All AOA tours include CPR/First Aid certified professional guide(s), roundtrip transportation, bottled water, trail snacks, Sonoran Desert handbook (1 per family), all required equipment for the selected tour(s), all applicable taxes, permit fees and insurance. Full-day tours also include lunch on the trail. Guide gratuities are not included. What to bring? Check out the Day Tour FAQ's.

Tours require at least 24 hours advance reservation. A credit card is required to secure a reservation. There are no charges for cancellations more than 24 hours prior to the tour date. Cancellations within 24 hours are charged in full.  All prices are subject to change without notice. Visit Guided Day Tour Policies for details.

Wearing helmets is mandatory on all AOA bike tours. Wearing life jackets is mandatory on all kayak tours and we do not allow participation in bare feet for safety concerns.

Exploring on foot is the most intimate and educational way to experience the desert. The flora includes almost all varieties of Arizona cactus such as saguaro, barrel, hedgehog, jumping cholla and prickly pear. Trees and colorful shrubbery include palo verde, mesquite, ironwood trees, creosote, ocotillo, brittle bush, desert lavender and giant sage shrubs.

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A 4.5 mile round trip to a saddle overlooking Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West complex, the hike is one gradual climb to the saddle with breathtaking views over the City of Scottsdale and Camelback Mountain. 

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Looking for up-close and personal experience in the Sonoran desert: the Gateway loop offers an amazing sample of what the desert flora and fauna have to offer, and gorgeous views over the Valley to boot.

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This strenuous hike will take you from one end to the other of the McDowell Mountains. Enjoy 360-degree breathtaking views of the Sonoran desert, the Valley of the Sun, the Four Peaks and the Superstition Mountains. **Add $75.00 for a one-way hike. Another guide and vehicle will be waiting for you.

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Hike up the Sunrise trail to its peak culminating at 3,069 feet. The views from there are just magnificent. As its name suggests, hiking at sunrise or sunset for that matter offers the experienced hiker a unique Sonoran desert experience.

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Located in the largest city park in the nation, the Hidden Valley is virtually undetectable until you hike through a natural tunnel. To exit this paradise, you’ll squeeze through another narrow rock corridor named “Fat Man’s Pass”.

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Starting at an elevation well above the valley floor, the Go John trail offers an array of desert flora and a glimpse of the shattered dreams of the speculators and settlers of yesteryears who hoped to make their fortunes from mining the hills to the north.

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Reaching high up Pass Mountain, also named “Scar Face” by the local folks, the trail will take you through a forest of majestic saguaro cacti before reaching higher elevations and spectacular vistas of the surrounding plains.

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Hike where the Phoenicians hike. This strenuous hike will have you panting once you have reached the summit. The 360-degree views of the valley below are worth the effort.

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Located within close proximity of most resorts, this hike will take you in the middle of a 7,000-acre preserve, with breathtaking views in all directions. The desert flora is abundant and so are the cottontail rabbits, jackrabbits, chuckwallas and gamble quail.

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