California's Most Expensive Tourist Destination In 2025 Offers Renowned Views, Free Museums, And Scenic Trails

California captivates the imagination of travelers, thanks in large part to its diversity. In Southern California, you can surf and snowboard on the same day. In Central California, you can go whale watching and kayaking with sea otters. But it's not a state where things are cheap. A recent survey by GOBankingRates ranked the popular Californian city of Santa Barbara as second on its list of most expensive tourist destinations in America. 

It's not entirely surprising to see Santa Barbara so high on the list; it's right next door to the celebrity hotspot of Montecito, where people like Oprah, Rob Lowe, and even Prince Harry and Meghan Markle live. But that doesn't mean that you have to be rich to have a good time in Santa Barbara or that you should write it off entirely.

One of the best things about Santa Barbara is that it has lots of beautiful beaches, and they are free for everyone to enjoy. Butterfly Beach faces west and is a popular place to watch the sunset. If you want to go swimming, Leadbetter Beach is a good spot where the waves aren't too big. Haskell's Beach is a quiet beach with stunning tide pools. It's near The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, where there is free beach parking available to the public.

For fantastic Santa Barbara views, the 15-acre Shoreline Park overlooks the harbor and is a great choice. Another sensational vantage point is located at the top of the aptly-named Inspiration Point. Located in the Los Padres National Forest, this is a 3.5-mile out-and-back hike that takes you to an overlook where you can see the coast and the city skyline. It's steep at times, and it can get busy, so start early and bring plenty of water.

Rattlesnake Canyon Trail is another good way to get your heart pumping. This nearly 5-mile out-and-back trail takes you through the trees along the creek to Tin Can Meadow. The name is fitting, as there can be rattlesnakes lurking during summer. The Goleta Butterfly Grove is a gentler site where monarch butterflies like to stay in the winter. If you visit from late October through early February, you have a chance to see large clusters of them in the eucalyptus trees. 

Keep in mind that the population of butterflies varies year by year, so you never know how many you're going to see. Butterflies or not, though, it's a pretty place for a stroll. For an urban hike, walk along the Stearns Wharf Pier; it's nearly half a mile long, and you get great ocean views. There's also the Harbor Walk, a paved trail that takes you a mile out-and-back to Point Carrillo overlooking the harbor and the wharf.

Every Sunday, an Art Walk springs up along the waterfront where local artists sell their work. And that's not all — the Museum of Contemporary Art, Santa Barbara is free, and often has exhibits that highlight local artists. It's only open when there are active exhibits, so be sure to check the museum's schedule. 

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art is also free on the first Thursday of the month from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The museum features an impressive range of artworks from across cultures and periods, including French Impressionist paintings, ancient Chinese sculptures, and Mexican murals. It's free to wander the Funk Zone, a popular walkable neighborhood that is full of fun art galleries as well as eclectic shopping.

While it costs money to tour the historic Old Mission Santa Barbara, it doesn't cost anything to go and take a look at the exterior. The history of California missions is undeniably a complicated one, but from a strictly architectural perspective, this building, with its twin, pink-domed bell towers, is truly a marvel and worth checking out. Across the street from the mission is the A.C. Postel Memorial Rose Garden. It has over 1,500 rose bushes, and if there's not a private event going on, you can enjoy a picnic here or just take the opportunity to stop and smell the roses. You might be thinking, "Can these activities be enjoyed in the winter?" In fact, Santa Barbara has a Mediterranean climate with mild but warm summers and cool winters with chances of rain, but rarely any snow. If you bring layers, you should be able to enjoy Santa Barbara year-round.