USA  »  California

Top Things to Do in California

We compared all 782 experiences in California so you can choose in minutes — real prices, verified reviews and our editorial picks.

4.7 782 experiences from US$ 5 Free cancellation on most experiences
Sort
Joshua Tree: Private Sightseeing Tour with Pickup & Local Stops
Joshua Tree: Private Sightseeing Tour with Pickup & Local Stops★★★★★★★★★★ 4.88 (172)4h–5hYou’ll wander among ancient boulders at Quail Springs, watch climbers tackle Banana Cracks at Hemingway, and feel desert silence in Hidden Valley—all with a local guide who knows every turn. Take in sweeping views from Keys View and stroll Cap Rock’s trails before heading back with dusty shoes and new stories.Free cancellationTravelers' pickMost bookedfromUS$ 99View ›
Los Angeles: Half Day City & Celebrity Homes Tour Combo
Los Angeles: Half Day City & Celebrity Homes Tour Combo★★★★★★★★★★ 4.91 (172)7h 30mYou’ll feel Los Angeles come alive as you walk Hollywood Boulevard, snack your way through The Grove’s bustling market stalls, breathe in ocean air at Santa Monica Pier, and peek behind hedges on Mulholland Drive during your celebrity homes tour. Expect laughter, local flavors, and moments that stick with you long after you leave LA’s sunlit streets.Free cancellationfromUS$ 99View ›
Los Angeles Whale and Dolphin Watching Cruise 2-Hour Tour
Los Angeles Whale and Dolphin Watching Cruise 2-Hour Tour★★★★★★★★★★ 4.70 (171)2h–2h 30mA two-hour whale and dolphin watching cruise departing from West Harbor in Los Angeles, where expert educators from the Aquarium of the Pacific narrate sightings of migrating whales, dolphins, sea lions and other marine life from custom-built catamarans with over 30 years of crew expertise. If no sealife appears, you get a free voucher to return. The boat passes the San Pedro Fish Market, the World Cruise Center shipping terminals, and the Aquarium itself from the water.Is it for me?Book this cruise if you want expert narration and the stability of a larger catamaran; the ultra-quiet engines and the Aquarium educators' knowledge set the experience apart from smaller operator boats. If you're visiting the waterfront anyway, the optional USS Iowa upgrade lets you combine two attractions in one trip without separate transportation.Free cancellationTravelers' pickKids −26%fromUS$ 48View ›
Joshua Tree: Stargazing Tour with Astronomer & Telescopes
Joshua Tree: Stargazing Tour with Astronomer & Telescopes★★★★★★★★★★ 4.89 (171)2hYou’ll settle into soft loungers beneath Joshua Tree’s famously dark skies for a hands-on stargazing tour led by a real astronomer. Learn constellation stories, try keypad telescopes yourself, sip hot drinks, and feel that quiet thrill when Saturn or a nebula comes into focus. It’s warm-hearted, low-key, and leaves you looking up long after you leave.Free cancellationTravelers' pickfromUS$ 200View ›
Sonoma Valley: E-Bike Wine Tour, Picnic Lunch & Cheese Tasting
Sonoma Valley: E-Bike Wine Tour, Picnic Lunch & Cheese Tasting★★★★★★★★★★ 4.98 (170)5h–6hYou’ll join a small group for a full-day Sonoma Valley pedal assist bike tour with two winery tastings, a picnic lunch under the oaks, and a behind-the-scenes visit to Vella Cheese Factory. Expect friendly guides, easy cycling between stops, and moments that stick with you long after you’re back home.Free cancellationfromUS$ 179View ›
Hollywood & Beverly Hills Bus Tour: Movie Sights, Celebrity Homes
Hollywood & Beverly Hills Bus Tour: Movie Sights, Celebrity Homes★★★★★★★★★★ 4.70 (170)1h 30m–1h 40mYou’ll ride through Hollywood and Beverly Hills with a lively local guide who keeps things fun and spontaneous. Snap photos of the Hollywood Sign from Mulholland Drive, cruise past celebrity homes in Beverly Hills, see iconic spots like Rodeo Drive and Sunset Strip—all without worrying about parking or directions. You might find yourself laughing at unexpected stories or humming along to classic tunes before you even realize it.Free cancellationBest valueInfants freefromUS$ 30View ›
Lake Tahoe Circle Tour: All-the-way-around views from Emerald Bay
Lake Tahoe Circle Tour: All-the-way-around views from Emerald Bay★★★★★★★★★★ 4.71 (168)7h 30mYou ride around Lake Tahoe's entire perimeter in one day, stopping at Emerald Bay for photos, driving through Cave Rock Tunnel, and breaking for lunch in Tahoe City. You also see Palisades Tahoe and hear local history from your guide, all without arranging your own transport or timing the stops yourself — the shuttle picks you up from your hotel and brings you back.Is it for me?Choose this if you want to see Lake Tahoe's full perimeter in one day without renting a car or planning the stops yourself — the fixed route and small group size mean you get the main viewpoints and the local knowledge without the logistics.Free cancellationInfants freefromUS$ 70View ›
Sonoma County Wine Segway Tour: Oldest California wineries
Sonoma County Wine Segway Tour: Oldest California wineries★★★★★★★★★★ 4.96 (168)3h 30mA Segway tour of Sonoma County wine country that takes you to the oldest wineries in California on quiet country roads and paths. The tour includes one-on-one Segway training before you start, a local guide, lunch, water and helmet; it runs 3.5 hours and requires a minimum age of 21. Tasting fees are separate.Is it for me?The guide speaks English and stays with you the whole ride, so you follow the commentary and the route without managing a map or a group schedule. Book this if you want to move through wine country under your own power instead of sitting in a van.Free cancellationfromUS$ 150View ›
Santa Barbara: Electric Bike Rental & Waterfront Ride
Santa Barbara: Electric Bike Rental & Waterfront Ride★★★★★★★★★★ 4.99 (167)1h–1dYou pick up an electric bike at the Santa Barbara shop (free parking, test ride included), get a helmet, lock, and marked map, then ride the waterfront and inland neighborhoods at your own pace. The motor handles the hills, so you cover more ground without exhaustion. Return whenever you're done — no fixed schedule, no guide, just you and the city on two wheels.Is it for me?Pick this if you want to cover Santa Barbara's waterfront and neighborhoods in one afternoon without arranging transport or navigating on foot — the e-bike motor means you see more ground and more of the city than you'd manage on a regular bike, and the flexible rental means you set your own pace and return time.Free cancellationTop ratedfromUS$ 50View ›
San Diego: Whale & Dolphin Watching Zodiac Boat Tour
San Diego: Whale & Dolphin Watching Zodiac Boat Tour★★★★★★★★★★ 4.81 (166)3hYou’ll board a small Zodiac boat in San Diego with a local captain and set out from Mission Bay for close-up whale watching—blue whales if you’re lucky—and pods of dolphins racing alongside you. Expect salty air, windbreakers provided, sea lions lounging nearby, and real conversation with your guide as you spot wildlife together.Free cancellationTravelers' pickKids −20%fromUS$ 149View ›
High Ropes Adventure Course near Santa Barbara: 80+ Obstacles
High Ropes Adventure Course near Santa Barbara: 80+ Obstacles★★★★★★★★★★ 4.96 (166)2hA high ropes adventure course near Santa Barbara with 80+ obstacles built within an old growth oak grove, where you climb ladders, cross rope bridges and navigate aerial challenges up to 60 feet high across four routes at two difficulty levels. A live guide teaches you the double clip harness system and stations themselves throughout the course to assist you. The activity takes up to 2 hours and includes all gear.Is it for me?The course demands sustained climbing and balance over 2 hours at height, so you need moderate fitness and comfort moving through obstacles 60 feet up. If you're looking for a ground-level walk or a passive experience, this is the opposite—you're doing the work yourself, clipped in, moving through the treetops.Free cancellationfromUS$ 74View ›
San Francisco North Beach: Food Tour & Wine Tasting
San Francisco North Beach: Food Tour & Wine Tasting★★★★★★★★★★ 4.96 (165)3hYou walk through North Beach for three hours with a local guide, stopping at four restaurants for a four-course meal: cheese and wine, wood-fired pizza from a 1935 oven, a gourmet treat, and cannoli you fill yourself. The tour includes tastings, stories about the Gold Rush and Prohibition, and ends in the evening near Jackson Square, leaving you free to explore the neighborhood's bars and late-night spots.Is it for me?Book this if you want to eat your way through North Beach without planning four separate reservations — the guide handles the timing, the restaurants know you're coming, and you get a real meal instead of scattered samples.Instant confirmationLikely to sell outfromUS$ 115View ›
Sonoma County Wine Tasting Tour: 3 Wineries & Charcuterie
Sonoma County Wine Tasting Tour: 3 Wineries & Charcuterie★★★★★★★★★★ 4.93 (163)5h–6hYou get picked up from your hotel, visit three small-production Sonoma County wineries with unhurried tastings, eat a custom charcuterie lunch at the second stop, and return by late afternoon. The guide handles the route and timing; you handle the tasting fees at each winery.Is it for me?Book this if you want to taste real Sonoma County wines at a pace that lets you absorb them, without arranging your own transport or timing three separate stops — the small group size and fixed itinerary handle both.Free cancellationTravelers' pickfromUS$ 148View ›
Long Beach Harbor: 45-Minute Boat Tour & Queen Mary
Long Beach Harbor: 45-Minute Boat Tour & Queen Mary★★★★★★★★★★ 4.45 (163)45mYou board near the Aquarium of the Pacific and spend 45 minutes cruising past the Queen Mary, container ships, sea lions, and the THUMS oil islands while a live MC narrates the harbor's history. The boat has climate-controlled seating inside and an open deck outside, plus a snack bar. You're back on shore in less than an hour, no car rental or parking stress required.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see Long Beach's working harbor and the Queen Mary without arranging transport or spending hours on a longer excursion — 45 minutes gets you the main sights and back to the waterfront before lunch.Free cancellationTravelers' pickKids −33%fromUS$ 15View ›
Santa Barbara Wine Tour: Private Estates & Vineyard Tastings
Santa Barbara Wine Tour: Private Estates & Vineyard Tastings★★★★★★★★★★ 4.98 (162)You visit three to four private Santa Barbara wine estates on the Santa Ynez Wine Trail, taste limited-release wines in seated settings often with the winemakers themselves, walk through vineyards and barrel rooms, and eat an organic lunch—all in a group of no more than eight people. Hotel pickup and drop-off in a luxury coach are included, and you avoid the crowded commercial tasting rooms entirely.Is it for me?This tour suits wine drinkers who want to taste real wines from small producers without the commercial tasting room experience—the small group size and private locations are what make conversations with winemakers possible in a single afternoon.Free cancellationfromUS$ 235View ›
Lake Tahoe: Sand Harbor Clear Kayak Tour & Bonsai Rock
Lake Tahoe: Sand Harbor Clear Kayak Tour & Bonsai Rock★★★★★★★★★★ 4.77 (162)2h 30mYou’ll paddle Lake Tahoe’s clearest waters in a transparent kayak, watching boulders and fish glide beneath you as you head toward Bonsai Rock. With shuttle pickup from Incline Village, a local guide sharing stories, and all gear included, it’s a day where you feel part of the lake—not just floating on top of it.Kids −40%fromUS$ 191View ›
San Diego: Little Italy Donut & Pastry Tour with Coffee Stops
San Diego: Little Italy Donut & Pastry Tour with Coffee Stops★★★★★★★★★★ 4.96 (162)2hYou’ll wander through San Diego’s Little Italy tasting fresh donuts and pastries from beloved bakeries, sip coffee at a local roastery, and hear stories from people who keep these traditions alive. Expect rooftop views, laughter over flaky pastries, and a glimpse into daily life here—plus more sugar than you’ll admit later.Free cancellationfromUS$ 79View ›
San Diego to Tijuana: Street Food Day Trip & Border Crossing
San Diego to Tijuana: Street Food Day Trip & Border Crossing★★★★★★★★★★ 4.68 (161)7hYou walk through Tijuana's neighborhoods and markets with a local guide, tasting street tacos, garnachas, churros, and regional specialties at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The guide handles the border crossing logistics and introductions; you experience how the city actually eats. Small groups, round transportation from San Diego, and all food and drinks included.Is it for me?Book this if you want to eat the way Tijuana actually eats without figuring out the border crossing, finding the right stalls, or deciding what's worth stopping for—the guide and the fixed itinerary take those decisions off your hands, leaving you free to taste and ask questions.Free cancellationKids −18%fromUS$ 129View ›
Private Balboa Park Segway Tour: 1,200 acres on two wheels
Private Balboa Park Segway Tour: 1,200 acres on two wheels★★★★★★★★★★ 4.90 (160)2hA private Segway tour of San Diego's Balboa Park takes you across 1,200 acres on a self-balancing vehicle, stopping at the Old Globe Theater, Spanish Village Art Center, and Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden while a guide shares the park's history. Groups stay under four people; minimum age is 16, and the tour runs two hours with Segway and helmet included.Is it for me?Choose this if you need to cover the full 1,200 acres on a Segway rather than on foot, with a guide handling navigation so you can focus on the museums, gardens, and theaters.Free cancellationfromUS$ 65View ›
Palm Springs Ebike Tour: Celebrity Homes of Elvis & More
Palm Springs Ebike Tour: Celebrity Homes of Elvis & More★★★★★★★★★★ 4.90 (159)3hA 3-hour guided tour of Palm Springs' most prominent neighborhoods on e-bikes or by vehicle, stopping to photograph and learn about the homes of Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Clark Gable, Liberace, Marilyn Monroe and other mid-century celebrities. E-bikes and helmets are provided if you choose to ride; water and snacks come with either option. Minimum age is 12.Is it for me?The e-bikes are motorized, so the ride is manageable even if you're not a regular cyclist—but if you'd rather not pedal at all or the heat is a concern, request the driving version when you book and you'll cover the same neighborhoods and homes from a vehicle instead.Free cancellationTravelers' pickLikely to sell outfromUS$ 159View ›
Do you need help planning your next activity?