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.
New, extra validity — now yours for an entire year! Use multiple times over multiple trips!
This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
- Recommended by 98% of travelers
- Badge of Excellence
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Mobile ticket
What's included
Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
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!
Attraction passes, entry tickets, or reservations
Meeting and pickup
Travelers meet at the meeting point.
Meeting point
After booking the tour, search your email for the phrase "Set up your self-guided tour now." Follow these instructions NOW to finish setting up the tour while you have Wi-Fi/data. Do NOT wait until you are onsite.
Good to know
You’re not done yet! It’s time to set up the tour you purchased.
Follow these steps now, while in wifi/signal. Do NOT wait until your travel date or while onsite.
1. Find the tour setup instructions:
>> Email: search for the phrase "Your tour operator sent you a message” OR “Set up your Action Tour Guide self-guided tour now." If it’s not in Inbox, check All Mail.
>> Viator App Messages: open the app, check Bookings, select View Voucher, and click on Contact Tour Operator
>> TripAdvisor App Messages:
open the app, check Account, select Messages
>> Text: check for a text from 415-980-4997
>> Can’t find it? Ask us to resend: https://actiontourguide.com/redeem/
2. Follow the set up instructions NOW, not later:
>> MUST do this before traveling to site. Requires WiFi/signal.
>> Do NOT wait until your travel date to access the tour for the first time. The tour is not tied to your travel date.
>> For the tour guide app to function as intended, iPhones must be iOS 13 or above and Androids must be version 9 or above.
3. Not familiar with our self-guided audio tours? Watch this quick tutorial: https://actiontourguide.com/tutorial
⚠️ Important Note:
Your purchase is for the audio tour ONLY. It does not include entrance tickets to parks or attractions.
⚠️ CarPlay and Android Auto are not yet supported. Connect your phone via Bluetooth, USB, or Aux for audio. Use phone speakers if needed.
Questions? https://actiontourguide.com/faq/
Starting Points:-
✅ Saguaro National Park East:- Rincon Mountain Visitor Center, 3693 S Old Spanish Trail, Tucson
✅ Saguaro National Park West:- South Kinney Road,4960 W Ajo Hwy, Tucson
What to expect
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Saguaro National Park
2 hours
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. -
Old Tucson
2 hours
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.
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Gates Pass Scenic Lookout
2 hours
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.
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Gates Pass Trail
2 hours
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.
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Brown Mountain Trailhead
2 hours
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.
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Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
2 hours
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!
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King Canyon Trail
2 hours
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!
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Desert Discovery Nature Trail
2 hours
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.
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Hugh Norris Trail
2 hours
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.
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Valley View Overlook Trail
2 hours
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!
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Signal Hill Trail
2 hours
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!
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Rincon Mountain Visitor Center
2 hours
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.
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Sonoran Desert Overlook
2 hours
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.
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Future Generations Overlook
2 hours
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.
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Mica View Trailhead
2 hours
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.
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Cactus Forest Trail
2 hours
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.
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Loma Verde Trail
2 hours
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.
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Garwood Dam
2 hours
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.
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Riparian Overlook
2 hours
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.
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Rincon Mountains
2 hours
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.
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Javelina Rocks
2 hours
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.
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Tanque Verde Ridge Trail
2 hours
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.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the start time.
Times are local to the experience (America/Phoenix).
Additional Information
- Starting the Tour: • Open the app upon arrival at your destination. • Select the appropriate tour based on your starting point. • Head to the starting location; the audio will begin automatically. • Follow the suggested route and adhere to the speed limit for an optimal experience. • By following these instructions and taking advantage of the app's features, users can enjoy a personalized, flexible, and in-depth exploration of their destination at their own pace and convenience.
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Up to 4 travelers per booking
FAQs about Saguaro National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour
Can I cancel Saguaro National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour for free?
Yes. For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the start time.
How long does it take?
It takes about 2–3 hours.
Where does it start?
After booking the tour, search your email for the phrase "Set up your self-guided tour now." Follow these instructions NOW to finish setting up the tour while you have Wi-Fi/data.
What's included?
- Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
- Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
- 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!
What's not included?
- Attraction passes, entry tickets, or reservations
Which places does it visit?
It visits Saguaro National Park, Old Tucson, Gates Pass Scenic Lookout, Gates Pass Trail, Brown Mountain Trailhead, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, King Canyon Trail, Desert Discovery Nature Trail.
Which languages is it offered in?
It is offered in English.
Operated by Travel with Action
