Embark on a journey through the majestic Saguaro National Park on our Self-Guided Driving Tour!
In the comfort of your own vehicle, we'll take you on a scenic drive through the towering cacti and stunning desert landscape, providing ample opportunities for photos and unforgettable memories.
Turn your phone into a personal tour guide with this audio-driving tour that shares fascinating insights into the history, ecology, and geology of the park, including the unique wildlife that calls this incredible desert home.
With stops at multiple overlooks and scenic vistas, you'll have plenty of chances to explore and take in the awe-inspiring beauty of this national park.
Whether you're a nat...
Highlights
From 12 hours to 13 hours
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
From 12 hours to 13 hours
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
Tours NEVER expire
Offline Audio Guided Tour: Hours of audio narration with stories, travel tips and music
Offline map (map and GPS work completely offline - no wifi or data needed)
Take the tour when you want - download the tour and choose the day that works best for you
Tour highlights with activity and restaurant recommendations
Turn-by-turn directions using GPS
Freedom to explore at your own pace - pick the stops you want, skip the ones you don’t
Audio narration that plays automatically as you drive
Private transportation
Meals and Refreshment
Entrance Fee: Saguaro Nation Park Visitor Center - $25 per vehicle to enter the park
Parking Fees
Red Hills Visitor Center
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Meeting Points
Departure
Arizona 86
The tour of the Tucson Mountain District (West) begins on Route 86 outside of Tucson. The tour of the Rincon Mountain District (East) begins just after the visitor center on Cactus Loop Drive.
Return
Important Information
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Wheelchair accessible
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Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
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Service animals allowed
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Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
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Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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Get Started Easily: • Book Your Tour: Receive a confirmation and easy instructions via email. • Download the App: Follow the simple steps in your email. • Redeem the Tour: Use the redeem code in your email to redeem the tour in the app. • Prepare Ahead: Download the tour using strong Wi-Fi.
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Begin Your Journey: • Select Your Tour: Go to the My Stuff tab in the Shaka Guide app to launch the tour. • Start the Tour: Select the tour starting point and follow the GPS instructions. • Follow Shaka Guide: Stick to the suggested route and speed for the best experience.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
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Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
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If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
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This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
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Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
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Nice 4 mile loop hike that summits Brown Mountain, a lower hill that's just outside Saguaro National Park.
2 hours
2
Red Hills Visitor Center
This visitor center is a wealth of information about the west side of Saguaro National Park, the TMD. There are also good restrooms, a museum, activities, a gift shop, and a theatre.
Park entrance fee per vehicle
good for 7 Days
10 minutes
3
Desert Discovery Nature Trail
An interpretive trail near the park entrance that is paved, flat, and easy for strollers or wheelchairs. The 0.4 mile loop may have flowers and birds, as well as reptiles.
30 minutes
4
Valley View Overlook Trail
A 0.8 mile trail that leads to an impressive overlook above a large expanse of virgin Sonoran desert, with mountains in the background.
15 minutes
5
Ez-Kim-In-Zin Picnic Area
A placid picnic spot with vault toilets and nice desert views.
30 minutes
6
Sendero Esperanza Trailhead
This trail offers a stunning route to reach Mt. Wassen, the highest point of the TMD. Along the way one can see saguaros and other desert plants, as well as possibly wildlife as well, reptiles, birds, and possibly mammals, like jackrabbits and javalinas, or even mountain lions.
1 hour and 30 minutes
7
Signal Hill
Stunning Hohokam culture petroglyphs with a backdrop of desert and mountains behind.
35 minutes
8
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Part zoo, part museum, part botanical garden, part art gallery, there's something for everybody at this unique institution, which is one of Tucson's top attractions. This place celebrates everything native to Arizona with natural exhibits and well-kept paths through gardens. Play areas, shows, and more keep the kids entertained as well. About 85% of the Desert Museum is outdoors.
2 hours
9
Gates Pass Scenic Lookout
A stunning scenic overlook of vast desert, with parking and stone structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
15 minutes
10
Sonoran Desert Overlook
The Saguaro East portion of the tour begins past the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center, at the beginning of the Cactus Forest Drive scenic loop. This is a quick and easy overlook, one of the first along Cactus Forest Drive. For those that are anxious to get out of the car and take a look around, this is a quick introduction to the area. But if time is short, you can press on.
5 minutes
11
Cactus Forest Overlook
Another brief stop is in order at this overlook, which has a much more expansive view of the surrounding saguaro forest.
5 minutes
12
Mica View Picnic Area
The Mica View Picnic Area has a few shaded places to enjoy a picnic, but the star is the Mica View Trail. It's an easy, 1.5 mile round trip hike through the saguaros. The path is flat, wide, and made of gravel, making this an ADA-accessible trail.
30 minutes
13
Desert Ecology Trail
This easy, paved trail is under a half mile long, and is one more ADA-accessible path through the desert flora. It doesn't take long to walk through, but you might linger longer to read the interpretive signs, or wait on a bench to see what wildlife appears.
15 minutes
14
Loma Verde
This trailhead is the gateway to a tangle of trails that extend into the desert. But the most popular trip is to do a loop, combining the Loma Verde, Pink Hill, and Squeeze Pen trails. Together, it's about 3.5 miles round trip, through more saguaros, cacti, and small trees.
1 hour and 30 minutes
15
Rincon Mountains
This overlook sits at the base of the Rincon Mountain range, with an open view of the desert ecosystem.
5 minutes
16
Javelina Rocks
Enjoy climbing around these ancient rock formations, which are a window into Saguaro's unique geological history. This is a particularly good spot for enjoying a sunset, with open views of much of the Cactus Forest Loop area.
15 minutes
17
Freeman Homestead Trail
This is an easy, one mile round trip hike to what's left of the Freeman family homestead. There's not much in the way of ruins other than the house's foundations, but it's an enjoyable hike nonetheless. The trail makes a loop in a densely vegetated area, where wildlife is abundant.
30 minutes
18
Javelina Picnic Area
A picnic area with covered tables and a restroom, as well as the Tanque Verde trailhead. The entire Tanque Verde Trail is over 17 miles long, an adventure that crosses through multiple ecosystems between saguaro desert to alpine forest.
Even if you do the first couple miles, you'll see the saguaros disappear and replaced with scrubland. Wide open views, nearby mountains, and incredible scenery make this a fitting grand finale to the tour.
Embark on a journey through the majestic Saguaro National Park on our Self-Guided Driving Tour!
In the comfort of your own vehicle, we'll take you on a scenic drive through the towering cacti and stunning desert landscape, providing ample opportunities for photos and unforgettable memories.
Turn your phone into a personal tour guide with this audio-driving tour that shares fascinating insights into the history, ecology, and geology of the park, including the unique wildlife that calls this incredible desert home.
With stops at multiple overlooks and scenic vistas, you'll have plenty of chances to explore and take in the awe-inspiring beauty of this national park.
Whether you're a nat...
Highlights
From 12 hours to 13 hours
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
From 12 hours to 13 hours
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
Tours NEVER expire
Offline Audio Guided Tour: Hours of audio narration with stories, travel tips and music
Offline map (map and GPS work completely offline - no wifi or data needed)
Take the tour when you want - download the tour and choose the day that works best for you
Tour highlights with activity and restaurant recommendations
Turn-by-turn directions using GPS
Freedom to explore at your own pace - pick the stops you want, skip the ones you don’t
Audio narration that plays automatically as you drive
Private transportation
Meals and Refreshment
Entrance Fee: Saguaro Nation Park Visitor Center - $25 per vehicle to enter the park
Parking Fees
Red Hills Visitor Center
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Meeting Points
Departure
Arizona 86
The tour of the Tucson Mountain District (West) begins on Route 86 outside of Tucson. The tour of the Rincon Mountain District (East) begins just after the visitor center on Cactus Loop Drive.
Return
Items | Saguaro National Park Self-Guided Audio Tour