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Santa Barbara's Beginnings: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

Santa Barbara's Beginnings: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

Overview

Are you looking for a way to see downtown Santa Barbara without joining a tour group? Explore at your own pace with this affordable walking tour.

• Find out if Santa Barbara really is California’s answer to the French Riviera on this walking tour through the idyllic seaside city
• Hear from producer Mindy Flanagan, who co-founded Tour Freely with her husband, Jerry
• Do it all in 75 minutes or linger at stops along the way with complete control over when you start and finish
• Get unlimited use before your booking date and after it
• Use the virtual tour option at home

Once you’ve booked, you’ll receive a ticket with instructions and a unique code listed under “Before You Go”. Then simply install the VoiceMap app and enter your code.

The app displays directions to the starting point, and when you’re in the right place, just pop in your headphones and tap start. VoiceMap has automatic GPS playback, with turn-by-turn directions. It also works offline.

City: Santa Barbara

Sun 23 Feb

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $9.99

Make a reservation

Sun 23 Feb

Starting at $9.99

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata

VoiceMap app for Android and iOS

Lifetime access to this tour in English

Additional Info

Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Please note: You won't be guided through any museums or other attractions mentioned en route. If you choose to enter and visit such places, you'll need to pay for it independently of this tour.
All of VoiceMap's audio tours are self-guided and users must bring their own smartphone and headphones to take the tour. We urge all our users to wear facemasks and carry hand sanitiser with them to ensure their own protection and the protection of others.

What To Expect

Alameda Park

Starting on the corner of Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden and Alameda Park, you’ll learn about Santa Barbara’s early roots.

Trinity Episcopal Church

Pass by Trinity Episcopal Church and hear more about Santa Barbara's rich history.

Arlington Theatre

Santa Barbara Museum of Art

Take in some of Downtown’s most iconic landmarks including Hotel Californian, Lobero Theatre, Hotel Santa Barbara, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art

Hill-Carrillo Adobe

I’ll tell you about the Chumash natives who lived here more than 9,000 years ago, and the city’s dramatic transformation when Spanish explorers Juan Cabrillo and Sebastian Vizcaino arrived here in the 1500s.

Lobero Theatre

Take in some of Downtown’s most iconic landmarks including Hotel Californian, Lobero Theatre, Hotel Santa Barbara, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art

El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park

Appreciate one of the city’s most important historical sites, the El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park.

Santa Barbara Historical Museum

Gaze at one of the city’s oldest structures, the Covarrubias Adobe, situated next to the Santa Barbara Historical Museum.

Moreton Bay Fig Tree

Listen to the story of the 150-year-old Moreton Bay Fig Tree.

Funk Zone

Hear how the Funk Zone got so funky and discover the city’s alluring Urban Wine Trail, covering over 20 wineries.

Stearns Wharf

As you wind your way across State Street to Stearns Wharf where our tour ends, I’ll tell you about the disastrous 1925 earthquake that destroyed the area, and how influential activists with a vision put policies in place to preserve the remarkable beauty of the historical downtown district.

Show 8 more stops

Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Reviews (2)

csegobia

Dec 2022

I enjoyed how the tour was laid out in such an easier to follow manner, and the history on the churches, theaters and other points of reference was enlightening and I learned so much about Santa Barbara, I did not know, and that you end at the scenic and happening Stearns Wharf was great!

melindasM8095NW

Dec 2022

Very interesting and informative experience. The tour covers the town's history and takes you to many points of interest throughout. If a particular site bears more investigation, or you just need a break, it is easy to pause the tour and resume at any time. Definitely recommend it!