Tucson Origins Walking Tour
- 2 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- 2 languages
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
*Featured in the New York Times' 52 Places to Go in 2023 & Time Magazine's The World’s Greatest Places of 2023* Learn about the origins of one of the most important cities of the American Southwest, Tucson on this cultural heritage itinerary. Walking downtown Tucson’s El Presidio and the Barrio Viejo districts, we will explore the history and architecture of the community through the themes of the Native American, Spanish colonial, Mexican, and American Territorial eras, and also explain Tucson’s UNESCO designation as a City of Gastronomy. This is an opportunity to discover what makes Tucson such a unique and special place that forms part of America's tapestry. A former National Park ranger leads this tour with a background in historic preservation and heritage interpretation in the southwest. I have also worked on the effort to make the Barrio Viejo neighborhood a National Historic Landmark and at the nearby historic mission of Tumacacori National Historical Park.
Inclusions
What's included
- Gratuities
What's not
- Bottled water
Itinerary
Step back in time to the earthen adobe fortress founded in 1775 by the Spanish. We will learn about the Indigenous, Spanish Colonial, and Mexican cultural heritage of Tucson in this historic El Presidio District of Tucson as well as feature street art.
We'll visit and learn about the architecture of the beautiful and historic Pima County Courthouse, travel back in time in the Plaza de Armas, and take a moment to reflect on the January 8 memorial.
We'll go on an urban hike through the historic quarter of Tucson, the Barrio Viejo. Where we will visit is only a third of the size of the original community that was spared the wrecking ball of "urban renewal." We will discuss the only regional as opposed to national and international architectural styles present here. The only example left north of the border in the Sonoran Desert. You'll find out how Tucson got its name and get to know what is said to be the only shrine on unconsecrated ground in the United States.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
5.0
- 527
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Ratings come from 27 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- We will meet directly in front of the white-plastered historic adobe with distinctive blue doors called La Casa Cordova - located on N. Meyer Ave. & next to the Tucson Museum of Art entry. The nearest public parking: Pima County El Presidio Parking Garage 165 W Alameda St, Tucson, AZ 85701
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 20 travellers
- Operated by
- Borderlandia LLC
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
How it compares in Tucson
- Its from-price is close to the median of the 98 experiences we list in Tucson.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 21 of 98.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Tucson
Tucson is a Sonoran Desert city in southern Arizona, ringed by mountains and saguaro cactus forests, with Spanish missions and a distinctive food culture.
Tucson lies in a desert valley in southern Arizona, surrounded by the Santa Catalina, Rincon, Tucson and Santa Rita mountains and by forests of tall saguaro cactus. The historic downtown has adobe barrios, Mexican-influenced architecture and the University of Arizona. Mission San Xavier del Bac, a white 18th-century Spanish church on the southern edge of the city, is known as the White Dove of the Desert.
Top-ranked sights in Tucson: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Old Town Artisans.
Special offers in Tucson
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
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