before we proceeded to our painting location, we enjoyed sampling a bit of rose and estate sage honey and olive oil, with a little primer about Grimm's Bluff. I had persuaded a friend to join and had told her that I had done a watercolor class at Kaena, where the scene was penciled in and we were instructed on how to mix paints and water and layer in the paint, but it was easy and fun - almost like a paint by numbers with a good glass of wine. So when we got to our painting spot, I was surprised and somewhat intimidated to see completely blank canvases on easels with a few globs of acrylic paint! But Cristi is a great instructor and leader, and made the experience so fun and comfortable (the liquid courage from Grimm's Bluff didn't hurt, either). She gave us detailed tips on color mixing, which brushes to use, and how to just jump in and start. She had an easel up front and led the way, showing us on her canvas what to do. It was a blast and each one of us produced surprisingly passable if not beautiful little canvases - each unique in its own way. I highly recommend Art Spot. I have zero training or natural ability but with Cristi's guidance, now have two cute little paintings (including my Kaena watercolor). There is no reason to be fearful or intimidated- Cristi makes it so anyone can pick up a brush and release their secret inner artist. It is a lovely activity to do with friends on a gorgeous SYV day.

The experience was so fun and the guidance was helpful - I walked away with a painting I was proud…read moreof! The venue was great and the group made it all the more enjoyable.

A must when in Solvang. Super fun and not pricy. The gentleman that runs the business was super…read morenice.

Amazing service and easy. Had a great time and got a lot of people's attention! Thanks for the funread more