Discover Marana, Arizona Through Guided Tours

Exploring Marana on your own is rewarding, but the real story of our town comes alive on a guided tour.

Every tour will give you a new perspective and reveal a side of Marana you might otherwise miss.

CreditOld Tucson
Adventure Tours
Movie Sets
Museums
Parks & Monuments

Adventure Tours

Adventure is expansive in Marana’s wide-open desert. Whether you’re pedaling, riding, or soaring through the Sonoran landscape, these guided experiences showcase the region’s wild beauty in exciting ways.

  • Birding Tours at El Rio Preserve – Marana Parks & Recreation offers frequent birding tours and nature treks at the El Rio Preserve hosted by expert guides, and in early August, there are guided field trips to the Preserve as part of the Southeast Arizona Birding Festival.
  • Bike Tours with Tucson Bike Rentals – Join an experienced local guide for a custom ride through the region’s best terrain including a leisurely spin along The Loop, a challenging mountain biking route in the Tortolita Mountains, or a scenic road bike excursion through Saguaro National Park.
  • Custom Tours with liv1ce (Live Once) -- Discover a new way to explore Southern Arizona with liv1ce Adventure Planning—where every detail is handled and every journey feels effortless. liv1ce (pronounced Live Once) offers elevated, all-inclusive adventures for visitors, meeting planners, and private groups seeking memorable experiences that showcase the desert’s beauty, culture, and charm.
CreditMarana Parks & Recreation

Movie Set Tours

Walk through the storied streets of these iconic Western movie sets keeping the Wild West alive.

  • Mescal Movie Set – Still an active filming location, the Mescal Movie Set offers tours between productions highlighting its cinematic history.
  • Old Tucson – Built in 1939, Old Tucson has served as the filming site for hundreds of classic Western films and TV shows. Today, visitors can explore this immersive theme park, enjoy live performances, and join a variety of tours, including ghost tours.
CreditOld Tucson

Museum Tours

Southern Arizona’s history and innovation come alive in these museums. Discover everything from archaeology and geology to aviation, art, and science through expert-led and self-guided tours.

  • Pima Air and Space Museum – Choose from several guided tour options, including a 45-minute narrated tram tour through 80 acres and 200 aircraft, themed walking tours like WWII or Cold War highlights, and immersive flight simulator experiences.
  • Public Art Tour in Marana – Follow this self-guided tour to view murals, sculptures, and installations that bring color and creativity to Marana’s public spaces, including Tucson Premium Outlets.
  • Mission San Xavier Del Bac – Go on a docent-led tour of the historic Mission San Xavier to learn about its architecture, artistry, and centuries-old legacy. Tours are free and are offered several times daily Mondays-Saturdays.
  • Titan Missile Museum – Descend 35 feet underground on a 45-minute guided tour to explore the missile complex, visit the launch control center, and witness a simulated launch. Self-guided surface tours include views of the missile silo and Air Force vehicles.
  • Tohono Chul Park Botanical Garden – Take part in daily tours covering topics like desert plants, local reptiles, and birding among the garden’s peaceful trails.
  • Tucson Wagon & History Museum – Step into the past with a guided tour featuring impeccably restored horse-drawn carriages, buggies, and stagecoaches with deep ties to Southern Arizona’s frontier and film history.
CreditTucson Wagon & History Museum

Parks & Monuments

Nature and history go hand-in-hand in the parks surrounding Marana. These guided and self-guided tours reveal the landscapes, stories, and ecosystems defining Southern Arizona.

  • Casa Grande Ruins National Monument – Join a ranger-led guided tour around the Great House to learn about the ancestral Hohokam people and their enduring legacy.
  • Oracle State Park – Explore a 4,000-acre wildlife refuge known for its dark skies and geology. Take a geologist-led tour of the Geology Trail or follow a self-guided route using maps from the Kannally Ranch House.
  • Saguaro National Park – Follow ranger-led hikes and programs to explore the park’s iconic cacti, desert wildlife, and unique ecosystems. Tours vary seasonally, offering insights into the Sonoran Desert year-round.
  • Tortolita Preserve – Led by the Town of Marana and the Pima County Chapter of Arizona Master Naturalists, you’ll walk well-maintained desert trails while learning about Sonoran Desert ecosystems and conservation efforts. Keep an eye on our event calendar for upcoming guided hikes.

More to Explore

This itinerary/blog post showcases local businesses in our community. We feature partners that serve food and drink, offer recreational opportunities, places to stay, and shopping. We value accuracy, fairness and balance in our advertising and marketing. We would love to showcase your business to our visitors. These advertising and marketing opportunities (social media, articles, website, and ads) are open to all businesses within Marana and the designated two-mile “Pima County Tourism Partner Zone” around the town limits that meet this criteria. If you want to be featured on our website or in social media, please contact us at MaranaInfo@Maranaaz.gov.

Related Content:

Saguaro National Park

We are lucky to have one of the nation’s most treasured parks, Saguaro National Park, right in our backyard. Saguaro National Park consists of two distinctly different parks, located within two different mountain ranges that are on opposite sides of Tucson, Arizona. Marana is closest to Saguaro National Park West and the eastern side of the park is located just one hour away by car.

Learn More