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Santa Barbara, CA —Alta Vista Tours will launch PhD-led stargazing tours in the Santa Barbara area on Saturday, March 28, 2026, offering guests an experience as rare as the skies above them. Guided by PhD students from UC Santa Barbara, the tours travel from downtown to some of the Central Coast’s darkest skies, where a high-powered telescope brings the universe into stunning focus and guests leave with something increasingly hard to find: a genuine sense of awe and wonder.
“Santa Barbara has extraordinary skies, landscapes, and wine — yet most people never truly experience them,” said Julie Esmond, Founder of Alta Vista Tours. “These tours invite people to slow down, look up, and rediscover a sense of wonder they didn’t know they’d lost.”
Signature Stargazing Tours
Tours depart downtown Santa Barbara into the dark skies just beyond the city, where UCSB PhD students lead approximately 90 minutes of telescope-guided stargazing. Guests sip hot chocolate or tea while their guide traces constellations, planets, and distant galaxies with a contagious enthusiasm that turns a clear night into something unforgettable. Tickets are $100 per person at altavistatours.com, with additional dates throughout April.
Wine & Stargazing Night at Kessler-Haak Vineyard | March 14, Lompoc
An evening pairing Santa Barbara wines with telescope-guided stargazing led by PhD student astronomers. Guests enjoy a curated tasting hosted by winemaker Dan Kessler while exploring the cosmos through high-powered telescopes in the open vineyard air. Tickets are $125 per person and available at altavistatours.com.
Also Available
Private Wine Country Tours: Private, customized journeys through the Santa Ynez Valley’s acclaimed boutique wineries, traveling in a chauffeured Mercedes Sprinter van. Guests enjoy unhurried tastings at small-production estates rarely found on the tourist trail, guided by a knowledgeable local host.
Vineyard Wellness Experiences: A restorative pairing of outdoor massage and wine tasting set among the vineyards of Santa Barbara County; the only experience of its kind in the region.
About Alta Vista Tours Alta Vista Tours is a Santa Barbara-based company offering stargazing, wine country, and outdoor wellness experiences throughout California’s Central Coast. Founded by Julie Esmond, the company creates immersive experiences designed to help guests reconnect with nature and experience the extraordinary beauty of the region.
Tickets and bookings for all experiences are available at altavistatours.com.
