Recommendations

Recommendations and Things to Do in Tucson

Time Market: The best pastries, coffee, pizza, sandwiches plus nice atmosphere and elegant selection of produce, wine, cheese and bread. No reservations needed. Counter service. Indoor and outdoor seating.
Casual but upscale: Anello Pizza: Delicious, unique pizza. Reservations recommended.
Coffee: Exo Roast on 6th Ave
Coffee: Presta on 1st Ave
Breakfast: La Buendia
Chinese: Fatman Kitchen
Japanese: Yamato. Authentic Japanese sushi and tempura
Upscale: BATA (and downstairs bar Barbata)

La Chaiteria: Fresh and delicious Mexican food with good vegetarian options
Mercado San Augustin: So many great restaurants, coffee shops, shopping, etc. Here are some of our favorites:
Seis Kitchen: Mexican. Nice courtyard for eating. Get there early to beat the line.
Kukai: Tasty Ramen at the Annex to the Mercado
La Estrella bakery: Must-try Mexican pastries!
Shopping: MAST for gifts, San Augustin Trading for moccasins (custom fit!), Flea market Sunday (Every second Sunday of the month
El Charro: Classic Tucson Mexican Food
Sunshine Wine: New with a nice patio and menu and of course-- wine!

La Esquina
Juniper: Discover the world of Gin!
Owls Club: Dimly lit bar with church pews or take your drinks to the outside patio

Mercado San Augustin: 10 minutes away. Great shops and restaurants. Flea market some Sundays. Check the events calendar- there's always something going on. The Annex next door has delicious Ramen (Kukai). We also like Seis kitchen and the La Estrella Bakery.
5 points: 10 minutes away. Near downtown. Bon is a high-end gift shop. 5 points market is a favorite restaurant. Also Forbes Meat Market is a excellent place to get fresh meat or stay and eat at their fabulous restaurant.
Time Market: 1 minute away! Besides being a tasty neighborhood restaurant, they have a good gift selection.
Arte De La Vida: Amazing Mexican and Central American arts and crafts. Some things you can't find anywhere else. Owners are very knowledgeable.
Thrift stores!: Tucson was once called the thrift store capital of the US. Favorites include Savers on Broadway, Viva Pima, The Girls on Wilmot and How Sweet It Was Vintage

Sabino Canyon: This has a number of trails both on pavement and on dirt. You can take a shuttle or hike from the parking lot. When water is flowing, it's a nice place to enjoy the canyon and even take a swim. 7 falls is a classic. Phone line trail is also nice hike.
Tumamoc Hill: Very close to downtown, paved trail, provides a good walk up a steep trail with panoramic views of Tucson. Very crowded all times of the year. It's like a free gym
Catalina State Park: Near Oro Valley. Beautiful trails and maybe some flowing water at certain times of the year.
Pima Canyon: Out-and-back trail up a canyon-- beautiful scenery and rugged desert foliage. One of our favorites!
Ventana Canyon Trail: Another lovely out-and back trail up a narrow canyon. Can be less crowded.

Bisbee: 1.5 hours away. Once bustling mining town is now home to funky shops and relaxing restaurants. The town is build into the hills like a mini San Francisco.
Sonoita/Patagonia: About 1 hour away. Beautiful wineries and tasting rooms set among the rolling hills of Southern Arizona's beautiful grasslands and mountains. Favorite wineries include Los Milics, Dos Cabezas, and Rune. Pizza lunch at Dos Cabezas is amazing. Patagonia is 10 miles away and has some nice shops and world-renowned bird watching
Mt. Lemmon: 10,000 feet in elevation in 45 minutes. The views are amazing as are the hiking, especially in the warmer months.
Arivaipa Canyon: Requires a permit. About 1.5 hours away. Truly breathtaking slot canyon with Cottonwood trees and year-round stream that you hike in (can't keep your feet dry on this hike). Best in April/October. Only for the very adventurous.
Nogales, Mexico: 1 hour. Bring your passport? Walk over the border into Mexico. Try La Roca for lunch with white tablecloths and Mariachis playing. Sunday brunch is popular. Nogales has seen better days, but it's a fun adventure.
Madera Canyon: 1 hour. Another nice canyon for hiking. Has a campground and well-managed trails. The Santa Rita mountains are home of the only Jaguar in the United States

Desert Museum: Must-see if you haven't been yet. The gardens are lovely, the animals are amazing (especially the beaver and otter), try the prickly pear margarita at the restaurant, and the cave is unexpected. The best thing is the raptor show-- check for showtimes.
San Xavier Del Bac Mission: 35 minutes away. Founded by Padre Kino in 1692, San Xavier del Bac Mission is Arizona’s oldest European structure and a masterpiece of Spanish Colonial architecture. Completed in 1797, it continues to serve as a place of faith and community.
DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun: 25 minutes away. Up in the foothills is the gallery and studio of one of Tucson's most famous painters.
Tucson Botanical Gardens: Mid-town. World-class gardens and exhibits including the new Frida Kahlo garden.
Tohono Chul Garden: On the West side. Also beautiful. Popular restaurant with a great patio when the weather is nice.

The Gem show is amazing, even just to browse around for a few hours. It has many different locations all over town. Buyers and sellers come from all over the world. There are free public markets and paid shows and invite only shows. The “main” show is at the Tucson Convention center. Our favorites just for browsing are the “Red Lion In” and the motel next door, near Congress and the freeway, as well as the African Village near the Mercado— you can walk between them. Here is a map:
https://www.visittucson.org/tucson-gem-mineral-fossil-showcase/shows/winter-shows/