Daily Tours, Programs & Eco-Stations
The best way to learn about the Sonoran Desert is to experience it firsthand. That’s why we offer daily tours of our garden which cover a wide range of topics. Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, an art aficionado, or an aspiring botanist, there is a tour for everyone!
A member of our trained docent team will lead you through the gardens and teach you everything you need to know about this unique ecosystem. Our daily tours are a great way to acquaint yourself with the grounds and take home some valuable information about the Sonoran desert.
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Featured Tours & Programs
Reptile Ramble
September – November
Fridays | 10 – 11 am
Free with Admission
Get up close and personal with the Sonoran Desert’s scaled and slithery creatures from snakes and lizards to tortoises and turtles.
Birds of Prey: Night & Day
October – December
2nd & 4th Wednesdays | 11 AM – 1 PM
Free with Admission
Discover the different habits of birds of prey that hunt by night or by day, and get to know a collection of the most unflappable birds in town!
Poetry & Plant Walk
September – May
Saturdays | 9:30 am
Free with Admission
Experience the beauty of the Sonoran Desert on a guided walk blending the words of poets with the voices of our experienced docents, celebrating the remarkable plants that define this vibrant ecosystem. The walk begins in the main gardens before venturing off the paved paths and onto the Desert View Trail.
Bird Walks with Tucson Bird Alliance
September – May
Second Fridays | 8 am
Watch the Cactus Wren, flit from cactus to tree. Enjoy our two year-round resident hummingbird species, Anna’s and Costa’s, as they dart about, feeding among the colorful flowers. Let your attention drift upward for a glimpse at the majestic Cooper’s Hawks.
Advanced sign-up is required, and spaces are limited. Register on the Tucson Bird Alliance website.
Nature Journaling
September – May
Thursdays | 8 am
Join the Southern Arizona Nature Journal Club at Tohono Chul to sketch, observe, and spend time with fellow nature enthusiasts.
Daily Tours
*subject to volunteer availability
Walk in the Gardens | Daily
Experience Tohono Chul while learning about the ecology of the Sonoran Desert.
September – May | 9 am + 10 am
June – August | 8 am + 9 am
Gallery Buzz | Tuesdays + Thursdays
Check out our latest art and cultural exhibits.
September – May | 11 am
June – August | Summer Vacation
Connecting Plants and People | Fridays
Discover the edible and useful plants of the Sonoran Desert.
September – May | 10:30 am
June – August | 8:30 am
Poetry & Plant Walk | Saturdays
Celebrate the Sonoran Desert through the words of poets and naturalists.
September – May | 9:30 am
June – August | Summer Vacation
Special Programs
*subject to volunteer availability and weather conditions
Reptile Ramble | Fridays
Get up close and personal with the Sonoran Desert’s scaled and slithery creatures from snakes and lizards to tortoises and turtles.
September – November | 10 am – 11 am
March – May | 10 am – 11 am
Birds of Prey | 2nd + 4th Wednesdays
Explore the secret lives of the Southwest’s amazing birds with wildlife rehabilitator Kathie Schroeder and friends from the Arizona Raptor Center.
October – December | 11 am – 1 pm
February – April | 11 am – 1 pm
Bird Walks with Tucson Bird Alliance | Second Fridays
Enjoy many of the typical birds of the Sonoran Desert and its suburban habitats. Watch the Cactus Wren, flit from cactus to tree. Enjoy our two year-round resident hummingbird species, Anna’s and Costa’s, as they dart about, feeding among the colorful flowers. Let your attention drift upward for a glimpse at our majestic Cooper’s Hawks.
Advanced sign-up is required, and spaces are limited. Register on the Tucson Bird Alliance website.
September – May | 8 am – 9:30 am
Eco-Stations
*subject to volunteer availability
September – May | 9am – 11am
June – August | 8am – 10am
Ocean to Desert | Tuesdays
Explore the intertidal zones of the Gulf of California and witness how the desert changes as you travel inland.
Rocks and Ruins | Wednesdays
Discover the geology and archaeology of the Tucson Basin.
Desert Chow | Thursdays
Follow the predator/prey chain and explore a tangled food web.
Creepy Crawlies | Fridays
Sometimes scary, but always cool! Spiders, scorpions, snakes, and lizards.
Plants and People | Saturdays
Living side by side for millennia, plant use has shaped people along the way.
Winged Things | Sundays
From birds to butterflies, a look at the winged things of the skies.
All Tours, Special Programs, and Eco-Stations are subject to volunteer availability and weather conditions. Included with admission. For more information about upcoming events at Tohono Chul: