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The Best Guided Tours in Phoenix

Architecture

Go to the "Wright" place - and learn about an architectural genius

Book a 90-minute insights tour of Taliesin West, the personal winter home, studio and architectural campus of legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright. You’ll learn intriguing new facts about the genius whose colorful personal life made headlines—from tempestuous marriages to murders at Taliesin East in 1914. Tucked away in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains, Taliesin West—a recent addition to the UNESCO World Heritage List—illustrates how architecture can artfully blend into nature, an ideal of Wright, who is often cited as being the first “green architect.” He first came to Arizona in 1927, when he was asked to collaborate on the Arizona Biltmore, and returned in 1937 to escape the harsh Wisconsin winters and to buy several hundred acres of raw desert as a retreat for himself and the students of his architecture school. Taliesin West is still the place where Wright-trained architects and designers hatch building plans inspired by the master’s philosophies. Return in the evening for the two-hour Night Lights Tour to see the desert masterpiece aglow in an orange- and violet-hued sunset sky.

Art

Become a road scholar - and discover street art

Some of Phoenix’s most striking art — color-drenched murals on bustling streets and narrow alleyways—are hidden in plain sight. For the best way to experience these grand, vibrant canvases deeply interwoven into the culture and history of Phoenix, consider a self-guided tour aided by the Visit Phoenix Trip Planner app. Visually savor one of the biggest mural hubs in the heart of the city — Roosevelt Row — a nationally recognized arts district and buzzing neighborhood with street art from some of the city’s best-known artists, adding color, pride and social commentary to brick-and-mortar walls. Art galleries, restaurants and even vacant lots are decked out in street art — from large-scale mosaics and animals that are pure eye candy to murals reference history, such as the nine-story installation of author and civil rights activist James Baldwin (at Central Avenue and Roosevelt Street) which made our "Larger-Than-Life Mural Walls" list.

Biking

Go along for the ride - experience the Sonoran Desert via mountain bike

With boulders and prickly pear cactuses on your left and rocky ledges on your right, desert mountain biking can be an exhilarating (and intimidating) sport. Eliminate the fear factor by booking a half-day guided tour with an REI Co-op Experiences expert guide in north Scottsdale’s McDowell Mountain Regional Park. Here, more than 50 miles of rideable trails crisscross the park and offer stunning views of the Superstitions, Four Peaks, Mazatzal Mountains and Phoenix panoramas. The tour is suited for all skill levels, with beginners (or “Freds” in mountain biking lingo) learning shifting techniques, handling for tight turns, climbing short ascents and rolling over wash areas. Along the way, cyclists will learn fun facts about the flora and fauna that adorn the rugged Sonoran Desert landscape.

Bonus: REI Co-op Experiences also offers rafting, kayaking and paddleboarding tours from its Arizona Adventure Center in Scottsdale.

Culture

Fulfill your art's desire at an internationally known museum

When you book a tour of the Heard Museum, known worldwide for its American Indian art, you are embarking on a journey through time. Wind through the enchanting galleries, exhibitions and sculpture gardens for an immersive experience in both traditional and contemporary art. More than 40,000 objects—ranging from jewelry (Navajo and Zuni) and katsina dolls (Hopi) to textiles (Navajo) and Southwestern ceramics—tell unique stories about the cultures and experiences of the artists who created these works. Don’t miss the music and dance performances that bring history to life on First Fridays (free admission), the annual World Championship Hoop Dance, or the Indian Fair and Market.

Scenery

Go Green - and discover the secrets of plants that flourish in the desert

Take a stroll through a desert garden carpeted with wildflowers and centuries-old saguaros and rare cacti that exist nearly nowhere else in the world. In the 147-acre Desert Botanical Garden, nestled in the ruddy red buttes of Papago Park, where Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe meet, you can book a tour and learn about the wonders of plants that thrive in the arid desert. On a tour of the one-third mile Desert Discovery Trail, you’ll learn about some of the garden’s most intriguing succulent plants. There’s an old man cactus with wispy spines that look like a white beard, saguaro “hotels” that house starlings; and finches living in holes originally carved by woodpeckers; and mesquite trees, with inky sap that Native Americans once used for paint. For other tour options, you can join seasoned birders on the “Birds in the Garden” tour, venture down the Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Trail, one of the largest exhibits of its kind, and experience the “Taste of the Southwest Tour and Cooking Demo,” a private guided Desert Discovery Tour that ends with a chef demonstrating dishes for a delectable three-course meal.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum offers a wide range of guided tours and walks October through April, from plants and wildlife to history and ecology. As an important birding area, Boyce Thompson Arboretum serves as a revered stage where avian life takes the spotlight. Whether you’re a curious novice or a seasoned birdwatcher, their guided walk offers a window into a world of winged wonders. Join Boyce Thompson for an uplifting walk guided by a butterfly expert, and marvel at their resident butterflies’ intricate beauty and divine grace. Blessed with abundant vegetation and life-giving waterways, the Arboretum is a sacred haven for these winged wonders, especially in the transformative seasons of Spring, late Summer, and early Fall. In addition, take a guided tour of the awe-inspiring abundance of the Sonoran Desert. Far from barren, the Arboretum's vibrant landscape is home to an unparalleled variety of over 540 medicinal and edible plants. Explore flowering shrubs and timeless trees, and learn how plants like prickly-pear and jojoba have been life-giving staples for Sonoran Desert communities for more than 1,000 years. Discover Arizona’s first and oldest botanical garden with a docent-led tour on the main train. Explore the diverse gardens which are home to plants from many of the world’s deserts. Learn what makes desert plants unique and the adaptations that allow them to grow in challenging environments. This introduction to Boyce Thompson Arboretum is enjoyable for first-time and return visitors alike.

Cuisine

Foodies take note - you can eat (and drink) your way to discovering Phoenix

If you’re a foodie who plans journeys around wine regions or to enjoy area cuisine, booking a trip with Taste It Tours to sample unique local dishes is the most delicious way to experience Phoenix. A popular itinerary is the three-hour Downtown Phoenix Food Tour, a walking excursion of the city’s central core, stopping at historic landmarks (including a haunted hotel) and restaurants offering everything from Mexican street food with South American flavors at Chico Malo  to family made Thai cuisine at Thai Basil Signature. Another option is the three-hour Scottsdale Trolley Food Tour, which shuttles visitors through Old Town Scottsdale, a hub for art galleries, shops and a thriving foodie scene. This tour includes stops at Sugar & Spro, a coffee shop serving locally made chocolates; and TeaTime Scottsdale, offering more than 100 flavors as well as tea classes in the area’s oldest independently run tea shop. So whether you’re after traditional British pasties, Mexican street tacos, fresh-baked desserts or signature cocktails, every bite is a new experience to be savored.

Book it!

Explore other tours where you can make memories, make history—or even make dinner

Paolo Soleri’s Cosanti, where the Italian architect’s legacy lives on in his futuristic desert home and foundry for sculpted windbells.

Sweet Basil, a combination gourmet shop, market café and cooking school with a wide variety of hands-on cooking classes taught by experienced chefs.

Wrigley Mansion, a historic manse built by one of gum’s biggest names, William Wrigley Jr., as a winter getaway with his wife, Ada.

This article originally appeared in the 2020 Visit Phoenix Official Travel Guide.