Hi Everyone - How long do you think it will take to see the Santa Barbara Mission & Courthouse? We will be travelling to Santa Barbara and other parts of California in July and aren't sure how much free time we'll have to see this part of town. We have an option of taking a 4 hour tour which will take us to the Mission & Courthouse as well as Montecito and then drops us near the Paseo Mall for some shopping. Any suggestions? Just trying to figure out how to work this into the plan. Would you recommend just going on our own or taking the tour which includes Montecito. Thanks!! - Laura

We did it on our own...about 1 hour at each. I'm sure we would have learned much more with a tour, but the people at the courthouse were most friendly, inviting us into their offices and providing tidbits of information. Your choice, but I would not miss either of them. Also, across the street from the mission is a wonderful rose garden. Do take an extra few minutes to wander through it.

You can comfortably do them on your own. We didn't chat with the workers at the courthouse, but did go to the top for that spectacular view of the countryside!

Hello,
If this is your first time to SB, I am in favor of the tour. I always take half day tours of new cities to get an overview. Montecito is down the road from SB, with many movie star homes, so think a tour would be an advantage. Ending up at the Paseo Nuevo Mall is perfect. Hope they give you plenty of time to shop!

Hi Imavolio, it sounds like you will have a car. If you do plus some extra time, drive south down 101, turn off for downtown Ventura. That is a wonderful town to explore. Great restaurants, shops etc. It is very lovely and often overlooked by visitors.
Have a wonderful time in the Santa Barabara area.

I agree with the other posters - about an hour each for the Mission and Courthouse is more than enough time to view the buildings. A tour would be useful if you want to hear the history behind them. The Mission and Courthouse are within five minutes' of each other, driving. The "city" part of Montecito is like a short street with some upscale shops and restaurants, if that's your thing. This might give you a taste for what the Courthouse has in store: http://workinginparadise.blogspot.co...nish-days.html

Go on your own.

The Mission is probably worth an hour. Get there early in the morning, no later than 8:30, before the tour buses start arriving and after morning Mass. The Mission is a contemplative place best enjoyed without busloads of tourists.

The Courthouse is another matter. It's worth a trip all by itself. You could easily spend an entire morning or afternoon exploring all its quirks, inside and out. They have docents that provide excellent free tours, so I'd recommend going on one of those and spending the remainder of the morning or afternoon exploring on your own.