Saguaro National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour
30 Reviews
4.47 out of 5 stars Based on 30 reviews collected by City Boat Tours and TripAdvisor
|
Badge of Excellence |Badge of Excellence This experience is highly rated by travelers and has met our top quality standards.
Tucson, USA
2 to 3 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Instant confirmation
Overview
Explore scenic Saguaro National Park (East and West) with this driving tour, full of wild history, mountains, rich wildlife…. and of course plenty of iconic Saguaro cacti! Hear stories of greed and drama involving settlers, miners, and gangs as you cruise through forests of cacti and yucca! Discover breathtaking trails, learn about the ancient Hohokam people, and much more!
After booking, check your email to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action, enter your unique password, and access your tour. These steps require good internet/Wi-Fi access. From there, follow the audio instructions and the route.
Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
What's Included
- Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
- Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
- Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
- Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!
- Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!
- Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!
- Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
- Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
- Park Passes
Meeting Location
Meeting point
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.
What To Expect
Saguaro National Park
Welcome to your tour of West Saguaro National Park! From mountain formations to colorful historical characters, Hollywood history to prickly cacti, there’s plenty to marvel at on this tour.Note: This 21+ mile-long tour covers the essentials of Saguaro National Park in 2-3 hours.Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Old Tucson (Pass By)
The park has since been rebuilt and remains open to the public today. To visit the park, take the turn that’s just ahead. Otherwise, continue driving straight.
Gates Pass Scenic Lookout (Pass By)
The Gates Pass Scenic Lookout is coming up next, offering great views of Tucson’s ancient rock formations. There’s a trail as well, which I’ll talk more about when we’re closer to it.
Gates Pass Trail (Pass By)
On this trail, there’s a ton of cholla and prickly pear cacti. You’ll recognize a prickly pear by its flat circular pads. Think Mickey Mouse ears! On the other hand, chollas have more cylindrical segments and tree-like growths. Just like the creosote bush, these cacti have a tremendous ability to store moisture. They store it in their stems, so that even in years with low rainfall, they can bloom all they want.
Brown Mountain Trailhead (Pass By)
Coming up soon is the Brown Mountain Trail. It’s a 5-mile loop trail that’s moderately challenging and should take under two hours to complete. Some hikers have reported coyote sightings on this trail. It’s not uncommon to hear coyote sounds echoing across Saguaro National Park.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (Pass By)
Coming up are the King Canyon Trail and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. The trail is a moderately challenging 7-mile trail that should take about four hours to complete. It’s a lot of work, but it features fabulous desert views along the way!
King Canyon Trail (Pass By)
Coming up are the King Canyon Trail. The trail is a moderately challenging 7-mile trail that should take about four hours to complete. It’s a lot of work, but features fabulous desert views along the way!
Desert Discovery Nature Trail (Pass By)
The Desert Discovery Nature Trail is coming up soon, a straightforward half-mile hike boasting tons of the famous saguaro cacti! Speaking of cacti, did you know a bunch of species are edible? This doesn’t mean you should go plucking them to taste on your walks.
Hugh Norris Trail (Pass By)
The Hugh Norris Trail is coming up soon. It’s a challenging 9-mile trail often traveled by horseback riders! It gets its name from 20th-century tribal police officer Hugh Norris. He was often out scouring for truant children for the Fort Yuma Indian School.
Valley View Overlook Trail (Pass By)
The Valley View Overlook Trail is coming up soon. It’s an easy 1-mile trail that takes about 20 minutes to complete. The Civilian Conservation Corps built this trail in the 1930s!
Signal Hill Trail (Pass By)
Signal Hill has about 200 prehistoric petroglyphs made by the Hohokam, who lived in this area from about 450 to 1450 C.E. Indigenous people say that each petroglyph placement isn’t random!
Rincon Mountain Visitor Center (Pass By)
Welcome to East Saguaro National Park! Ancient cultures, ancient rocks, and trails await you on this tour. Our tour begins at the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center at 3693 S Old Spanish Trail, Tucson. If you’re not there already, you should head there now. To begin your tour, simply continue straight along Cactus Forest Drive.
Sonoran Desert Overlook (Pass By)
The Sonoran Desert Overlook is coming up. It’ll be on our left, offering gorgeous views of the landscape and cacti. The Hohokam, ancestors of the O’odham people, were some of the first to call this desert home. This resourceful group slowly gave up their nomadic hunting-gathering lifestyle for a more settled farming life, developing a distinct desert culture.
Future Generations Overlook (Pass By)
The Cactus Forest Overlook is coming up soon. It will be on our left. Here, you’ll enjoy overlooking an oasis of cacti. Sure, the saguaro cacti are the most famous since they’re exclusive to the Sonoran, but the park actually hosts about 25 species of cacti! These include prickly pears and chollas, as well as some lesser known cacti.
Mica View Trailhead (Pass By)
Coming up is the Mica View trailhead. It leads to a 4-mile loop trail that’s considered easy and should take less than ninety minutes to complete. There’s a sweet picnic spot, too! From there, you’ll get great views of the Rincon and Santa Catalina Mountains. Keep an eye out for birds like the Gila Woodpeckers and Gilded Flickers.
Cactus Forest Trail (Pass By)
Up ahead is the Cactus Forest Trail. It’s a moderately challenging 10-mile route that should take about three and a half hours to complete. On this trail, you can see lime kilns that date back to 1880.
Loma Verde Trail (Pass By)
The Loma Verde Trail is coming up next. This easy 3.7-mile loop should take about an hour and fifteen minutes to complete. The trail crosses a seasonal stream and leads to a gradual downhill walk through the cactus forest.
Garwood Dam (Pass By)
There’s also the opportunity to explore the Garwood Dam. In 1945, Tucson residents Jospehine and Nelson Garwood bought 450 acres of land from two homesteaders. Three years later, while constructing a bigger house, they noticed that the Wildhorse Canyon behind their property always held water.
Riparian Overlook (Pass By)
Up ahead is the Riparian Overlook. Some claim this is the best view of the cactus forest! From here, you can see clear across the sprawling saguaro wilderness. One thing you can’t see from up there? Rattlesnakes.
Rincon Mountains (Pass By)
Off to our left are the Rincon Mountains. They’re pretty, but they’ve also got some wild history. On August 29, 1984, a Cessna 310 flew above these mountains. Four people sat inside the twin-engine aircraft. Outside, a thunderstorm raged and raged.
Javelina Rocks (Pass By)
We’re approaching the Javelina Rocks. These rocks are named after javelina, a dog-sized animal found in this region that resembles a wild boar. They have short coarse salt and pepper hair, with short legs and pig-like noses.
Tanque Verde Ridge Trail (Pass By)
The Tanque Verde Ridge Trail is coming up soon, at the end of our tour. I’ll tell you when we get there. The trail is a moderately challenging 3-mile route that should take under two hours to complete.
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- How To Access: After booking, you’ll get an email and text with setup instructions and password (search “audio tour” in emails and texts). • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password sent by email and text. • MUST download the tour while in strong wifi/cellular. • Works offline after download.
- How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
- Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
- Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
- Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car
- Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
(6)Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Saguaro National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour?
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.
Still have questions?
We're here to help.
Activity code: C-267535P35
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.47
30 reviews
Average 4.47 out of 5 stars based on 30 traveler reviews collected by City Boat Tours and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor
5 stars
22
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Additional Info
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Frequently Asked Questions (6)
The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from City Boat Tours customers.
Filter by:
Q:
What is the cancellation policy for the Saguaro National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour?
A:Apr 2025
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (MST).
Q:
What's included in the price?
A:
Apr 2025
The following is included:
- Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!.
- Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!.
- Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
- Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!.
- Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!.
- Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!.
- Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!.
- Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone.
The following is NOT included:
- Park Passes.
Q:
What is the minimum age for this tour?
A:
There is no minimum age for this tour, so bring your wee one along for an adventure..
Apr 2025
Q:
My date is not available in the calendar, I am just checking to see if it is available?
A:
If a date or time is not listed on the calendar, it’s sold out or unavailable for another reason. Support cannot assist further if a date or time is not on the calendar.
If you find a date and time that works for you, book it NOW because things always sell out at this time of year.
Apr 2025
Q:
Is this an accessible tour?
A:Apr 2025
Accessibility information for the Saguaro National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour is as follows:
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Q:
Where is the meeting point for this activity?
A:
Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for Saguaro National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour will be included in your confirmation email from City Boat Tours. Please be sure to double and triple check your email address is correct at checkout so this important email makes its way to you!
Mar 2024What's Included
- Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
- Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
- Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
- Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!
- Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!
- Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!
- Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
- Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
- Park Passes
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- How To Access: After booking, you’ll get an email and text with setup instructions and password (search “audio tour” in emails and texts). • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password sent by email and text. • MUST download the tour while in strong wifi/cellular. • Works offline after download.
- How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
- Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
- Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you
- Savings tips: Driving tours: purchase just one tour for everyone in the car
- Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
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