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

Mon 23 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $30.00

Make a reservation

Mon 23 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)

james_is_now

Dec 2011

Santa Barbara was our first stop during our three week tour of California/Nevada. We didn't know much about the town so took this tour as the trolley was at its pickup location near Stearns Wharf. We learnt and saw more of Santa Barbara taking this tour than we could have in the same time by ourselves. The tour takes in most of the important and interesting locations around the town and is a relaxing way to visit them. The tour was so interesting we only got off the trolley once at the Santa Barbara Mission to explore that. It is true that a tour is really made or broken by the guide, we fortunately had a guide who was not only humerus but also informative & knowledgeable. Overall, I think this is a must do tour if you are new to the area or just want to know a bit more about the history and personalities of Santa Barbara.

Fussy Mommy

Aug 2010

We had not planned on going on this tour but the bright red trolley was at the Mission after we finished the tour and my 7 year old wanted to ride it desparately so we asked the nice guy in the trolley if we could join in. The fee seemed a bit steep but my son was free with my ticket so for $19 we got this awesome two hour narrated tour of Santa Barbara and Montecito, my favorite part.Our guide was Richard and he took us all over and told us things we never would have known.

LDN_2009

Jul 2010

It's luck of the draw, but with tours the guide you end up with can be the difference between having a great time and a disappointing one. And we got a great guide and had a great tour. Honestly, and of course ignorantly, before going on this tour I questioned whether a relatively small place like Santa Barbara warranted a tour or whether it would hold my attention. But because of our charismatic, engaging, funny, friendly and slightly naughty tour-guide-come-bus-driver I was proven completely wrong. The tour was chocked full of history, celebrity gossip and personal experience from a guide who obviously loved his city. We did the whole route in one but you can jump off and rejoin as often as you like. Which adds to what is already a great value tour. One of the gems of our trip. A real find.