Hidden gems: Things to dos in Santa Barbara

Discover the city's hidden treasuresโ€”remarkable spots that are relatively undiscovered but offer exceptional experiences. Our selection criteria? A rating of 4.5 or higher with fewer than 150 reviews. Explore these lesser-known yet outstanding places that promise a delightful visit in Santa Barbara. This list contains 48 places from Things to do category.

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Appellation Wine Tours image
1
Appellation Wine Tours
Tour operator
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘ I was blown away by the incredible experience Paul provided for our group of eight. We were taken to three different wineries and had a great time tasting, touring the beautiful vineyards with owners and wine makers while also learning the history behind it all. Oh, and our private lunch. What a tre...
5.00 (109 reviews)
Lil' Toot Santa Barbara image
2
Lil' Toot Santa Barbara
Tourist attraction
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘ I am so happy with my experience with Lil Toot! It was the perfect little adventure for my 4 and 8 year old. The tour guide and captain were wonderful. We did the one way from the harbor to the pier. Parking was plentiful and the signs to Lil Toot were easy to follow. We checked out the cool boats a...
5.00 (16 reviews)
The Massage Gallery image
3
The Massage Gallery
Aromatherapy service
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘ Michelle is knowledgeable and sensitive to your needs. The intake form specifies your needs so that Michelle can tailor your massage to you. I get a lot of knots in my upper back and shoulders and Michelle did an amazing job of working them out. The mini facial was to die for. The scents of the prod...
5.00 (5 reviews)
field trip image
4
field trip
Gift shop
5.00 (5 reviews)
Poet Tree image
5
Poet Tree
Tourist attraction
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘ Beautiful run this morning out from our hotel on State Street all the way out to Poet Tree and back via shoreline. Santa Barbara rocks!
5.00 (2 reviews)
Santa Barbara Glassblowing, LLC image
6
Santa Barbara Glassblowing, LLC
Glass blower
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘ A lot of fun! My partner and I did a private couple's class on our trip to Santa Barbara. Saul is really passionate and knowledgeable about glass blowing and we learned so much! This class was awesome because we did pretty much every step of the glass blowing process from picking out the colors of t...
4.90 (103 reviews)
Loveworn image
7
Loveworn
Clothing store
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘ Great store to shop at! Nice vintage clothing and great artistic designs to blue Jean pants and jackets! Jill is fantastic and very helpful and the great artist and designer here. There are other great items in this store, including jewelery .....and I ended up buying a shirt for my daughter and one...
4.90 (19 reviews)
Vera Cruz - House with murals image
8
Vera Cruz - House with murals
Tourist attraction
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘ This line green architectural wonder (called Vera Cruz) from local architect Jeff Sheldon has colorful tiled artwork from local artists showcasing the theme of a place they are from or have visited. Itโ€™s a private residence , so enjoy the view from side walk for a minute and move on, to give the res...
4.90 (7 reviews)
Eat This Shoot That! image
9
Eat This Shoot That!
Tourist attraction
๐Ÿ˜  I donโ€™t think I have ever been so disappointed with a business before I am even able to visit. I saw a Groupon for this food tour and was thrilled because I had looked into them in past and wasnโ€™t able to fit it into my trip at the time. Knowing third parties like Groupon take such a high fee for a...
4.80 (135 reviews)
Mesa Lane Steps image
10
Mesa Lane Steps
Beach
๐Ÿ‘ I liked the experience overall. The steps are nice and provide some really nice views of the ocean from the top. I happened to watch quite a few surfers in the morning and it was quite fun. It has a lot of natural beauty on both sides of the steps so the walk down to the beach is also enjoyable. Par...
4.80 (59 reviews)
One Thousand Steps image
11
One Thousand Steps
Beach
๐Ÿ‘ Nice little beach to visit, but nothing in particular to do there. You walk down the 150 steps and...there's the beach. I read that I should come at low tide to see tide pools, and according to the internet I was there at low tide, but I didn't see any tide pools. A nice beach for kids to run around...
4.80 (26 reviews)
Visit Santa Barbara image
12
Visit Santa Barbara
Non-profit organization
๐Ÿ˜  Too overpopulated and too much traffic. Go visit somewhere else besides this over rated, expensive, dirty town.
4.80 (21 reviews)
Casa Dolores image
13
Casa Dolores
Art museum
๐Ÿ‘ I have visited Casa Dolores several times over the past 5 years to help my children with cultural projects for their Spanish classes. They have had different displays each time I've gone. The staff has been very friendly and helpful.
4.80 (16 reviews)
World War II Aviators Memorial image
14
World War II Aviators Memorial
Historical landmark
4.80 (13 reviews)
Moser Meadow image
15
Moser Meadow
Hiking area
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘ Elings Park , is huge park, on one side is paragliding area where you can see a beautiful panorama of the city in one side and the other side a beautiful view of the ocean, perfect place for sunset. My dog loves this park, is unleashed dog park , but to get here is a annual fee if you walk your dog,...
4.80 (10 reviews)
Skofield Park image
16
Skofield Park
Park
Wilderness area supplying creek access & a half-mile loop road dotted with picnic tables & boulders.
4.70 (132 reviews)
Santa Barbara Carriage and Western Art Museum image
17
Santa Barbara Carriage and Western Art Museum
Museum
Nonprofit museum since 1972 displaying historic horse-drawn vehicles, saddles & Western memorabilia.
4.70 (129 reviews)
Jamie Slone Wines image
18
Jamie Slone Wines
Winery
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘ We really LOVED our recent visit to Jamie Slone. The tasting room is really beautiful and the wines were all amazing. Kym, one of the owners, was there and took great care of us. She is extremely knowledgeable about the wines and wine making process! Well worth a visitโฃ๐Ÿท
4.70 (105 reviews)
West Beach image
19
West Beach
Beach
Wide, sandy beach offering kayak & SUP rentals, also the site of Stearns Wharf, with shops & dining.
4.70 (84 reviews)
Hilda McIntyre Ray City Park image
20
Hilda McIntyre Ray City Park
Park
๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘ What a great little hidden park! If you think you've known all the parks in Santa Barbara you might have missed this one. It's up Flora Vista up by fellowship road and it's a very cute small park with a beautiful view of the city. There is a playground and bathrooms and barbecues.
4.70 (55 reviews)
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