Tucson, this city in the South has a lot to offer the traveller for a three day weekend. From the mountains to the desert, there are varying options for the adventurous traveller’s 3-day Tucson itinerary.
Tucson, Arizona is an amazing town filled with neat art, fun shops, interesting history and plenty of fun outdoor activities. With our 3-day Tucson itinerary, you can see all of the best things Tucson has to offer in one long weekend.
Day 1- Saguaro National Park
Perhaps the biggest draw of Tucson for us is Saguaro National Park. Saguaro National Park is home to the largest cacti in the county and this iconic cacti marks for some amazing desert photographs. We started our tour of Tucson with this park as we weren’t sure how long the trip would take. Saguaro National Park is made up of two areas, the East and West. Both sides of the park have a driving loop that makes a great way to see the amazing plant life that is unique to this park. The welcome center and several short hikes make a great way to round out your trip to the park.
The park also has some short hikes that take you to areas with ancient rock art. We spent a full day in the park but we could have easily spent less time by cutting out hikes or spent more time by taking longer hikes. The great thing about Saguaro is they have options for varying levels of time and athletic ability. Check out our guide to the park here for more information and to help plan your trip.
Day 2 – Science and Museums
The next day we spent touring three unique facilities in Tucson. In the morning we headed to Pima Air & Space Museum. We went with a pilot friend and spent plenty of time looking at all of the planes.
Next, we went south of town to visit an empty nuclear warhead silo, the Titan Missile Museum. The tour focused on the history of the cold war and the arms race. It was an interesting and unique facility to tour. In the afternoon we headed north of town to visit the Biosphere 2 (aka BIODOME). Pauly Shore fans of the world rejoice! This is a real life facility in the Arizona desert that is a self-sustaining mini-world atmosphere. A tour of the facility will show you where the scientists lived as well as providing a great tour of every climate zone housed in the facility.
Day 3 – Mountains
After spending two days in Tucson’s deserts, we headed up Mt. Lemmon on our last day to take in the amazing views and cool off at altitude. We took the switch back main road up the mountain stopping at every viewing area along the way. There were some pretty cool rocks to climb on to get some amazing photos.
Next, we spent time wandering the ski resort towns that dot the mountain top. As a word of warning, do NOT take the Old Mt. Lemmon rugged road that leads down the other side of the mountain. I wanted to take a different route home, much to Scott’s displeasure and warning. We were unable to make it down as this road is intended for 4×4 vehicles and ATVs only. A tow truck off of a mountain on a holiday weekend is very expensive. Consider yourself warned. We eventually made it off the mountain and avoided divorce due to a well timed delicious breakfast.
What to Eat in Tucson?
Of course, no trip this far South would be complete without a sampling of the amazing Mexican cuisine the town has to offer. Only one hour north of Mexico, this town has some of the best and Spiciest (capital S) Mexican food we’ve ever tried. As Scott learned the hard way, if you’re from the North, order one less spice level than you normally would. We had Mexican food for almost every meal while here. We were also told by locals that you must stop at Eegee’s to get a frozen shaved ice, which was a great tip for after the hot hikes.
Want to Adjust the 3-Day Tucson Itinerary?
If you have more time, we would recommend spending time at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. We would also spend more time hiking the great trails Saguaro has the offer. Additionally, we would have liked to explore the downtown area further.
If you want to shorten your 3-Day Tucson Itinerary, I would recommend cutting out the Pima Air and Space Museum. Because this does have an admission price and most of the planes are outside in the heat, I didn’t find this Museum as entertaining as other things we spent money on.
What to Pack for Tucson
When traveling to Tucson, remember to pack for the warm weather of the dessert but also the cooler altitudes of the mountains. Also, good hiking shoes or boots are a must as most of Tucson’s best views involve a hike. If you plan on doing lots of hiking, bringing plenty of water is a must. We love using hydration backpacks for hiking as you don’t have to worry about carrying a water bottle. Another thing to note is the air-conditioning. Tucson businesses love to crank up the air so remember to bring a sweater or pullover if you’re going to be in an air-conditioned space for a long period of time. Check out some of our gear below.
We hope that this has helped you to plan your own Tucson itinerary. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments section below.
That’s great! Did you do anything fun while you were there?
45 minutes away from us you were. Diana works in Tucson.