Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from New Orleans to Santa Barbara. If you're planning a road trip to Santa Barbara, you can research locations to stop along the way. Make sure you check road conditions to double check the weather. Traveling with a dog or cat? Find pet-friendly stops. Camping along the way? Search for RV campgrounds. Find the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions based on the most talked about places recommended by Trippy members.
10:00 am start in New Orleans
drive for about 5 hours
2:45 pm Shreveport
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 3:45 pm
drive for about 2.5 hours
6:28 pm Dallas
eat at Pecan Lodge
stay overnight at Hotel Zaza Dallas
leave the next day around 11:00 am
day 1 driving ≈ 7.5 hours
find more stops
11:00 am leave from Hotel Zaza Dallas
drive for about 6 hours
4:59 pm Amarillo
stay overnight and leave the next day around 10:00 am
day 2 driving ≈ 6 hours
find more stops
10:00 am leave from Amarillo
drive for about 4 hours
1:55 pm Trinidad (Colorado)
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 2:55 pm
drive for about 3 hours
6:00 pm Denver
eat at Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen
stay overnight at The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa in Denver
leave the next day around 11:00 am
day 3 driving ≈ 7 hours
find more stops
11:00 am leave from The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa in Denver
drive for about 6 hours
4:50 pm Arches National Park
stay overnight and leave the next day around 10:00 am
day 4 driving ≈ 6 hours
find more stops
10:00 am leave from Arches National Park
drive for about 6 hours
4:04 pm Zion National Park
stay overnight and leave the next day around 9:00 am
day 5 driving ≈ 6 hours
find more stops
9:00 am leave from Zion National Park
drive for about 2.5 hours
11:41 am Las Vegas
eat at Giada
stay for about 4 hours
and leave at 3:41 pm
drive for about 5.5 hours
9:00 pm arrive in Santa Barbara
stay at Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara
day 6 driving ≈ 8 hours
find more stops
Shreveport (17 answers)
R.W. Norton Art Gallery (2 mentions)
questions about Shreveport:
Best free things to do in Shreveport?
Dallas (125 answers)
Perot Museum of Nature and Science (14 mentions)
Dallas Museum of Art (12 mentions)
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza (10 mentions)
Nasher Sculpture Center (9 mentions)
Klyde Warren Park (8 mentions)
restaurants around Dallas:
Pecan Lodge
Lockhart Smokehouse
Peggy Sue BBQ
Smoke
Oddfellows
hotels around Dallas:
Hotel Zaza Dallas
Belmont Hotel Dallas
Rosewood Crescent Hotel
questions about Dallas:
What's the best neighborhood in Dallas for a first time visitor?
Where is the best barbeque in Dallas?
Where to go for lunch in Dallas?
Going to Dallas for 2 weeks - what to see?
Best free things to do in Dallas?
Amarillo (30 answers)
questions about Amarillo:
THING TO SEE
Hotels
Trinidad (Colorado) (3 answers)
Denver (192 answers)
Denver Museum of Nature and Science (15 mentions)
Denver Botanic Gardens (12 mentions)
Denver Art Museum (11 mentions)
LoDo (11 mentions)
Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre (11 mentions)
restaurants around Denver:
Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen
Rioja
Acorn
Root Down
Bistro Vendome
hotels around Denver:
The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa in Denver
The Crawford Hotel
Four Seasons Hotel Denver
Hotel Teatro
the Curtis Denver - a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
questions about Denver:
Short, scenic drives from Denver?
Best resort for advanced skier?
Activites to do with children ages 7-11
Top 5 must see attractions in Denver?
Restaurant for dinner near Coors Field?
Arches National Park (43 mentions)
Zion National Park (83 mentions)
questions about Zion National Park:
When is the best time to visit/hike Zion national park?
Canyoneer boots, Keen sandals, or old tennis shoes for Narrows hike?
What's the best time of year to hike in Zion?
Poisonous plants/ Venomous animals in Zion Canyon
Are hiking boots necessary now if I hike Angels Landing
Las Vegas (324 answers)
Downtown Container Park (15 mentions)
Fremont Street Experience (15 mentions)
High Roller (10 mentions)
The Mob Museum (8 mentions)
Neon Museum (8 mentions)
restaurants around Las Vegas:
Giada
Mon Ami Gabi
Wicked Spoon
Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino
Lotus of Siam
questions about Las Vegas:
Best new restaurants in Vegas?
What time of year is the best for scoring a cheap deals in Las Vegas
Best tips and casinos for first time gambler?
Is it better to stay on or off the Las Vegas strip?
Top things to do in Las Vegas that don't include gambling?
Are you going straight to a hotel, or looking for a vacation rental or Airbnb?
The best resource on neighborhoods, areas, and hotels is the Trippy page on where to stay in Santa Barbara.
If you're looking for a quick answer, you can check out Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara, which was mentioned 15 times on Trippy.
Here are some more hotels people talk about:
Want to research more popular hotels in Santa Barbara? Click the blue button below.
Need some recommendations on somewhere to get food?
Trippy members suggest McConnell's Fine Ice Creams, which was mentioned 5 times.
Here are some more restaurants people talk about:
Want to research more popular restaurants in Santa Barbara? Click the blue button below.
This section could be endless, so rather than trying to suggest every local activity or attraction, we'll leave it open-ended.
These are some of the places people talk about on Trippy:
Of course, Trippy is the perfect place to ask questions because there's an entire community of travelers talking to each other and sharing tips and advice. Trippy is where you can get answers personalized for your tastes, budgets, trip dates & more!
For example, here are some questions people have asked about Santa Barbara. Click on any question to see answers from the community!
Veronica from San Francisco asked:
Favorite restaurants in Santa Barbara? (9 answers)
Kay from Vermont asked:
Bachelorette Weekend Getaway in Santa Barbara (6 answers)
Darren from Jersey City asked:
Best Beach in Santa Barbara? (5 answers)
Stephanie from Venice Beach asked:
24 hours in Santa Barbara, what do I have to see/eat/do? (5 answers)
Valerie from asked:
How far from santa barbara to palm springs and PS to Phoenix? (1 answer)
Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to Santa Barbara.
Yes, even this step is optional, because if you're on vacation who wants the trip to end? It's okay, you can start planning your next trip!
Want to plan the trip back? Get the reverse directions for a Santa Barbara to New Orleans drive, or go to the main page to plan a new road trip.
You can also compare the travel time if you're flying or driving by calculating the distance from New Orleans to Santa Barbara. Or get a full New Orleans to Santa Barbara flight plan.
Don't forget about exploring your own hometown with a staycation. You can also find some cool day trips or get away for a weekend. Maybe try typing in a faraway location like London, Hong Kong, or Sydney, and get inspired for your dream trip around the world.
And if you know New Orleans well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about New Orleans!