Top Santa Barbara Outdoor Activities

There’s hardly a better place to learn to surf than the Southern California locale of Ventura, which offers fantastic weather year-round. During this 1.5-hour private 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.

Our very unique, immersive adventures are the only ones of their kind. We, unlike other companies, provide your very own remote, interactive, live host to assist and encourage you along through your phone. We are an Austin, TX-based global custom event design company offering scavenger hunts and other events in 300+ cities in North America and beyond. Our specially hand-crafted adventures are equal parts tour, creative challenge, detective hunt, and social experiment! Guests get to discover in an alternate reality our favorite hidden gems off the beaten trail and creatively interpret fun art, history, and culture clues - for points! They get to enjoy fame and glory while appearing on our website’s international leaderboard, no matter what their score. They get to essentially race other teams in other cities, even if they don’t have competitors who have signed up in their city that day. Get ready to discover unusual oddities, laugh out loud, and make the experience your own!

Three wineries, one delicious lunch, and a full day to enjoy Santa Ynez Valley without worrying about the details. Grapeline takes care of the planning so you can focus on discovering great wine. Your day includes visits to three carefully selected wineries, with tasting fees included at each stop. From familiar varietals to unexpected new favorites, every winery brings something different to the experience. When it’s time for a break between pours, enjoy a picnic lunch surrounded by the scenery of Santa Ynez wine country. The best part? Nobody in your group has to volunteer as designated driver. Concierge-class transportation and a friendly Grapeline driver/host keep the day comfortable, organized, and moving at just the right pace. Come for the wine, stay for the views, and head home with great memories—and probably a bottle or two you couldn’t resist.

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.

Drive the Pacific Coast Highway your way with a tour that plays right from your phone. Follow the coast at your own pace, stop at any beach, and hear simple stories that guide you along ocean cliffs, wide sandy shores, and famous seaside towns. You choose when to start, where to stop, and how long to stay. Begin in Santa Barbara and head south toward Santa Monica. Pull over at scenic lookouts, walk along quiet beaches, or grab food in local beach towns along the way. Watch surfers ride the waves, spot dolphins in the distance, and enjoy cool ocean breezes as you drive. Your phone gives easy directions, works without internet, and stays with you forever so you can return anytime. Download the tour, hit the road, and enjoy one of California’s most beautiful coastal drives—your route, your pace, your day by the sea. *Download the Shaka Guide app to access the purchased tours*

Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. Our vineyard, meticulously cultivated using organic practices, produces grapes that are transformed into wines of remarkable quality. Our portfolio features a variety of wines, including our signature Cabernet Sauvignon, vibrant Sauvignon Blanc, robust Petit Verdot, and our rare Cabernet Franc. Visitors can immerse themselves in the winemaking process with a guided tour of our vineyard. Learn about our sustainable farming methods and see firsthand how our wines are crafted with precision and care. The experience culminates in our cabana, where you can savor our wines' distinct flavors and aromas while enjoying the serene vineyard views. Our Estate is more than just a winery—it's a place to relax and reconnect with nature.

Nestled within the majestic oak canopy of the Santa Ynez Valley, the Skynet Playground invites thrill-seekers of all ages to engage in a unique aerial adventure. This innovative playground features a netted course designed for bouncing, balancing, crawling, and climbing, allowing participants to explore their limits in a safe environment. With up to 90 minutes of limitless fun, the experience is accompanied by expert guides who ensure safety and provide essential instructions. Surrounded by breathtaking views of the oak grove, this adventure is perfect for family outings, team-building events, or celebrating special occasions.

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.

One of the best ways to explore Santa Barbara is by bike; avoid becoming fatigued and rent an electric bike to discover the coastal city. Cruise around the pier, Stearns Wharf, Point Castillo, 1000 Steps Beach, and many more points of interest. Electric bikes are easy to use and come with three different modes to help get you around town.

This is a fully immersive outdoor experience led by local beekeeper Steve. Learn directly from him as he shares his knowledge, stories, and passion for the bees that help shape Ojai Valley’s agricultural community. Watch as Steve opens live hives to reveal worker bees, drones, and the Queen Bee. See tools like the smoker in action and sample raw local honey varieties, including wildflower, orange, and sage.

Make Santa Barbara your own gameboard with an interactive, app-led scavenger hunt adventure. Use a smartphone to follow a series of locally-themed clues that lead to fun challenges with your friends and family. Trace a route past historic monuments, seaside neighborhoods, and hidden gems to get an insider's look at the city. Rack up points to compete against prior scavenger hunt teams, or simply enjoy the self-guided tour at your own pace.

Avoid the rush of a group tour and journey through Santa Ynez Valley's Solvang on this digital scavenger hunt. With this immersive experience, get your very own remote host who guides you via smartphone throughout the adventure. With a wild mixture of exploration, creativity, problem-solving, and social interaction, it's a unique way to explore. Compete on the game leaderboard so you can treat your tour of the valley as a fun competition.

Environmentally conscious travelers will love the chance to tour Santa Barbara by private 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 the sands, boardwalk, and promenade of Santa Barbara to explore town on your very own fat tire electric bike. This is the only tour that gives you oceanfront views right on the sand of the city's famous beaches. On the way, admire the Spanish-inspired architecture, swaying palm trees, and historic highlights. This must-do activity will show you everything on offer in "America's Riviera."

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.

Explore Santa Barbara's wine country without the hassle of driving on this private tour for just you and your group of friends or family. Visit three wineries of your choosing for wine tastings of different varietals, and enjoy pickup and drop-off in Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, Solvang, Buellton, Los Alamos, Santa Maria, Montecito, Summerland, and surrounding towns.

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.