All Aboard Santa Barbara’s Original & Longest Running Trolley Tour and Charter Services See the American Riviera in 90 minutes Santa Barbara sightseeing at its finest on the original, fully narrated Santa Barbara Trolley Tour. For 30 years, we've been providing trolley tours in the Santa Barbara community. Join us as we visit local hot spots such as the Santa Barbara Courthouse, Santa Barbara Zoo, Museum of Natural History, the historic Santa Barbara Mission, and more, all fully narrated by our energetic and knowledgeable tour guides! Our pick up location is only a 10 minute walk from Stearns Wharf, at 1 Garden St.
In demand: 14 of the next 63 departures are already sold out.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 4.
Enjoy the seaside sights and sounds of Stearns Wharf, one of Santa Barbara’s most iconic landmarks. Named for builder John P. Stearns and located at the end of State Street, it is California’s oldest working wharf and the perfect spot to soak up the sun, salty breezes and stunning views of the impossibly blue Pacific. The Wharf was completed in 1872 and served the passengers and freight shipping needs of California’s south coast for more than 25 years. Today it’s one of Santa Barbara’s most visited attractions and a mainstay of the Waterfront district.
East Beach is a favorite spot for locals for volleyball (including pro tournaments), skating, paddle sports, art shows and just plain relaxing. It also has a great panoramic view of the Santa Barbara mountains.
Andrée Clark Bird Refuge is a 42-acre open space park that includes a 29-acre lake that is an artificially modified estuary that supports brackish wetlands. Three islands are located in the lake. The park provides passive recreation opportunities such as bird watching, hiking, and biking. Boating and fishing are prohibited, as is feeding the wildlife. The Bird Refuge is a scenic resource with views to and from scenic highways (East Cabrillo Boulevard and Highway 101) and provides a view of aquatic and terrestrial habitats.
Located in the chic and laid-back village of Montecito, Butterfly Beach is a favorite among Santa Barbara locals. The beach’s pristine shoreline is ideal for swimming, surfing and sunbathing, and its unique east-west orientation makes for some truly spectacular sunrises AND sunsets. Spend the better part of your day lounging with a good book, or venture into the ocean and take on the waves in a kayak. Keep your eyes peeled and you might even see a star or two—Montecito is home to several celebs. Whatever activities you include in your day by the sea, Butterfly Beach is the perfect setting.
The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History has a rich history dating back to 1876. Exhibits and collections change throughout the year to educate and entertain children and adults alike. Make sure to check out the iconic 73-foot Blue Whale skeleton displayed out front!
Old Mission Santa Barbara is a community of many parts, but one spirit. The Mission has served as a gathering place and spiritual home for many since its establishment in 1786. Today the Mission operations include a museum, gift shop, cemetery and mausoleum, and several historic gardens, as well as being the home to a community of Franciscan Friars on about 15 acres. The Mission is also home base for Saint Barbara Parish, which operates under the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the Santa Bárbara Mission Archive-Library, a separate Franciscan-sponsored non-profit, and a Novitiate which provides the first year of education for Friars in training from across the United States.
or a firsthand look at one of the country’s most beautiful public buildings, look no further than the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. Designed in the Spanish-Colonial style and completed in 1929, the fully operational Courthouse is an iconic Santa Barbara landmark with its distinctive four-faced clock tower, red tile roofs, elegant arches and verdant sunken garden and grounds. Through the self-guided tours, visitors can get a visual history lesson from the elaborate hand-painted murals, marvel at ornate wrought-iron chandeliers and climb to the top of the clock tower for an incredible panoramic view of Santa Barbara and beyond.
Located in downtown Santa Barbara, El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park (El Presidio SHP) is a 5 1/2-acre park that preserves the site of the last Spanish fortress, or presidio, founded in Alta (Upper) California in 1782. Two of the fort‘s original adobe buildings still exist and are open to the public — El Cuartel and the Cañedo Adobe.
At Santa Barbara Harbor you will find interesting stores, delicious seafood restaurants and the occasional celebrity yacht. Naturally sheltered by mountains and islands on a southward facing coastline, it is one of the best harbors in the world.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 146 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Santa Barbara Trolley Tour lasts about 1h 30min. The itinerary has 9 stops.
Prices start at $37 per person for this Santa Barbara experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, starting at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 2:00 PM.
Children aged 0–12 pay from $25, adults from $37.
It can: 14 of the next 63 departures are already sold out, so booking ahead is a good idea.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
The meeting point is Departs Thursday - Monday at 1 Garden st. Departure times are 10:00am, 12:00pm and 2:00pm. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 4 participants.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Confirmation is sent by the operator within 24 hours of booking.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
This is a great way to see an overview of Santa Barbara! Our guide Chuck was informative and friendly. The only thing I would wish for is a working bathroom nearby if you are early and waiting. Will recommend the trolley to others for sure.
Great way to get a quick intro to Santa Barbara. There's allot of things to do in the area and this tour helps scout for your interests. The pickup location is beautiful so if you want to come early or stay late there's plenty to see. I came early for the 10am slot and walked to Stearns Wharf and I stayed late to walk to the Lucky Penny for lunch.
A great tour with little commitment. Only 90 mins but we could have stayed on the Trolley! Chuck our driver was so much fun and knowledgeable ! He made the experience! A really good tour!
Our driver/guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. His presentation was excellent. The tour was great.
Nice way to see the town! Pickup location very convenient. Tour guide was informative, knowledgeable and personable.
It was so Beautiful sightseeing The Driver so sorry I forgot hus name but he is so Knowledgeable all around these historical City ..he never misses anything ..I learned so much ..now we are exploring our self coz we know where to go and what place to see.the Trolley itself so clean and smooth ride 😀 😎 😉
Fun experience to see the sights Our driver was fun and informative. We recommend this to everyone who is visiting.
Recommend change protocols to give individuals whom have paid and have tickets from online, loading priority versus individuals whom purchasing at trolley whom may delay departure due to transactions on-site.
This could have been a great experience, however, the 12pm tour guide/driver ruined the experience. He began the tour by insulting the predominantly Black female audience. One of the first comments was leave who you are at home and try to immerse yourself in Santa Barbara, a place you will never be able to live. ALMOST a direct quote. That message was reoccurring throughout the tour. In looking back, I wish I’d recorded him as perhaps he believed we did not catch on to his constant insults and innuendos. He created a negative vibe and antagonized several human beings into retaliatory comments. I am seeking a refund as it was everything less than enjoyable. The last 30 minutes was a s show, very uncomfortable and unfortunately a hostile environment where nothing HE said was heard. The tour guide/driver should take complete responsibility for a very unsafe and traumatic experience.
Tour guide was upbeat and really knew the area. I have recommended this tour to my friends and family. It made my trip by giving me lots of places to explore.
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara Trolley Tour | 1h 30min | 4.6 (922) | $37 | |
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 The ORIGINAL Downtown Santa Barbara Walking Food & Drink Tour | 3–4 hours | 4.9 (553) | $175 | View |
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 Spooky Solvang Ghost Hunting & History Tour | 1h 45min | 4.9 (329) | $55 | View |
 Small-Group Wine Tour in Santa Barbara to Exclusive Vineyards | 7 hours | 5.0 (301) | $235 | View |
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