Santa Barbara Trolley Tour in Santa Barbara booking from $28.00

Santa Barbara Trolley Tour

Overview

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 the Visitor Center located at 1 Garden St.

City: Santa Barbara

Thu 17 Jul

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Starting at $28.00

Make a reservation

Thu 17 Jul

Starting at $28.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Narrated Tour

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

What To Expect

Stearns Wharf

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

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.

Andree Clark Bird Refuge

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.

Butterfly Beach

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.

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

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

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.

Santa Barbara County Courthouse

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.

El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park

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.

Santa Barbara Waterfront

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.

Show 6 more stops

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Reviews (644)

Yessica_S

Apr 2021

I had planned a great day. It was the first time out with my family after staying locked in for Covid safety. First the instructions for the tickets were to collect the tickets in a different location then the pick up location for the tour. As my family and I walked back-and-forth looking for that location we weren’t able to find it. We went to the information booth where someone really nice told us that basically we just had to wait for the trolley and that we did not need to pick up the tickets elsewhere. I think the information when you reserve the tickets should be a little bit more clear as to how and where you need to go. So after all that we finally got into the trolley and began our tour, the information on the website also says a 90 minute tour. With this in mind, I was able to plan out the day for my family. WRONG! According to the 90 minute specification we should’ve been done by 3:30 at the latest from 2 PM to 3:30 PM however around 3:45 PM we were still at the missions stop. The driver not only took extra time but he also made it a point that he was going to give the riders time to linger through the mission even though we have fallen way behind schedule. I find this unprofessional because people have other things that they have reserved and so we were extremely late to our next event. My appointment was at 3:45 leaving a 15-20 minute cushion time just in case. But by 4 PM we were still on that tour! I think it’s safe to say that the tour was a complete disaster. My next appointment was so upset that my entire party showed up late we weren’t able to enjoy our evening there after because everything was pushed. I think part of your training should be keeping your drivers on schedule and letting them know that even if it’s the last ride of the evening as the guy had said countless times that you still have to remain with the schedule because people do have other plans and they need to stick to their schedules. It cost me extra money due to the delays of this driver and this is unacceptable. Not to mention the fact that I brought it to his attention that we were running behind and his remarks were, sorry this is how I do my rides. He not only seemed not to care that the customer was concerned about the schedule of the time, but also irritated with my question. Also maybe get a new driver all together he wasn’t just late in the timeframe but he was also horrible not really giving interesting facts or notable location information, he was obsessed with State Street which seem to come up even when we were way off State Street. I think he needs to either further educate himself in the architecture and landmarks of Santa Barbara or he just needs to work on State Street. I can say with no doubt that this was the worst tour I’ve ever done in my entire life. I would never recommend this to anyone save yourself some time and money and find another tour that’s more interesting. It looks like the ocean in land tours are a lot more fun.

Response from Host

Apr 2021

Thanks for the feedback, Yessica. We sincerely appreciate the points you've laid out for us. We're so sorry that our driver threw your evening off schedule, and that our tour didn't live up to both your expectations and ours. We will address these issues with the driver. Thanks again.

Steven_A

Apr 2021

The trolley driver was very good and very knowledgeable.We enjoyed the montecito and the mission cruise as well. Thank you very much we had a blast.

Response from Host

Apr 2021

We're so glad you had a good time! Thank you for hopping on board. We appreciate the feedback.

AhoyMatey5

Mar 2021

The tour was great. Nice weather, beautiful scenery and lots of interesting information about Santa Barbara. Online it says to redeem vouchers because they will not serve as a ticket but it turns out that is old information on the website so that is not necessary but definitely make a reservation because they fill up. The last tour of the day is 2:00 so the driver was able to give us a little extra time when we stopped at the SB Mission to take pictures and stretch our legs. If you sit in the open back half of the trolley it gets a bit windy so bring something to keep you warm until the weather warms up.

Response from Host

Apr 2021

Thank you so much for riding with us and providing some feedback! We're glad you enjoyed your time with us.

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Santa Barbara Trolley Tour

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