Downtown Santa Barbara Travel Guide

Santa Barbara
Photo provided by Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau and Film Commission/Jay Sinclair
Photo provided by Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau and Film Commission/Jay Sinclair

Popular places to visit

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Santa Barbara County Courthouse

4.5/5(11 reviews)

See the best views of Santa Barbara and enjoy a stunning variety of architectural styles at the city’s historic courthouse.

Santa Barbara County Courthouse
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Arlington Theater

Enjoy a show at Arlington Theater, a popular theatre in Santa Barbara. Stroll along the area's waterfront or experience its lively festivals.

Arlington Theater
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Paseo Nuevo Mall

4/5(1 review)

You can enjoy retail therapy at Paseo Nuevo Mall during your stay in Santa Barbara. Wander the area's beautiful beaches or simply enjoy one of its top-notch restaurants.

Paseo Nuevo Mall
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Presidio Santa Barbara

5/5(5 reviews)

You can study the exhibits at Presidio Santa Barbara, a museum with a story of its own, during your trip to Santa Barbara. Stroll along the area's seaside or simply savour its top-notch restaurants.

Presidio Santa Barbara
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Santa Barbara Historical Museum

You can study the exhibits at Santa Barbara Historical Museum, a museum with a storied past, during your holiday in Santa Barbara. Wander the area's beautiful beaches or simply enjoy one of its top-notch restaurants.

Santa Barbara Historical Museum
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Santa Barbara Museum of Art

4/5(1 review)

You can study the exhibits at Santa Barbara Museum of Art, a museum with a story of its own, during your travels to Santa Barbara. Wander the beautiful beaches and seaside in the area.

Santa Barbara Museum of Art

Things to do

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Santa Barbara: Sparkling Wine Walking Tour

฿4,757
Per adult
Santa Barbara: Sparkling Wine Walking Tour
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Santa Ynez Wine Country Shuttle

฿4,475
Per adult
Santa Ynez Wine Country Shuttle
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Private Taco Tasting in Santa Barbara by Walking

฿97,505
Per adult
Private Taco Tasting in Santa Barbara by Walking
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Downtown Santa Barbara: A Choco-Vino Adventure

฿12,451
Per adult
Downtown Santa Barbara: A Choco-Vino Adventure
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Private Santa Barbara History and Architecture Walking Tour

฿3,489
Per adult
100% of travellers recommend
Private Santa Barbara History and Architecture Walking Tour
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Santa Barbara Electric Bike Tour

฿3,348
Per adult
100% of travellers recommend
Santa Barbara Electric Bike Tour
See all activities in Santa Barbara

Top hotels in Downtown Santa Barbara

Best Western Plus Pepper Tree Inn
Best Western Plus Pepper Tree Inn
3 out of 5
3850 State St, Santa Barbara, CA
The price is ฿5,103 per night from 3 Jun to 4 Jun
฿5,103
per night
3 Jun - 4 Jun
Stay at this business-friendly hotel in Santa Barbara. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free parking and 2 outdoor pools. Our guests praise the pool and the helpful staff in ...
8/10 Very Good! (1,004 reviews)
"Beautiful hotel. The only negative was the pool was not available due to renovations. Did not know about this until we arrived."

Reviewed on 29 May 2024

Best Western Plus Pepper Tree Inn
Hotel Santa Barbara
Hotel Santa Barbara
3 out of 5
533 State St, Santa Barbara, CA
The price is ฿7,590 per night from 4 Jun to 5 Jun
฿7,590
per night
4 Jun - 5 Jun
Stay at this 3-star business-friendly hotel in Santa Barbara. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, room service and a 24-hour fitness centre. Our guests praise the helpful staff ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (973 reviews)
"Hotel is clean and somewhat quiet during the weekdays. Weekends is pretty loud due to being located in a busy area and bar scene at night."

Reviewed on 23 May 2024

Hotel Santa Barbara
Drift Santa Barbara
Drift Santa Barbara
3.5 out of 5
524 State St, Santa Barbara, CA
The price is ฿8,712 per night from 5 Jun to 6 Jun
฿8,712
per night
5 Jun - 6 Jun
Stay at this 3.5-star hotel in Santa Barbara. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, breakfast (surcharge) and parking (surcharge). Popular attractions Stearns Wharf and Santa Barbara ...
8.2/10 Very Good! (247 reviews)
"Beautiful hotel, great service!"

Reviewed on 30 May 2024

Drift Santa Barbara
Kimpton Canary Hotel, an IHG Hotel
Kimpton Canary Hotel, an IHG Hotel
4 out of 5
31 W Carrillo St, Santa Barbara, CA
The price is ฿10,312 per night from 2 Jun to 3 Jun
฿10,312
per night
2 Jun - 3 Jun
Stay at this 4-star business-friendly hotel in Santa Barbara. Enjoy a rooftop terrace, breakfast (surcharge) and room service. Our guests praise the pool and ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (1,000 reviews)
Great Dog Friendly Hotel
"Really enjoyed our stay, we brought along our 110lb pitbull mix & they’re were very welcoming were most places would not be. Everything from the room to the rooftop events were great! Really enjoyed the location, close to state street but on the quieter side of things."

Reviewed on 30 May 2024

Kimpton Canary Hotel, an IHG Hotel
Hotel Virginia Santa Barbara, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
Hotel Virginia Santa Barbara, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
3 out of 5
17 W Haley St, Santa Barbara, CA
The price is ฿9,017 per night from 9 Jun to 10 Jun
฿9,017
per night
9 Jun - 10 Jun
Stay at this 3-star hotel in Santa Barbara. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, breakfast (surcharge) and room service. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (1,001 reviews)
"Over all it’s a good experience to stay at this place. Staffs are wonderful. Thank you"

Reviewed on 23 May 2024

Hotel Virginia Santa Barbara, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
Haley Hotel
Haley Hotel
3.5 out of 5
26 E Haley St, Santa Barbara, CA
The price is ฿7,027 per night from 9 Jun to 10 Jun
฿7,027
per night
9 Jun - 10 Jun
Stay at this 3.5-star hotel in Santa Barbara. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free bicycles on-site and parking (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful staff in their reviews. ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (436 reviews)
"It was so cute, and the people were very nice! Loved the decor!"

Reviewed on 20 May 2024

Haley Hotel
See all 1,433 properties in Downtown Santa Barbara
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Other neighbourhoods around Downtown Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara featuring a coastal town

Historic Downtown Santa Barbara

The pristine beaches and ample dining options are top of the list for many visitors to Historic Downtown Santa Barbara. A stop by Lobero Theater or Paseo Nuevo Mall might round out your trip.

Historic Downtown Santa Barbara
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Laguna

If you're spending some time in Laguna, El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park and Rafael Gonzalez House are top sights worth seeing.

Laguna
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Lower State

5/5(2 area reviews)

While visiting Lower State, you might make a stop by sights like MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation and Moreton Bay Fig Tree.

Lower State
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Upper East

5/5(4 area reviews)

While visiting Upper East, you might make a stop by sights like Mission Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara Natural History Museum.

Upper East
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The Funk Zone

5/5(6 area reviews)

Travellers come to The Funk Zone for its beaches, and you can see top attractions like MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation and Santa Barbara Art Foundry while you're in town.

The Funk Zone
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Lower Riviera

Lower Riviera might not have many top sights, but Santa Barbara Bowl and Santa Barbara County Courthouse are two attractions nearby that you can check out.

Lower Riviera

Downtown Santa Barbara Travel Guide