Things to do in Santa Cruz, compared

We rank 25 experiences in Santa Cruz, United States, and compare the top 20 on ranking, price, length, and traveler rating. The strongest overall is Alpaca Walking Adventure in Scenic Carmel Valley at 80 out of 100, the lowest entry price is $29 per person, and 0 experiences sit in the Outty 90+ Club. Traveler ratings shown here are provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.

Which one should you book?

Full comparison

Top 20 things to do in Santa Cruz compared by Outty Ranking, price, duration, traveler rating, and cancellation terms
ExperienceOutty RankingVerdictFromDurationTraveler ratingCancellation
Alpaca Walking Adventure in Scenic Carmel Valley80Strongly Recommended$852.3h5.0/5 (42)Free to 24h before
Santa Cruz Guided eBike Ride & Most Fun Bike e-Bike Tour77Strongly Recommended$1102h5.0/5 (44)Free to 24h before
Beginner Surf Lesson in Santa Cruz75Strongly Recommended$1392.5h4.9/5 (41)Free to 24h before
Ocean Safaris Whale Watching semi-private limited to 6 people max71Strongly Recommended$2053h5.0/5 (22)Free to 24h before
Tea By The Sea71Strongly Recommended$1502h5.0/5 (24)Free to 24h before
Introduction to Wilderness Survival Clinic in Santa Cruz68Solid Choice$1455h5.0/5 (5)Free to 24h before
Santa Cruz, California Scavenger Hunt68Solid Choice$292h4.5/5 (14)Free to 24h before
Mermaid Experience & Photoshoot67Solid Choice$2201h5.0/5 (28)Free to 24h before
Santa Cruz Walking Tour: Discover Downtown & Mission Hill65Solid Choice$451.3h5.0/5 (4)Free to 24h before
Santa Cruz 2Hour Guided eBike Tour for Small E-Bike Groups63Solid Choice$1102h4.8/5 (6)Free to 24h before
Beach Hill to Historic Downtown Santa Cruz Loop60Solid Choice$451.5h5.0/5 (1)Free to 24h before
Santa Cruz Surf Walk: History and Culture Tour60Solid Choice$451.5h5.0/5 (1)Free to 24h before
Capitola Friday Night Food Tour58Worth a Look$1292.5h4.3/5 (4)Free to 24h before
Half Day Private Beach Tour in Santa Cruz58Worth a Look$352hNot yet ratedFree to 24h before
Ecological Mushroom Foraging Workshop58Worth a Look$954hNot yet ratedFree to 24h before
Santa Cruz Ice Cream Tour 4 Stops Samples Full Scoops56Worth a Look$802hNot yet ratedFree to 24h before
Capitola Watercolor Journaling Experience55Worth a Look$2972.5h5.0/5 (2)Free to 24h before
Santa Cruz Family Friendly Guided Electric Bike Tour (eBike)54Worth a Look$1102h4.0/5 (1)Free to 24h before
Santa Cruz Scavenger Hunt Walking Activity50Worth a Look$503hNot yet ratedNone
Great White Sharks Topside in Monterey Bay49Worth a Look$2502.5hNot yet ratedFree to 24h before

Traveler ratings and review counts are provided by Viator and Tripadvisor. The Outty Ranking is our own evaluation and is calculated independently of them.