Gilbert

I will be visiting Tucson in March and am planning to visit Kartchner Caverns, but I'm not sure which tour to do - Rotunda/Throme Room or the Big Room Tour.

Has anyone done either, or both of these tours? Is one better than the other?

Thanks!

bigtyke

The first thing I would do is to see if any of the tours are available at this late date

enjoylife

They always have a few tickets left for each tour that they don't sell in advance. Either tour should be great. I went when they showed it all in one tour. I would try to get tickets in advance. You could ask them what the difference is with the tours -- what formations are viewed in each.

Woody

I'm planning a visit to Kartchner Caverns in February, and have the same question as the OP.

Has anyone done either, or both of these tours? Is one better than the other?

Thank you!
Woody

Gilbert

Woody,
We ended up doing the Rotunda/Throne Room tour and enjoyed it very much - I would highly recommend it.

Gilbert

MikePinTucson

I have done both. In fact, I have done the rotunda/Throne room tour 3 times, and that is the one I prefer.

Go online and book tickets here:

http://www.pr.state.az.us/Parks/parkhtml/kartchner.html

www.mikepintucson.blogspot.com

trippinkpj

That's good to hear Mike. We may try to visit in a couple of weeks, if I can get reservations.

MikePinTucson

If you can't get reservations, show up very early and you shouldn't have any problem getting a walk-in spot. That is, as long as it isn't some bi holiday weekend. They keep 4 spots open on each tour for walk-ins. But your best bet is getting a reservation. that way you are guaranteed a spot and you won't have to pay for parking.

Make a day of it. go to Kartchner early, then to Bisbee look around and have lunch there, then spend the sfternoon in tombstone.

trippinkpj

Thanks Mike. I think we would be going mid week, and we'll try to get there early.

Woody

Thanks, Gilbert and Mike. Exactly what I was looking for.

Mike: Any favorite places for lunch Bisbee?

Woody

MikePinTucson

In Bisbee, we usually just have lunch at the Copper Queen Hotel. The food is pretty ordinary. Here is a list of restaurants. Next time we go we want to try either Dot's Diner or Hot Lick's

http://www.discoverbisbee.com/dining.htm

Woody

Thanks again, Mike.

yotefan37

Take both tours! Each tour has features and formations unique to the other (bacon, straws, fried eggs, etc.), and taking both rather than one only adds 1 1/2 hours to your day. If possible, take the Throne Room tour first so you can see where Randy and Gary first entered the massive cave. We live in Phoenix and take all visitors to Kartchner - they can never get enough. Just remember, the Big Room is closed half the year (the bats come back to roost every summer), so tickets right before the closure can be hard to come by. You should be able to get tickets now, but don't wait too much longer.

Also, I second the Copper Queen suggestion - not gourmet, but pretty good. The Copper Queen is also a wonderful place to stay. Lot's of character, and, as an added bonus - it's haunted...

One more suggestion - the "must do" in Tucson is the Desert Sonoran Museum. It's my favorite thing to do in Arizona!

Woody

Wow! More valuable information. Thanks.

Would both tours back-to-back be too much for first timers? Are they guided tours?

We have visited only one other cavern in the south of Spain. It was a "walk through" without any guides to explain things.

Thanks all for the info.
Woody

MikePinTucson

The tours are guided, and are done very well.

We did both tours in one day one of the times we went. I think it was a bit too much, so I wouldn't recommend it.

yotefan37

Both tours are guided, and they take about 1 - 1.5 hours each. Most people we've taken had no problem doing both. In fact, the visitors center, both tours, and the gift shop will probably just take about half day total...

Woody

A big thank you to those who offered advice on Kartchner Caverns.

We went last week and had reservations for just the Rotunda/Throne Room tour. When we checked in, there were openings for the Big Room Tour, so at the last minute we decided to do both tours -- we sure are glad we did. There are many things unique to each tour. And having two different tour guides added much perspective.

There's a free 45 minute film with interviews and historical background, and convenient picnic tables in the shade.

Woody

jag1jag1

While I would like to do both tours, it gets pretty expensive since you have to pay separately for each. A friend told me she heard you need to be "very fit" to do the Big Room tour. What does that mean? I'm wondering whether we should do the Big Room since it will be open when we are in Arizona.

lennyba

It means she heard wrong. You just have to be able to stroll a bit. I've seen people of all sizes and abilities on multiple visits.

jag1jag1

Thanks. Do you have a tour preference?