Whether you’d like a local expert to lead the way or prefer to explore on your own, we’ve got you covered with the best guided and self-guided tours of Scottsdale! From Frank Lloyd Wright’s private living quarters and the city’s trendiest new restaurants to the rim of the Grand Canyon, these tours give you access to the Scottsdale area’s most popular sights and attractions.
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT’S TALIESIN WEST
No list of Scottsdale’s guided tours would be complete without a mention of Taliesin West. Legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright was so enamored with Scottsdale’s desert landscape that he chose the McDowell Mountain foothills as the site for his winter home and architectural school. Taliesin West was built in the late 1930s using colorful rocks and sand from the desert. Today, guided public tours showcase Wright’s ability to seamlessly blend indoor and outdoor spaces. And for you DIYers, Taliesin West also offers self-guided audio tours so you can explore at your own pace.
Guided Hikes in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve
If you'd like to explore the beautiful Sonoran Desert but don't want to head out on your own, check out the robust offerings of guided hikes and mountain bike rides, educational walks and naturalist lectures at the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Guided hikes are offered from all Preserve trailheads, and naturalist programs include topics like Wildflower Season, Desert Time Machine, Geology of the McDowells, Rattling on about Rattlers and The How and Why of Butterfly Coloration.
VIP TOUR AT MIM
On the VIP tour at the Musical Instrument Museum, a specially trained guide takes you on a one-hour tour through parts of the museum not accessible to the general public. You’ll learn what goes on backstage at the MIM Music Theater, discover how exhibits are created, and explore the unique storage needs required for MIM’s extraordinary collection of instruments and cultural artifacts.
Walk N About Scottsdale
Guests can now join former Scottsdale Mayor Sam Campana for a walking tour of historic Old Town! This two-hour tour includes information on the area’s history, Native American roots and its foundation as an arts community. As you meander the streets and visit museums, stores and galleries and historic sites like the Old Adobe Mission, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to shop for the perfect memento of your Scottsdale trip.
FLAVORS OF SCOTTSDALE WITH ARIZONA FOOD TOURS
Take a handful of Scottsdale’s buzziest restaurants out for a test drive on an Old Town culinary tour. Each three-hour walking tour includes small bites and beverages at five to six different restaurants. A Taste of Old Town Scottsdale by Arizona Food Tours offers lunch, happy hour and progressive dinner tours. No matter how you slice it, these are the tastiest walking tours in Scottsdale!
PUBLIC ART WALKING TOUR
Another fun way to tour Old Town Scottsdale is on a self-guided Public Art Walking Tour. You’ll discover 10 of the city’s most celebrated artworks with this downloadable map as your guide, including the “Soleri Bridge & Plaza,” designed by the late Italian architect Paolo Soleri; Donald Lipski’s kaleidoscopic “The Doors;” and “Knight Rise,” a James Turrell skyspace. You can complete this tour in 60 minutes at a comfortable pace but allow some extra time to enjoy the shops and restaurants you’ll find along the way.
SCOTTSDALE WINE & ALE TRAILS
Old Town Scottsdale is a hub for tasting rooms from some of the state’s most acclaimed vineyards and craft breweries. Download the Scottsdale Wine Trail or Ale Trail maps, then spend a few hours strolling and sampling the fruits of their labor.
HISTORIC SCOTTSDALE WALKING TOUR
Get a glimpse into Scottsdale’s past with the Historic Old Town Walking Tour. Another self-guided adventure, this tour takes you to colorful stops like Cavalliere’s Blacksmith Shop, Rusty Spur Saloon, Sugar Bowl Ice Cream Parlor and the Little Red Schoolhouse, home of the Scottsdale Historical Museum. Plan to spend about 60 minutes on this tour, depending on how many stops you make along the way.
OLD TOWN TOURS WITH JOYRIDESAZ
JoyRidesAZ Scottsdale Tours takes golf cart transportation to a whole new level with a variety of fun guided tours. Options include the Margarita & Taco Tour, Native American Culture & Art Tour and Instagram & Murals Tour, just to name a few. There's even one that will take you to the best local spots for gelato and ice cream!
SEGWAY OF SCOTTSDALE TOURS
For the most excitement, you can have standing up, try a Segway tour! It might take a few minutes to master the lean – the movement that makes these two-wheeled fun machines go – but anyone can do it under the guidance of Segway of Scottsdale guides. They’ll have you rolling through Old Town in no time.
OFF-ROAD ADVENTURES
Experience the desert's rugged beauty in a Sonoran Desert tour and go off-road tour by Jeep, Hummer or Tomcar. The Scottsdale desert is your playground as you bounce along rough-and-tumble trails and sandy desert washes. Sonoran Desert tours are Keep your eyes open and you might spot desert wildlife like javelina, Gambel’s Quail, wild horses and birds of prey.
GRAND CANYON SOUTH RIM TOUR WITH DETOURS
Scottsdale’s central-Arizona location means you’re an easy day trip from the state’s most popular attractions, including the Grand Canyon. On DETOURS’ Grand Canyon South Rim tour, you’ll make a photo stop in Sedona's red-rock country before heading north to the Canyon where you'll have three hours to experience the magnificent views, visit the historic El Tovar Hotel and browse the museums and shops. DETOURS also offers guided day-trips to Sedona’s red-rock country, legendary Tombstone and scenic Antelope Canyon.
