Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona is the second largest city Arizona. It is located in Pima County in the southern aspect of the state. It is a popular tourist destination due to its sunny and warm weather. It is a great place to escape during the winter. It is nestled in the Sonoran Desert and offers abundant hiking in the Santa Catalina Mountains and the iconic Saguaro National Park. This culturally rich city is packed with awesome restaurants, things to do, arts, breweries and more.
How to get to Tucson
The Tucson International Airport (TUS) is the closest airport and is about 11 miles from downtown Tucson. The Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is about 1.5 hours drive away. Another option is the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA) which is 20 minutes outside of Phoenix. If you are driving by car from out of state these are some gross estimates of travel time: Albuquerque, New Mexico is about 6.5 hours away, Las Vegas, Nevada is about 6 hours and 15 minutes away and Los Angeles, California is about 7.5 hours away.
When we visited Tucson, we flew into the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. From there we rented a car and drove to Tucson. It is a great part of an Arizona road trip. Check out our itinerary HERE.
top things to do Tucson
Saguaro National Park
This iconic national park is not to be missed when visiting this area. There are two sections (Tucson Mountain district in the west and Rincon Mountain district in the east) which are both amazing. You can truly experience the towering saguaro cacti through hiking trails and scenic drives. Check out how to explore this park HERE.
Hiking
There are so many incredible hikes around Tucson area with amazing desert landscapes and views of the area. The Sabino Canyon area offers some incredible hikes including the Seven Falls Trail and Blackett’s Ridge Trail. The Santa Catalina Mountains have some great trails including the Romero Pools Trail, Ventana Canyon Trail and Finger Rock Trail. Tumamoc Hill is a steep paved trail that offers panoramic views of Tucson. Saguaro National Park has some great hiking trails as well including the Garwood Loop Trail, Loma Verde Loop Trail and the Valley View Overlook Trail.
walking tour of murals
Tucson has a huge collection of amazing street art murals. It is so amazing walking through the streets to see some of this great art. It is a true reflection of Tucson’s commitment to art and culture. Some of the best places to take in the murals include 4th Avenue, Downtown region, Barrio Viejo and on the University of Arizona Campus
Mission San Xavier del Bac
This historic Spanish colonial mission is known for its stunning architecture and cultural significance. It is known as the “White Dove of the Desert”. The construction was completed in 1797. It has intricate Baroque detailing and vibrant frescoes. It is free to visit and open from 9 AM-4PM. It is about a 15 minute drive from downtown Tucson.
Check out some awesome breweries
There are tons of breweries all over greater Tucson. Depending on where you stay you will have a bunch to choose from. During our stay we checked out Pueblo Vida Brewery in downtown Tucson. Other top breweries in the area include Barrio Brewing Co, 1912 Brewing Co, Dragoon Brewing Co, Borderlands Brewing Company and more.
Visit the Titan Missile Museum
The Titan Missile Museum is the only publicly accessible Titan II missile site in the United States. During the visit you can explore the underground launch control center and view the deactivated missile in the silo. It is an incredible glimpse into the era of nuclear deterrence and the Cold War. This is located about 30 minutes south of Tucson.
When we visited we booked tickets for the tour online which I would recommend doing in advance. We booked day of and it was sold out for the day by the time we arrived.
Explore downtown tucson
The downtown area of Tucson is vibrant. It is easily walkable and there are a ton of restaurants, bars and shops to get into. There are also great murals everywhere.
When we visited we stayed at a hotel near downtown so it was easy to get to places to eat. We had breakfast at the Cup Cafe in the Hotel Congress. We walked around to check out some awesome murals after breakfast. We got to-go food from the Urban Pita one night and got to-go from Jamie’s Pizza Kitchen which we brought to Pueblo Vida Brewing Co. which allowed outside food.
Other top things to do
The city has several other incredible things to do and check out! Some of the top things to do include the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, scenic drive up Catalina Highway to Mount Lemmon, Tucson Botanical Gardens, Tucson Museum of Art, and the University of Arizona Campus. Trust me you won’t be disappointed on your vacation getaway to Tucson!
