The 10 Best Hidden Gems Things to do in Santa Barbara, California (CA)

May 31, 2021 Lashaunda Abraham

Nestled between the shrub-covered slopes of the Santa Ynez Mountains and the clear blue shores of the Pacific Ocean, Santa Barbara is California at its best. Mission Santa Barbara is an example of 18th-century religious architecture, boasting beautiful grounds and a wonderfully detailed interior. Work up an appetite with a walk through Shoreline Park, then dine above the water on Stearns Wharf. Fig trees, parks, waterfalls, and botanical gardens round out Santa Barbara’s natural beauty.
Restaurants in Santa Barbara

1. Santa Barbara Hot Rod Limo

Excellent
92%
Good
5%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 212 reviews

Santa Barbara Hot Rod Limo

Santa Barbara Hot Rod Limo - The HOTTEST Ride in Town! It's the most unique and fun way to explore the city! Offering 1 and 2 hour narrated city tours of Santa Barbara & Montecito. With seating for 8 people, our open-air, eye-catching, HOT ROD LIMO is the most exciting way to see all the sights of Santa Barbara.

2. Sustainable Wine Tours

Excellent
98%
Good
1%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 660 reviews

Sustainable Wine Tours

Founded in 2007, Sustainable Wine Tours offers a one-of-a-kind, luxury wine tour experience for general wine enthusiasts looking to advance their knowledge and experience-base to the most discerning of wine connoisseurs. An owner-operated company, Sustainable Wine Tours provides unrivaled customer service as you journey into some of Santa Barbara County’s most coveted and hard to reach wine locales. Our tours grant you exclusive access to small production, private wineries, estates and vineyards where guests often meet the winery owner or winemaker while immersing themselves in the history, sights, smells and tastes of the region. Private and group tours are available to guests, who ride in luxury as they are chauffeured around wine country in either our Mercedes passenger van or our Tesla Model X full-size SUV.

3. Santa Barbara Adventure Company

Excellent
94%
Good
4%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 1,516 reviews

Santa Barbara Adventure Company

The Santa Barbara Adventure Company is the premier adventure travel outfitter on the central coast. We offer Santa Barbara kayaking & Channel Islands kayaking, surf lessons, wine country tours by van or bike, mountain biking, rock climbing and team building programs. Our knowledgeable and friendly guides offer exceptional service and share with you a side of the Santa Barbara area few visitors ever get to experience.

4. Taste Santa Barbara Food Tours

Excellent
96%
Good
2%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 304 reviews

Taste Santa Barbara Food Tours

A 3.5ish hour walking food and drink tour through Downtown Santa Barbara. Walk, eat, drink, have fun and learn about SB. Fun facts, culture, some architecture & history and of course food! This tasting tour is great for tourists AND locals. The tour is foodie tested and approved! Suitable for most ages, all fitness levels and pretty much anyone who has a pulse. Eat. Play. Love. Local. Private tours available upon request. They are a great way to celebrate most occasions! (Corporate and non corporate approved!) Due to COVID-19 tour sizes are limited to a min of 2 and max of 8 guests unless otherwise discussed. Guests must bring and wear masks. Private tours available almost everyday upon request.

5. Santa Barbara Bikes To-Go

Excellent
100%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
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Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 104 reviews

Santa Barbara Bikes To-Go

Santa Barbara Bikes-To-Go is Santa Barbara's premiere bike rental company! We do everything from Cruisers, Hybrids, Electric Bikes, Road Bikes, and Mountain Bikes. We proudly hold Santa Barbara's largest high-end carbon road bike fleet and full-suspension mountain bikes. Looking to ride the newest models from Specialized, Trek, Cannondale, and Orbea? Come swing by our bike shop in downtown Santa Barbara. For those looking to enjoy the coastal bike path and simply cruise our cruisers are only $10/hour or $35 for 24 hours! All of our all day rentals are 24 hours to maximize your fun and riding time. Our bike rentals come with just about anything you could need: Locks - Helmets - Maps - Water Bottles - all Included! Interested in a tour? check out Cal Coast Adventures! other questions? call us or visit the shop, we look forward to meeting you.

6. The Cube Escape Rooms

5775 Dawson Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93117-3716 +1 805-836-2823 [email protected] http://sbescaperooms.com
Excellent
93%
Good
3%
Satisfactory
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Poor
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Terrible
4%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 29 reviews

The Cube Escape Rooms

You’ve been taken captive and your future is at least uncertain! However, an opportunity arose, as the pirates celebrating their successful attack overdone a bit. Here’s your chance to exploit their temporary weakness and get out their ship. You will have to use many of your skills as the pirates secured the ship before starting their party. You have an hour to outwit them and free yourselves from their ship! Do you have what it takes to escape the room within an hour? Come & try The Cube!

7. Free Walking Tour Santa Barbara

Excellent
97%
Good
3%
Satisfactory
0%
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Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 172 reviews

Free Walking Tour Santa Barbara

Select from two free walking tours: The 2-hour guided Waterfront Tour where John Ummel, a long time retired resident will take you back in time relating interesting and entertaining stories of Santa Barbara's past with a particular focus on events occurring in or near the ocean or the 90 minute Funk Zone Tour, Santa Barbara's converted warehouse district now home to wine tasting rooms, brew pubs, art galleries and eateries. Both tours include optional wine tasting for $8 per person!

8. Cold Spring Tavern

5995 Stagecoach Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93105-9776 +1 805-967-0066 http://www.coldspringtavern.com
Excellent
64%
Good
28%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 581 reviews

Cold Spring Tavern

A popular mountain for hiking outside of Santa Barbara.

Reviewed By deakengv7 - Guerneville, United States

Surprised was able to secure a same-day reservation for lunch on a Friday since it's such a popular place. Great place to stop for lunch if you're traveling from SB to Los Olivos/Santa Ynez for wine-tasting. Mostly outside dining due to C19, but had just opened partial inside dining during our visit (10/23/2020). Two tri-tip french dips and a burger later (there were three of us) ~ stuffed! All tasty - good portions! Service leisurely, but accommodating. We were initially seated in a room where a large party was celebrating a special occasion that made it hard for us to carry on a conversation (no offense - they were a fun group!), and our server offered to move us. Very much recommend the Wild Game Black Bean Chili.

9. Karpeles Manuscript Library

21 W Anapamu St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101-3107 +1 805-962-5322 http://www.rain.org/~karpeles/sbafrm.html
Excellent
53%
Good
37%
Satisfactory
11%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 19 reviews

Karpeles Manuscript Library

10. Casa del Herrero

Santa Barbara, CA +1 805-565-5653 [email protected] http://www.casadelherrero.com
Excellent
76%
Good
21%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 177 reviews

Casa del Herrero

Tours are by reservation only on Wednesdays and Saturdays for those 10 years & older. Admission for the 90-minute, Docent-led tours is $25 per person. All tours are booked online via our website: http://casadelherrero.com/events/. Designated in 2009 as Santa Barbara's 4th National Historic Landmark, Casa del Herrero, built in 1925, stands today as one of the finest examples of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. The creative manifestation of St. Louis industrialist George Fox Steedman, Casa del Herrero (House of the Blacksmith) reflects the visionary passions of its 'dream team' of designers: reknowned architect, George Washington Smith, landscape architects Lockwood de Forest and Francis T. Underhill, and antiquarians Arthur Byne and Mildred Stapley, who also helped outfit the well-known Hearst Castle.

Reviewed By V4820YRnancya

Classic Spanish Revival House and Garden that were planned with each other in mind in 1925. The house has all of its original contents and the house and garden that have been cared for continually for 95 years. Wonderful docent gave us a fact filled tour full of anecdotes and personal tidbits. He and we were having such a good time we agreed to go over the regular hour and a half.

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