Experience and embrace the magnificent beauty of the desert through a variety of tours and activities at the Desert Botanical Garden that will make your visit unforgettable. Included with membership or admission. Designed to accommodate individuals of any age and groups of any size. Private tours are available for an additional fee.
Seasonal Garden Activities
Garden Flashlight Tours
See, hear and feel the desert at night in a self-paced stroll along the Garden’s trails, perfect for all ages. Bring a flashlight or purchase one in the Garden Shop.
Ask a Gardener
Center for Desert Living Trail
Saturdays & Sundays | February – April & October – November | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Knowledgeable volunteers answer gardening questions.
Docent Activities
Garden Tours
Daily | October 1 – May 14
Check the Cohn Tour Gathering Area for times.
Explore the Garden with an expert who will help you understand the extraordinary plants of the Sonoran Desert. Tours feature saguaros and tiny mammilarias, bizarre boojums and elegant palo verdes. How does such abundant life survive and thrive in the harsh desert? Take a tour and find out. Bring water, camera, hat, sunscreen and comfortable walking shoes.
Garden Discovery Stations
Daily | October 1 – May 14
Informational stops where expert docents answer your questions about cacti, mesquite, agave, birds and many other topics.
Birds in the Garden
Year-round
Mondays | October – April, 8 a.m. | May – September, 7 a.m.
Join expert birders along the Garden trails. Everyone is welcome, including first-time birders. Bring binoculars if available.
Daily / Year-round
Keep children interested and engaged with activity sheets as you stroll through the Garden. Stop by the Admissions or the kiosk outside the SRP Visitor Center for information about how you and your family can learn about desert ecology together.
Adult Group Tours and Activities
The Garden offers the following for groups:
- Discounts on general admission for groups of 10 or more (self-guided tours)
- Customized guided tours and group activities for groups of 10 or more
- Group meals and beverages to enhance your visit
- Complimentary admission for bus drivers and tour group operator staff
To Book a Private Group Tour or Activity:
- A minimum of two week advance booking is recommended for all guided group tours. Self guided group visits can be arranged with as little as 24 hour notice, although advanced notice preferred.
- A minimum of 5 business days advanced booking is recommended for group breakfast and boxed lunch orders; larger groups or special requests may require more notice.
- Special events such as and our Music in the Garden concert series have limited numbers of tickets available. Purchase your group discounted tickets early to avoid sell-outs.
Guided Tours & Activities
Desert Discovery Tour / 1 Hour Tour / Minimum of 10 guests
Take the Garden’s main trail and learn the unique characteristics of desert plants from around the world. The loop trail features outstanding displays and exhibits including the Sybil B. Harrington Cactus and Succulent Galleries and the Berlin Agave Yucca Forest. This tour focuses on desert plant biology where you can explore the great diversity of form, texture and color found in this wondrous array of cacti and succulents from around the world. You will also learn how desert plants are uniquely adapted to survive and thrive in a harsh desert environment.
Desert Discovery Tour with ethnobotany / 1 Hour Tour / Minimum of 10 guests
Taking the same trail as the above Desert Discovery Tour, this tour focuses on people’s interactions with desert plants. Learn the amazing ways people use desert plants for food, tools and shelter. This is our most popular tour and features such plants as saguaros, agave, mesquite, prickly pear, and jojoba as you traverse through the highlights of our collection.