4 Popular Places to Visit in Tucson

Tucson, famously called the ‘City of Sunshine’, is nestled in the wide valley of Santa River and surrounded by high hills. The city with a warm and dry climate attracts a lot of tourists, especially those seeking relief from harsh winter in Northern Arizona. Besides the climate, there’s so much about the city that makes it a favorite of travelers. If you are planning a short getaway, look for cheap flights to and from Tucson, and get ready for a memorable vacation. When in Tucson, here’s the list of places to visit.

1. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

The Arizona-Sonora desert museum gives a closer look at the desert landscape. The museum has a botanical garden, zoo and natural history museum. There are displays of animals and plants that are native to the Sonoran Desert. Some of the endangered species displayed at the park include thick-billed parrot, margay, desert pupfish, and Gila topminnow. The museum has more than 40,000 plants of 1200 species.

2. Catalina State Park

The Catalina State Park is in the North of Tucson. It is a desert with areas for picnic and hiking as well as horseback riding trails. Most of the visitors come for camping, plant and wildlife, and the Romero Ruin archaeological site. The site has the remains of Hohokam Indian village that was present between AD 500 - AD 1450.

3. Mission San Xavier del Bac

There couldn’t be a better example of 18th-century architecture than the Mission San Xavier del Bac. It is also called the White Dove of the Desert. The construction has Mexican, Moorish, Renaissance, and Byzantine influence. The place is open for the public from 7 am to 5 pm, every day. There’s a museum that is open from 8 am - 4.30 pm for visitors.

4. Pima Air and Space Museum

Housing more than 300 aircraft and spacecraft, the Pima Air and Space Museum is the world’s largest privately aided air museum. The museum has the presidential plane of John F Kennedy and replica of 1903 Wright Brothers Flyer. Besides the historical craft, the museum has some new and advanced models also.

Final Words

As a large part of the land in Tucson is desert, a holiday in the city is altogether a different experience for travelers. One must indulge in traditional activities like panning for gold as well as the famous Mexican cuisine. There’s so much to do and see in Tucson that we recommend you do not book return tickets. Instead, land at Tucson and book cheap flights from Tucson once you have lived the city.