One day on the Route 66 of our home town, from the bridge where the road's founder lived to the Blue Whale of Catoosa, led by a road captain who grew up a few hours west.
From$179per person
Overview
Tulsa is where Route 66 was planned. Cyrus Avery, the Tulsa highway man who pushed for a road from Chicago to Los Angeles in the 1920s, lived here, and our office sits on 11th Street, the road's original path through town. This day tour shows the city the way we show it to friends: the river crossing, the oil boom skyscrapers, the neon of 11th Street and a lunch counter where the waitress still calls you hon.
Earl Whitfield, our road captain for Oklahoma and Texas, leads the day in a small coach with a professional driver. Walking is light, about 2 miles over the day, mostly on downtown sidewalks. In the afternoon we drive 20 miles northeast to Catoosa for the Blue Whale, then come back through the city. Lunch is included; bring some cash for curios, postcards and a second slice of pie. The day ends back at your hotel in time for dinner, or for an evening walk to see the 11th Street signs lit.
Photos
Itinerary
Lunch is included. Times depend a little on traffic and how long the group lingers at each stop.
At 9:00 Earl collects you at your downtown hotel. Our first stop, at 9:20, is Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza beside the old 11th Street bridge over the Arkansas River, where a bronze sculpture shows Avery's family in a Model T meeting a horse-drawn wagon. At 10:00 we walk the Art Deco district: the Boston Avenue Methodist Church of 1929, the Philtower and the Philcade with its gilded lobby. At 11:15 the coach takes us east on 11th Street to the Meadow Gold sign, rescued and relit on a new steel frame in 2009, and at 11:45 to Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios, a former gas station with a 21-foot space cowboy out front. Lunch at 12:30 at a 66 diner on 11th Street: burgers, chicken fried steak, a slice of pie. At 14:00 we reach the Blue Whale of Catoosa, built by Hugh Davis in the early 1970s, with time to walk out into its mouth. On the way back, at 15:45, the Route 66 Historical Village on Southwest Boulevard shows an oil derrick and a Frisco steam locomotive. Back at your hotel about 17:30.
Pace: RelaxedTwo to four hours on the road on most days, long stops, short level walks in towns and at roadside sights. Every stop is optional; you can always stay with the vehicle.
Route map
Map tiles © Esri, HERE, Garmin, map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Straight lines join the stops; the trip follows the old Route 66 alignments between them.
Route at a glance
Road miles are rounded and include the detours to the stops named in the itinerary.
| Day | From and to | Miles | On the road |
|---|---|---|---|
| The day | Downtown Tulsa | 45 | 11th Street, Catoosa and back |
| Total | 1 day | 45 | Oklahoma |
Already included
Lunch, the vehicle and a road captain
Straight talk
Dates and prices 2026-27
Per person in US dollars, lunch included. Group up to 14 guests.
| Date | Status | PricePer person |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday | AvailableLast minute: save $20 | $159 |
| Saturday | GuaranteedLast minute: save $20 | $159 |
| Saturday | AvailableLast minute: save $20 | $159 |
| Saturday | Available | $179 |
| Saturday | Available | $179 |
| Saturday | Few seats | $179 |
| Saturday | Available | $179 |
| Saturday | Available | $179 |
Guaranteed means enough guests have booked and the departure will run. Seats change every week. Email [email protected] and we hold a seat for 72 hours. All departures on one page.
Practical
Weather in Oklahoma
Spring is mild with thunderstorm and tornado risk, summer hot and humid, fall dry and pleasant; winter brings occasional ice storms
Time zone
Central Time, with daylight saving time from March to November
Where it starts and ends
Start: Pickup at downtown Tulsa hotels, 9:00. End: Back at your hotel about 17:30.
What to eat
Onion fried burgers in El Reno, chicken fried steak, Ku-Ku Burger in Miami, the Rock Cafe in Stroud, barbecue and soda from POPS in Arcadia
What to bring
Comfortable shoes, a hat, sunscreen and a light jacket. There is space in the vehicle for a small bag.
Your road captain
Oklahoma and Texas
Earl grew up in Clinton, Oklahoma, a block from the old highway, and remembers the traffic before I-40. He leads the Oklahoma and Texas section and the Neon and Diners trip.
Road captains rotate on some dates; the name for your departure is in your documents. Meet all the road captains
FAQ
Booking, motels, flights and insurance questions are answered on the main FAQ page.
At any hotel in downtown Tulsa, starting at 9:00. If you are staying near the airport or in midtown, we can usually add a stop; tell us the hotel when you book. Payment is in full at booking.
The Meadow Gold sign and Buck Atom are lit at night, and this tour runs in daylight. Many guests go back on their own after dinner; Earl gives you a short list of signs and the best corners to stand on. Our 8-day neon trip starts with two nights in Tulsa.
Yes. Kids enjoy the Blue Whale and the space cowboy most. Children under 12 must travel with an adult, and we have booster seats in the coach on request.
We run in rain, since most stops are covered or short. In a thunderstorm warning Earl shifts the order and spends longer in the Art Deco lobbies. If the tour is cancelled for an ice storm, you get a full refund or a new date.
Other trips
Kansas to Texas3 states
Oklahoma to New Mexico3 states
Illinois to Oklahoma4 statesNext departureAvailable
From$3,190per person
Ask about dates
Email us the date you like, how many of you are traveling. We hold the seat for 72 hours while you decide.
Ask about datesBookings, dates and free seats
What to include
We reply Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 17:00 Central Time, usually the same working day.
We use what you send only to answer you and to arrange your trip. See our privacy policy.
From$179
Ask about dates