Mount Lemmon Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour Discount Tickets

4.9
★★★★★ ★★★★★
Based on 78 reviews |
location pin icon Tucson, USA
location pin icon Tucson
4.9 /5
78 reviews
View all Mount Lemmon Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour photos
View all Mount Lemmon Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour photos

Get your discount tickets for the Mount Lemmon Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour, save up to 9% !

Select your ticket

9% OFF Refundable
Mount Lemmon Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour
FROM

$15.48

REG. $16.99

Overview

Discover Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway in Arizona, a journey through nature and history. Explore tales of the Native Tohono O'odham, marvel at the Sky Islands and Saguaro Cacti, and delve into the past at the Catalina Federal Honor Camp. By night, the Mt. Lemmon Sky Center dazzles, and fall, the Oktoberfest at Ski Valley awaits. Experience Arizona's condensed beauty. Recommended: purchase one tour per car. Everyone can listen at the same time! After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Begin from 9070 E Catalina Hwy, Tucson, AZ 85749, USA. After booking the tour, search your emails and texts for "audio tour". Your tour is VALID FOREVER, so follow these instructions NOW to finish setting up the tour while you have Wi-Fi/data. Do NOT wait until you are onsite.

End Point

End point

This tour ends beside Mt. Lemmon Sky Center Observatory.

Language Offered

English-AUDIO

Itinerary

1. Soldier Trail
Soldier Trail is up ahead. This challenging 5-mile out-and-back hike features Saguaro, prickly pears, and a 2,000-foot elevation gain! Note: The tour is over 30+ miles long, with more than 44 audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
Duration: 5 mins
2. Babad Do'ag Scenic Overlook
Babad Do’ag Scenic Overlook is coming up soon. This vista overlooks the entire city of Tucson and the mountains beyond. The Babad Do’ag trail also begins here. It’s a moderate 4.5-mile hike through Saguaros, chollas, and ocotillos.
Duration: 5 mins
3. Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway
One of the most fascinating features about this highway is how the climate changes as we drive. From start to finish, it’ll feel like we’ve driven vertically across the entire US, from south to north. Why is that? Because we’ll be gaining 6,000 feet of elevation along the way!
4. Molino Canyon Vista
Molino Canyon is one of many boulder-filled canyons in the Catalina Mountains. At this elevation of about 4,000 feet, the mountain’s ecosystem is starting to change. Both at the overlook and the mountain it faces, you’ll see the earth covered in native grasses, tall spindly ocotillo, tufted desert broom, and a colorful flowering shrub called pink fairy duster.
Duration: 5 mins
5. Molino Basin Trailhead
This easy 5-mile out-and-back trail is relatively flat, which makes it a great place to break out the mountain bike if you’ve got one. It’s also an excellent path for trail runners. If you’re walking the trail, it should only take a little over two hours.
Duration: 5 mins
6. Bug Spring Trailhead
This challenging 10-mile out-and-back trail takes five hours and has a little bit of everything. The route starts in the desert terrain of the Catalina foothills, switchbacks up to a secluded pine forest with creek crossings, and ends in the Bear Canyon Picnic Area. The total elevation gain across the path is 2,000 feet, enough to feel the atmosphere get thinner and the temperature get cooler.
Duration: 5 mins
7. Thimble Peak Vista
Speaking of birds, get a bird’s eye view of the canyon up ahead at Thimble Peak Vista! This overlook offers a clear view of Thimble Peak. When you see it, you’ll know right away where it gets its name. The top of the mountain is shaped exactly like a giant sewing thimble… only it’s over 5,000 feet high!
Duration: 5 mins
8. Seven Cataracts
The Seven Cataracts are a series of waterfalls that pour from the Willow Canyon stream. From top to bottom, the entire complex is about 1,000 feet high! It’s not a straight drop, though. The water tumbles from rock to rock in a cascade formation. Despite the name “Seven Cataracts,” it’s more like a hundred mini waterfalls in one!
Duration: 5 mins
9. Middle Bear Picnic Area
Did you pack your sandwiches? We’re about to pass one of the highway's best picnic spots! The Middle Bear picnic area sits alongside Bear Canyon, comfortably sheltered by ponderosa pines. You can see the rest of the canyon below. On the opposite slope, you’ll see a strange sculpture garden created by erosion and landslides.
Duration: 5 mins
10. Manzanita Vista
Manzanita Vista is up ahead, offering views of a lush manzanita grove. You can identify manzanita by their smooth, bright red bark and gnarled branches. Manzanitas are prolific here because they can survive with poor soil and little water. They have adapted to the harshest growing conditions, and so they have absolutely no competition from other plants.
Duration: 5 mins
11. Windy Point Vista
The view at Windy Point is unbeatable. You can see all the way from the desert at the base of the mountain to the subalpine summit. You’ll get to take in the entire biodiversity of Mount Lemmon in one panorama!
Duration: 10 mins
12. Geology Vista Point
Geology Point Vista is ahead, offering views of hoodoos. A hoodoo is a tall, thin spire of rock like a naturally occuring skyscraper. Hoodoos only develop in dry, hot climates.
Duration: 10 mins
13. Duck Head Rock
Coming up is Duck Head Rock. This is one of Mount Lemmon’s most beloved landmarks, and you can probably guess why. This rock formation is shaped like a duck’s head with a long bill!
Duration: 10 mins
14. Hoodoo Vista
Up ahead is Hoodoo Vista, another overlook featuring unique geological formations. For a look at these fascinating hoodoos, park in the turnout just ahead. Otherwise, continue driving.
Duration: 10 mins
15. Rose Canyon Lake
You probably don’t usually associate “Arizona” with “fishing.” Rose Canyon Lake is here to change your mind! This peaceful spot rarely sees the crowds who visit other attractions along the route, making it perfect to enjoy a moment of solitude.
Duration: 10 mins
16. San Pedro Vista
San Pedro Vista is up ahead. This overlook boasts gorgeous views of the San Pedro Valley down below. When you’re done admiring the scenery, you can hop right on the Arizona National Scenic Trail––an 800 mile hike that spans the entire state, from the Mexican border to Utah! Don’t worry, there’s no rule saying you need to hike the whole thing!
Duration: 10 mins
17. Palisades Visitor Center
Need a restroom break? Turn left onto East Organization Ridge Road to visit the Palisades Visitor Center. Otherwise, continue straight.
18. Butterfly Trailhead
Butterfly Trail is up ahead. This challenging 11-mile hike is certainly scenic, but the biggest attraction can be found three miles in. That’s where an unofficial trail breaks off and leads to… a crashed F86 fighter jet from 1957! Wait, what? How did that happen?
Duration: 10 mins
19. Aspen Vista
Aspen Vista Point is up ahead, at an elevation of nearly 8,000 feet! On a clear day, you can see 50 miles away! The ridge rising out of the horizon is another sky island chain called the Galiuro Mountains. The two ranges are separated by a valley that plunges over 5,000 feet. The San Pedro River flows through the gulf between the mountains.
Duration: 10 mins
20. Red Ridge Trailhead
Just ahead is Red Ridge Trail. This moderate 10-mile trail gets its name from the red dirt that forms the path. The distinctive Sonoran Desert brick-colored soil is caused by weathering of minerals that contain a lot of iron. Or, as you probably know it, rust. The dirt here is exposed to the elements, just like when you leave your bicycle out in the rain.
Duration: 10 mins
21. Mt Lemmon Ski Valley
Mount Lemmon Ski Valley is up ahead. Where you have an alpine mountain top, a ski resort can’t be far behind! Mount Lemmon Ski Valley is here for all your winter sporting needs.
Duration: 10 mins
22. Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter Observatory
The SkyCenter did NOT start out as an observatory. The government established a radar station at this location in 1956 during the height of Cold War paranoia. They wanted to scan the skies for enemy planes and missiles. For 10 years, Mount Lemmon was the highest continually-operating radar station in the world. 80 men worked at the radar station, most of whom lived at the facility full-time. After all, it would’ve been too much trouble to constantly trek up and down the mountain!

Inclusion

Just bring your car and phone; the app guides your tour.

Support is available via chat, email, or phone if you need help.

Planning tools, route maps, scenic stops, and area previews included.

Private tour experience for your family, in your own car.

Lifetime access: use the tour anytime and keep it for future trips.

Works offline with GPS route guidance and automatic audio stories.

One purchase covers everyone in your car, not per person.

Flexible tour: start, stop, and pause anytime during your trip.

Self-guided audio tour through our easy-to-use mobile app.

Hidden gems and local stories included along the route.

Exclusion

Self-guided tour — no live guide. Entrance fees, parking, food, and car rental are separate.

Cancellation Policy

Check mark icon Refundable tickets

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

  • 100% refund if cancelled 1+ days before the start date
  • 0% refund if cancelled less than 1 day(s) before the start date

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Your purchase includes the audio tour only and does not include admission to parks or attractions.

The Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter Observatory may require advance ticket purchases, so check current admission requirements and availability before your visit.

Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.

Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.

At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.

Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.

Good value: One purchase covers everyone in your vehicle, not each person separately.

More ways to save: Choose a single tour, a nearby bundle, or access to 200+ tours.

Download in advance: Download the Tour Guide app by Action and tour while connected to Wi-Fi or a strong cellular signal.

Follow the route: Begin at the suggested starting point or join anywhere along the route shown in the app.

Lifetime access: Preview the tour before your trip and revisit the stories, photos, and details afterward.

Supported devices: iPhone with iOS 15+, Android with version 9+, or a GPS-enabled iPad/tablet with cellular capability.

The app’s audio will play through your car’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto display, while the app’s map will display on your phone. You can connect your phone to the car via Bluetooth to listen to the commentary through the car stereo.

Supplied by Travel with Action (Action Tour Guide)

Reviews

4.9

★★★★★ ★★★★★
Based on 78 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

5 stars
68
4 stars
9
3 stars
1
2 stars
0
1 stars
0

Explore other options

Rome Hop-on Hop-off Tour with Vatican Ticket

Rome Hop-on Hop-off Tour with Vatican Ticket
3-Hours Artisanal Shopping Tour in Rome

3-Hours Artisanal Shopping Tour in Rome
Borghese Gallery Hosted Entry Ticket with Audio Guide

Borghese Gallery Hosted Entry Ticket with Audio Guide
Unlock Vatican: Private Guided Tour of Museums & Sistine Chapel

Unlock Vatican: Private Guided Tour of Museums & Sistine Chapel
Rome Street GastronomicTour

Rome Street GastronomicTour
4 Days Tour to Discover the Molise Region

4 Days Tour to Discover the Molise Region
Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museum with Guided Tour

Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museum with Guided Tour
Colosseum Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Access in Rome

Colosseum Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Access in Rome
Half day private car or van with driver at disposal in Rome

Half day private car or van with driver at disposal in Rome
Tivoli and Hadrian's Villa Full day from Rome

Tivoli and Hadrian's Villa Full day from Rome