Home Activities USA Tucson Saguaro National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

Activity Tucson, USA

Saguaro National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

4.4 (39 reviews) 2–3 hours Free cancellation Private tour

out of 5

39 reviews

4.4

Saguaro National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Saguaro National Park Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

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/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point.

New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.

This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.

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At a glance

Duration: 2–3 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–4
Audio guide: English
Operated by: Travel with Action

What is included

Included

Included: Just bring your car and phone; the app guides your tour.
Included: Support is available via chat, email, or phone if you need help.
Included: Planning tools, route maps, scenic stops, and area previews included.
Included: Private tour experience for your family, in your own car.
Included: Lifetime access: use the tour anytime and keep it for future trips.
Included: Works offline with GPS route guidance and automatic audio stories.
Included: One purchase covers everyone in your car, not per person.
Included: Flexible tour: start, stop, and pause anytime during your trip.
Included: Access your tour in our separate audio tour app after booking.
Included: Hidden gems and local stories included along the route.

Not included

Not included: No live guide. Entrance fees, parking, food, and car rental are separate.

Itinerary

Stop 1

15 min

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.

Note: The tour is over 15+ miles long, with more than 40+ audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete.

New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
Stop 2

15 min

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.
Saguaro National Park

Passing by

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.
Stop 4

Passing 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.
Stop 5

15 min

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

Passing 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

15 min

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

10 min

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

10 min

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

10 min

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

10 min

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

10 min

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.
Stop 13

10 min

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.
Stop 14

10 min

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.
Stop 15

5 min

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

Passing 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.
Stop 17

Passing 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.
Stop 18

5 min

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.
Stop 19

10 min

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.
Stop 20

10 min

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

5 min

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.
Stop 22

5 min

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.

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

Start on S Kinney Rd near 4188 S Kinney Rd, Tucson, AZ 85735, just past the AZ-86 (Ajo Hwy) intersection, with McDonald’s on your right. Suggested start; we’re not affiliated, so staff won’t have tour info. Audio starts automatically. Check email/text for setup, Download on strong internet
Start on Cactus Forest Dr by Rincon Mountain Visitor Center, with the Visitor Center on your left and the entrance station straight ahead. Suggested start; we’re not affiliated, so staff won’t have tour info. Audio starts automatically—Check email/text for setup, Download on a strong internet.

End point

Using your ticket

IGNORE THE QR CODE ABOVE

The QR code CANNOT be presented for a ticket onsite.

The QR simply contains your tour access instructions. Please follow these instructions BEFORE you’re onsite because they require WiFi/signal.

1. Download my Action Tour Guide app:

actiontourguide.com/app

2. Sign in/ register with your email (this is will automatically generate a one-time verification sent to your email. That code is NOT your tour password).

3. Go to “My Tours” and select “Enter Password”. Find your password in the instructions email sent by “Action Tour Guide” to you by email and text.

4. Download your tour NOW. Do not wait until you are onsite.

BEFORE YOU START

This is a self-guided audio tour. No guide will meet you.

Entrance tickets, attraction tickets, parking, and transportation are not included.

Your tour has lifetime access with no expiry. Use it on any date—no need to change your booking date.

For walking tours, we recommend headphones.

See how it works: actiontourguide.com/tutorial

NEED HELP?

Setup: actiontourguide.com/redeem

FAQs: actiontourguide.com/faq

Call: 1-508-506-1844

Email: [email protected]

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

NOTE:

For road closures & park entrance fees, visit nps.gov.

https://www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm

Please note that an entrance pass is required to visit Saguaro National Park, and it is not included with this tour.

Cancellation

Free cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

If you cancel	You get back
At least one day before	100%
Less than a day before	0%

Good to know

Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Check current road closures, park conditions, and entrance-fee requirements before your visit. An entrance pass is required to enter Saguaro National Park and is not included with this tour.
Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.
At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
Good value: One purchase covers everyone in your vehicle, not each person separately.
More ways to save: Choose a single tour, a nearby bundle, or access to 200+ tours.
Download in advance: Download the Tour Guide app by Action and tour while connected to Wi-Fi or a strong cellular signal.
Follow the route: Begin at the suggested starting point or join anywhere along the route shown in the app.
Lifetime access: Preview the tour before your trip and revisit the stories, photos, and details afterward.
Supported devices: iPhone with iOS 15+, Android with version 9+, or a GPS-enabled iPad/tablet with cellular capability.
The app’s audio will play through your car’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto display, while the app’s map will display on your phone. You can connect your phone to the car via Bluetooth to listen to the commentary through the car stereo.