24 Hours in Tucson | Best Things to Do, See, & Eat!

We got the notice that we were going to Tucson last minute for work. We had never been before and we love the state of Arizona, it’s one of our favorite states in the USA. Tucson is located in southern Arizona, just 40 minutes from the Mexico border. Tucson is the second largest city in Arizona (after Phoenix), and is home to the University of Arizona.

We visited in early June so the climate was very hot and dry, but we also thought it was a good time of year to visit because it wasn’t crowded at all. The locals told us that when the University is in session, the town is much busier and more lively, but when we gone to Tucson right after the college let out for the summer. We think Tucson is such an underrated city, so keep reading to see how you can spend the most of your 24 hours there!

Where to Stay in Tucson

We stayed at the Hotel McCoy in Tucson and absolutely loved it. Hotel McCoy is one of the most unique hotels we’ve ever stayed in. It’s kind of like an elevated hostel. Everyone has their own room, but all the amenities that you love about a hostel are there like the common spaces, games, bar, etc. Our favorite thing about Hotel McCoy was that their partnered with local artists to have murals all over the property and inside every hotel room. The property was beautiful, and there was even a local bookstore on site! We would 100% stay here again when visiting Tucson and we highly recommend it.

Find more Tucson accommodations here!

How to Get Around Tucson

Since we were visiting for only 24 hours, we took Uber or Lyft everywhere. It was very affordable and we love getting to meet the local drivers and hear their tips on what to do in the area! But if you are staying for longer then we would recommend renting a car. The downtown area of Tucson is walkable but that’s about it, you definitely need a car to go to most places.

Best Things to Do in Tucson

Walk down 4th Ave. - 4th Ave downtown is the main strip of Tucson. There you will find local shops, thrift stores, restaurants, bars, cafes, etc. There are also a lot of street art and murals around Tucson in general, but you will see a lot of them near 4th ave.
Visit the colorful neighborhood of Barrio Viejo - Barrio Viejo is a neighborhood of Tucson known for its colorful houses. Each house is painted a different color which makes it very picturesque. Just remember to be respectful when you visit as these are people’s homes.
Take a trip to Saguaro National Park - Tucson is famous for the Saguaro cactus that grows all over the area. They are massively tall cacti that you see everywhere and are known as the symbol of the American West. But Saguaro National Park is the place to go to see them properly, as well as other local wildlife to the area! It costs $25 to visit for one day.
Snap a photo at the Greetings from Tucson mural - This mural is located near to 4th Ave. (specifically on E 7th and Arizona Ave.) and is a must see! We love stopping by these kind of murals and taking a picture when we visit a new city because it’s such a great memory of where we’ve been!
Stroll down South Scott Ave. - a local at a cafe told us to walk down this street so we did! It’s in between the neighborhoods of 4th Ave. and Barrio Viejo, and the street us lined with these beautiful trees (which also provide some much needed shade haha).
Visit Mission San Zavier Del Bac Church - this was something we didn’t have time to do sadly. Mission San Zavier is a church located just outside of Tucson, known for its beautiful white architecture.
Honorable mentions: Old Tucson (it was closed when we visited for some reason), Arizona Senora Desert Museum.

Find more Tucson activities & tours here!

Where to Eat & Drink in Tucson

Tumerico (a vegan/vegetarian Mexican restaurant that was AMAZING! It was also featured on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives.)
Beaut Burger (the MSA Complex where this restaurant was in also had a lot of other bars and restaurants as well!)
Urban Fresh
Presta Coffee
Cup Cafe (inside Hotel Congress)
Guadalajara’s Grill & Tequila Bar
Barrio Brewing

To see in detail how we spent our 24 hours in Tucson, make sure you check out our Tucson travel vlog on YouTube! Like we said above, we think Tucson is such an underrated U.S. city and we would love to come back and explore more one day!

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