If you only have 24 hours in Tucson, you want to maximize your time! This 2-day Tucson itinerary highlights the best way to spend your short amount of time in Tucson, Arizona.
Our visit to Tucson was part of our big Southwest road trip that took us from New Mexico to Arizona, and finally to California. We didn’t have a lot of time but we fit in a few places that really enhanced the trip.
I would love to go back again to explore a bit more, but if you are visiting Tucson you should check out these great attractions and dining options.
Tucson Trip Itinerary Ideas
We started creating our itinerary with this list of attractions in Tucson and then adjusted it to fit our itinerary, time in Tucson, and interests for this trip. We did not do all of these things but I like to give an idea of how we start planning our itinerary to inspire your trip.
- Saguaro National Park
- Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
- Colossal Cave Mountain Park
- Old Tucson
- Children’s Museum Tucson
- Reid Park Zoo
- Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch
- Tucson Botanical Gardens
- Biosphere 2
- Pima Air & Space Museum
I wish we had more time in Tucson because there were so many places I wanted to visit that we couldn’t fit in. Our visit was a taste of what Tucson has to offer and if we had more time we would have included more attractions.
2-day Tucson Itinerary
Tucson is located in Southeast Arizona. You know you have arrived as soon as the Saguaro Cactus start popping up. I knew that we would see cactus, but I didn’t realize it is part of the landscape everywhere you go! I thought you had to visit the national park but we saw them everywhere!
It was exciting to see the different ones and to experience this as a family for the first time. The cactus may be the everyday scenery for the locals, but for us it was mesmerizing.
Where to Stay in Tucson
There are a few options for staying in Tucson for a night. We opted for a Comfort Suites. It was no frills and fine for one night.
If you are looking for a bit more check out Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch. For a budget friendly option check out TownePlace Suites.
For a one night stay you might not need a lot from the hotel. We really only slept there because we spent more time exploring.
Day 1: Old Tucson & Dinner at HUB
- Arrive at Old Tucson Arizona around 11:30 am.
- Lunch at Old Tucson
- Check into Hotel-Comfort Suites Tucson
- Dinner at Hub
You won’t find many amusement parks in Tucson but you will find Old Tucson. Old Tucson is a working movie studio that continues to film movies to this day! You can also find the sets from some of your favorite western films.
Old Tucson takes you back to the Wild West and has entertaining shows, exhibits to explore, and a few family friendly rides to enjoy.
We arrived at Old Tucson at lunch time and headed over to Big Jake’s restaurant where we enjoyed BBQ and planned out our day.
Old Tucson has a daily schedule that gives you the shows and entertainment for the day. They have a gun fighting show, wild west movie tour, and a dancing show in the Saloon.
My kids enjoyed the tours and it helped that I showed them a few scenes from movies that were filmed there during our drive. We watched a clip of the Three Amigos and then they found the pictures and movie set during our visit.
After the show we headed over to the ride area. Old Tucson has a train ride, antique cars, and a carousel that are included with your admission price. My favorite was the train ride.
It takes guests on a ride around the grounds of Old Tucson and was a lot of fun. My kids also liked the antique cars because they got to drive!
Old Tucson is a great place to experience a bit of the Wild West and to see what life was like. Its a great educational experience for the kids and a fun place for all ages.
One of my favorite ways to experience a city is to eat at local restaurants. I love learning more about the food culture and often we find delicious meals that you can’t enjoy anywhere else.
HUB restaurant and ice creamery gave us a delicious meal, family friendly space, and amazing dessert.
The HUB restaurant Tucson is amazing. Honestly as I write this I want to go back because the meal was so good. I was impressed with all the families around, and how kid friendly the HUB is. It is an excellent place to dine when visiting Tucson with kids.
After dinner we were completely stuffed, but we headed across the street to the HUB Ice Cream Factory to try the delicious home made options.
With flavors like Oatmeal Cookie Dough, Mexican Wedding Cookie, and Coffee Swiss Almond you know it will not disappoint!
Day 2: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
- Breakfast at Hotel/Check Out
- Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
- Leave for drive to Yuma Arizona
We woke up early, had breakfast at the hotel, checked-out and headed to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. I was really excited for this place because it is part botanical garden, part zoo, art museum, and aquarium. I couldn’t wait to explore it.
The museum grounds open early but all the exhibits open a bit later. Take this into consideration when planning your visit. There are many museums in Tucson, but this museum is outstanding because it embraces the culture and vibe of Arizona in a great way for visitors to experience.
As soon as we arrived we were welcomed by the staff and explained a bit about the museum. We knew our time was limited to the morning so we decided to take the outer loop around the museum and experience what was there.
We met with a zoo keeper who taught us more about snakes, and we each touched it! We saw animals and cactus, and really appreciated the moment of being there.
The kids were excited to see a road runner and I loved exploring the cactus garden. There is even a hummingbird area and a small aquarium to explore.
Our plans only allowed a few hours at the Arizona-Sonora Desert museum and if time allowed I would plan a full day.
There is so much to do there and so much to see. Next time we would plan more time to explore and play with all the interactive exhibits.
Final Thoughts
Our 2-day Tucson itinerary was a perfect taste of the area. I would have loved a bit more time to explore a few more places. For our short visit I felt like we really got to experience a great part of the city and it left us wanting to go back and visit again.
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Leah has been traveling with her family of 5 since 2012 and sharing her expertise on planning family vacations and visiting theme parks since 2016. Leah has been featured in Visit Rochester, Undercover Tourist, and Home Publications. She has worked with brands like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Hersheypark, Toyota, and various Tourism boards and destinations. Leah creates family travel itineraries based on real trip experiences with her family. Her guides and tips help others plan great family vacations. Learn more about Leah and Five for the Road.
Ive been to arizona a few times but I dont think to Tuscon – thats pretty far south, right? I love the landscape of this part of the country! So different from the NE!
Yes! So different. It is in southern Arizona. If you go back you should plan a visit!