3 Days in Tucson, Arizona
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Day 2 in The Old Pueblo
Get up early to take advantage of the cooler desert morning air. Surprisingly, temps are quite mild in the early morning hours, even during the brutal summer season. Expect 70’s or 80’s or so during the summer, and 50’s-60’s any other time of the year. Early morning is the time when you will want to plan any of your outdoor excursions. Never go out too far this time of the year though as dehydration and heat exhaustion are all too common. I limit my hiking to no more than a few miles before 8am or so just to be safe.
8:00am – Start your day off with a wonderful breakfast at Seis Kitchen, the best Mexican restaurant in town. They serve amazing breakfast tacos and burritos. As a bonus, they are located in the beautiful Mercado San Agustin shared use outdoor courtyard. While you are here, you can also enjoy a cup of locally roasted coffee from Presta (one of my favorite local coffeeshops). Mercado is conveniently located just 10 minutes from the resort.
The setting here is casual so feel free to wear your workout apparel – you will be in good company with local cyclists and hikers. I like that I can come in dressed for a hike and not feel the need to dress to impress. The vibe is super casual and everyone else will be fueling up with some hearty Mexican fare, pastries, or Mexican coke before gearing up for their daily adventures.
9:00am – After breakfast make your way over to Sabino Canyon, one of the city’s more popular attractions. This is where most of the tourists go, and even though I prefer a more rustic hiking experience, it’s a good experience for new tourists. There is a scenic tram ride (recently upgraded to electric which is nice!) here where you can learn more about the ecosystem and enjoy the cacti and mountain scenery via a guided tour.
There are many stops along the way where you can hike. Also, if you are up for a challenge, you can take the tram one way and hike down the other or even walk the entire route (definitely not during the summer season!).
Alternative: if you are not up for a lengthy drive, consider a hiking adventure up Tumamoc Hill. This tough hike features a 700 foot climb, but it’s so scenic, not to mention one of the city’s trademark attractions. It’s a toughy but a motivating journey to the scenic ending viewpoint! Thank you to the University of Arizona for opening the land to the public. The trail opens at 4am so you could hike first before getting breakfast if it’s going to be a hot day.
On the left, a gorgeous viewpoint at the end of Tram road. On the right, the breathtaking ending vista after climbing Tumamoc Hill.
Sabino Canyon is located within the beautiful Santa Catalina mountains. Numerous plants and animals call the canyon home. Wildlife is plentiful and you may see a bobcat, gila monster, or coatimundi. And, pretty much guaranteed, you will see more cacti than you’ve ever seen before!
Asides from the tram, there are a few trails here (both hard and easy). I recommend new visitors start with the nature trails at the visitor center which are short and informative. There are also some rough hikes here where you can see some pretty cool pools, however, they are not recommended for newbies. Stick with the shorter trails during the hot summer season. You can pick up a trail map to see if you are interested in hiking more.
Hopefully you do not see one of these! Fortunately, our guide pointed out this snake to us via the tram tour. Luckily, I have never seen a snake on a trail anywhere in my 2 years of living here which is pretty crazy considering I hike at least a few times a week.
You need to be really careful with the thick bushes that line most of the trails as the snakes can be hiking in the vegetation or under rocks.
Noon – After subjecting yourself to the heat and busting your butt, you will probably be ready for lunch (in an air conditioned setting!). Thankfully, I’ve noticed the restaurants keep really cool here (most of the time I need a sweater and sometimes even sit outside because it’s freezing cold).
There are not a whole lot of restaurants in the immediate vicinity, as the canyon is isolated. Hence, I would pick something near your next attraction. After freshening up at the hotel, I recommend checking out the really unique Mini Time Museum of Miniatures.
Grab a quick bite in the area and then proceed on to this wonderful museum (it’s one of my favorite eclectic museums anywhere). La Placita Cafe is a hidden gem of a Mexican restaurant. Other decent choices near the museum include Vero Amore (great wood-fired pizza), Oregano’s (excellent Arizona chain featuring Chicago style pizza), and Beyond Bread (delicious local Panera Bread-esque chain). After lunch treat yourself to the most delicious gelato at Frost. This local company started in Tucson, and has since expanded all over the country.
At the Mini Time Museum, you will be able to explore hundreds of intricate dollhouses. This hidden gem is frequently rated amongst the best museums in the country. I can see why as the attention to detail the artists putting into each of these houses is astonishing. I’ve always loved dollhouses so I was truly intrigued by this museum – if you are too, you’ll definitely want to add it to your itinerary.
3:00pm – Head back to the resort and take some time to recover from your hike. The pool here is really great with a waterslide and a relaxing lazy river. The views are pretty fantastic as well. And, there’s a poolside dining area where you can order drinks and light snacks.
5:00pm – Head over to Saguaro National Park. This massive park is split into 2 sections, one on the East side of Tucson, the other on the West. The drive over to either is spectacular with wide open views of the desert. The Eastern section is a bit more scenic and much bigger, however, the West section is closer and better for sunset gazing. Plus, they have a great visitor’s center with an amazing overlook of the cacti. There are several super short trails here, as well as a scenic drive so plenty of options for non-hikers. You can read more about the different options in my article linked above.
Note: This timing assumes a spring/summer visit. If your visit falls during the winter season, you may want to consider a stargazing adventure at Gates Pass, a show at the Fox Theater, or a visit to a local bar/brewery.
Other popular attractions nearby the park include Old Tucson and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Both are often considered tourist traps, although the desert museum is nice if you would like to learn more about the unique desert ecosystem. I actually thought it was pretty nice and I love the cacti gardens and hummingbird aviary. Additionally, Gates Pass is an amazing place for a sunset. Really, no matter what, you cannot leave without visiting one of America’s most unusual and visually spectacular national parks!
*If you have the time, be sure to plan visits to both park entrances. Really, both are amazing (and they are also both included within your 7 day pass).
To the left, one of many unique cactus gardens at the Sonora Museum. To the right, the gorgeous Gates Pass overlook. Both of these attractions are conveniently on the same road as the National Park.
8:00pm – Head back to the resort and enjoy another relaxing night under the clear desert skies! Check the resort’s lineup of events. Typically, they have something interesting on the lineup no matter when your visit falls.
