Sedona Arizona Travel Guide! (10 Fun Things to Do)

I may get paid for ads or purchases made through links in this post.

Planning your escape to Arizona? Check out this Sedona Arizona Travel Guide so you don’t miss a thing!

Planning an Arizona vacation? The quaint town of Sedona, nestled in the majestic red cliffs in Northern Arizona, is the perfect destination for your next getaway! With breathtaking scenery, great shops and restaurants, Rugged Hiking Trails, and peaceful picnic sites, Sedona is by far one of the best places you’ll visit in the Southwest.

In this Sedona Arizona Travel Guide you’ll learn the best budget tips, times to visit, what to bring, and the best things to see and do in and around Sedona!

Are you ready to ooh and aah at Sedona’s marvelous red rock scenery?! Here’s what you need to know…

Sedona Arizona Travel Guide

Related:

Sedona Arizona Travel Guide – Things to Do

1. Red Rock State Park

Address: 4050 Red Rock Loop Rd, Sedona, AZ 86336

This is a great place to enjoy Sedona’s beautiful scenery is the Crescent Moon picnic site at Red Rock State Park. It is located right on the beautiful Oak Creek and has tremendous views of the towering Cathedral Rock, one of Sedona’s most iconic red rock mountains! There are also historic cabins here as well.

2. The Cathedral Rock Hike

Address: 500 Back O Beyond Rd, Sedona, AZ 86336

This 1.2 mile roundtrip trail up the backside of Cathedral Rock takes you up an epic hike/scramble to a high vantage point between one of the rock towers. Along the way you’ll be welcomed with tremendous views over Sedona, the Chapel of the Holy Cross, and the San Francisco Peaks! Keep in mind… the last portion of the hike is for advanced hikers with some steep climbs.

3. Chapel of the Holy Cross

Address: 780 Chapel Rd, Sedona, AZ 86336

This Catholic cathedral, which is about 15 minutes south of the center of Sedona, is simply an astounding feat of engineering! Built into the red rock, this building has become one of the most iconic churches in the country and around the world. You simply can’t miss a visit to this incredible sight when you’re in Sedona! It is free to visit, and you can pop in when Mass is not in session.

4. Slide Rock State Park

Calling all waterslide lovers! This is the ultimate slip and slide adventure… ON the rocks! That’s right… this is no ordinary waterslide, but actually a way to slide right down the slippery Sedona rocks for a thrilling adventure! Located 15 minutes north of Sedona in Oak Creek Canyon, the main thing here is the ‘Slide Rock’, a large, slick, slanted rock surface right in the middle of the creek, which creates the iconic slide! Bring a swimsuit or t-shirt and shorts you don’t mind getting slimed. 🙂

As the area around Slide Rock was part of a large homestead until recently, you will also find some short hiking trails around the former farmhouses in the area!

5. Montezuma Castle

Another place not to miss is Montezuma Castle National Monument, which is about a 40 minute drive away near Camp Verde. The flat, easy 1/3-mile loop trail takes you beneath the impressive abandoned native dwellings, which are carved out into the cliff face! This unique site is by far one of Arizona’s greatest attractions.

There is a $10 entrance fee that is good for 7 days, as well as for visiting Tuzigoot National Monument. (see below) Or you can use your National Park Pass for entrance!

6. Tuzigoot National Monument

Located 30 minutes south of Sedona in Camp Verde, Tuzigoot National Monument is another incredible sight to see!

Unlike the Montezuma Castle dwellings, which were built into a cliff, Tuzigoot National Monument preserves a multilevel Pueblo ruin, which is on a hill strategically overlooking the Verde Valley.

After walking through the gift shop and paying the entrance fee, you can walk around the preserved ruins and work your way up to the top of this hilltop citadel. After climbing the metal stairs to the top tower, you’ll be rewarded with stunning views in every direction!

It doesn’t matter in what order you visit Montezuma Castle or Tuzigoot, the 7 day entrance fee will work for both, as long as you keep the receipt they hand you in the gift shop. Or as I mentioned above, you could also just use your National Park Pass for entrance.

Sedona Arizona Travel Guide: Nearby Destinations

On the way to Sedona, on the way out, or just as a day trip from Sedona… be sure to check out these epic nearby destinations as well!

7. Flagstaff Area (Walnut Canyon, Sunset Crater Volcano, and Wupatki National Monuments)

(from Sedona, 2 Hours to Wupatki with stops in Walnut Canyon and Sunset Crater. From Wupatki, it’s only 1 1/2 hours back to Sedona without the detours.

If an epic combo of cliff dwellings, pueblo ruins, and cinder cone volcanoes is calling your name, this day trip is for you! You start out by visiting Walnut Canyon, a park is home to cliff dwellings that can be reached by a 1 mile, 180 ft elevation change trail. Along the way, you’ll pass by about 20 or so cliff dwellings.

The trails are paved, but be sure to bring water as the climb out and up the stairs is a bit steep.

Walnut Canyon National Monument

Next, you’ll drive through Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. With a scenic drive that passes several cinder cone volcanoes this is seriously a unique place that shouldn’t be missed!

Since Sunset Crater Volcano borders Wupatki, there’s no entrance fee between the parks. Wupatki is home to a handful of historic pueblos dotting the painted desert landscape. The two best ones to visit are Wukoki Pueblo, one you can walk inside, and Wupatki Pueblo, a huge 100 room pueblo you can walk around!

Wukoki Pueblo – Wupatki National Monument

Wupatki Pueblo – Wupatki National Monument

8. Grand Canyon National Park

(from Sedona, approximately 2 hours to Grand Canyon Village)

To put it simply, the Grand Canyon is breathtaking! There’s no other place that compares to its vastness. Seeing the Grand Canyon is a bucket list destination itself, so adding it to your Sedona trip is the best of all worlds!

For information on what to see and do in the Grand Canyon, check out my comprehensive Arizona Grand Canyon Travel Tips post.

9. Prescott

(from Sedona, 1 Hour 30 Minutes)

This beautiful central Arizona city lies at about 5,300 feet in elevation, and is the easiest way to escape to the woods for a day!

The Thumb Butte Trail ($5 day use fee required) is 2.1 miles long, and will take you past the base of this stone monolith, which is one of Prescott’s most iconic spots.

Also, visiting Watson Lake ($3 parking fee required) is interesting because you can hop around the massive granite boulders out to the middle of the lake!

Watson Lake

10. Holbrook and the Petrified Forest National Park

(from Sedona, 2 Hours to Holbrook; Additional 1 1/2 Hour loop through Petrified Forest from Holbrook)

Holbrook, a historic Route 66 town, is a fun place to visit for some good ol’ nostalgia!

Along Hopi Drive, the town’s main street and path of the former Route 66, you’ll find many of Holbrook’s iconic sights, including the Wigwam Motel {just like the Cozy Cone in the Cars Movie}, Globetrotter Lodge, as well as Arizona 66 mural on the side of Joe and Aggie’s Cafe. Right next to the cafe, at the corner of Hopi Drive and Navajo Boulevard you’ll find a small park with petrified logs and small dinosaurs!

Plus, Holbrook serves as a base for visiting the Petrified Forest, a National Park with arid desert terrain and loads of shiny petrified wood! The entrance fee for the Petrified Forest is $10; or you can use your National Park Pass.

Holbrook

Petrified Forest

Sedona Arizona Travel Guide – When to Visit:

My favorite time to visit Sedona would be during the Spring and Fall (March-April; October) when the temperature averages between the high 60’s – high 70’s.

During the summer months (May-September) the heat can be intense, and it’s not the best for hiking. The weather up in Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon is much more pleasant this time of year.

The cool winter months (November – February) have temperature highs in the 50’s or 60’s, and lows in the 30’s. This time of year, it’s common to get overnight snowfalls, which make the red rock scenery gorgeous!

Overall with Sedona, if possible I’d recommend skipping the summer and visiting during the Spring, Fall or Winter Months, so that you can enjoy all of Sedona’s epic hikes and scenery outside! However, if you are driving through the area in the Summer and want to see the city, you can still enjoy the scenery from your car and viewpoints! The views are always worth the stop!

Sedona Arizona Travel Guide – Getting There:

Driving to Sedona:

Sedona is located half an hour off I-17 exit 298 (Highway 179), and 50 minutes south of Flagstaff on SR 89-A through Oak Creek Canyon. Sedona is about 50 minutes from Flagstaff, 2 hours north of Phoenix, and 4 1/2 Hours from Las Vegas.

How to Get Free Airfare to Sedona:

The closest major airports to Sedona are the Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, about 2 hours away; and McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, about 4 1/2 hours away.

When flying to Sedona, why pay when you can score FREE airfare?!? When you use Swagbucks, you can get free gift cards for Southwest Airlines and Delta, which both fly into Phoenix and Las Vegas. Overall, this is the the best way to reduce the cost of your airfare to Phoenix or Las Vegas. I’ve been a member of Swagbucks for about 10 years now, and it’s still one of my favorite ways to earn Free airline gift cards!

Here’s how it works:

Sign up with Swagbucks
Then start earning Swagbucks SB Points. There are so many EASY ways to earn Swagbucks! You can earn by Searching the Web {just like you would using Google}, Taking Surveys, Using Coupons, Shopping Online, Watching Videos, etc. I typically earn an easy $25 each month on Swagbucks!
Cash in your Swagbucks SB Points for Free Southwest Airlines Gift Cards and Free Delta Gift Cards!

Fortunately, there are many rental car companies to choose from in both Phoenix and Las Vegas, so you won’t have a hard time finding the car you need to drive to Sedona!

Sedona Arizona Travel Guide: What to Bring

Okay, now to the essentials! If you’re going to do any hiking whatsoever, you’ll need to bring some sturdy hiking shoes. Flip flops are the perfect casual footwear for around town. Also, the sun can be pretty intense year-round, so don’t forget a pair of sunglasses.

Now that you’ve seen this Sedona Travel Guide, don’t stop now! Keep planning your next travel adventure with these Southwest travel tips below…

American Southwest Road Trip Itinerary (14 Epic Days)

15 Bucket List Trips You’ll Regret Not Taking!

Now that you’ve seen this Sedona Arizona Travel Guide, don’t miss out on anything else! Follow along with Never Ending Journeys for more fun Travel Inspiration and Ideas!

What is Your Favorite Thing to do in Sedona??

Now that you’ve read this Sedona Arizona Travel Guide, leave a Comment and Share!

Sedona Arizona Travel Guide! (10 Fun Things to Do)

Sedona Arizona Travel Guide