Update January 2022
We are currently not hosting public visitors to the summit or base facilities. With the continuously evolving nature of the pandemic, we currently do not have a reopening date. We will update this page when a reopening date is available. The timeline may be different for each site.
The Kitt Peak Visitor Center is proud to offer a new, not-to-be-missed, all-encompassing tour of Kitt Peak National Observatory! The special group tour is intended for any group with a desire to learn more in-depth knowledge of the historic and scientifically important observatories on Kitt Peak than the regular daytime guided tours offer. The program requires extensive walking. Most facilities visited are not wheelchair-accessible. Which facilities are visited and in what manner may vary from month to month.
This program is free to members of the Tohono O’odham Nation.
Every second Saturday of the month
The monthly VIP tour offers participants a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes at one of the world’s premier astronomical research facilities. Founded in 1958, Kitt Peak continues to be on the forefront of astronomical research and discovery. From the technologically groundbreaking McMath-Pierce Solar telescope, the historic dark-matter discovering 2.1-meter telescope, and the giant Mayall 4-meter telescope, VIP guests will experience Kitt Peak as few ever do. We will visit as many facilities as are available to us on the day of your tour but cannot guarantee any particular telescope or facility.
The VIP tour begins promptly at 10 A.M. and concludes at 3:00 P.M. Guests should wear comfortable walking shoes, and be able to walk the distances between the telescopes and climb stairs. Lunch is not provided so plan to bring a bagged lunch. Due to safety concerns, the minimum age for the tours is 15 years of age. Also, strollers or carry-on infants are not permitted. Tours are limited to 20 participants on a first-come, first-served, pre-registration basis.
Price: $49 per person.
Make a reservation online or by calling the Visitor Center reservation desk at (520) 318-8720 or (520) 318-8739
Spanning 4 to 5 hours (depending on your schedule), this tour will cover the entire summit of Kitt Peak.
These special Daytime V.I.P. Tours are by reservation ONLY. Please try to schedule at least two months in advance to ensure your best chance to get the date you want.
Price: $49 per person ($490 minimum fee for groups fewer than 10)
Make a reservation by calling the visitor center reservation desk at (520) 318-8720 or 8739.
You may cancel at any time up to 48 hours prior to the tour date without any penalty. A $20 per person cancellation fee will be charged for those who cancel less than 48 hours prior. If we are forced to cancel the tour ourselves, you will not be charged anything. We reserve the right to cancel part or all of the program in the event of natural or man-made hazards, threatening weather, power failures, or other safety concerns.
Those who fail to show on the day of their VIP Tour without calling ahead to cancel (no show, no call) will be charged the full fee.
If a last-minute emergency or other situation comes up that prevents some or all of your group from attending, please let us know as soon as possible. It may save you some money, and will allow us to fill the empty space with others from our waiting list.
Bring warm clothing. It is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. You will spend much of your time outside. Temperatures on Kitt Peak are often 15 to 20 degrees cooler than temperatures in Tucson.
To help prevent the spread of the virus causing Covid-19, we have closed the observatory and the mountain road to the public, and cancelled all upcoming public programs. Please do not travel up the mountain road for any reason, or by any means. If you are scheduled for programs in the next few months, please check back before traveling to Arizona, or traveling up the mountain.
Kitt Peak is first and foremost a research facility. To avoid interfering with research during nighttime programs, the Visitor Center adheres to strict lighting control procedures.
Your vehicle’s headlights will be covered. When you leave after any evening program, you will be guided by an observatory vehicle for one mile down the mountain road. After that first mile, staff will remove the headlight covers for you.
Guests may not leave the programs early except in cases of genuine emergency. By making a reservation in any of our nighttime programs, you indicate your understanding of and willingness to abide by these procedures.
No one may visit the observatory after 4:00 P.M. unless registered for a nighttime program.
