Half Day Tours

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum is one of Tucson’s best loved desert treasures. Noted as “the most distinctive zoo in the United States”, it is a combination zoological park and botanical garden. Icluded in the exhibits are a walk-in aviary (with a separate facility for hummingbirds), natural desert gardens, reptile displays and the underground earth sciences center - - a representation of the origin and development of the earth. A life underground exhibit simulates a cave.

Biosphere 2
Biosphere 2 is the largest man-made, self-sustaining ecosystem ever built. Included within this three-acre, domed complex of steel and glass are seven distinct biomes: desert, marsh, savannah, ocean, rainforest, intensive agriculture and human habitat. Also contained inside are over 4,000 species of insects, plants and animals carefully selected to sustain one another within the sealed system. Group visitors to Biosphere 2 will partake in a tour around the perimeter of the facility including the Orientation Theatre, Analog Biome Exhibit, “Meet the Biospherians” Interactive Exhibit, Biosphere 2 Test Module, Lab Exhibit and Ocean Biome Viewing Gallery, as well as an Under the Glass tour within the facility.

Colossal Cave
Along the Old Spanish Trail like a Tibetan Monastery, the massive hewn-rock entrance to Colossal Cave clings to Rincon Mountain slopes. A cave that has earned its name, Colossal is the largest dry cave in the country. Cave explorers (speleologists) have never found the end of Colossal Cave. Near the entrance, soot-blackened ceilings, bones and artifacts attest to the cave’s long history as a home for ancient people, many tribes of Indians, outlaws and explorers. Colossal Cave maintains a year round temperature of 72 degrees. A modern system of hidden lights illuminates more spectacular formations, including Frozen Waterfall, Kingdom of the Elves, Drapery Room, Madonna, and Praying Nuns.

Kartchner Caverns
The seven acres of pristine caverns hidden beneath one of the small hills which dot the Majestic Chihuahuan Desert has two main galleries, both the size of football fields, are a kaleidoscope of color with 100-foot high ceilings dripping with multi-hued stalactites and floors jutting up with matching stalagmites. Giant white columns form when the two features meet. Dainty white helectites, translucent orange bacon strips, and shields of white calcite adorn this natural wonder. An extraordinarily thin stalactite, called a soda straw, hangs tenuously 21 feet 2 inches from the cave’s ceiling. Rare quartz needles form “bird nests,” nitrocalcite forms the “cotton,” and an extensive array of brushite moonmilk are the cavern jewels. Kartchner is a wet “live” cave. Water percolates from the surface and calcium carbonate features continue to grow in the darkness. From May to mid-September the cave serves as a maternity ward for about 1,000 female Myotis Velifer Bats who roost there.

Pima Air Museum /With Bone Yard
The Pima Air Museum is home of the largest privately owned collection of historical aircraft in the country. From a mock-up of the X-15 to a full scale model of the Wright Brother’s 1903 Wright Flyer - or step right into the restored Douglas DC-6, used by both Presidents Kennedy and Johnson during their terms. Some of the aircraft on display have been loaned from the Smithsonian, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force. The “Bone Yard” is a testament to dry air, hard ground and a defense budget second to none. Its inventory is also worth more than the assessed valuation of all land and structures in Pima County. The “Bone Yard” holds 5,000 aircraft and missiles cooling their jets and/or props. It’s the country’s only large-scale military plane storage maintenance site.

Old Tucson Studios
Old Tucson Studios is a trip back to life in a frontier town! Many Western movies and TV shows have been filmed here. You can experience behind-the-scenes action in movie production. One can enjoy spectacular stunts, trick riding, gunfights, hearty cowboy meals, or browse through the old-time emporiums filled with western wear, movie memorabilia, and Southwestern gifts. Old Tucson is a different adventure each time you visit.

Sabino Canyon / Degrazia’s Gallery In The Sun “A Desert Oasis”
Twelve thousand years ago, Columbian mammoth roamed here. About 1,200 A.D., irrigation dams were placed in the creek by Hohokam Indians. In the 1870’s, pony soldiers from Fort Lowell enjoyed horseback excursions to the “ol’ swimmin’ hole” still in use today. In the 1930’s, civilian conservation groups built bridges and cut hiking trails 3.8 miles into the Santa Catalina Mountains. Wildlife and fauna flourish in this preserve. An outdoor tram ride gets you up close - cameras are a must! DeGrazia Gallery in The Sun, designed by the artist himself, consists of a group of low slung adobes exhibiting his earliest and latest works. Within the museum, there are six galleries of paintings and displays. You will immediately recognize the works of DeGrazia as he is the most reproduced artist in the world.

San Xavier Mission “White Dove Of The Desert”
South of Tucson stands Mission San Xavier del Bac, a remarkable church which has been maintained to look much as it did in 1797. What you will see is a view into the Spanish/Mexican baroque world. Life as it was then is forever captured in the frozen gestures of the saints, the drama of the paintings, and the broken outlines of the architectural detail. The saints, the Holy Family, angels, symbolic plants, animals, and objects, and even the famous cat and mouse on the facade, all create the impression that they have been brought together from their different places for a purpose. San Xavier is still being used for the purpose for which it was built, as a Catholic Church serving the Tohono O’odham villagers who live around it. It is still served by the Franciscan Friars, members of the same order that built it in the 1790’s. The church recently opened a museum devoted to the native people of Bac, mission architecture and religious artifacts.

Downtown Historical Tour And Shopping At Old Town Artisans
Tucson is a city with an exciting and colorful past, rich in Indian, Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo culture, and is fortunate to have entire neighborhoods where this history has been preserved. The Barrio Viejo and Armory Park have well preserved Sonoran, Mission Revival, and Victorian buildings. Prior to arriving at the El Presidio Historic District, you will tour the Arizona Historical Society. Next is Old Town Artisans, a collection of shops located in Tucson’s El Presidio Historic District. “Unique”, “charming”, and “historic” seem to best describe Old Town Artisans. There are a variety of shops, wares, and a cafe found within this 1850’s restored adobe structure.

Old Pueblo City Tour With Shopping At Old Town Artisans
A city tour is a delightful way to meet Tucson. The Old Pueblo is rich in culture. Our native Indians and friends south of the border have endowed Tucson with a rich historical background - this introduction to Tucson will help you decide on sites and locations you may want to return to and spend more time. You will also tour an adobe construction dating back to 1848, La Casa Cordova, which is one of the oldest in the area and depicts life in the 1800’s. Next is Old Town Artisans, a collection of shops located in Tucson’s El Presidio Historic District. “Unique”, “charming”, and “historic” seem to best describe Old Town Artisans. There are a variety of shops, wares, and a cafe found within this 1850’s restored adobe structure.

The Arizona Historical Tour
Our first stop takes us to the Historical Society which has done a tremendous job in recording events not only in Tucson, but state-wide. The Society possesses a distinguished collection ranging from the 16th century to the 1950’s. The staff has been careful to select those artifacts, and written, printed, and photographic records which clearly give insight into the times. Your speaker will share the excitement of Arizona’s past with stories from the Old Frontier to the present. The Arizona State Museum offers guests a unique and personal look at the history of the Southwest and the cultures that prevailed years ago. A curator from the museum will give guests a behind-the-scenes look at the exhibits within the museum. The award winning permanent exhibition features the (10) native cultures of Arizona and Northern Mexico and offers a look into the past that led us to our culture today.

“Baseball” Spring Training
Tucson is home to Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, and Arizona Diamondbacks for Spring Training. Spend a fun filled afternoon or evening cheering for your favorite team and players. Private dining areas are available for group lunches or dinners. Note: All games begin in early March and run through early April.

Shopping Shuttles And Excursions
When it comes to shopping Tucson has it all, from the world’s finest art galleries at El Cortijo and Sanders Galleries to exclusive, elegant boutiques hidden from the unpracticed eye for one of a kind handmade items. Old Town Artisans offers uniquely southwestern arts and crafts, Kaibab clothing made of all natural fibers and ehnic fashions from Guatemal and Mexico can be found in the specialty Kaibab Shops. Shopping in Tucson is abundant, and each unique location offers a very different shopping experience. To enjoy the variety we are pleased to provide dedicated shuttles to meet your specific group needs.

Full Day Tours

Kitt Peak Observatory
The drive to world renowned Kitt Peak National Observatory is truly a unique experience. As you climb to an elevation of 6,875 feet in the Quinlan Mountains, this scenic drive takes you from the desert floor of cacti and creosote bushes, to manzania and oak woodland, to tall pinon and juniper pine forests. The Kitt Peak Observatory is situated on the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation. The Observatory houses the largest collection of telescopes in the world, 18 in all, and the second largest stellar telescope in the world. You’ll also see the McMath Solar telescope and the Huge Mayall telescope built especially for studies of the sun.

Nogales - South Of The Border And Tubac Artist Colony
60 miles south of Tucson is Old Mexico - Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. Founded in 1880, the first Arizona-Mexico Customs Office was established to monitor the international commercial exchange between the two countries. Nogales is not only an exhilarating change of pace, but it’s also great for shopping. Remember to haggle for your best price, as there are open shops (bargaining) as well as closed shops (no bargaining). We will also visit Tubac - a colorful artist colony that at one time was the site of a Spanish presidio built to protect nearby missions. Today Tubac is the town “where art and history meet.”

Pima Air Museum & Titan Missile Site
The Pima Air Museum is home of the largest privately owned collection of historical aircraft in the country. View a mock-up of the X-15 and a full scale model of the Wright Brothers’ 1903 Wright Flyer, or step right into the restored Douglas DC-9 used by both Presidents Kennedy and Johnson during their terms. Some of the aircraft on display have been loaned from the Smithsonian, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force. The Tucson Titan missile site is the only one of its kind in the world. It was assigned to the 390th Strategic Missile Wing, headquartered at Davis Monthan Air Force Base from 1963 until July 1984. This site has been preserved as a museum and stands as a tribute to those who maintained peace and freedom with the Titan weapon system.

Bisbee / Tombstone
This is a great full day tour of two of Arizona’s most unique historic towns. Our first stop is Bisbee. This old mining town and artists’ enclave winds through the old residential neighborhood known as the Warren area. View the steeply tiered houses clinging to hillsides and browse the antique shops and fine galleries that feature works in a variety of genre and mediums. Take an adventure-filled expedition into the cool, deep shafts of the Copper Queen Mine. Miner’s hard hats and heavy slickers are provided to tour participants for this rail trip through 6,000 feet of solid rock. Then it’s lunch at the historic Copper Queen Hotel. Next, it’s on to Tombstone, “the town too tough to die”, where Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp shot it out. It features the famous OK Corral, Boothill Cemetery and Crystal Palace Saloon. Tombstone was dedicated in 1962 as a Registered National Historic Landmark; where the American West of the 1880’s is still very much alive today.

Tubac/Tumacacori Mission
This tour is filled with early Arizona history. Forty-five miles south of Tucson, Tubac was at one time the site of a Spanish presidio built to protect nearby missions and settlements from Indian attack. Today, it’s the town “where art and history meet.” Artists and crafts people live and work in Tubac and offer the visitor prints, poetry, jewelry, batiks and paintings. History buffs will love to tour the historic Tubac Presidio State Park and Museum. Travel the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail to the nearby Tumacacori Mission. Art buffs will enjoy the Tubac center of the arts which features free performances and changing exhibits of visual art from September through May.

Arizona Diamondbacks
Just 2 hours down the road is Bank One Ball Park, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Experience Major League Baseball at its finest, in the climate controlled stadium. Private group boxes are available. Cheer on your favorite team and players. Note: Games begin in early April and run through late September.