ATV, UTV or Dune Buggy? Which Scottsdale Off-Road Tour Is Right for You

The first decision is not which machine looks best. It is whether you want to drive or be driven. Everything else - the price, the age limits, how long you are actually out in the desert - follows from that one answer.

Scottsdale's off-road tours split into two families. In the self-drive group you operate the vehicle: a single-rider ATV, a side-by-side UTV, or a two-seat dune buggy. In the ride-along group a guide drives and you watch the Sonoran Desert work: a Jeep, an H1 Hummer, or an M1009 Blazer. All of them run in the Tonto National Forest north and east of Scottsdale, all run year-round, and all start earlier in summer.

If you want to drive: ATV, UTV or dune buggy

Solo ATV - $199 per driver, 2.5 to 3 hours. The Sonoran Desert Solo ATV Tour puts you on your own automatic machine for about two hours of trail beneath Four Peaks, through sand washes and rocky shelf step-ups. Drivers must be 16 or older with a valid license. Helmets, goggles and gaiters are provided, and the tour meets at the Cline Cabin Road staging area. The sunset version is the same price and route, with a four-rider departure minimum and start times that move with the season. Best for a group where everyone is 16 or older and wants their own machine.

ATV and UTV combo - from $199 per machine, 2.5 to 3 hours. The Scottsdale ATV & UTV Combo lets one group mix single-rider ATVs with two- or four-seat UTVs on the same trail with one guide. An ATV is $199, a two-seat UTV $325, and a four-seat UTV $575. Drivers are 16 and older; UTV passengers can be as young as 6. Best for a mixed group where some people want to drive and others want to ride along.

Dune buggy - $299 per two-seat buggy, 2 or more hours. The Scottsdale Dune Buggy Tour uses an 800cc automatic buggy over roughly 20 to 25 miles of desert road. No experience is needed: the guide fits your helmet, explains the controls, and leads the route. Drivers are 16 and older, riders 8 and older, and you can swap drivers halfway. Action photos are included. A single driver pays a $199 odd-number rate. The sunset dune buggy tour uses the same machines and rate, departing two hours before sunset. For a group that wants no strangers on the trail, the Private VIP Dune Buggy Tour reserves the convoy for your party from $349 per buggy, with a two-buggy minimum and a custom start time. Best for beginners, couples, and families with riders 8 and older.

If you would rather be driven: Jeep, Hummer or Blazer

Jeep - $159 per person, 4 hours. The Sonoran Desert Jeep Tour is the longest ride-along and the most interpretive. Six guests ride in an open-air Jeep while the guide reads the ecology, geology and history of the desert, with short walks along the way. It is rated easy and accepts ages 3 and up. Best for families with young children and anyone who wants a slower, more educational 4x4 day.

H1 Hummer - $169 per person, 2.5 to 3 hours. The H1 Hummer Adventure is an open-air military truck on backcountry road, with steep grades, sandy washes and narrow canyon shelves. It is rated easy but still feels dramatic from the passenger seat, and it accepts ages 3 and up. Pickup from select resorts is included.

Advanced H1 Hummer - $195 per person, 2.5 to 3 hours. The Advanced H1 Hummer Tour is the technical one: boulder fields, side-slope tilts and dry waterfalls, with the guide still driving. It is rated moderate to rugged, accepts ages 6 and up, and is the right pick for thrill-seekers who do not want to operate the vehicle themselves.

Sunset H1 Hummer - $195 per person, 2.5 to 3 hours. The Sunset H1 Hummer Tour follows a scenic, easy route timed for golden hour, with ages 3 and up. Best when the sunset matters more than the technical terrain.

M1009 Blazer - $169 per person, 2.5 to 3 hours. The M1009 Blazer Tactical Desert Tour uses an ex-military Blazer and leans into military testing history alongside the scenery, with easy terrain and ages 3 and up. Best for history-minded riders and groups who want something other than a Hummer.

Which one fits your group

• Everyone is 16 or older and wants to drive: the solo ATV.
• Some want to drive and some want to ride: the ATV and UTV combo, or the dune buggy for riders 8 and older.
• Nobody has driven off-road before: the dune buggy, which needs no experience.
• There are children under 8: the Jeep, H1 Hummer or Blazer, all from age 3.
• You want adrenaline without driving: the Advanced H1 Hummer.
• You want the sunset: the sunset ATV, sunset dune buggy or sunset H1 Hummer.
• You want the trail to yourselves: the Private VIP Dune Buggy Tour.

What the price does not include

Self-drive rates are per machine on the combo and dune buggy tours, and per driver on the solo ATV. Ride-along rates are per person. Listed prices are before tax and fees: the ATV tours add 8.1% sales tax and a 5% fuel surcharge, the dune buggy tours add 9.02% tax plus a $7.99 permit fee and a $12.99 fuel surcharge, and the Jeep adds 8.05% tax. Resort transport is included on the Hummer and Blazer but not the Jeep; the ATV and dune buggy tours meet at the staging area, with optional transport on some departures. Several tours add gratuity for groups of eight or more. The tour page shows the current stack before you book.

Questions people ask

Do I need experience? No. The dune buggy and guided 4x4 tours are built for first-timers. The solo ATV is beginner-friendly, but you must be 16 or older with a valid license.

Can children ride? On the Jeep, Hummer and Blazer from age 3. In a UTV from age 6, in a dune buggy from age 8, and on a solo ATV not at all under 16.

What if we have an odd number? The dune buggy charges a $199 single-driver rate for the odd driver. The combo prices each machine, so a four-seat UTV covers the extra people.

Is it too rough? The Jeep, standard H1 Hummer and Blazer are easy passenger tours. The Advanced H1 Hummer is the technical one, with boulder fields and dry waterfalls.