Long before Michael became Southern Arizona's go-to tour guide with his company, Reisen Arizona Day Tours, he was the kid doing yard work in Green Valley to save up for a bike.
Michael grew up in Sahuarita with deep roots in the Green Valley community. His mother owned a local Dog Grooming business that included a pet art gallery. She brought joy for 20 years to Green Valley residents. As a kid, Michael spent summers earning money by doing yard work for Green Valley neighbors and walking clients' dogs for his mother. He jokes that he was essentially raised in a retirement community-and he wouldn't have it any other way.

That connection to the area never left him.

In 2000, Michael made a decision that would define the next two decades of his life. He could spend it working for someone else or following his own passion. He chose Arizona history and hasn’t looked back. His love for the subject started early. A fourth-grade overnight trip to Tumacacori National Historical Park sparked something in him that school couldn't teach-history told through the eyes of the people who actually lived it. From that point forward, Michael approached Arizona's past from four distinct perspectives: Native American, Spanish, Mexican and American-a framework that still shapes every tour he leads today.

Today, Reisen Arizona Day Tours holds an A rating with the Better Business Bureau and is the trusted go-to resource for historic day tours among Tucson's leading resorts and hospitality partners. Michael also offers tours in both English and German-a nod to his exchange program background and an understanding that international guests, particularly from Germany, have a deep fascination with Native American culture and Old West history.

Every tour is all-inclusive: lunch, water, a curated grab bag of goodies, and doorstep-to-doorstep pickup and drop-off for Green Valley residents. No hot parking lots. No logistics. Just show up at your front door ready to go.
"I absolutely love my job," Michael says. "It's education while having fun-and for Green Valley guests especially, I want them to know it literally starts and ends at their doorstep."
Three Signature Tours-Plus Custom Options
All half-day tours depart at 10 a.m. and return by 2-3 p.m., with pickup directly from your Green Valley home. Pricing is $85 per person, all-inclusive.
"From the moment Michael picked us up, we were learning about Tucson. This was one of the best if not the best tour we've ever bought across the entire nation." — Adrian H. Read more five-star reviews on TripAdvisor.
The Time Machine Tour
Take a step into Tucson's most eclectic side. This tour stops at the legendary Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, a world-famous destination in its own right, along with several antique shops of your choosing. The tour wraps up with lunch at Baggins Gourmet Sandwiches, a Tucson institution. It's equal parts treasure hunt and local flavor.
The Tucson History Tour
This is Southern Arizona history the way it's rarely told. Michael picks guests up in Green Valley and heads first to Mission San Xavier del Bac, walking through the real story of the Tohono O'odham people, their culture, traditions and the complex legacy of Spanish colonialism. Guests receive an exclusive 10-20% discount at a local craft shop near the Mission. From there, the tour moves through downtown Tucson's historic barrios, where two square miles reveal the architectural fingerprints of three civilizations. As Michael describes it: "It's like driving from New England to Mexico in an afternoon." Lunch is included on this tour.
The Barrio Neighborhood Tour
A deeper dive into downtown Tucson's layered past. This tour covers the Presidio District, where the Spanish built their original fort-followed by Barrio Viejo and Barrio Anita, where neighborhoods were shaped by successive waves of Spanish, Mexican and American settlement. Stops include the Old Town Artisans complex, the Tucson Museum of Art, and the historic Pima County Courthouse where John Dillinger was once held. Guests can spend as much time on foot as they like before Michael has them back home by early afternoon.
Custom tours are also available. Michael tailors itineraries around guest interests, whether that's the DeGrazia Gallery, Tohono Chul Botanical Garden or destinations that don't appear on any standard tour map. All you have to do is ask.
“I was hesitant to book this tour when I read that Reisen was a new client with Viator; but I have had great experiences with Viator tours and I looked up reviews from Reisen Tours and they were all great, so I took a chance. OMG, I couldn’t have been more pleased with my decision. I’ve booked excursions all over the US, including Alaska and Hawaii and many countries abroad. Michael was our tour guide and I can honestly say that I have never had a guide with more knowledge of the location, culture and its history. We toured Tombstone and Bisbee and learned so much of its past and differences between the myth and facts. We learned about the geography, geology, archeology, climatology and ancestry of the region. Giving a 5 star rating is an underestimate! I don’t give many reviews; but if you are wanting to know about the state of Arizona, look no further than Reisen Tours! It was so amazing that I am planning to come back for more of the tours they offer in the region.” - Theresa B, Viator Reviews.
Ready to Book?
A tour with Michael is a personalized, all-inclusive experience built around what you actually want to see, with a guide who has spent more than 20 years learning every story worth telling in Southern Arizona. For Green Valley residents especially, it's the easiest way to finally see the region you've been living next to.
Book your tour by texting Michael at 520-975-6540 or calling at 520-319-8130. For more information, visit: reisenarizona.com, Follow along on Facebook and Instagram for tour updates, photos and seasonal announcements.