Tucson spreads across the Sonoran Desert between the Santa Catalina Mountains and the two halves of Saguaro National Park. Stay along the Sun Link streetcar for downtown and University of Arizona days. Pick the Catalina Foothills for mountain views and a quieter resort stay.
Downtown centers on Congress Street, the Rialto Theatre and Hotel Congress. The Sun Link streetcar runs from there to Fourth Avenue, Main Gate Square and the University of Arizona, so a central hotel lets you skip the car on that corridor. You still need a ride to the desert parks.
Fourth Avenue has independent shops and restaurants between downtown and the university. At the streetcar’s western end, Mercado San Agustín and the MSA Annex have local food next to Mission Garden and Sentinel Peak. South of the convention center, Barrio Viejo’s adobe streets are good for a walk, but there are fewer hotels than downtown.
The Catalina Foothills resorts sit below the mountains, closer to Sabino Canyon. Saguaro National Park comes in two parts: the Rincon Mountain District east of town and the Tucson Mountain District to the west. Check which entrance you need. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is on the west side.
Tucson International Airport is south of the center. Sun Tran Route 25 runs to downtown. Foothill hotels beyond the streetcar mean a taxi or rideshare. June and July afternoons average above 100°F, so do exposed walks early. The main rain season is July and August.