Top Santa Barbara Outdoor Activities

Get another perspective on the southern California coast during this leisurely kayak tour in Santa Barbara. Learn the basics of kayaking from your guide, and hear about Santa Barbara’s natural history and marine life during your tour. Includes use of all kayaking gear.

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.

Explore Santa Barbara by electric bike, covering plenty of ground on a morning or afternoon excursion. Ride your easy-to-use beach cruiser to key landmarks such as State Street and the Santa Barbara Mission as your knowledgeable guide shares the city’s history during this Santa Barbara bike tour. Have your camera ready as you glide along the renowned Pacific coastline. Numbers are limited to five people, ensuring personalized attention and a small-group experience.

This private Santa Barbara kayaking tour lets you explore the marine life and landmarks of Santa Barbara Harbor and the spectacular coastline on the ‘American Riviera’ along one of four different routes. Take in views of rugged shoreline cliffs and the Santa Ynez Mountains, and be on the lookout for dolphins and seals. This 1.5- to 2.5-hour tour is led by an experienced kayak guide who points out natural features and customizes the speed of the ride according to your skill level.

Avoid the stuffy minivans and tour buses that go from winery to winery; instead, enjoy the wind in your hair as you cycle around the picturesque Santa Ynez Valley on this charming cycling tour. Head out from Los Olivos and explore the parks, villages and rural landscapes of the Valley. Enjoy a pair of wine tastings and sample locally-grown, locally-produced food at local farms and vineyards.

Learn all about Santa Barbara’s spookiest ghost stories and supposedly haunted highlights—and enjoy top-rated local wine as part of the experience—on this two-in-one, small-group tour. Meet your guide right at an area winery, indulge in sips and samples, and listen to their tales of paranormal encounters. Then embark on a walking tour around town, from El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park to City Hall and Chinatown.

Eat delicious lunch food, drink great drinks and learn about downtown Santa Barbara on this 3.5ish-hour walking tour. Indulge your palate for a few hours with sipping, sampling, and savoring. You will enjoy food from 5-6+ local eateries, 1-2 wine tastings or 1 wine tasting plus another alcoholic beverage (depends on the day, it could be wine, beer or a cocktail). Go where locals like to go. This fun, informative and local walking lunch tour is sure to pleasantly fill you up and entertain the whole family. Great for a daytime activity and awesome way to learn about other places to eat and drink on your visit! TOURS CAN EASILY BE MADE PRIVATE - please email, call or text us for more information regarding private experiences. IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE WALKING OR HEALTH ISSUES, please let us know, we do occasionally offer slower paced tours or please consider a private tour experience to meet your comfort level.

Santa Barbara Wine Country is one of California’s most diverse wine-growing regions, renowned for its Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Sauvignon Blanc. Enjoy a leisurely afternoon exploring the vineyards, orchards, and olive groves on this half-day bike tour. Along the way, stop to sample a variety of red and white wines, as well as local olive oils and chocolates, and learn more about the region’s wine-making heritage.

A beautiful, scenic tour of California’s Central Coast Wine Region perfect for any wine lover! This Santa Ynez wine tour features tastings are three local wineries, lunch in the Santa Ynez Valley*, door-to-door shuttle service and a knowledgeable guide for the day. Wineries visited will vary based on availability. Your guide will discuss local history and insights into the Santa Ynez wine region along the way. *Please Note: Lunch is not included on Saturdays or Sundays due to winery restrictions on weekends. There will be lunch options available for purchase at the wineries.

Our Wine Country Shuttle service allows you to experience 2-3 wineries at your leisure for the day. At each winery you can opt to purchase a tasting or enjoy wine by the glass or bottle. Food options will be available for purchase either at the wineries or in the quaint town of Los Olivos. If you want to explore the breadth and diversity that the Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country has to offer this is the tour for you! Our incredible guides will offer interpretation & history about the Santa Ynez Valley throughout the day.

Explore Santa Barbara's wine country on a private tour for just you and your group of friends or family. You'll visit four wineries for wine tastings of different varietals, plus enjoy a provided lunch. Up to 14 people can be accommodated with pickup and drop-off in Santa Barbara or surrounding towns.

Your guides Ian & Stacy will provide scenic 2-3 hour hikes, 2-2.5 hour bike rides, 3-3.5 hour rock climbs and 1 hour tennis lessons throughout the beautiful Ojai Valley and beyond. They use the finest equipment, provide transportation, snacks and water for all activities and add personal touches: from meeting you at your hotel, suggesting hotel and dinner options, offering referrals to other fun activities to recommending ‘not-to-miss’ Ojai places and moments. 2 people minimum required for signup..

Explore the ocean views and city sights of Santa Barbara on an electric bike! Capable of speeds up to 20 mph and a range of 25 - 75 miles! These bikes make your sight seeing a breeze! These fun-filled ebikes will help you see more of the city than you expected all without breaking a sweat!

Ride through the towns and vineyards of the Santa Ynez Valley wine region on this bike tour with transport from Santa Barbara. With a guide, you'll pedal a Rad Power E-bike or Specialized Sport bike to a winery and other spots for wine tastings, an olive-oil tasting, and an Italian-inspired picnic lunch. A bike tour allows you to enjoy better views of the scenery than from inside a car, and three different distance options are offered to suit your ability and preference.

Get around Santa Barbara with a 1- or 2-day bicycle rental that provides three options: an electric, mountain or hybrid bike. You can cover a lot of ground, including the city streets and coastline, without even pedaling, or explore the nearby hills or Santa Ynez Mountains on a mountain bike. Opt for a hybrid bike if you want to experience the speed of a road bike combined with the stability of a cruiser. Choose from a selection of models appropriate for both beginning riders and those with more advanced skills.

If you've always wanted to learn how to surf—or you're an amateur looking to bolster your skills—there's no better place to hit the waves than Santa Barbara, one of the top surf towns in California. With this group surf lesson, expect to hit the waves and improve your skills, regardless of experience level. Beginners can cover the basics, like paddling and catching a wave, while more confident surfers can review advanced skills, like cutbacks and floaters.

Follow an experienced guide on a 1.5-hour mountain bike tour over Santa Barbara’s scenic terrain. Select a beginner or intermediate route according to your skill level, and ride over coastal bluffs and through lovely meadows. Enjoy fantastic photo ops of renowned Southern California landscapes on this small-group tour, limited to eight people to ensure a more personalized experience.

Enjoy an active way to explore Santa Barbara’s scenic coast—and set off at a time that works best for you—with this flexible rental option. Reserve your slot in advance; choose a single kayak, a tandem kayak, or a stand-up paddleboard; and head to the rental center at West Beach. After a brief introduction to your equipment, grab a life vest and paddle and head out on the water.

We pride ourselves on carrying Santa Barbara's easiest kayak and paddleboard experience as the only rental and tour company on West Beach. We also prioritize keeping our inventory up to date with the highest-end kayak and paddleboard gear you can find. Most importantly, our friendly tour guides and beach staff will be happy to answer any questions as they help assist you and the family into your ocean adventure!

Learn to SUP, or stand-up paddleboard, in Santa Barbara during a 1.5-hour lesson at Leadbetter Beach. No matter your skill level, you’ll learn to stand up and kneel down, balance and paddle as you’re accompanied onto the water. A wetsuit is provided for this all-weather outdoor activity that gives you a glimpse of marine life and the Santa Barbara coastline. Your lesson is limited to 18 people to ensure more personalized attention from the expert instructor.

Explore California’s gorgeous coast on a scenic kayak tour. With a knowledgeable, experienced guide leading the way, bring the whole family and navigate Santa Barbara’s picturesque waterfront. Learn about the region's history and wildlife, admire the rugged coastal mountains, and watch for pelicans and egrets, dolphins and sea lions. You may even see a family of gray whales on its annual migration.

An open-air, eco-friendly bicycle rickshaw (pedicab) ride with a knowledgeable, friendly driver is the perfect way to get to know Solvang for the first time, or find out things you never knew about your favorite little Danish town nestled into the Santa Ynez Valley!

Paddle off for some adventure and wildlife spotting during this kayaking trip along the shores of Refugio State Beach near Santa Barbara. Float along the Gaviota Coast, one of the last undeveloped, open sections of the California shore, stopping to look at underwater kelp beds and search for dolphins. You’ll cap it all off with lunch on a secluded beach plus swimming and kayaking games. A guide, lunch and all gear is included.

The only tour in Santa Barbara that takes you on the sand of our famous beaches on your very own fat tire electric bike! Prepare to take in Santa Barbara's most stunning oceanfront views as you glide in between the waves and the palm trees. This Electric Bike Tour involves riding on the beach as well as biking through town on the boardwalk and downtown promenade. If you're looking for the must-do activity that shows you everything Santa Barbara has to offer this is the bike tour for you.