Santa Barbara Wine Tasting Day Tour from Los Angeles

Taste California wines where they're grown, then drive the Pacific Coast Highway back

A full-day wine tasting tour departing Los Angeles for Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez wine country, with stops at a vineyard winery, optional tastings in a small wine town at lunch, and sightseeing along the Pacific Coast Highway, Lake Cachuma and Los Padres National Forest. The tour runs 8.5 hours with a live English or Russian-speaking guide, pickup from your Los Angeles location, bottled water and winery entrance fees included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Santa Barbara Wine Tasting Day Tour

• Travel from Los Angeles
• Sightseeing Pacific Coast Highway
• Enjoy views of Lake Cachuma
• See Los Padres National Forest
• Stop for wine tasting at Vincent winery
• View vineyards along the way
• Sightseeing Downtown Santa Barbara
• Optional stop at Stearns Wharf
• Lunch and optional wine tasting in town

The Experience

The drive north from Los Angeles follows the Pacific Coast Highway, where the ocean comes into view before you turn inland toward the Santa Ynez Valley. You'll pass Lake Cachuma and the Los Padres National Forest on the way, with the guide pointing out the landscape as it shifts from coast to wine country. The route itself is part of the experience—most of the morning is spent moving through scenery rather than sitting in a tasting room.

The main stop is Vincent winery, where you taste wine in the vineyard's natural surroundings instead of indoors at a bar. After that comes lunch in a small wine town with multiple tasting rooms, where you can order food and choose whether to do an optional second tasting. Downtown Santa Barbara is a sightseeing stop on the return, with an optional pause at Stearns Wharf if the group wants it. The whole day is structured around moving between places rather than lingering at one.

An air-conditioned vehicle keeps the group comfortable during the long drive, and bottled water is provided throughout. The guide speaks English or Russian depending on the departure you book, so commentary is live rather than recorded. Entrance fees to the wineries are already paid, which means no separate transactions at each stop.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle.
• bottled water.
• winery entrance fees.
• live guide in English or Russian.
• hotel or location pickup from Los Angeles.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcome

Operated by American Riviera Tours

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English or Russian, so book the departure that matches your language—the live commentary makes the drive and the stops more useful than a self-guided alternative. The 8.5-hour commitment works best if you're based in Los Angeles and want a full day of wine country without overnight travel.

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Top questions

What wineries do we visit on this tour from Los Angeles?

The main winery stop is Vincent, where you taste wine in the vineyard setting. At lunch in the wine town, you'll have access to multiple tasting rooms in that location and can choose which ones to visit on your own.

How long is the drive from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara wine country?

The full tour runs 8.5 hours total, with most of that time split between the drive north on the Pacific Coast Highway, the winery stop, lunch, and the return to Los Angeles. The route passes Lake Cachuma and Los Padres National Forest on the way.

Is lunch included in the tour price?

Lunch is not included, but the tour stops in a small wine town where you can order food. The optional wine tastings at that lunch stop are also not included in the base price.

What's included in the tour from Los Angeles?

Pickup from your Los Angeles location, transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle, entrance fees to the wineries, and bottled water throughout the day are all included. Your guide speaks English or Russian depending on which departure you choose.

Can I see the Pacific Ocean on this tour?

Yes—the route follows the Pacific Coast Highway on the way north from Los Angeles, so you'll see the ocean before turning inland toward the Santa Ynez wine country. The return trip also passes coastal scenery.