It can be weird when your town suddenly gets cool. It’s amazing to see your stomping grounds get the spotlight, but also you miss the old days a little. Just ask Kindall Gray, Senior Writing Program Lecturer at the University of Arizona. When she was a teenager in Tucson, “everything downtown was grungy and weird. I’d take the bus downtown and go to a grimy diner with mean waitstaff and delicious tater tots. I loved it!”
These days, downtown Tucson, and particularly Congress Street, is lined with fancy restaurants and clubs where people dress up for a night out. It’s a “fun, cool atmosphere” says Gray, but “I kind of miss how it used to be.” Still, Gray is only too happy to see all the new upscale eateries, buzzy nightlife spots, and cute boutiques bring the crowds.
Part of Tucson’s cool is its refusal to be just one thing. “Every neighborhood in Tucson feels distinctly different,” says Gray. The neighborhoods near the university are a tangle of historical houses, shops, restaurants, and plenty of bars. Downtown is all “noisy and eclectic energy,” while South Tucson offers architecture, murals, and amazing Mexican food.
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The incredible food scene is one of Tucson’s biggest draws. It’s the first U.S. city to be named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, a designation it earned in 2015 thanks to its 4,000 years of culinary history and the delicious ways it showcases Mexican and Native American traditions. Whether you’re biting into a Sonoran hot dog, tasting your way through the city’s best tacos, or ordering dozens of tortillas to go, it all feels uniquely Tucson.
Ready to make the most of a weekend in Tucson? Here’s what to see, where to eat, and how to get a good night’s rest at the end of the day.
Things to do
Plenty to explore, from desert wildlife to airplane boneyards.
Like Tucson itself, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is more than one thing. A natural history museum? Yes. A zoo? Yup. An aquarium? Botanical garden? Art gallery? All of the above. Highlights include Cat Canyon, home to coati, gray foxes, and ocelots, and The Desert Garden with whimsical desert blooms like fairy duster and desert marigold. Visitors also love the Earth Sciences Center, an ultra-realistic artificial cave, complete with stalactites, stalagmites, and underwater pools.
You don’t have to be an aviation nerd to be wowed by the Pima Air and Space Museum, which has more than 80 acres with 400 aircraft, including presidential planes, spacecraft, and antique aircraft you can see up close. And since Tucson’s famed Davis-Monthan Air Force Base airplane boneyard of retired planes is no longer open for tours, this is your best bet if you’re looking for that dramatic old-airplanes-in-the-desert experience.
Rillito River Park is the best place to start cycling on the Tucson Loop, a more than 100-mile, shared-use trail named America’s best bike path by USA Today. Along the way, you’ll see public art, animals like roadrunners and coyotes, and gorgeous river and desert views. By starting at Rillito, you’re close to coffee shops and restaurants, plus you’re well-placed for a nice couple of miles of scenery (my sources say head east for the prettiest surrounds). Rent a bike for the classic experience, though you can also walk, run, skate, rollerblade, or even ride a horse.
With a dramatic mix of canyons, rock cliffs, and a creek that’s a nearly year-round water source, it’s easy to see why this spot is a local fave. The canyon is car-free, but you can take an hour-long narrated shuttle tour to see the park without working up a sweat. Go early or late to avoid the blazing desert sun (but still bring plenty of water)—it’s also the best time to spot local wildlife like Gila monsters and bobcats.
Where to eat
An internationally recognized food scene with legendary tacos, tortillas, and hot dogs.
Gray says Ruiz Hot Dogs’ signature Sonoran dog is “a definite must-try.” These bacon-wrapped hot dogs are topped with pinto beans, onions, tomatoes, and a slew of condiments. And, while the little trailer in a dirt parking lot may not look like much, sitting down on a folding chair and taking that first bite is a Tucson food moment you won’t forget.
Another food truck, Taqueria El Rapido, has tacos so good they regularly earn top praise, including from Gray who counts them among Tucson’s best. If tacos aren’t your thing, try a torta, burrito, or birria. Nothing disappoints, everything’s affordable, and there’s a big salsa bar so you can customize your order. (There’s also a newish brick-and-mortar location on W. 29th Street.)
For Mexican-Native American specialties, La Indita
La Indita blends Mexican mainstays with Tarascan and Tohono O’odham Indigenous flavors, and is another of Gray’s all-time fave Tucson eateries. Try the signature Indian taco, which features fried bread with Tohono O’Odham nation style red chile, plus beans, beef, and cheese. Other favorites include chicken mole, Tarascan tacos (ranch-style flat enchiladas), and calabacitas (squash cooked with chiles, onions, and tomatoes). Never hurts to add a homemade margarita!
Confession: I can’t stop eating Tucson-sourced, Sonoran-style tortillas—thin but chewy tortillas made from Mexican wheat. I regularly order dozens from La Mesa Tortillas, but if you’re in Tucson you can skip UPS and order some fresh—eat some now and take the rest home as souvenirs. If corn tortillas are more your thing, Gray recommends Pico Del Gallo, which “has the fluffiest, heartiest, most satisfying homemade corn tortillas.”
If, like so many others, you spend a night in Tucson at its coolest concert venue, Club Congress inside Hotel Congress, then you’ll want to spend your morning at the hotel’s Cup Cafe. With buttermilk pancakes, burritos, beef brisket, and much more, brunch here is the ultimate hangover cure. Finish it off with a local favorite, Coconut Cream Pie.
Places to stay
Cool spots that mix history, scenery, and comfort.
This National Register of Historic Places gem has been welcoming guests since 1930. Cute, casita-style rooms have comfy beds and local, vintage vibes—think antique writing desks and Southwestern art. Fourteen acres of gardens connect the casitas with a heated outdoor pool as well as tennis courts and spaces for playing croquet and table tennis. Other unexpected perks include a well-stocked library, seasonal treats (afternoon tea in the cooler months and sundae bars in the summer), and two on-site restaurants.
Nestled in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, about a 25-minute drive from downtown, this ranch resort sits on 34 dreamy acres of botanical gardens and desert, with a view to both mountains and city lights. Touches like Talavera tile, wood-beam ceilings, and hand-crafted furniture give the adobe-style rooms, suites, and casitas elegant, Southwest character. The ranch has three pools, two restaurants, and peaceful, private patios.
Westward Look started life as a school for the daughters of the 1930s elite before becoming a guest ranch that attracted Hollywood stars like Katharine Hepburn and Clark Gable. The resort’s 80 acres mix desert views with oasis vibes, a combo that’s especially apparent when you’re lounging by the pool. For something extra special, book a Stargazer Spa Suite, which comes with a private patio and a hot tub, and is the perfect place to watch for shooting stars.
If you’ve stayed at one of the college-town-focused Graduate Hotels, you already know the vibe: casual, friendly, and packed with cool details that draw on local history. At the Graduate Tucson, that translates to cactus lamps, Wildcat-inspired color schemes, and vintage pics on the wall. Leveling up the vibe are amenities like a rooftop pool and bar, Malin + Goetz bath essentials, and a fitness center with Peloton bikes. The hotel also rents bicycles so you can tool around the ultra-bike-friendly U of A campus (and beyond) on two wheels.
For an all-inclusive spa experience, Miraval
Miraval isn’t just a resort, it’s a destination. In 2023, this all-inclusive resort was ranked by Travel + Leisure readers as one of the best U.S. spas. Stays include all meals and snacks (healthy and delicious, of course), and access to activities like equine meditation, art walks, water fitness, and photography hikes. You also get airport transfers and a daily resort credit to spend on anything from spa services to private consultations. With so much onsite, you might want to move in.
