Santa Barbara

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Why visit Santa Barbara?

Santa Barbara is a coastal city in Southern California, about 90 minutes north-west of Los Angeles, between the Pacific and the Santa Ynez Mountains. Its Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, with white walls and red-tile roofs, has earned it the nickname the American Riviera.

Visit the Old Mission Santa Barbara, founded in 1786, and the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, where the clock tower gives a panoramic view of the city. Walk State Street and the Funk Zone, a former industrial area of wine-tasting rooms, galleries and restaurants, and stroll along Stearns Wharf and the beaches. The Urban Wine Trail lets you taste local wines without driving, and the Santa Ynez Valley wine country is less than an hour away. Boat trips go to Channel Islands National Park for kayaking, hiking and wildlife. The climate is mild all year. Eat fresh seafood, local uni (sea urchin) and California-Mexican food.

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Everything for your Santa Barbara trip

Book flights, stays, tours and more — all in one place

Hotels Flights Travel insurance Activities Tours & day trips Attractions Car rental eSIM Airport transfer Experiences Scooters & bikes Luggage storage Flight delay refund

More options: Kiwi.com · Oojo · seats.aero · Arangrant · eSky · lastminute.com · Megabon · QEEQ · AutoEurope · Hertz · GetTransfer · Suntransfers · Saily · Yesim · GigSky · Klook · EF Ultimate Break · EF Adventures · AirHelp Plus · CruiseDirect · Travelpro

Local partners in Santa Barbara: Club del Sole · ICON Collection · Baglioni · COMO · UNA Italian Hospitality

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Popular experiences in Santa Barbara

The things travellers book most here. You pay the same price as booking direct.

🍽️Food & drink tours👨‍🍳Cooking classes🚌Day trips⏭️Skip-the-line tickets🚶Walking tours🌙Evening & night tours🛥️Boat trips & cruises🎫Tickets & events

Top tours & activities in Santa Barbara

Find hotels in Santa BarbaraMore experiences on Klook

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When to go to Santa Barbara

The best months for Santa Barbara are April, May, June, September and October. Highs then sit around 25°C, crowds are medium at peak, and a week here is expensive.

Jan
18°
low 9°
6 wet days
Feb
19°
low 8°
2 wet days
Mar
19°
low 9°
8 wet days
Apr
23°
low 12°
1 wet day
May
23°
low 13°
2 wet days
Jun
26°
low 16°
1 wet day
Jul
29°
low 18°
0 wet days
Aug
30°
low 19°
1 wet day
Sep
28°
low 18°
3 wet days
Oct
26°
low 14°
1 wet day
Nov
22°
low 10°
3 wet days
Dec
18°
low 9°
11 wet days
Highlighted = best monthsNumber = average daytime highBar = how wet the month is

Temperatures and wet days are measured, not estimated: ERA5 reanalysis for 2021-2023, at Santa Barbara, California. Source: Open-Meteo.

Planning Santa Barbara

Best time to visit Santa BarbaraMonth by month, measuredWhere to stay in Santa BarbaraWhich area suits youHow many days you needWhat fits in a short or long stay

Santa Barbara — common questions

When is the best time to visit Santa Barbara?

The best months for Santa Barbara are April, May, June, September and October. Highs then sit around 25°C, crowds are medium at peak, and a week here is expensive.

What is the weather like in Santa Barbara?

August is the warmest month, with daytime highs around 30°C. January is the coolest, around 18°C by day and 9°C at night. December is the wettest, with about 11 wet days. Figures are measured averages, not estimates.

What is Santa Barbara known for?

Santa Barbara is best known for beaches, food, architecture and romantic. The things people come for: Old Mission, County Courthouse, Funk Zone, Stearns Wharf.

Who is Santa Barbara best suited to?

Santa Barbara works particularly well for couples, groups of friends and families. That is based on what there is to do there, not on who books it most.

What can you book in advance in Santa Barbara?

The experiences that sell out first are food tours, cooking classes, day trips, skip-the-line tickets, walking tours and night tours. You can check availability and prices on our booking partners below — you pay the same as booking direct.

Food toursCooking classesDay tripsSkip-the-line ticketsWalking toursNight tours

Do I need a visa for United States?

That depends on your passport and how long you are staying, so there is no single answer. TonyPlan has a visa and entry checker — put in your nationality and it tells you what applies to you.

Check visa requirements

Get the Santa Barbara guide as a PDF

Why to go, the best months with real measured temperatures, which area to stay in, and what flights cost right now — in one file you can read on the plane. Free.

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Free tools for your Santa Barbara trip

Packing listFlight time & jet lag⏳ Trip countdown