Santa Barbara Travelers Recommend

With three days in Santa Barbara, you’ll get a chance to explore the area’s natural wonders, immerse yourself in the local art scene, hike rugged coastal trails, and watch the sunset from the beach—and still have time to venture into the surrounding wine country. Use this itinerary to help you make the most of your 3-day adventure.

Day One: City Highlights

Devote your first day to hitting the highlights of Santa Barbara, starting with the city’s most iconic attraction: the Old Mission. Dating to 1786, this Franciscan mission features Spanish colonial architecture, a year-round rose garden, and an on-site museum featuring nine rooms filled with art, artifacts, and period recreations.

From here, head downtown to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, which holds a collection of Victorian-era art along with sculptures, photographs, and other objects. The museum’s star attraction is the Portrait of Mexico Today, a mural created by Mexico’s famous David Alfaro Siquieros. To continue your exploration of art, check out some of the numerous galleries in the city’s Funk Zone neighborhood, which is equally known for its many local breweries and wine bars that showcase local treats. Finish off your day with dinner at Stearns Wharf, a pier chock-full of seafood restaurants with views over the harbor.

Day Two: The Natural World

Spend your day exploring Santa Barbara’s natural world. Start by learning about local ecosystems at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, which chronicles the animals, birds, insects, and aquatic life in the area—there’s even a to-scale replica of a blue whale skeleton.

Then, hop over to the Santa Barbara botanic garden to take in Southern California’s rich plant life. The garden includes more than five miles of trails offering up gorgeous coastal views. After your visit, grab a few picnic supplies and make your way to the beach: Area options include the 15-acre Shoreline Park, full of grassy areas and viewpoints, as well as Leadbetter Beach, a popular sunbathing and surfing spot loved by locals that makes a great place to watch the sun set into the Pacific Ocean.

Day Three: Santa Ynez Wine Country

Finish off a 3-day trip by visiting the Santa Barbara’s celebrated local wine country. While there are plenty of wine-rich areas in the greater region to visit, each with its own appellation, the Santa Ynez Valley typically beckons most first-timers.

The town of Santa Ynez itself offers plenty of tasting rooms, as does Los Olivios to the north. Bicycle tours appeal to active travelers, but anyone planning on doing a lot of drinking is better off joining a tour with a hired driver. While in the area, stop in Solvang, just west of Santa Ynez. This town, founded by Danish-Americans looking to escape the cold of the Midwest, is full of half-timbered architecture that seems far more Californian than Scandinavian, plus all sorts of Danish shops, restaurants, and bakeries.

With museums, Spanish colonial sites, and gorgeous coastline, Santa Barbara offers plenty to see and do. Fortunately, it’s compact enough that you’ll be able to get a taste of what this city has to offer in just one day. Here’s how.

Morning: Go Back in Time

Start off your morning with a visit to the Old Mission of Santa Barbara, a Franciscan mission built in 1786 and arguably the city’s most important historic site. Inside the property, visitors will find art and artifacts, recreations of period rooms (including a priest’s quarters and a kitchen), and gardens and courtyards. 

From the Mission, it’s a quick jaunt north to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History to experience its collection of exhibits detailing the natural life of the Santa Barbara region.

Afternoon: Head to the Beach

After visiting the museum, go straight down to Stearns Wharf to try out local seafood while taking in great views. Popular dining options include The Harbor Restaurant and the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company. 

From the wharf, make your way to Leadbetter Beach, a scenic stretch of sand that’s loved by sunbathing tourists and locals alike. Here you can learn how to surf or stand-up paddleboard. Alternatively, travel west to the 15-acre Shoreline Park, which mixes manicured parklands with rugged coastline and offers views of the Channel Islands in the distance.

Night: Take In Dinner and a Show

As night falls, grab an early dinner and then head to The Granada Theatre, located downtown on State Street. Dating to the early 20th century (and extensively renovated in the late 1990s), this historic theater hosts the bulk of the city’s important cultural events: The State Street Ballet, the Santa Barbara Choral Society and CAMA, the Opera Santa Barbara, and the Santa Barbara Symphony all operate out of the theater. 

If you’ve got energy leftover after a show, wrap up the evening with a trip to the Funk Zone, a trendy arts district full of art galleries, boutiques, breweries, and wine bars.

With two days in Santa Barbara, you’ll have time to learn about the natural and cultural history of the area, immerse yourself in the local art scene, and explore the outdoors. Here’s how.

Day 1: History and Culture

**Morning:**Spend your first morning in Santa Barbara learning about local history with a visit to the Old Mission, celebrated for its beautiful 18th-century colonial architecture and rooms full of historic artifacts. A short walk away the Museum of Natural History houses exhibits focused on the ecological life of Southern California.

**Afternoon:**In the afternoon, head to the trendy Funk Zone neighborhood for lunch at a wine bar or brewery, giving yourself plenty of time to browse the area’s numerous art galleries and boutiques. From here, make your way to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, known for its extensive collection of photography and European art.

**Night:**When night falls, visit Stearns Wharf to sample fresh seafood at one of the many restaurants that look out over the bay. After dinner, it’s worth catching a live theatrical, dance, or operatic performance at The Granada Theatre, a beautifully restored early 20th-century theater and ground zero for cultural life in Santa Barbara.

Day 2: Outdoor Exploration

**Morning:**Explore the great outdoors on your second day. Start with a visit to the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, a sprawling, 78-plus acre conservatory full of lush greenery, not to mention more than five miles of hiking trails that offer shoreline views. Save time by bringing a picnic lunch.

**Afternoon:**In the afternoon, go to the beach. Many first-timers make a beeline to the city’s most popular coastal spot, Leadbetter Beach, which is ideal for sunbathing and surfing. Another popular alternative is Shoreline Park, a 15-acre stretch of park and beach with views of the Channel Islands.

**Night:**Watching the sunset from the beach is a lovely way to wrap up your second day in Santa Barbara, but the best views are from right in the middle of the water. Guided kayak tours depart from the Santa Barbara Harbor—just don’t forget to bring your camera for a final shot of the sun dipping into the Pacific Ocean.

California sun, surf, and sand are tops at Santa Barbara beaches. With a balmy annual mean temperature of 72°F (22.2°C) and miles of coastline, the seaside town is a beach-lover's dream. Whether you are looking for a quiet snooze on the sand or to try out a new water sport, here are the Santa Barbara beaches you won’t want to miss.

West Beach

Located at the bottom of State Street, West Beach is a popular stop for visitors to Santa Barbara. Its proximity to the harbor means this beach isn’t ideal for ocean swimming, but the nearby West Beach Wading Pool is a great option for little ones looking to get wet.

East Beach

Enjoy the action on the famed beach volleyball courts or simply stretch out on the sand—in fact, East Beach is big enough for you to comfortably do both. The family-friendly beach is located next to Stearns Wharf, a perfect spot to grab an ice cream or bite to eat after a day in the sun.

Butterfly Beach

A favorite of locals, the west-facing position of Butterfly Beach makes it prime sunset-watching territory. The red-tile roof and Spanish colonial architecture of the historic Four Seasons Biltmore, located at the top of the beach, makes for an unforgettable vacation photo.

Leadbetter Beach

The gentle surf and long break at Leadbetter has earned it the silly nickname of Bed-Wetter Beach. While that epithet may dissuade hard-core surfers and thrill-seekers, it is perfect for surf lessons and beginner surfers.

Refugio State Beach

A 20-mile (32-kilometer) drive west of Santa Barbara on Highway 101 brings you to the Refugio State Beach, where palm trees line the beach and frame the coast. A favorite activity is taking a kayaking tour for a different view of the distinctive shoreline.

Known as the American Riviera for its coast, mountains, and pinot noir, Santa Barbara is chock full of family-run wineries and world-class wines, with tasting rooms dotting the landscape downtown and across Santa Barbara County. From choosing a favorite varietal to discovering new winemakers, here’s how to enjoy Santa Barbara wine country.

Must-Try Varietals

Popularized by the movie Sideways, which follows a wine lover around the Central Coast, pinot noir is the varietal of choice for most wine-tasting visitors to the Santa Barbara area. Modern versions of this elite wine are juicier while classic pinot noir is leaner on the palate, and you’ll find both at wineries around the region. Cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay are California musts—these two varietals practically built the modern industry. Grenache thrives in the chalky soil of the Santa Rita Hills and is developing a well-deserved reputation for its soft berry flavors. Up and coming varietals, such as viognier and syrah, are fun to try and express the full range of the offerings from the region’s soil and winemakers. Try them all for a complete Santa Barbara wine experience.

Must-Do Experiences

• Explore downtown Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone neighborhood on a walking tour that includes food and drink samples at local eateries, wineries, and maybe even a brewery or distillery.

• Enjoy Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez Valley wines,, a picnic lunch, and round-trip transportation on a guided Santa Barbara wine-tasting tour.

• Head out on a Santa Barbara Harbor kayak tour to explore the area’s pristine coastal waters and spot local and visiting marine life.

• For a special experience, opt for a Santa Ynez Valley wine tour that includes premium tastings, a 3-course picnic lunch, and estate winery visits.