Flagstaff Segway Tour

Flagstaff’s best sightseeing is spread across its old center, university campus, railroad corridor, and wooded neighborhoods. This two-hour Segway tour ties those pieces together without asking you to spend the day on foot. You cross Route 66, glide through Northern Arizona University, pass Lowell Observatory, and finish beside a quiet pond where ducks and children fishing make the city feel pleasantly local.

I like the careful training at the start and the mix of well-known sights with places you could easily miss on your own. I also like the guide’s use of a radio transmitter and earbuds, which lets you hear the history while rolling instead of stopping every few minutes. The main consideration is simple: you must be comfortable learning to balance on a Segway, and two hours on the device may feel long if you prefer a slow walking tour.

Key points to know before you book

• Practice comes first: You receive a full safety briefing and personal instruction before leaving the shop.
• The route covers several sides of Flagstaff: Expect downtown, Route 66, the railroad, NAU, old neighborhoods, and parks.
• Blake has earned strong praise: He is noted for clear local history, patience, and a calm approach when riders need extra help.
• The final stop is unusually peaceful: Francis Short Pond brings birds, ducks, fishing, and a quieter side of town.
• The price reflects more than transport: At $129, you are paying for equipment, instruction, a live guide, and a broad guided route.
• First-time riders can take part: Previous beginners found the Segway easy to learn, but you still need to give yourself time to practice.

Why a Segway works well in Flagstaff

Flagstaff is not just one compact historic district. Its story runs through the old downtown streets, the railroad, the former wagon route, Northern Arizona University, early settlement sites, and the neighborhoods around the city center.

A Segway lets you cover that spread in a practical way. You move farther than you would on foot, but still slowly enough to notice old buildings, public spaces, trees, ponds, and the changing character of each area. I see this as the tour’s main strength. It is not only a quick ride around a few postcard sights.

The route also has a useful rhythm. You begin with city history, spend time on open paths at the university, return to downtown, then shift toward quieter residential streets and natural spots. That change keeps the outing from feeling like a long circuit of the same kind of street.

The newest model of the Segway i2 is used for the ride. That does not remove the need to learn the controls, but it gives you a modern personal transport device for the outing. Your radio transmitter and earbuds allow the guide to talk while the group is moving, so you can keep your attention on riding and still follow the commentary.

Your first minutes: safety, controls, and practice

The training period is not a rushed formality. The tour begins with a full overview of the equipment, instructions for operating the Segway, and time to practice before the group leaves the property.

This matters most if you have never ridden one. A Segway responds to your body position, so the first few minutes are about learning how to move forward, slow down, stop, and steer with confidence. The guide works with each person individually and checks that everyone is comfortable and capable before departure.

That patient start is one of the strongest parts of the experience. Blake, who has led several well-received tours, is praised for being friendly, patient, and reassuring when riders have had minor mishaps. You should not feel pressured to pretend you have mastered the machine immediately.

If you have used a Segway before, you will likely spend less time on the basics. Even then, I would treat the practice period as useful. It lets you adjust to this particular machine and settle into a riding position before city streets and pedestrian paths enter the picture.

Wear clothing that lets you move freely and plan to pay attention during the briefing. The tour is designed to be safe, but safety depends on listening closely and riding within your comfort level.

Route 66, the railroad, and Flagstaff’s early routes

Once you leave the shop, the tour passes over historic Route 66. The road is one of the best-known symbols of American cross-country travel, but here it is part of a larger local story rather than the entire show.

You also cross the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad. The railroad helped shape Flagstaff’s growth, and seeing the route as part of the city gives you a better sense of why the community developed where it did. The tour then connects with the Historic Beale wagon road, adding an earlier layer to the story.

These crossings are valuable because they put Flagstaff’s past into physical space. Instead of hearing isolated dates, you see the roads and rail line that helped bring people, goods, and movement through the area.

The route continues into a small historic neighborhood. This is a good change of pace after the major transport corridors. You get a look at a quieter residential side of Flagstaff, while the guide points out details and explains how the city developed beyond the main commercial streets.

Northern Arizona University’s open paths

From the neighborhood, you enter Northern Arizona University. The campus section is one of the most attractive parts of the ride because the paths are wide and pedestrian-friendly, giving you more room to focus on the scenery and the Segway.

The tour explores much of the campus, passing a mix of architecture and planted areas. You do not simply pause at one campus landmark and turn around. The route uses the university as a substantial section of the outing, which gives you time to see how the school fits into the wider city.

I like this part for another reason: it offers a calmer riding setting after the streets and crossings downtown. The broad paths make it easier to settle into the machine, though you still need to watch for other people using the walkways.

The campus also provides a different view of Flagstaff’s identity. The city is not only an old railroad stop and Route 66 town. Northern Arizona University adds a younger, academic side, along with open public paths and a more spacious setting.

Because the tour is guided in English, you can hear context as you ride. The radio system is especially useful here, where the group may be spread out along a longer path.

Downtown Flagstaff and the Forrest Gump location

After exploring most of the campus, the route returns to the Historic Downtown Flagstaff district. This return gives you a chance to see the old center with more context. By now, you have crossed the routes that shaped the city and seen the university that helps define its present-day character.

One playful downtown detail is the exact spot where Forrest Gump stepped in mess while running across the country. It is a small stop, but it adds a bit of movie trivia to the history and gives the ride a memorable detail that you might not notice alone.

The downtown section is not presented as a long shopping stop. It is part of a moving tour, so you should expect to see the area from the Segway rather than spend time browsing stores or entering attractions.

That distinction matters. If you want an indoor history museum, extended time at Lowell Observatory, or a meal break, this is not that kind of tour. You are using downtown as one piece of a broad outdoor route.

Neighborhood parks and the Old Town Spring

From the center, you roll into adjacent neighborhoods. This is where the tour begins to feel less like a standard city circuit. The guide points out parks, trails, and other local places that can be easy to miss when you stay on the main streets.

The route then reaches Old Town Spring, the settlement site of Flagstaff’s first pioneers. Its location directly beneath Lowell Observatory makes it a useful place to connect the city’s earliest settlement with the scientific institution above it.

You also get good views toward the observatory’s telescopes and campus. The observatory itself is not described as a stop for an indoor visit, so keep your expectations focused on seeing the site from the route and learning about its place in Flagstaff.

Old Town Spring gives the tour a sense of time and place. You are not only passing through a modern neighborhood. You are seeing a location tied to the community’s first pioneers, then looking up toward the observatory that gives the area a very different identity today.

The flag pole and Flagstaff’s name

The next notable point is the historic flag pole. It was erected to celebrate Independence Day and eventually became the naming point for the city.

This is exactly the sort of compact local story that works well on a guided ride. The object itself may not demand a long visit, but the explanation tells you why the city is called Flagstaff and turns an ordinary-looking feature into part of the local record.

The stop also helps connect the route’s themes. You have seen early wagon travel, railroad development, pioneer settlement, university growth, and now a civic symbol tied to the city’s name. The tour keeps layering these pieces together instead of treating Flagstaff as a collection of unrelated sights.

Francis Short Pond, the quiet finish

The ride saves Francis Short Pond for the end. This small pond is surrounded by a gentler atmosphere, with birds, ducks, and children fishing. The sounds and smells here create a sharp contrast with Route 66, downtown traffic, and the university paths.

I like ending here because it gives the tour a pause without turning the outing into a formal rest stop. You get a quieter view of Flagstaff, one that many people would not find by following the usual downtown route.

The pond is also a reminder that the city has pockets of nature close to its historic center. You may find this final section especially appealing if you enjoy local parks and everyday scenes more than a checklist of major monuments.

The route continues through the neighborhood and returns to the shop at about the two-hour mark. Since the pond comes near the end, the final part of the tour feels less hurried. You have already covered the major historical points, and the ride can finish on a calmer note.

What $129 gets you

The price is $129 per person. That is not a budget activity, especially for a two-hour outing, so the value depends on what you want from your time in Flagstaff.

You are paying for the Segway itself, a live English-speaking guide, safety instruction, practice time, radio equipment, and a route that reaches several parts of the city. The tour also saves you the effort of planning a route between downtown, NAU, Old Town Spring, the observatory area, and Francis Short Pond.

I consider the price easier to justify if you are new to Flagstaff and want a broad orientation in one morning or afternoon. The guide adds local context that you would not get from simply renting a device and riding around. It can also be good value for anyone who wants an active outing but does not want a long hike.

The price is harder to justify if you mainly want a short downtown ride or plan to visit only Lowell Observatory. You will not spend two hours inside the observatory, and the experience is focused on moving through the city rather than stopping for long visits at individual attractions.

The free cancellation policy allows you to cancel up to 24 hours before the tour for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later, which helps if your Flagstaff schedule is still changing.

Who will enjoy this ride most

I would recommend this tour to an active first-time visitor who wants to understand Flagstaff’s layout quickly. It suits you if you like local stories, outdoor sightseeing, and a little novelty in the way you move around town.

It is also a good match for anyone who has wondered about trying a Segway but felt unsure. The instruction is designed to give you time to learn, and the guide works with each rider before setting out. Previous first-time riders found the machine easy to learn, though you should still expect a brief adjustment period.

The tour may be less suitable if you dislike balancing devices, want a very slow pace, or prefer to spend most of your time inside attractions. You should also be ready to follow instructions and share pedestrian paths respectfully.

The overall rating is 4.9 from 17 reviews, with particularly strong praise for the guide’s history commentary, patience, safety checks, and friendly manner. Blake is the guide name most often attached to that positive feedback, but guide availability can vary by departure.

Should you book the Flagstaff Segway Tour?

Book it if you want a lively overview of Flagstaff that reaches well beyond downtown. The strongest reasons are the careful training, the broad route, and the contrast between Route 66, NAU, pioneer sites, neighborhoods, and Francis Short Pond.

I would choose this early in a Flagstaff visit. It can help you identify parks, trails, neighborhoods, and other places to return to later. It also gives you useful city context before you spend time at individual attractions.

Skip it if your priority is a long visit inside Lowell Observatory, a quiet walking tour, or the lowest-cost way to see downtown. At $129, this is a premium two-hour activity, but it offers more range and guided interpretation than a simple ride around the center.

For most people who are open to learning the Segway, the mix of history, scenery, and good-natured instruction makes the cost reasonable.

FAQ

How much does the Flagstaff Segway Tour cost?

The tour costs $129 per person.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts two hours and returns to the shop approximately two hours after departure.

Where does the tour take place?

The experience takes place in Flagstaff, Arizona. The route includes Historic Downtown Flagstaff, Route 66, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad, the Historic Beale wagon road, Northern Arizona University, nearby neighborhoods, Old Town Spring, the historic flag pole, and Francis Short Pond.

What kind of Segway is used?

The tour uses the newest model of the Segway i2 personal transportation device.

Is safety training included?

Yes. The tour begins with a full safety overview, operating instructions, and practice time. The guide works personally with each rider before the group leaves.

Is this suitable for someone who has never ridden a Segway?

Yes. The tour provides detailed instruction and practice for beginners. Previous first-time riders found the device easy to learn, though you should allow yourself time to become comfortable.

What language is the tour offered in?

The live tour guide and tour information are in English.

What equipment is included?

The Segway tour, a radio transmitter, and earbuds are included.

Can I cancel for a refund?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.

Can I reserve now and pay later?

Yes. You can reserve your place and pay later, which keeps your plans flexible.