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.

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.

There’s hardly a better place to learn to surf than the Southern California locale of Santa Barbara, which offers fantastic weather year-round. During this 1.5-hour lesson, an expert instructor shows you how to stand up on your surfboard and balance, offering tips on how to catch the perfect wave while ensuring your safety in the water. Wetsuit and surfboard rental are included, and all skill levels are welcome.

Visitors who want a quick, fun overview of Santa Barbara's highlights will love this 90-minute trolley tour of the American Riviera. Drive past landmarks like the courthouse, the zoo, the Mission, and the Museum of Natural History. Learn about the town's culture and history from live commentary and note places that you might want to return to independently later.

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! IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE WALKING OR HEALTH ISSUES, please consider a private experience for your group. TOURS CAN EASILY BE MADE PRIVATE - please email, call or text us for more information regarding private experiences.

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.

Taste some of California's best wines on this tour of California’s Central Coast Wine Region. Enjoy breathtaking views on the way to Santa Ynez Valley on board a luxury passenger van. Our local guide will enhance your wine production knowledge while you tour our partner wineries. Admission to three wineries, lunch and snacks are included with this tasting tour.

Explore the Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country on this easy tour. Visit 2-3 wineries with our Wine Country Shuttle service, while learning about local history from one of our tour guides. Travel in comfort and style from your pickup in central Santa Barbara, onboard a luxury, air-conditioned van. Stop for a tasty lunch in whimsical Los Olivos.

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.

Get active in the Ojai Valley and beyond with friendly local guides who will take you hiking, biking or climbing. Depending on what you want to do, you can choose to enjoy a half day hike, bike ride or rock climb in various locations around the valley. Tailor your outdoor day however you like and your guides will ensure you have fun and stay safe with all the necessary equipment.

Environmentally conscious travelers will love the chance to tour Santa Barbara by e-bike. Instead of joining a wasteful bus tour or getting tired on a walking tour, hire an e-bike and zip around the city. See and do exactly what you want with e-bike hire ranging from one hour to one day. You'll be given a map and some local tips to help you find your way around.

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.

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. For your safety helmets are both required and provided on this bike tour.

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.

Have a real California surfing experience with a private instructor along the beautiful shoreline of Santa Barbara, California. This Viator tour will have you in the water, on a board, and hitting the waves. Never surfed before? No problem! This tour is open to all skill levels.

Take advantage of this eco-friendly option to see the town on a rickshaw tour with a local driver. Learn about the miniature Danish-style town of Solvang in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley. Enjoy the relaxing pace of this cute, quirky town. Learn about Danish history, Hans Christen Andersson, and Viking history.

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.