Daily tours & Family activities
Included with membership or general admission
Docent Tours
*All docent tours are subject to volunteer availability
Botanic Briefings
Dec. 4, Jan. 13, Feb. 11
Join us for monthly informative presentations in Dorrance Hall from Garden staff and other local experts.
Included with General Admission. Lunch not provided, please pack your own lunch or purchase a lunch from the Garden’s restaurant.
Plant Adaptations Tour
Now – Dec. 31
9, 10 and 11 a.m.
Discover how plants have adapted to the desert environment with a volunteer docent-led tour. See the Garden’s living collection with plants from around the world and the Sonoran Desert and their fascinating survival strategies in this arid climate. Walk away with a new appreciation for the beauty of the desert and the plants and animals that call it home.
Tour size: 15 people
Upcoming tour times will be posted onsite daily at the Cohn Gathering Area.
A Walking Adventure at Desert Botanical Garden
Accessible during Garden hours
Get Your Steps! If you’re chasing your daily step goal and craving a dose of desert beauty, the Garden is your perfect playground. With five distinct trails winding through 55 acres of Sonoran splendor, it’s surprisingly easy to rack up 10,000 steps.
Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Tour
Fall dates to be announced
Join a docent-led tour of the Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert trail. Discover how native plants have shaped the lives of the Akimel O’odham, Tohono O’odham and San Carlos Western Apache people for generations across five unique desert habitats.
Tour size: 10 people
Meet at the trailhead.
Birds in the Garden
Now – June 30, 2026 | Mondays, 8 a.m.
Join seasoned birders along the Garden trails. Everyone is welcome, including first-time birders. You’ll want to bring binoculars if you have them.
Meet in Ottosen Entry Garden
Audio Tours
desert pulse Tour
Now – May 10, 2026
Daily | Self-guided tour
FRAMERATE: Desert Pulse will change your perspective of the Sonoran Desert. At each installation, take a moment to sit, observe and listen.
happiness Tour
Now – Dec. 31
Daily | Self-guided tour
Welcome to Desert Botanical Garden! This Happiness Tour guides you to six tranquil locations in the Garden where you can experience the natural beauty and peace of the Sonoran Desert.
Garden Activities in Phoenix
Get to know the Garden Discovery Stations
Now – Dec. 31
Stop by one of our many Discovery Stations, and participate in hands-on activities with volunteers to learn about the animals and plants of the Sonoran Desert.
