Santa Barbara is a gorgeous coastal town surrounded by the Santa Ynez mountains. The adobe and stucco buildings showcase the Spanish influence of the town. One day in Santa Barbara should be part of any California Central Coast trip and makes for a great pit stop on a California road trip.
US Ghost Adventures is an awesome company that offers a variety of guided tours and haunted experiences across different cities in the United States. Visitors can learn the compelling history and stories of the paranormal and the city’s darker side. Make sure to check out the variety of tours offered in Santa Barbara here. They are very affordable too!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no cost to you!
Table of Contents
History of Santa Barbara
The Santa Barbara area has been inhabited for over 13,000 years. The first in the area were the Chumash who had 5 villages in the area. In 1542, Juan Cabrillo sailed through the area. Then in 1602, Sebastian Vizcaino named the area Santa Barbara.
Throughout the 1700 and 1800s, the area was under the control of the Spanish missionaries until 1822 when the Mexicans rebelled and took over. The Mexicans controlled the area until the 1850s when the United States gained control and California became a state.
Santa Barbara has continued to grow throughout the 1900s and become an urban center along the coast. Present-day people love to come to spend one day in Santa Barbara or escape for the weekend.
Best Time to Visit Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara is a great place to visit any time of the year. Summertime is more crowded as the warmer weather attracts the beachgoers. The wintertime is the off-season as it can get quite chilly along the coast. However, there are still a ton of gorgeous things to see during that time.
How to Get to Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara has a small regional airport 7 miles west of downtown. However, flights here tend to be more expensive and not as frequent. United, Southwest, Alaska, and American Airlines do fly into Santa Barbara. Therefore, to save some money, you can opt to fly into Los Angeles International Airport and drive just under two hours to reach Santa Barbara.
You can also take the Amtrak Train from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. This takes a slightly longer 2.5 hours, but it is a good alternative option if you do not want to rent a car.
Transportation Around Santa Barbara
The most convenient way to get around Santa Barbara is by car. This gives you the most flexibility. However, you can also take Lyft/Uber and there is a local bus that runs around town. It only costs 50 cents a ride for the bus, so it is a very affordable option if you do not want to rent a car.
An electric bike city tour is also a fun way to discover Santa Barbara.
Where to Stay
TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best Santa Barbara hotels here!
The most convenient place to stay in Santa Barbara is near the downtown area. There are a ton of boutique hotels in this area as well as the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. Hotels in Santa Barbara can be very expensive and are usually over $200/night. You can also look into Vrbo or opt to stay outside of Santa Barbara in areas such as Carpinteria, Goleta, or Lompoc. Make sure to check Priceline Express Deals to see if you can find a deal.
The following are some other hotel options.
- Hotel Virginia Santa Barbara
- The Waterman
- Courtyard by Marriott Santa Barbara
- Riviera Beach House
- Mar Monte Hotel
Things to do During One Day in Santa Barbara
There are so many fun things to do during one day in Santa Barbara. The following itinerary hits some of the most popular sites to enjoy during your visit. If you have more time, opt to explore more things and the surrounding area.
Mission Santa Barbara
Cost: $15
Hours: 9:30am-4pm
Start your morning of one day in Santa Barbara with a visit to Mission Santa Barbara. Mission Santa Barbara is part of the 21 California missions founded by Father Junipero Serra. This mission was founded in 1786. For $15 you can take a self-guided tour of the mission and visit the inside of the church, the gardens, and the grounds. They have multiple displays detailing life at the mission throughout the years.
In front of the mission is a gorgeous park with a fabulous rose garden that is perfect for a picnic and pictures. Plan to spend an hour or two exploring the mission.
Chromatic Gate
Cost: Free
Hours: Anytime
The Chromatic Gate is the Insta-worthy stop during one day in Santa Barbara. It is located on the road near the water. This rainbow sculpture is dedicated to the artists in town. From here you can also walk across the street to a nice section of the beach with a walking path along the coast.
Stearns Wharf
Cost: Free
Hours: Varies
After stopping at the mission, head to Stearns Wharf. Stearns Wharf is the popular pier area in Santa Barbara completed in 1872. There are a ton of shops and restaurants and it is a great place to take in the coastal views. In the summer months, you will find a lot of people lounging on the beach in this area.
A popular stop on the wharf is the Santa Barbara Sea Center which is home to many marine animals. It also educates visitors on the sea life of the area.
Shalhoob’s Funk Zone Patio
Cost: $$
Hours: Sun, Tues-Thurs: 11am-8pm, Fri-Sat: 11am-10pm
For your lunch stop during one day in Santa Barbara, stop at Shalhoob’s Funk Zone Patio. This delicious barbecue place has a variety of fun dishes on its menu and a great bar. You order at a window and then they bring the food out to you which makes it a nice and casual atmosphere. Plan to spend at least an hour here for lunch.
Wine Tasting
Cost: $10 and up
Hours: Varies by Winery
This afternoon, head outside of Santa Barbara for some wine tasting! The Santa Ynez Valley and the Sta. Rita Hills has some amazing wineries to visit. My favorites include Spear Vineyards, Solminer, and Tensley. Los Olivos is a town full of tasting rooms that are well worth a visit and only a 40-minute drive from Santa Barbara.
You could also book this shuttle from Santa Barbara to the Santa Ynez Valley. These are some options if you prefer to do a wine tour!
- Santa Barbara Wine Country Tour
- Santa Ynez Sidecar Wine Tour
- Santa Barbara Wine Country with Lunch
- Santa Barbara All-Inclusive Wine Tasting and Lunch
- Santa Barbara Cupcake and Wine Tour
- Santa Barbara: Wine, Chocolate and History Walking Tour
Dinner at Bettina
Cost: $$$
Hours: 11:30am-2:30pm, 4pm-8:30pm
When spending one day in Santa Barbara, you have to eat at Bettina. This delicious Italian place has some Italian-style pizzas and some other unique Italian dishes. You can definitely have a family style meal to be able to try more than one thing. You cannot go wrong with anything you order here, but I really enjoyed the gnocchi.
More Than One Day in Santa Barbara?
If you have more time than one day in Santa Barbara or are looking for an alternative to wine tasting, check out these activities.
Chumash Painted Cave State Park
Cost: Free
Hours: Dawn to Dusk
This State Park preserves cave paintings from the 1600s created by the Chumash Native Americans. Although the means of many of the images have been lost, they are preserved and you are able to view them within the sandstone cave. It is located about 3 miles outside of Santa Barbara.
Los Arroyos
Cost: $$
Hours: 11am-8pm
You cannot come to California or spend one day in Santa Barbara without eating some Mexican food. Los Arroyos is a great choice as they have an extensive menu and some fabulous beverages. You order at the counter and the food is brought out to you, which makes it a more relaxed atmosphere.
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Cost: $10, Free Thursdays from 5-8pm
Hours: Tues-Sun: 11am-5pm, Thus: 11am-8pm
The Santa Barbara Museum of Art is the perfect stop for art lovers. It opened in 1941 and houses Asian, American, and European art from the past 4000 years. This building was once the Santa Barbara Post Office. Notable artists include Miro, Picasso, Degas, and Matisse.
Channel Island National Park
Cost: $32 Ferry Ticket
Hours: Ferry Times Vary
Near Santa Barbara is also Channel Islands National Park which is a fun day trip from Ventura. To get to this National Park, you catch a ferry to several of the islands. Once on the islands you can hike, kayak, snorkel, and relax. You can easily spend an entire day around the islands. Visitors can also stop at the visitor’s center in Ventura to learn more about the history and ecology of the islands.
Solvang
Cost: Free
Hours: Varies
Solvang is a cute Dutch town that was established in 1911. It is modeled after Copenhagen in Denmark. Grab some coffee from Good Seed Coffee and a pastry from one of the many bakeries such as Mortensen’s Danish Bakery. The Hans Christian Andersen Park, the Hans Christian Andersen Museum, and Mission Santa Ines are other well-known attractions.
Other Wine Tasting Regions Near Santa Barbara
Paso Robles is another fun wine tasting area if looking for other California wine regions near Santa Barbara. You can easily spend an entire weekend in Paso Robles. A little bit closer than Paso Robles lies Santa Maria. Here you can visit some amazing wineries such as Sextant, Presqu’ile, and Riverbench.
One day in Santa Barbara is a fun stop as part of any California road trip, or as a day trip from Los Angeles. If you have more time, make sure to spend some time enjoying the Central Coast, Lompoc, Los Angeles, or San Francisco.
