In order to clarify the effects of tillage methods and straw returning on soil physiochemical properties and enzyme activities under wheat-soybean rotation, the effects of plowing tillage without straw returning (PTNR), plowing tillage with straw returning (PTSR), rotary tillage without straw returning (RTNR) and rotary tillage with straw returning (RTSR) on soil bulk densities, nutrient contents and enzyme activities were studied at wheat maturity stages in 2018—2019 based on a long-term located experiment initiated from 2009. The results showed that, 1) Compared with plowing tillage (PT), rotary tillage (RT) had a tendency to increase soil bulk density in 15-35 cm soil layer and decreased in 35-60 cm soil layer. Compared with PT, RT significantly reduced soil organic matter and total nitrogen contents by 20.5% and 21.2% in 0-5 cm soil layer, and 15.2%, 9.7% in 5-15 cm soil layer under the condition of no straw returing. 2)Compared with no straw returning (NR), straw returning (SR) significantly reduced soil bulk density by 2.9% in 0-5 cm and 2.8% in 5-15 cm soil layers under PT, and reduced by 3.6% and 2.9% under RT, respectively; while the contents of organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium and the activities of urease, protease, invertase, alkaline phosphatase and catalase were significantly increased in 0-35 cm soil layer under most conditions. Moreover, except that in 15-35 cm soil layer, the increases in the above soil indexes were greater under RT than those under PT. 3)Considering the interaction effects, RTSR was beneficial to increase soil nutrient contents and enzyme activities in 0-15 cm soil layer, while PTSR was beneficial to those in 15-35 cm soil layer and total nitrogen content in 35-60 cm soil layer. In conclusion, straw returning is beneficial to optimize soil bulk density, nutrient contents and enzyme activities, but the effects vary with tillage methods. Rotary tillage show better in 0-15 cm soil layer while plowing tillage show better in 15-35 cm soil layer, which in turn making RTSR is beneficial to improve soil quality in the surface layer while PTSR is beneficial in the deeper soil layers. Therefore, straw returning with rotating plowing and rotary tillage should be adopted under wheat-soybean rotation in dry farming areas.