tucson

Where to Stay in Tucson with Kids

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If you are heading to Southern Arizona, you must visit the wonderful town of Tucson. Below we provide you with some great options on where to stay in Tucson with kids!

For me, when planning a trip somewhere, one of the biggest roadblocks is figuring out where to stay. Every destination is filled with so many options – from budget options and home stays to fancy resorts. Do you want to stay in downtown Tucson or near the University of Arizona? A historic hotel, bed and breakfast or you just want something with a pool and hot tub! This can be one of the most overwhelming parts of travel planning. After our 10 day visit and hours of research, I wanted to share it all with you. 

All of the hotels listed below are super family friendly offering various amenities to help you enjoy your time in Tucson. There are a ton of other options in the city that we also had the opportunity to check out, but these are our favorites that we would highly recommend if you are planning a trip to the Sonoran Desert any time soon!

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

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15 Fun Things to Do in Tucson with Kids

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Heading to Southern Arizona and looking for fun things to do in Tucson with kids? We have you covered here with our top 10 epic things to do in this adorable town.

Surrounded by 4 mountain ranges, bookended by a national park and situated on the banks of a river is one of Arizona’s most welcoming towns. Tucson, Arizona is well known for being a fun loving college town and a haven for star watchers looking to study the skies. It’s newest claim to fame as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy is quickly making a name for the town with the foodies.

Even with all the accolades, families often overlook Tucson, instead focusing their holidays on the big names of the state like the Grand Canyon and Route 66. And that is a shame. After 10 days in Tucson, we found it to be the perfect destination for a family vacation, especially for families who love the outdoors.

Additionally, Tucson provides a great deal of activities combining history, culture and science, making it a dream for homeschoolers or any family who likes to add fun, engaging educational experiences into their travels. Read on, for our top 15 things to do in Tucson with kids.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

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Horseback Riding in Tucson

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Horseback Riding in TucsonI have been a fan of horseback riding since I was a kid growing up in Texas. It’s something I try to do wherever I am, as it provides a good opportunity to see landscapes not otherwise accessible, as well as time to chat with a local about their home. As you can imagine, I was super excited this past summer when my son was finally old enough to go on his first trail ride outside of a stable or ‘amusement park’. He was hooked and now also looks for any opportunity he can to ride. It has become our perfect family friendly outing that everyone enjoys.

That said, it’s not surprising that my son kept noticing all of the horse crossing signs throughout Tucson during our visit. If you have horse riding fans like my little one, you will be hard pressed to get out of this beautiful town without getting on a horse.

One of the best things to do in Tucson is to stay at a ranch where you can ride horses every day. Since this isn’t a possibility for all families, I thought I would also give a few options for where you can ride without a being a guest at a ranch. In our 10 day stay, we had the opportunity to ride at several different places and were recommended a few as well. Regardless of what you end up doing, don’t miss your chance to go for a trail ride in the desert landscapes of Tucson.

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Where to Eat in Tucson with Kids

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Where to eat in Tucson with kidsIf you follow us regularly, you will know that finding options for meals while traveling is one of my least favorite things to do. It’s the one part of traveling that I don’t enjoy. Being in a new city, surrounded by an excess of options that I’m not familiar with, sends me over the edge! It’s true. But I have to say that on our trip to Tucson I found it very manageable in terms of eating. Perhaps it’s because Tucson is a classified UNESCO city of gastronomy and loaded with delectable options? Or maybe it was the abundance of Mexican food scattered throughout town? Apparently, there is a wonderful 23 mile stretch of amazing Mexican food there. I did not know this in advance, so will have to return to investigate this further!

Either way, food options were plentiful and even random places we happened upon were really good (and cheap!). I must admit I am not a foodie. I am pretty simple when it comes to food. I like comforting authentic food in a fun, welcoming atmosphere that is conducive to eating with children. If that is you too, then read on! These were some of our favorites in Tucson, including some must try local’s favorites. 

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Exploring Saguaro National Park in One Day

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Saguaro National Park in One DayOne of our main reasons for our recent visit to Tucson was to explore Saguaro National Park. And to get a other junior ranger badge of course! Reading the name saguaro, you might not know exactly what it is (or even how to say it!), but once you see the iconic cactus often associated with Arizona and specifically the Sonoran Desert it will click. Considering how iconic this cactus is, you might be surprised to learn that this is the only part of the world that these famous catctus grow. The national park itself houses over 2 million saguaros, making it the most dense population of saguaro anywhere.

Researching the park was a bit confusing because the park bookends the city of Tucson with an east and west section. It is the only national park in the US that is not connected fully. Driving between the two districts takes a little more than an hour, so it’s important to know which area you want to visit if you have limited time. While reading about the park in advance of our trip, we couldn’t figure out which section was best, so we decided to explore it all and share the results with you here.

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