Santa Barbara
A city of 88,000 people squeezed between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific, rebuilt entirely in Spanish Colonial style after the 1925 earthquake: white walls, red tiles, patios and a Franciscan mission from 1786. 45 minutes away lie the pinot noir vineyards of the Santa Ynez Valley; offshore, the wild islands of a national park reached by boat.
By PierrickLocal Guide ★8 · 14M+ views on Google MapsBy PierrickLocal Guide ★8 · 14M+ Maps views
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Santa Barbara · Photo Juan Montes / Pexels
Things to do in Santa Barbara in 4 days
Day 1
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The tenth of California's 21 Franciscan missions, founded in 1786, with a twin-towered church of 1820, a small museum, a cemetery where thousands of Chumash lie and gardens overlooking the ocean.
💡 Come in the morning, before the tour coaches, then walk down to the municipal rose garden opposite. Open from 9.30 am to 5 pm Monday to Saturday and from 12.30 pm on Sunday, last ticket at 4 pm. Price: $17, about €15, adults; $12, about €10, ages 5 to 17.
imke.sta / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)Learn moreMore
A working courthouse completed in 1929, one of the finest public buildings in the country, with Andalusian arcades, painted ceilings, the Mural Room and a clock tower giving 360-degree views.
💡 Go up to El Mirador by lift or stairs, it is the best view in the city. A free one-hour guided tour leaves from the Mural Room daily at 2 pm, and also at 10.30 am on weekdays, without booking. Price: free.
Archinia / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)Learn moreMore
A former warehouse district between the freeway and the beach, now the heart of the Urban Wine Trail, with some twenty winery tasting rooms, murals, breweries and galleries.
💡 Do the rounds on foot, no car needed: Amtrak drops you two streets away. Allow around $20-30, about €17-26, for a tasting of four or five wines, often waived if you buy bottles. Price: free to wander.
Day 2
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The 15-hectare Montecito garden created from 1941 by the Polish opera singer Ganna Walska, a series of themed gardens with spectacular cacti and succulents, visited by reservation only.
💡 Visits are by reservation only, Wednesday to Saturday, at set times in the morning and early afternoon, and the garden closes in winter: book weeks ahead on the official website, as places go fast. Price: $70, about €60, adults.
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The oldest working wharf in California, built in 1872 at the foot of State Street, lined with seafood restaurants and offering views of the bay, the mountains and the islands.
💡 Come at sunset, then walk or cycle up to the marina, where the fishermen sell their catch on Saturday mornings. Hire a bike or a surrey, a pedal car, on Cabrillo Boulevard. Price: free access.
Damian Gadal / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)Learn moreMore
A rocky lookout in the Santa Ynez Mountains, 5.6 km round trip from Tunnel Road, climbing through chaparral to sandstone slabs with views over the city, the coast and the islands.
💡 Set off before 9 am: the car park at the end of Tunnel Road is tiny and the slope is in full sun. Carry two litres of water, and watch out for poison oak and rattlesnakes along the trail. After heavy rain, the Mission Creek ford can be difficult. Price: free.
Day 3
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A valley of ranches, oaks and dozens of wineries made famous by Sideways, with the Danish town of Solvang, founded in 1911, its windmills and bakeries, and the 1804 Mission Santa Inés.
💡 Choose a designated driver or book a guided winery tour: the valley roads are winding and drink-driving checks are frequent. The wines of the Sta. Rita Hills, west of Buellton, are the most highly regarded pinot noirs. Price: tastings are paid at the wineries.
Ligocsicnarf89 / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Day 4
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Five wild islands with no roads or hotels, reached by boat from Ventura, where Santa Cruz offers cliff trails, sea caves to explore by kayak and the island fox found nowhere else.
💡 Book the Island Packers boat, the park concessionaire, from Ventura Harbor; the crossing takes about an hour. Bring water, a picnic and a windproof jacket, as there is nothing to buy on the island, and landings are cancelled in rough seas. Price: free park entry; boat to Scorpion Anchorage $70, about €60, adult round trip.
Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)"Book" (hotels) and "via GetYourGuide" (activities) are affiliate links (Booking, GetYourGuide). Prices, times and distances are approximate.
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Good to know before you go
🍽️ Must-try food
Burgers and barbecue
brisket and ribs cooked low and slow, done differently in every state.
Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl
the classic lunch on the San Francisco waterfront.
Mexican food
tacos from a truck in Los Angeles, a Mission burrito in San Francisco.
Pancakes and weekend brunch
a national habit, generous to the point of excess.
Craft beer, and California wine from Napa and Sonoma.
Dishes to look for in the good places: Santa Barbara.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Tipping is not optional: add 15 to 20% in restaurants and bars.
- Prices on menus and in shops exclude sales tax, which is added at the till.
- Do not plan more than four or five hours of driving a day: the distances are larger than they look on the map.
- Never travel without health insurance. A night in hospital can cost thousands of dollars.
- In summer, do not hike down into the Grand Canyon in the heat of the day: the climb back out is where people get into trouble.
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The little details that make all the difference once you're there.
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