Scottsdale Team Retreat Agenda: Sample Schedules Built Around a Guided UTV Tour
Sample 1, 2 and 3 day Scottsdale team retreat agendas with a guided UTV tour in the right slot, plus the time block to reserve, transport and what to send the team.
The short answer: give the guided UTV tour a four-and-a-half-hour block early in the retreat, and build the rest of the agenda around it. From a Scottsdale hotel that block covers about 45 minutes of travel each way, 15 minutes to sign waivers and gear up, and 2+ hours on the trail. Put it on the first afternoon or the first full day so the shared experience carries into every session after it.
If you need the planning process itself (headcount, season, shared or private, budget), our guide on how to plan a guided UTV team retreat walks through it step by step. This post is the next piece: where the ride actually goes on the agenda, with sample schedules you can copy.
Why the Desert Block Goes Early
Most offsites save the fun for the last afternoon. We would push back on that. A ride through the Tonto National Forest does its best work at the start, for two reasons:
- It resets the room. Everyone drives, everyone wears the same dusty helmet, and nobody needs prior experience. The person who turns out to be the most confident driver is rarely the one anyone predicted.
- It gives the rest of the agenda a shared story. Sessions on day two land differently when the team spent day one swapping seats in a buggy and cheering each other up a rocky climb.
The one exception is a retreat that ends with a celebration, such as an awards dinner. Then a sunset ride the evening before the final dinner works beautifully.
How Much Time to Block
| Piece of the block | Time |
|---|---|
| Hotel to the staging area near Saguaro Lake | about 45 minutes from Scottsdale, 40 to 50 from most of Phoenix |
| Arrive early: park, waivers, helmets, safety briefing | 15 minutes |
| On the trail with your guide | 2+ hours, 20 to 25 miles |
| Group photo, water, loading up | 15 to 20 minutes |
| Staging area back to the hotel | about 45 minutes |
Call it four and a half hours door to door from Scottsdale, a little more from downtown Phoenix. Teams based in Fountain Hills are only about 15 minutes away and can trim the block to around three and a half hours.
Sample Agenda: One-Day Offsite
The most common shape for a team in town for a day or a conference add-on. Times below assume October or November, when sunset falls around 5:25 to 5:55 PM.
- 8:30 AM: breakfast and kickoff at the hotel.
- 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM: working sessions.
- 12:30 PM: lunch, then a short break to change into closed-toe shoes and dust-friendly clothes.
- About 2:30 PM: transport departs the hotel.
- About 3:30 PM: sunset tour rolls out, roughly two hours before sunset.
- Dusk: back at the staging area for the group photo.
- Evening: return to the hotel, quick refresh, late team dinner.
Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, so sunset runs from about 5:20 PM in December to about 7:40 PM in June. Shift the afternoon to match your month. We time departures to the actual sunset on your date.
Sample Agenda: Two-Day Retreat
Day one
- Morning: arrivals and check-in.
- 11:30 AM: welcome lunch.
- Afternoon: the desert block. Depart the hotel early afternoon for a midday or sunset ride.
- Evening: casual dinner. The photos from the tour are a natural icebreaker.
Day two
- Morning: strategy sessions, while the team still has the shared energy from day one.
- Afternoon: breakouts and planning.
- Evening: closing dinner.
Sample Agenda: Three-Day Retreat
Day one: arrivals, welcome dinner, no hard agenda.
Day two: morning ride, back by lunch. Morning departures are the coolest of the day and the best chance to spot desert wildlife. Afternoon sessions. Free evening.
Day three: working sessions in the morning, closing lunch, departures.
Placing the ride on the morning of day two keeps the first evening relaxed for late arrivals and still gets the shared experience in before the heavy sessions.
Shared Tour or Private Departure?
On a standard guided tour, your team rides alongside other guests on the published schedule. A typical tour runs 5 to 10 buggies, and only your own people ride in each buggy. It is $299 per 2-seat buggy, or $150 per person when two share.
A VIP private tour gives your team the guide, the trail and the start time, from $349 per buggy with a two-buggy minimum. Choose private when clients or executives are along, when you need a start time that is not on the public schedule, or when the point is that the company laid something on. For timing a private ride to the light, see how to book a private sunset ATV tour.
Larger teams are quoted by phone, and we host teams of 2 to 100+.
Transport and Logistics
- Pickup. Round-trip transport is available from any Scottsdale or Phoenix hotel, resort or Airbnb. Groups of six or more can get one group price with transportation included, which also means nobody is navigating with fading cell service. Teams staying downtown or near the airport can check drive times on our Phoenix ATV tours page.
- Holding the date. A date can be soft-held for up to a week with no payment. A $250 deposit locks the reservation, and the balance is due before the tour.
- Cancellation. Corporate events are non-refundable within 14 days of the date, so confirm headcount before that window.
- Food. Water and snacks are included on every tour. An optional BBQ boxed lunch is available for teams that want a debrief meal at the staging area.
- Photos. Free adventure photos come with every tour, which saves someone from playing photographer.
What to Send the Team Beforehand
Keep the email short:
- Who can drive: 16 or older with a valid driver’s license in hand. Learner’s permits do not qualify. Passengers 8 and up.
- What to wear: closed-toe shoes, sunglasses, clothes that can get dusty, hair down so the helmet fits.
- What is provided: helmet with face shield, neck gaiter, safety briefing, water, snacks, photos.
- What to bring: a small bag only, since storage is limited to the passenger-side floor, plus any medication you might need.
- One meeting time: the transport departure time, not the tour time.
A Simple Debrief That Works
You do not need a facilitator. On the ride home or over dinner, ask three questions: who surprised you out there, what was the hardest stretch, and what made it easier. The answers tend to turn into the best conversation of the retreat.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much time should the agenda block?
About four and a half hours door to door from a Scottsdale hotel, a little more from Phoenix.
Where should the tour go in the agenda?
Early: the first afternoon or the first full day. On a one-day offsite, sessions in the morning and a sunset ride before a late dinner.
Can everyone ride?
Yes. No experience needed. Drivers 16+ with a valid license, passengers 8+, and swaps mid-tour.
Can you pick us up from the hotel?
Yes, from any Scottsdale or Phoenix hotel, resort or Airbnb. Groups of six or more can get one price with transportation included.
How do we hold a date?
Call Desert Dog Offroad Adventures at (480) 837-3966 for a free soft hold of up to a week, then a $250 deposit to lock it.
Plan Your Retreat
See what the day looks like on our corporate team building page, browse our Scottsdale ATV tours, or call Desert Dog Offroad Adventures at (480) 837-3966 with your dates and headcount. We have guided teams through the Sonoran Desert since 1997.
