The ORIGINAL Downtown Santa Barbara Walking Food & Drink Tour

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The ORIGINAL Downtown Santa Barbara Walking Food & Drink Tour

(551)

Add to Wishlist

Show all photos

Summary

Experience Details

What You’ll Experience

Where to Meet

Reviews

Location

Santa Barbara

Duration

3 hours

Number of Guests

1 - 4 guests

Accessibility

Stroller Accessible

Language

English

Other

Gluten-free, Vegetarian, Wheelchair Accessible, Family-friendly

Digital Ticket

Mobile or paper ticket accepted

Discover Santa Barbara through local flavors on a 3.5-hour guided food and drink tour. Enjoy intimate group sizes, taste popular dishes, experience wine tastings, and explore downtown delights.

For each guest that attends this experience, byFood will donate
10 meals

Experience Details

Eat and drink your way through downtown Santa Barbara with a local—no planning required. We’ll take you to a mix of favorite spots, with generous tastings, a little day drinking, and just enough storytelling along the way.

Founded over 10 years ago from a local’s love of Santa Barbara, great food, and bringing people together—without the stress of planning it all yourself.

You’ll experience the city alongside a knowledgeable local host—not a scripted tour guide. Group sizes are kept smaller for a more personal, social experience.

We can accommodate most food allergies with advance notice. Private and corporate tours are available. Tastings and locations may vary slightly based on availability.

What You Get

A local host (more like a knowledgeable friend than a traditional guide)

Alcoholic beverages

A curated wine tasting is included (typically 3–4 wines), plus one additional beverage (non-alcoholic or alcoholic)

Lunch

All food tastings are included (enough for a light meal)

Gratuities for your host (optional, but appreciated)

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Good To Know

Monday tours are priced a bit lower and may have a slightly lighter food lineup—but don’t worry, there are still plenty of tastings along the way
Most stops are wheelchair accessible, but not all surfaces and locations are fully accessible
If anyone in your group has mobility or health concerns, a private tour may be a better fit
Please note that restaurants and tastings are subject to change based on availability
Tastings are included and typically provide enough food for a satisfying midday meal
Food allergies or aversions can often be accommodated—please notify us in advance

What You’ll Experience

El Paseo Building

El Paseo is more than a building—it’s a vibe and a mini neighborhood tucked just off State Street. As you walk through, you’ll find charming pathways that open into a beautiful courtyard surrounded by local businesses, including wine tasting rooms, restaurants, and historic buildings dating back to the early 1920s. This is one of our tasting stops (often the first), where you’ll enjoy a guided wine tasting (typically 3–4 wines) along with a shared grazing box, served just for your group.

40 minutesAdmission Ticket Included

Casa de la Guerra (Pass By)

We pass by the historic Casa de la Guerra while sharing a few light stories about Santa Barbara’s past—just enough to bring the surroundings to life without slowing down the experience.

Santa Barbara County Courthouse (Pass By)

The Santa Barbara Courthouse is one of the most beautiful landmarks in the city, known for its architecture and views. When timing and access allow, we may step inside to take a look. If not, we’ll still pass through the area—and you’re welcome to return after the tour, since it’s located between our start and end points. Please note that on weekdays, security screening is required to enter the courthouse. If you have a medical device such as a diabetic pump, let security know and they’ll guide you through the appropriate screening.

The Granada Theatre

The Granada Theatre is one of downtown Santa Barbara’s most iconic landmarks—and the tallest building in the area. We pause here to take in its architecture and history, and share a bit about its role in the local arts scene. While we don’t go inside during the tour, it’s still a standout stop along the way.

5 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Arlington Theatre

We pass by the iconic Arlington Theatre, a well-known Santa Barbara landmark and often the opening night venue for the SBIFF (Santa Barbara International Film Festival). It’s a quick pass-through as we head to our next stop, with a light story or two along the way—kept fun and easy, not a history lesson.

15 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

The Historic La Arcada Courtyard

Downtown Santa Barbara is full of hidden walkways and arcades, and when timing allows, we like to weave through a few of them along the way. As we pass through La Arcada Plaza, we’ll point out local restaurants, wine tasting rooms, and small shops tucked into these spaces—along with fun details like the famous window washer statue, the Benjamin Franklin statue, dolphin sculptures, and even some surprisingly adorable turtles. It’s a mix of local spots, unexpected finds, and little details you might miss on your own.

15 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park (Pass By)

El Presidio is one of the oldest historic sites in Santa Barbara and part of how the city first took shape. If our route allows, we’ll pass by and share a quick bit about how it connects to the Santa Barbara Mission—just enough to give context without turning it into a full history lesson.

Santa Barbara

Throughout the tour, we weave on and off State Street, the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, as we move between stops. We usually meet and end right on State Street—so it’s easy to keep the day going, grab another drink, or head wherever you’re off to next.

2 hoursAdmission Ticket Free

Meeting & Pickup

Meeting Point

814 State St, State Street, Santa Barbara County California, United States, US, 93101

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Please plan to meet your guide in front of the stores 33 jewels and Bryant & Sons. They are on the State Street side of El Paseo Shopping Center across from the mall.

End Point

Santa Barbara Downtown, Santa Barbara County California, United States, US

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We rotate the end of the tour. It will end within 6 blocks of the start location.

Cancellation Policy
Cancel your booking at least 24 hours before the experience start time to receive a full refund.
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Reviews

4.9

based on 551 reviews

(TripAdvisor)

Funk tour with Kirk

April 03, 2026

Wonderful mix of new foods to try. Enjoyed going off the beaten path. Kirk was knowledgeable about his city’s history.

(Viator)

Food tour

January 14, 2026

There was plenty of food and drink with a good variety. The pace was good and Kirk was an excellent host. Do not eat before as you will be full

(Viator)

Good guide, food fair

January 07, 2026

The guide was extremely knowledgeable. Food was not up to what I have had on every other food tour I have been on.(6) Shared portions instead of individual servings. Food was bland, except for Ital...read more

(TripAdvisor)

Santa Barbara walking foodie tour

December 07, 2025

Maddy was a friendly and engaging tour guide. She took great pictures of us and later texted them to us. She was knowledgeable about the history of the city and locations we visited and made sure w...read more

(TripAdvisor)

Cheers to a wonderful afternoon!

October 07, 2025

What a delightful afternoon with Captain Kirk! We enjoyed the food, the wine, the history and the insight into a unique city. Highly recommend for first time visitors to get a great feel for the ...read more

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