What to book before you travel to Santa Barbara?

Most visits can be booked on the spot. A few sell out days ahead. Here they are, stop by stop, with what you can do without booking underneath. Keep the rest of your time free.

Trip length

Weekend One week Two weeks

3 activities to book · about €135 per person

Santa Barbara

Days 1-7

Days 1-7Old Mission Santa BarbaraThe 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.€15Book on GetYourGuide →

Days 1-7LotuslandThe 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.€60Book on GetYourGuide →

Days 1-7Channel Islands National ParkFive 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.€60Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: Santa Barbara County Courthouse · Stearns Wharf · Funk Zone · Inspiration Point · Solvang and the Santa Ynez Valley

All activities in Santa Barbara on GetYourGuide

Indicative prices per person, checked when written. The button opens the GetYourGuide search for the activity and the town, on the days of the stop once your dates are known. Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Frequently asked questions

How much do the activities to book in Santa Barbara cost?

€135 per person if you do them all, across 3 bookings. The most expensive is "Lotusland" at €60, the cheapest "Old Mission Santa Barbara" at €15. Prices checked when written: confirm them when you book.

What can you do in Santa Barbara without booking anything?

5 visits on this itinerary need no ticket or time slot, starting with Santa Barbara County Courthouse, Stearns Wharf, Funk Zone, Inspiration Point. They make up most of your days: booking ahead only concerns a handful of sites with limited places.

The rest of the trip

📒 The free printable Santa Barbara guide: itinerary, map, where to sleep→ 🗓️ Best time to visit Santa Barbara, month by month→ 🎟️ What to book: all our destinations→