Tucson Historical Guided Tour: Explore Bold West
4.5
23 Ratings
Tucson
Embark on a historical guided tour of Tucson and delve into the bold and rugged past of the Wild West. Discover the origins of the city, the fascinating story behind the University of Arizona, the notorious Dillinger Gang, and the Apache Indians' reputation as desert pirates.
Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Mission San Xavier del Bac - Explore the oldest European structure in the old west territory. The Mission San Xavier del Bac, inspired by Father Kino and built by the Tohono O’odham
  • Sentinel Peak Park - We’ll take a drive by historic A Mountain, the Apache lookout for the Tohono O’odham and a
  • Presidio San Agustin del Tucson - Take a walk into history, explore the Presidio San Agustin del Tucson, built when the southwest was a Spanish Territory filled with Natives and Spanish Military, settlers and a handful of Jesuit Priests. Discover how those people lived and the Presidio built to protect them from the raiding Apache Indians and other hostile enemies.
  • St. Augustine Cathedral - We will pass by Historic Hotel Congress, the St. Augustine Cathedral. We will view the magnificent Cathedral built in the late 1800’s whose mason had a daughter that invented the Chimichanga.
  • University of Arizona - Drive by Historic Old Main at the University of Arizona. Find out why this amazing University almost didn’t happen and how 2 gamblers and a Saloon owner saved the day!
What's Included
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • All fees and taxes included
  • Complimentary bottled water
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
Additional Information

Embark on a journey to the bold, untamed west! Listen to the tales of Tucson’s sometimes brutal and notable history.

Tour the historic Presidio, where Hugo O’Connor, known as the Red Captain of the Spanish Military, is credited as the founder and namer of Tucson city.

Discover how the establishment of the University of Arizona was nearly thwarted, only to be saved by a Saloon proprietor and two gamblers!
Gain in-depth knowledge about the Apache Indians, notorious for being the desert’s buccaneers, renowned for their raiding, pillaging, and ruthless conduct.

Feast your eyes on the magnificent White Dove of the Desert, and witness the location where the Dillinger Gang met their capture in the 1930s, among many other things!

  • Travel time will consume 4 - 5 hours
Location
Starbucks
East Broadway Boulevard
5870 E. Broadway Blvd. Tucson, AZ
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.5
(23 Ratings)
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Mark_s
Mar 25, 2024
Historic Tucson City Tour - Our guide, Taffy was exceptional in history knowledge. She shared and directed us to bygone years and enriched our time spent in Tucson. Highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Kellyregister
Mar 22, 2024
Tucson tour - Great tour of Tucson helped us learn more about our surroundings and what we'd like to do next. Tour guide was knowledgeable and engaging. Highly recommend
Review provided by Viator
Jasoncyrus_o
Mar 22, 2024
Tucson History - Really interesting and interactive tour with a terrific guide. We totally enjoyed the experience. Definitely recommend
Review provided by Viator
Flora_s
Mar 4, 2024
Tucson history and fun! - Our tour guide, Mike, was fantastic. He provided much history in a fun and enjoyable way. The stories were great! We learned so much, loved the stops and would recommend this to anyone!
Review provided by Viator
Ketco
Mar 2, 2024
Great history lesson - Kudos to Mike for providing an excellent tour of historical Tucson. So knowledgeable and detailed! The Presidio was definitely a highlight. We would love to do a longer one if available.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eddie_v
Feb 21, 2024
Magical - The old Catholic Church was spiritual and very beautiful.The old army garrison and the stories about it was fascinating!
Review provided by Viator
Rexa_s
Mar 16, 2024
Office staff and driver... - Office staff and driver accommodated my error. I went to wrong pick up point, but driver picked me up and dropped off at Hotel.
Review provided by Viator
S8263czjimm
Mar 11, 2024
History Of Tuscon - The tour had a lot of good information about the history of the city and we got to drive around town to see some interesting sites. If you don't know much about how Tuscon came to be I would recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Northstar04176804502
Feb 18, 2024
Interesting and fun! - The driver was very good. She told us about the sites and Arizona history while safely driving. We spent time at the San Xavier cathedral and the Presidio which were both great.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mark
Mar 1, 2024
Save your money - Save your money and visit the Mission and Presidio yourself. The van is uncomfortable and hard to get in and out of. We arrived at the Starbucks 20 min early and was almost going to call when nobody was there at 8:55 for a 9 am tour. Then the guide had to call the other two parties. One party mixed up the time and then she took the liberty of committing to meet them - a 15 min drive away. Then asks us if it’s ok after. We really didn’t have a choice. The late party should have been given a different tour time. This cut into our time at the Mission. She said she would arrange a docent and never did. I’ve been to the Mission prior and the docents give as much information as the tour guide. Two members of the other party on our tour had mobility issues and we spent extra time boarding and unloading the van. The van should be equipped with a step stool (which I think the guide ran out and bought at the last stop). I found the running board on the van to be hard to step on to exit and don’t have mobility issues. Our tour guide knew a lot of history, but her presentation was choppy as she is driving while talking. Mixing up Texas/Mexico because she was distracted. Additionally, the guide could have had us introduce ourselves to our fellow passengers as there were only three parties. The ASU drive by was a joke. I would have rather drove to the two places in the comfort of my own car on my own timeframe. The Presidio is only $6 per person and the Mission is free. What a waste of money and half a day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 13 guests
1 Adult
May 2024
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