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

Wed 25 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $30.00

Make a reservation

Wed 25 Dec

Starting at $30.00

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
If wheelchair assistants is needed, please call our office 24 hours in advance (805) 965-0353.
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons

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 Harbor

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.

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Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Reviews (416)

TucsonTraveler54

Mar 2014

We often take trolley tours as a way to learn a lot about a new location without the hassle of driving. We took the first tour of the day on a beautiful, sunny day and it was fantastic. Our driver had a great sense of humor and it was evident he had researched the area and sights. He grew up in Santa Barbara which probably added to his expertise. The tour was about 1 1/2 hours long and we stopped at Mission Santa Barbara for about 20 minutes. Sightseers could get off at any of the dozen stops and catch the next trolley (about an hour later) to continue their journey. We ended up traveling from one end of Santa Barbara to the other and learned so much along the way.

Diane B

Jan 2014

Great tour of the city Santa Barbara and Montecito, Richard was very informative, polite and had lots of patience in answering questions. Great overview of the history of Santa Barbara and we saw so much of the city. And you can hop on and off! Definitely worth your time and money! Try it - I promise you will be very happy you took this tour!

Telegramsam88

Oct 2013

We arranged a trolley tour through princess cruises on Oct 9th. Beginning was a little tough for some as lots of people from ship booked it, as we were on first trolley the operator wanted to break a group up to make space for some more people, they had travelled from Britain and it got a little heated as the group wanted to sit together - tour guide said trolley was completely booked and someone would have to be kicked off, didn't think it was appropriate. In the end they stayed together and we got going. There is some history to learn of but really can't say anything stood out. Apparently Opera lives in area and a few other celebs but he don't say where, nor do they drive by any. Drove by lots of churches... We weren't able to get off anywhere except a church and at the end a shopping district. If we were to go back I think we would do a wine tour instead.