The structural and optical properties of GaAs nanowire with mixed zinc-blende/wurtzite structure are presented. High resolution transmission electron microscopy indicates the presence of a variety of shorter and longer segments of zinc-blende or wurtzite crystal phases. Sharp photoluminescence lines are observed with emission energies tuned from 1.515 eV down to 1.43 eV. The downward shift of the emission peaks can be understood by carrier confinement at the wurtzite/zinc-blende heterojunction, in quantum wells and in random short period superlattices existent in these nanowires, assuming the theoretical staggered band-offset between wurtzite and zinc-blende GaAs. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.