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Solvang & Santa Barbara route inspiration

Solvang & Santa Barbara

Danish Julefest and a Spanish mission Christmas

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4 days through Solvang, Santa Barbara.

Solvang & Santa Barbara is a 4-day curated route with 2 destinations and 18 places to eat, see, and do. Preview stops and timing, then plan it in TripsCircle.

  1. 1
    Solvang on the Solvang & Santa Barbara route

    Destination 01

    Solvang

    9 places

    Danish-founded village decorated for Julefest; 2 nights for bakeries, the mission and wine country.

    • Solvang Julefest near SolvangPhoto: DestinationFearFan · CC BY 4.0

      Solvang Julefest

      The village's month-long Christmas festival, with lights on the half-timbered shops, a parade and a Nisse hunt.

      Tip Check the schedule for the parade and tree lighting weekends, which draw the biggest crowds.

      DoDowntownFree3 hrEvening
    • Solvang Park near SolvangPhoto: Haha169 · CC BY-SA 3.0

      Solvang Park

      Small park at the center of the village with a bust of Hans Christian Andersen on a fieldstone base.

      SeeDowntownFree15 min
    • Mission Santa Inés near SolvangPhoto: TDRSS · CC BY 2.5

      Mission Santa Inés

      Spanish mission founded in 1804 at the east end of town, with a museum, gardens and views across the valley.

      SeeMission Drive$60 minMorning

    • Elverhøj Museum of History and Art

      Museum of Solvang's Danish heritage, set in a hand-built home in the style of an 18th-century Danish farmhouse.

      SeeDowntown$60 min
    • Wildling Museum near SolvangPhoto: Jllm06 · CC BY-SA 3.0

      Wildling Museum

      Small art museum on Mission Drive with rotating shows of paintings and photographs of California's wild places.

      SeeDowntown$45 min

    • Birkholm's Bakery

      Danish bakery on Alisal Road for kringle, butter cookies and pastries to eat on the bench outside.

      Tip Go early on weekends before the day-trip crowds arrive.

      EatDowntown$30 minMorning

    • Los Olivos tasting rooms

      Small ranch town ten minutes north whose main street is lined with tasting rooms for Santa Ynez Valley wineries.

      Tip Book a driver or pick one person to skip the tastings for the drive back.

      DrinkLos Olivos$$3 hrAfternoon
    • Nojoqui Falls near SolvangPhoto: Ian Shadford · CC BY-SA 3.0

      Nojoqui Falls

      Seasonal waterfall over a mossy limestone face, reached by a short shaded trail in a county park south of town.

      Tip It flows best after winter rain; check the county park for trail status first.

      OutdoorsAlisal RoadFree60 minMorning

    • Alisal Guest Ranch

      Working cattle ranch and resort just south of the village, with trail rides, a golf course and cottage rooms.

      StayAlisal Road$$$$
  2. 2
    Santa Barbara on the Solvang & Santa Barbara route

    Destination 02

    Santa Barbara

    9 places

    Spanish Revival city between the mountains and the sea; 2 nights for the mission, harbor and beaches.

    • Old Mission Santa Barbara near Santa BarbaraPhoto: Ligocsicnarf89 · CC BY 4.0

      Old Mission Santa Barbara

      Mission founded in 1786 with a twin-towered sandstone facade, hung with large wreaths over the holidays.

      Tip Take the self-guided tour through the gardens and cemetery, then sit on the steps for the view to the sea.

      SeeUpper East$75 minLate afternoon
    • Santa Barbara County Courthouse near Santa BarbaraPhoto: Prayitno · CC BY 2.0

      Santa Barbara County Courthouse

      Spanish-Moorish courthouse from 1929 with painted ceilings, sunken gardens and a clock tower open to visitors.

      Tip The clock tower is free and shows the whole city, harbor and Channel Islands.

      SeeDowntownFree60 minLate afternoon
    • El Presidio de Santa Barbara near Santa BarbaraPhoto: Warren LeMay · CC BY-SA 2.0

      El Presidio de Santa Barbara

      Reconstructed Spanish fort from 1782, with adobe quarters and a chapel, two blocks from State Street.

      SeeDowntown$45 min

    • Santa Barbara Harbor Parade of Lights

      Boats strung with Christmas lights circle the harbor after dark, followed by fireworks over the water.

      Tip Watch from Stearns Wharf or the breakwater and arrive early for a spot.

      DoWaterfrontFree1.5 hrMid-December evening

    • Funk Zone

      Former warehouse blocks near the beach, now full of wine tasting rooms, breweries and murals.

      DrinkFunk Zone$$2 hrAfternoon
    • East Beach near Santa BarbaraPhoto: Niranjan Arminius · CC BY-SA 4.0

      East Beach

      Long sandy beach east of Stearns Wharf, backed by a palm-lined path for walking or cycling.

      Tip Walk the path at sunset toward the wharf.

      OutdoorsWaterfrontFree1.5 hrSunset

    • La Super-Rica Taqueria

      Small taqueria on Milpas Street known for fresh handmade tortillas and long lines at lunch.

      Tip Order at the window and expect to wait; the line moves.

      EatEastside$60 minLunch

    • Brophy Bros

      Seafood restaurant upstairs on the harbor, known for clam chowder and views over the boats.

      Tip No reservations; put your name in and walk the breakwater while you wait.

      EatWaterfront$$75 minLunch

    • El Encanto

      Hillside hotel on the Riviera above the mission, with garden bungalows and a terrace looking to the sea.

      Tip Even if staying elsewhere, book a drink on the terrace at sunset.

      StayRiviera$$$$

The moments that shape this trip.

Planning Solvang & Santa Barbara.

Begin with two nights in Solvang, the Danish-founded village in the Santa Ynez Valley, where half-timbered shops, windmills and storks on the rooftops are decked out for Julefest. Spend the days on kringle and pastries, the 1804 Mission Santa Inés and the tasting rooms of nearby Los Olivos. Then cross San Marcos Pass to Santa Barbara for two nights by the ocean. Old Mission Santa Barbara hangs wreaths on its stone facade, the courthouse clock tower looks over red-tile roofs to the islands, and boats decorated with lights circle the harbor in mid-December.

Good for Couples and families who want a mild-weather Christmas with a Danish village, Spanish missions, wine tasting and the beach.

When to go

Solvang Julefest runs from late November or early December into the first days of January, with a parade, a tree lighting and a Nisse hunt for children. The Santa Barbara Harbor Parade of Lights is usually held on a Sunday in mid-December. Days are mild and often sunny at 15-20 C, but valley nights in Solvang can drop close to freezing. Winter storms bring the region's rain, which also gets Nojoqui Falls flowing.

Getting around

Fly into Santa Barbara Airport (SBA), or Los Angeles (LAX), about 2 hours south. A car is needed: Solvang is 45 minutes from Santa Barbara over Highway 154 and San Marcos Pass, and Los Olivos is 10 minutes north of Solvang. Downtown Solvang is easily walkable, as are Santa Barbara's State Street, the Funk Zone and the waterfront.

Tips for your crew

  • Stay overnight in Solvang to see the village lit up after the day-trippers leave.
  • Climb the courthouse clock tower in late afternoon for the best light over the city.
  • Book a whale-watching trip from the harbor; gray whales pass the coast from December.

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