Meetings with room to explore

By JT Long

Set against Tucson’s sprawling desert landscape, rich culinary history and collection of resorts built for work and play, meetings in this destination offer plenty of opportunities to take attendees beyond the four walls of the conference room.

Whether hiking through the Sonoran Desert, staring up at the stars or taking part in an intentional wellness experience, Tucson gives planners plenty of ways to bring groups together outside the meeting room.

 

Reasons Why Meeting Planners Love Tucson

Woman hosting soundbath
Wellness session at Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa
  • Stare into the cosmos. Want to meet among the stars? Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, located on the University of Arizona campus, features a state-of-the-art planetarium theater and fulldome digital projection system that can take guests from Earth to moons, asteroids and planets. The Steward Observatory Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory offers a 90-minute tour exploring the engineering and optical technology behind some of the world’s most advanced giant telescope mirrors.
  • Take a hike in the desert. Tucson’s desert landscape offers plenty of opportunities to explore the outdoors, with thousands of miles of trails across national forests and state, county and city parks. Groups can wander among the towering cactuses of Saguaro National Park. Interested in cycling? Take the team through Coronado National Forest and its canyons and foothills.

Read More: Notes from the Road: Scottsdale, Arizona

  • Unwind and disconnect. Sometimes getting away from big-city life means giving attendees a chance to slow down and reconnect with wellness. Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa offers a variety of experiences, including equine activities, aerial yoga, culinary experiences, wellness counseling, meditation and garden programming. White Stallion Ranch offers another way to experience the destination, with activities including horseback riding, axe throwing, Jeep tours, hiking and rock climbing.
  • Taste the desert. Give your meeting group a proper taste of Tucson’s history. As the first U.S. city designated a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, Tucson offers culinary experiences that connect attendees with the Sonoran Desert through Indigenous influences, local ingredients and longstanding food traditions. Groups can explore downtown, take a private food tour, visit local restaurants and tasting rooms, or stop at Mission Garden, a living agricultural museum showcasing heritage crops and edible native plants.

 

Golf course

The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa features La Paloma Spa & Salon, the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, WestinWORKOUT Fitness Studio and La Paloma Kids Club.

134,968 sq. ft. of meeting space; 486 guest rooms

Aerial shot of outdoor space

JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa offers an outdoor water experience that includes the Starr Canyon lazy river and Monsoon Falls waterslide.

115,182 sq. ft. of meeting space; 575 guest rooms

Outdoor space

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort gives guests access to golf, tennis and pickleball in one location. Guests can also rent private poolside cabanas featuring flat-screen TVs, ceiling fans and lounge chairs.

83,000 sq. ft. of meeting space; 398 guest rooms

Steak

Casino Del Sol is only 15 minutes from Tucson International Airport (TUS) and downtown Tucson. The property also features several culinary offerings, including PY Steakhouse, Festa International Buffet, Ume and more.

26,000 sq. ft. of meeting space; 366 guest rooms

This article appears in the September 2026 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.