Santa Barbara Funk Zone Food and Photo Tour

Overview

Eat your way through the Funk Zone - Santa Barbara's hip, new 'hood - while learning about local culture and how to take great food photos.

This food & photo tour starts on lower State Street and will walk you through the Funk Zone neighborhood where you will taste what Santa Barbara is known for with bites of fresh seafood, gastropub creations, Mexican food, artisan beer, and locally grown wines several different locations. Along the way, you’ll get immersed in the local culture and hear interesting stories about each place you’ll visit.

You’ll also learn easy-to-shoot photo tips from your pro tour guide and take your food photo skills to the next level using your smartphone’s camera app. By the end of your 3 hour tour, you’ll be eating like a local and shooting like a pro!
(Please note: we cannot accommodate shellfish allergies, vegan or celiac restrictions at this time. However, we only have one shellfish/seafood tasting on the tour.)

City: Santa Barbara

Wed 25 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $135.00

Make a reservation

Wed 25 Dec

Starting at $135.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Local guide

Wine tasting

Beverages

Food tasting

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Infant meals not included
Minimum drinking age is 21 years
Not recommended for vegan or celiac dietary restrictions. Shellfish allergies cannot be accommodated, but will only miss out partially on one tasting.
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Regular temperature checks for staff
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
We are still adhering to all current guidelines for Santa Barbara County. Please do a quick online search for "mask mandate Santa Barbara County" so you can stay in-the-know for your trip! We will also be updating all our guests on any COVID guideline changes as is needed.

What To Expect

Funk Zone

Begin your 3-hour Santa Barbara walking food tour at a central location in the Funk Zone, located near lower State Street. This region once housing warehouses and scuba shops — now revitalized into a bustling neighborhood of hip eateries, wine-tasting rooms, and artist studios — is where you’ll meet your guide for an afternoon food tasting and photo tour. Set out on foot at a moderate pace as your guide shares insights into Santa Barbara’s history and burgeoning art culture. Keep your smartphone ready so you can practice the helpful photo tips your guide offers along the way. You'll have many opportunities to take food photos and colorful portraits in the lively Funk Zone. Along the way, your guide stops for food & drink tastings (all included) at restaurants, a wine bar/bakery, & one microbrewery. Learn how to properly position your food for the best photos as you sample local fare. After your tour you can continue to explore and capture this fun & funky neighborhood on your own.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (93)

DayTrip173313

Mar 2020

Our tour guide Christy was knowledgable and patient with our kids. We enjoyed all the stops. Highly recommend!

Response from Host

Jun 2020

Thanks for your review! Glad you and your kids had a good time with us!

Sal_A

Feb 2020

Our guide, Christy, a friendly person and became a friend to us. Her knowledge of area made walking the zone much more enjoyable to entire group. She brought group together by having a go around with each person doing intro and little info on them selfs.

Response from Host

Jun 2020

Thank you for your review! Glad you had a good time with us!

S2156ARmarcg

Feb 2020

What a fun time! My wife and I took the Funk Zone tour during a brief vacation in Santa Barbara. There are other food tour companies in the Santa Barbara area, but we selected this one because of the photography aspect of it. It did not disappoint. The tour took us to eight different venues, a nice mix of restaurants plus wine and beer tasting rooms. Although it was a well paced walk that adhered to a schedule, it felt relaxed and leisurely, but always interesting and engaging. On the strolls between sites, the discussions about local streets and architecture were fascinating. At each stop, there was interesting discussion about the food, plus useful tips for making engaging food pictures. The tips tend to be geared toward smart phones, but bring any camera you are comfortable using. Our guide was Keith. His was originally a chef, so he was very knowledgeable about the local restaurants, but also about food and the industry in general. As a Santa Barbara local, he was full of facts and insights about Santa Barbara history and culture. He made the entire experience fun, friendly, engaging, interesting. He was by far one of the most fun tour guides I have ever made the rounds with. The tour was paced out over about 3 hours. None of the stops served a full meal, just samples or small bites comparable to ordinary appetizers. But, with eight stops over 3 hours at midday, it felt like a full lunch, and we were not hungry for dinner until much later that evening. We paid $99 each for the tour, and when you consider that it included multiple small plates from good restaurants, plus wine and beer, plus a knowledgeable and engaging chaperone, it was well worth it. A comparable meal sitting down at a single restaurant would have been comparable, without the extra company, fun, and sightseeing. Highly recommended.

Response from Host

Feb 2020

What a wonderful review! We are so happy that you had a great time on the tour with Keith. We hope to see you again on our other tour in Solvang. Thanks again! -Andrew Doran Operations Manager