Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from San Diego 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.
9:00 am start in San Diego
drive for about 1.5 hours
10:16 am Laguna Beach
stay for about 1.5 hours
and leave at 11:46 am
drive for about 1 hour
12:54 pm Los Angeles
eat at Gjelina
stay for about 4 hours
and leave at 4:54 pm
drive for about 2 hours
7:02 pm Grapevine
stay overnight and leave the next day around 8:00 am
day 1 driving ≈ 4.5 hours
find more stops
8:00 am leave from Grapevine
drive for about 23 hours
7:00 am (next morning) Paso Robles
stay overnight at Summerwood Winery and Inn
leave the next day around 11:00 am
day 2 driving ≈ 23 hours
11:00 am leave from Summerwood Winery and Inn
drive for about 2 hours
1:11 pm arrive in Santa Barbara
stay at Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara
day 3 driving ≈ 2 hours
Laguna Beach (60 answers)
Crystal Cove State Park (10 mentions)
Balboa Island (8 mentions)
Balboa Island (3 mentions)
Victoria Beach (3 mentions)
Dana Point Harbor (2 mentions)
restaurants around Laguna Beach:
Javier's Restaurant - Newport Beach
Las Brisas
Cafe Zoolu
The Beachcomber Cafe
Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa
questions about Laguna Beach:
Where to stay and non-surfing things to do in Laguna Beach
What is your favorite restaurant in Laguna Beach?
Los Angeles (612 answers)
Santa Monica Pier (70 mentions)
Griffith Observatory (63 mentions)
Venice Beach Boardwalk (62 mentions)
Abbot Kinney (56 mentions)
Third Street Promenade (55 mentions)
restaurants around Los Angeles:
Gjelina
Perch
Bottega Louie
Grand Central Market
Bestia
questions about Los Angeles:
Where are the top 5 places to see a celebrity in L.A.?
What's your favorite burger in L.A?
Free things to do in Los Angeles?
Area an hour away from LAX airport
What are the top 3 beaches in Los Angeles?
Grapevine (4 answers)
Paso Robles (49 answers)
Firestone Walker Brewing Company (6 mentions)
Villicana Winery (5 mentions)
Terry Hoage Vineyards (3 mentions)
Summerwood Winery & Inn (3 mentions)
DAOU Vineyards & Winery (3 mentions)
restaurants around Paso Robles:
Niner Wine Estates
Ecluse Wines
Pier 46 Seafood Market
Brecon Estate
ONX
hotels around Paso Robles:
Summerwood Winery and Inn
questions about Paso Robles:
Good wineries in Paso Robles
Where should I eat in Paso Robles?
Casual eats near Paso Robles?
Favorite Wineries Near Paso Robles
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 San Diego 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 San Diego to Santa Barbara. Or get a full San Diego 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 San Diego well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about San Diego!