Santa Barbara Trolley — Attraction in Santa Barbara

I had planned a great day. It was the first time out with my family after staying locked in for Covid safety. First the instructions for the tickets were to collect the tickets in a different location then the pick up location for the tour. As my family and I walked back-and-forth looking for that location we weren’t able to find it. We went to the information booth where someone really nice told us that basically we just had to wait for the trolley and that we did not need to pick up the tickets elsewhere. I think the information when you reserve the tickets should be a little bit more clear as to how and where you need to go. So after all that we finally got into the trolley and began our tour, the information on the website also says a 90 minute tour. With this in mind, I was able to plan out the day for my family. WRONG! According to the 90 minute specification we should’ve been done by 3:30 at the latest from 2 PM to 3:30 PM however around 3:45 PM we were still at the missions stop. The driver not only took extra time but he also made it a point that he was going to give the riders time to linger through the mission even though we have fallen way behind schedule. I find this unprofessional because people have other things that they have reserved and so we were extremely late to our next event. My appointment was at 3:45 leaving a 15-20 minute cushion time just in case. But by 4 PM we were still on that tour! I think it’s safe to say that the tour was a complete disaster. My next appointment was so upset that my entire party showed up late we weren’t able to enjoy our evening there after because everything was pushed. I think part of your training should be keeping your drivers on schedule and letting them know that even if it’s the last ride of the evening as the guy had said countless times that you still have to remain with the schedule because people do have other plans and they need to stick to their schedules. It cost me extra money due to the delays of this driver and this is unacceptable. Not to mention the fact that I brought it to his attention that we were running behind and his remarks were, sorry this is how I do my rides. He not only seemed not to care that the customer was concerned about the schedule of the time, but also irritated with my question. Also maybe get a new driver all together he wasn’t just late in the timeframe but he was also horrible not really giving interesting facts or notable location information, he was obsessed with State Street which seem to come up even when we were way off State Street. I think he needs to either further educate himself in the architecture and landmarks of Santa Barbara or he just needs to work on State Street. I can say with no doubt that this was the worst tour I’ve ever done in my entire life. I would never recommend this to anyone save yourself some time and money and find another tour that’s more interesting. It looks like the ocean in land tours are a...

Santa Barbara Trolley Tour (Booked via Viator.com)

We booked this tour through Viator for $28 per person (non-refundable), and I have to say — it’s an affordable, worthwhile way to see Santa Barbara and Montecito if you’re short on time. The tour runs about an hour and a half, narrated the whole way through. Our guide, Rusty, was excellent — knowledgeable, engaging, and easy to listen to. He mixed history with fun local details, pointing out landmarks, residents, and even a few celebrity homes. His energy kept the ride interesting from start to finish.

Pro tip: Seating is a bit of a luck-of-the-draw situation. There are about four or five seats where the window is completely down — perfect for pictures. Otherwise, most windows stay up and only open a crack for air. If photos are important to you, get in line early so you can grab those open-window spots. It’s two people per bench.

The rest stop was at the historic Santa Barbara Mission. We had about 15 minutes to use the restrooms, pop into the gift shop, and take pictures of the Mission’s beautiful exterior. (The church wasn’t open during our visit, but it often is, so worth checking next time.)

Along the way, Rusty also pointed out some things I never would’ve noticed — like enormous fig trees scattered around town, a fossilized blue whale, and even a giraffe peeking its head out near the zoo! The Spanish-style architecture throughout Santa Barbara was another highlight, and being able to see so much in a short span of time made this tour feel really efficient.

Meeting & Drop-off Spot: The Garden Street Visitor Center (close to the Carousel House).

For brand-new visitors or anyone with limited time, this is a perfect introduction to Santa Barbara. Big kudos to Rusty for making it such an...

I’ve been on trolley tours in other cities before and can honestly say this was our first bad experience. Rob was a great driver. We had no problems for the stretch of the tour that we were with Rob. Chuck, however, was not a great experience. We were standing at the designated trolley stop in front of the Santa Barbara Natural History museum and Chuck drove right past without slowing down. We had to chase the trolley down the street. The passengers on the trolley alerted Chuck, who finally stopped. When we caught up to the trolley, Chuck said “Oh, lots of people just stand there. I didn’t know you were waiting for the trolley.” We were at the trolley stop with trolley tickets in our hand. A simple “I’m sorry” would have gone a long way, and might have raised the rating, (because again, Rob was great) but we didn’t get one. Just a lame excuse. As the tour was ending, Chuck made a lame joke about how if we enjoyed the experience, we should tell the company and remember his name is Chuck, but if we had complaints, his name was...