What to do in Santa Cruz, CA

Activities, attractions and tours
Santa Cruz featuring flowers, rugged coastline and a sandy beach

Santa Cruz Attractions

Let Expedia help you experience the best that Santa Cruz has to offer! If you’re looking for fun itinerary ideas, we can provide you with a list of the top sightseeing attractions, as well as helping you to find unmissable activities. Whether you’re travelling with your family, planning a romantic trip with your loved one, or visiting on business, we’ll make it easy to plan an unforgettable holiday that checks all the boxes.

Activities and Tours

Santa Cruz is crammed with must-see places to visit and things to do. We can help you decide where to stay, and make it a breeze to explore the surrounding areas with our guides on where to go, what to see and when to see it. No matter how long your stay, it’s easy to find places of interest in Santa Cruz to make sure that you enjoy your experience to the fullest and don’t miss a thing. Leave the local knowledge to us and leave the hassle behind.

If you’re planning a visit, why not check out our handy guides to places of interest in the area? You can browse lists of things to do, learn about the most popular attractions, and get help with planning the details of your trip. Expedia makes it easy for you to check out all the top sights.

Santa Cruz Attractions

Expedia has something for everyone, so whether you’re planning to get active on a summer holiday, put a spring in your step with a romantic rendezvous, or pamper yourself with a leisurely winter trip, you’ll find plenty of attractions to keep you entertained. In addition to scheduling local tours, booking reservations and scoring advance event tickets, Expedia makes it easy to book your flight, hotel and rental car in advance, all on one consolidated travel itinerary, making for hassle-free travel and freeing you up to explore the sights of Santa Cruz.

Looking for things to do can be time consuming, but we can take the hassle out of planning your holiday. Whether you’re looking to get active in the great outdoors, sample the cuisine or catch up with the vibrant local culture, our guides to Santa Cruz attractions ensure that you’ll have a successful trip, whatever the season.


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Most fun & popular experiences in Santa Cruz


Discover the most popular places to visit in Santa Cruz

Explore areas of Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz which includes watersports

Westside Santa Cruz

4/5(34 area reviews)

Westside Santa Cruz is known for its stunning beaches, and with sights like Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Monterey Bay, you won't get bored spending a day wandering around this part of Santa Cruz.

Westside Santa Cruz
41.5 feet tall, 350,000 pounds and able to withstand a quarter million pounds of wave energy: Walton Lighthouse

Eastside Santa Cruz

5/5(1 area review)

Eastside Santa Cruz is known for its beaches, and you can plan a trip to Monterey Bay and Twin Lakes State Beach while you're in town.

Eastside Santa Cruz
What better way to start your day!

Pleasure Point

While visiting Pleasure Point, you might make a stop by sights like Monterey Bay and Pleasure Point Park.

Pleasure Point
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Downtown Santa Cruz

Unique features of Downtown Santa Cruz include the beaches and restaurants. Make a stop by Pacific Avenue or Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History while you're exploring the area.

Downtown Santa Cruz
Evening stroll at the Seabright Beach. If you are lucky, you might run into Matt performing amazing bike tricks by the lighthouse. #LifeAtExpedia #sunset #goldenBeach #blueSky

Seabright

While visiting Seabright, you might make a stop by sights like Santa Cruz Harbor and Seabright Beach.

Seabright
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Beach Hill - Beach Flats

Beach Hill - Beach Flats might not have many top sights, but Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Main Beach are two attractions nearby that you can check out.

Beach Hill - Beach Flats

Day trip destinations from Santa Cruz