If you’ve never considered an Arizona road trip or vacation, now is the time to rethink your next trip! There’s a lot more to Arizona than just deserts and golf. This southwestern state is rich in outdoor recreation, rejuvenating spas, native american culture, and Mexican-inspired flavors. Not to mention all the quirky attractions involving ghosts, dinosaurs, and aliens!
From the most Instagram-famous sights to the lesser-known locations, these 25 stops are a must! Let’s start this road trip itinerary from the North of the state, down to the South.
Horseshoe Bend
Page, AZ
Horseshoe Bend is a horseshoe-shaped curve of the Colorado River, and is widely photographed on social media. You can get there by hiking the 1.5 miles roundtrip from US Route 89, or by driving the access road that leads to a parking lot by the bend. Be warned that there is no barrier around the cliff at the overlook.
Photo by horseshoebend.com
Antelope Canyon
Page, AZ
This slot canyon is on Navajo land and is made up of the Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons. It was formed by erosion, mainly from flash flooding. You cannot enter the canyon without booking a tour! General tours are available, though I’d suggest taking a more private photography tour.
Photo by pixabay.com
Monument Valley
Oljato-Monument Valley, AZ
Monument Valley is known for its iconic towering red sandstone buttes. It’s often featured in Western movies and makes consistent appearances on Instagram. Everybody’s trying to get here for that classic southwestern styled shot. There’s a fee to get in since it’s located inside the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.
Photo by Daniel Holm Hansen
Havasu Falls
Grand Canyon, AZ
You would never guess that this gorgeous turquoise waterfall is in the Arizona desert. And yet here it is, in the Grand Canyon. You need to purchase a permit to hike here. Permits for the year usually sell out by the end of February. The real issue is securing a camping reservation! Make sure to get on that quickly! Expect to hike about 4-7 hours each way. The trail is dry and hot so pack a lot of water! Plan your visit here.
Photo by waterfallsofthegrandcanyon.com
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon, AZ
The Grand Canyon National Park is not to be missed! Marvel at the millions of years of geological history from any of the viewpoints. Lipan Point is popular for viewing sunset over the rocks and the Colorado River. The South Rim is open all year while the North Rim closes in winter. If you have time, explore the park for at least a few days and do some hiking! Plan your visit here.
Photo by Grand Canyon NPS
Lava River Cave
Flagstaff, AZ
About 14 miles North of Flagstaff is a lava tube cave! This mile-long cave was formed hundreds of thousands of years ago by molten rock that erupted from a nearby volcanic vent. You can park in the lot and hike underground through the mile-long tube! Bring a flashlight or a headlamp, warm clothes, and sturdy shoes. Find a map and more info here!
Breweries & Route 66 Vibes
Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff is a must-see city along Route 66. It’s a gateway city to the Grand Canyon, and is also popular for its many breweries. My favorites are Beaver Street Brewery, Lumberyard, and Hops on Birch. For Flagstaff Route 66 kicks, memorabilia, and attractions, visit this website.
Wigwam Village Motel #6
Holbrook, AZ
You can sleep in a historic wigwam on Route 66! There’s a total of 15 concrete and steel teepees, all standing 28 feet high. Each one comes with original handmade hickory furniture and a sink, toilet, and shower. Colorful antique cars are parked around the property as well! Make a reservation here!
Amara Resort & Spa
Sedona, AZ
Once in a while, you need to treat yourself and splurge a bit. This is the BEST place to do just that. Stay a night in the Amara Resort & Spa by Kimpton Hotels. You’ll get a great view of the famous red rocks of Sedona, right from the heated pool (and maybe from your room too!). The decor here is hip and artsy and the amenities are excellent! They instantly won me over with the Build Your Own Trail Mix station set up each morning. Read more about our stay here and judge the pictures for yourself!
Pink Jeep Tour of the Red Rocks
Sedona, AZ
A visit to Sedona isn’t quite complete without a Pink Jeep Tour through the Red Rocks! Opt for a quick trek or a full day excursion. The driver guides are a lot of fun and they have loads of knowledge on the area’s geological history, flora, and fauna. You’ll also get a ton of gorgeous landscape photos and an exhilarating ride! Book a tour here!
Hiking the Vortexes
Sedona, AZ
Sedona is a very spiritual place with a hippy vibe. Over 4 million visitors a year travel here to hike to vortexes in the area. A vortex is a place where people have reported feeling inspired by a beneficial source of energy, either on or near a rock formation. Even if you’re a skeptic like myself, any excuse to hike is a good one! Learn more about Sedona’s vortexes here.
Chapel of the Holy Cross
Sedona, AZ
Whether you’re religious or not, this uniquely designed place of worship is worth a visit. The Roman Catholic chapel has sweeping views of Sedona and its red rocks. It was built into the buttes and was completed in 1956. Light pours in and the pews all face a giant window with an outstanding sight.
Arcosanti
Mayer, AZ
Trying to describe Arcosanti is hard. It’s a quirky experimental town focused on Arcology (architecture and ecology) and it’s often described as an urban laboratory. Workshops are hosted here and there’s a gift shop and cafeteria onsite. Tours are available of the property to learn more.
My boyfriend and I discovered that not only can you take a tour of Arcosanti, but you can actually stay here through Airbnb! So we did. And it was one of the coolest experiences we had on our Arizona roadtrip! Not to mention it being one of the craziest places we’ve ever stayed! Get $40 OFF your first Airbnb stay and book the loft or the studio!
Jerome Ghost Town
Jerome, AZ
Jerome is the largest ghost town in America! It’s also labeled as America’s most vertical city, being located high on top of Cleopatra Hill. This historic copper mining town is now a bustling tourist attraction with an artistic community. There are loads of photo opportunities, unique shops, saloons, and lodging options. But most people are drawn here for the ghost tours, of course!
Photo by www.azjerome.com
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Camp Verde, AZ
One of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America is the Montezuma Castle. It’s basically like a 20 room high-rise apartment, but built into the side of a limestone cliff! My boyfriend and I visited this monument on our Arizona road trip, and here’s my honest review. It was intriguing to think about what kind of ingenuity and survival skills these people must’ve had, and to get a few neat photos. But we didn’t think the entry price was worth our visit. I feel like we also had to pay for parking that day as well. We also didn’t have a guide or any prior knowledge about the monuments significance.
I still suggest checking it out, but learn more about it first. Or plan your timing around a Ranger Program or event here!
Hole in The Rock Hike
Phoenix, AZ
Hole-in-the-Rock is a natural geological formation in a municipal park right near the Phoenix Zoo and Desert Botanical Garden. It’s a pretty easy walk to get to the large naturally eroded hole. Many people take photos there, especially at sunset, and climb around the sandstone.
Phoenix Zoo
Phoenix, AZ
The Phoenix Zoo is the largest privately owned non-profit zoo in the States! We stopped here for a visit because a zookeeper I had interned under in Omaha had moved to this zoo. He generously showed us around the Reptile and Amphibian exhibits and took us behind the scenes! It was so freaking cool to see the brother here of the Komodo Dragon I had worked with in Omaha!
The other exhibits were also great, and the zoo is doing wonderful conservation work, both locally and globally. This is the perfect pit stop if you have children or also if you’d like to see native Arizona species without trekking through the deserts.
Desert Botanical Garden
Phoenix, AZ
If you’re just as obsessed with succulents and cacti as I am then you will love this botanical garden. With 140 acres of trails, exhibitions, and wildlife sightings, you could easily spend a few hours here. They run all kinds of tours, programs, art shows, musical performances, classes, and more! And while you’re there you might as well eat at Gertrude’s. This farm to table restaurant in the gardens sources its ingredients from local artisans and farmers in Arizona and the Southwest. The food and the cocktails are gorgeous, fresh, and yummy!
Saguaro National Park
Tucson, AZ
Looking to capture some boho photos with the largest cactus in the nation? Or get that perfect sunset sky with cacti silhouettes? This National Park is the best place! Take an easy hike on Signal Hill to see the petroglyphs of the ancient Hohokam people. This trail also provides a somewhat aerial view of the enormous cacti below you. Or take the Cactus Forest Drive loop road for spectacular desert landscape views. A visit to the visitor’s center gift shop is also necessary. For more information on visiting the park, check out this post on Saguaro by Just Go Travel Studios, or visit the park’s website here!
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Tucson, AZ
If there’s only one thing you see in Arizona, let it be this. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a 98 acre zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, natural history museum, and art gallery! It’s ranked on TripAdvisor as one of the Top 10 Museums in America and as the #1 Attraction in Tucson. Check it out here!
Kartchner Caverns State Park
Benson, AZ
This state park features a show cave with 2.4 miles of passages through stalactites, stalagmites, other cave formations, and possibly bats (sightings not necessarily guaranteed). You can also camp or stay in a cabin onsite. Reserve a cave tour or book your lodging here. Remember when visiting that these caves have been growing for tens of thousands of years and its formations are extremely fragile. Don’t walk around touching the caves or using flash photography as it can severely damage the cave and its preservation.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Ajo, AZ
Sharing the border with the Mexican state of Sonora, this UNESCO biosphere reserve is home to unique desert plants and animals. With dozens of miles of hiking trails and a variety of camping options, it’s an incredible place to spend the night and do some desert hiking. Join a Ranger-led program in the winter months for an educational experience. Personally the program Explore the Desert After Dark, with full moon and stargazing hikes, looks like the most fun! Plan your trip here.
Dinosaurs of Arizona
Arizona actually has a lot of dinosaur history, and therefore, many roadside attractions and museums are dedicated to the extinct beasts. In Scottsdale, you can visit Pangaea Land of the Dinosaurs with it’s large variety of exhibits and interactive stations. They even have dinosaur rides and bone excavation! You can also see real dinosaur tracks about 5 miles West of Tuba City off of State Highway 160!
Aliens of Arizona
With stories of flying saucers in the skies and alien abductions, Arizona also holds the largest reported mass UFO sighting of all time! Even if you don’t believe in intergalactic visitors, there’s a certain curiosity as to why this state has so many “sightings”. There’s a bit of an alien and outer space theme spread throughout Arizona. You can also tour a meteor crater near Winslow, where NASA trained Apollo astronauts because the terrain resembles the moon.
Food & Drink of Arizona
Arizona is overflowing with foodie hotspots and creative Southwestern and Mexican dishes. Popular foods to try are things like rattlesnake bites, cactus fries, prickly pear candy, southwest-style hot dogs, and so on. There are way too many excellent spots to name, so I’ll just leave a few of my favorites below.
Flagstaff — The Sweet Shoppe
Flagstaff — Diablo Burger
Flagstaff — Primo’s Deli
Flagstaff — Karma Sushi
Tempe, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Tucson — Cartel Coffee Lab
Phoenix — The Duce : This place is a MUST and there’s no way to describe it!
Sedona — Elote
Sedona — Cowboy Club
Which attraction would you be most excited to see? Do you have any other Arizona road trip ideas? Tell me in the comments!
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Comments
Fun!! I am from Utah and even though Arizona is close, I haven’t made it over to visit. This makes me ready to plan a trip this summer!
Funny how that works out sometimes right? You can be so close to cool locations but never make it there! I’m only a few hours from Yosemite but I only JUST went there this month!
Definitely do a road trip through AZ in early or late summer! So it wont be too hot lol
Excellent post! I have always wanted to go to Arizona! When do you think is the best time to go?
My boyfriend and I went on a little 5 day road trip in January and it was great! We were trying to avoid the super dry and hot heat as well as all the tourists. It was a bit chilly at nights and in Sedona it snowed! It was beautiful against the red rocks!
I’ve also worked a couple months in early summer in Flagstaff and found that May/June is a much better time to visit then mid summer.
I love the look of these, especially the hikes. I don’t think I have ever hiked anywhere quite so desert like. Is it better to go in winter when it’s not quite so hot?
Yeh, Desert hiking can be intense because there’s no shade. I went on a 5 day road trip through AZ with my boyfriend in January and it was perfect! Places like Saguaro weren’t crowded at all and we avoided the super dry hot heat. It even snowed in Sedona and it was beautiful against the red rocks!
this is just the type of post I was looking for! I would love to go back to Arizona again and this provides me such great inspiration, thank you!
Oh good! I’m glad it’ll help inspire another trip back here for you! I want to go back again myself! Still haven’t done the north side yet!
Oh I’ve seen so many pictures of the horse-shoe bend on social media but its so nice to see some of the other things on offer in the area. You’re photographs are beautiful too
Thanks so much! Yeh there are way too many photos of horseshoe bend on social media, but the whole rest of the state is equally jaw dropping as well! I’m happy to shed some spotlight on a lot of these other places!
Oh this brings back memories! I used to live in Tucson and I loved the outdoors there!
That’s awesome! I didn’t have much time in Tucson, but I’ve always wanted to go back and see more of it!
LOVE this blog post! When I was a teenager, I went on a road trip with my family to Arizona for the Grand Canyon and I 100% expected barren desert. I was pleasantly surprised by the rain and by how lush the national parks are in the state! Thank you so much for this comprehensive list of fun things to do in the state. :)
I know right?! I remember starting a seasonal job in Flagstaff and trying to research the city and my job field site before I flew there. I totally was expecting sweltering hot days and desert everywhere, but that couldn’t be more wrong for that area!
I remember a visiting American academic remarking at my old sandstone how Keynes seemed to be popular in Australia. It is also why we are in the poo as most ocy advisers and senior public servants have been churned out by our abysmal Keynesian institutions.
I’m so sorry, but I don’t understand ANY of this lol
If you like hiking be sure to check out Mount Eden – it is a bit of a hike LOL but worth it. The trail take about 30 mins and it is a bit extreme! Highly recommended for anyone in Flagstaff AZ
That sounds awesome! I’ll have to check that trail out the next time I’m in AZ!
I haven’t been to Arizona before. By your blog it seems that I’ll have to plan to visit it soon and that too do a whole Arizona road trip instead of exploring in a city or two.
Haha yeh! I hope you get to go soon! Before I worked there for a couple months and road tripped there later for 5 days, I had no idea the state had so much to offer! Glad you liked my post on it. :)
Are there any good train rides or train museums?
Arizona is the best places to visit and after reading this I thought, I have missed many interesting things to do over there. Many thanks for sharing such indepth and knowledgeable information. Have a nice day. Cheers,
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed my post! Arizona has so many hidden gems and so much to offer! I need to go back and explore more!
We love Arizona! For aviation enthusiasts – don’t miss the world’s largest boneyard in Tucson. We took a helicopter tour back in November. https://www.volarehelicopters.com/the-boneyard-tour
Wow! That sounds really awesome!
nice sharing, I also enjoyed these fabulous things during my last journey and came back with a lot of pleasant memories.
Awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed your trip! Arizona has so many cool attractions and outdoor sights!
I live here in Arizona. There is no better time than now to visit. It’s not to hot anymore and not cold. Nights get a little chilly but daytime it’s roughly around lower 80’s. Perfect for any out door activities. And our sunsets are so amazing! I love Arizona. Wouldn’t live anywhere else in the world!
Thanks for the love on my Arizona post! Wishing I could travel there again right now!
That was a really informative and interesting blog. The images used are so beautiful and looks like there’s a lot to explore in Arizona. Thanks for sharing this list with us, it was really helpful!
Thanks so much! Glad you liked it and found it helpful!