Trip and Vacation in Sedona, Arizona
♦ Routes (free): Detailed travel itineraries in USA
Routes: Detailed travel itineraries in the United States (Free)
General
Sedona is a picturesque artist town located in a charming canyon called Oak Creek Canyon in the Verde Valley of Arizona, about 190 km north of Phoenix.
The town is surrounded by dramatic red rock cliffs in various formations and is a paradise for nature, Wild West, and art lovers. The building style of the town's houses is red-toned, blending perfectly with the desert rocks that surround it.
Sedona is also one of the cities near which the historic U.S. Route 66 passes, crossing the USA from Chicago to Los Angeles. Sedona integrates perfectly into a trip to Arizona's nature parks such as the Grand Canyon and Utah's nature parks like Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon, Zion Park, and Arches and Canyonlands. It is located about 2:20 hours drive (240 km) southeast of the South Entrance to the Grand Canyon and about two and a half hours drive (230 km) west of Petrified Forest National Park.
The nearest international airport is located in Phoenix, Arizona, situated about two hours (190 km) south of Sedona.
♦Recommended Accommodations in Sedona:
The range of lodging options in Sedona is vast, from high-quality pampering spa hotels to cowboy-themed hotels and authentic B&Bs: Highly recommended:
Junipine Resort
A 4-star resort set in a beautiful mountain landscape, ideal for families, featuring one-bedroom villas for 3 guests and two-bedroom villas for up to 6 guests. Each apartment has a fully equipped kitchen and a fireplace in the living room. Fishing is possible in the river flowing through the resort. The resort includes a bar, restaurant, mini-market, game room, and a picnic area with garden furniture and a barbecue. Free internet and parking.
Amara Resort & Spa
A 4-star resort located at Oak Creek with dramatic mountain views of the Red Rocks. The resort features an infinity pool, jacuzzi, spa, and gym. It offers free morning yoga classes, free bicycle rentals for guests, and shuttles to the city center. Rooms accommodate 2-4 guests, some with a jacuzzi tub. The resort has a bar, restaurant, and picnic area. Free internet and parking.
Sedona Pines Resort
A 5-star resort offering one-bedroom suites for up to 4 guests and two-bedroom suites for up to 6 guests. Features include a pool, jacuzzi, yoga and fitness classes, mini-golf, table tennis, an Italian restaurant, and a garden with picnic facilities and barbecue equipment. Free internet and parking.
A Sunset Chateau
A high-quality luxury B&B with rooms and suites in various sizes, from double studio units to two-bedroom villas for up to 8 guests. It features a pool, jacuzzi, spa, manicured garden, and even a waterfall. A rich breakfast is served in the room. Each unit has a fully equipped kitchen. Free internet and parking.
The Suites at Sedona
A recommended B&B with a Wild West atmosphere, offering double rooms, some with a balcony and some with a jacuzzi tub. Each room has a seating area with a fireplace and a refrigerator. Excellent breakfast is included. Free internet and parking.
When to Visit?
Sedona can be visited year-round, but the most pleasant weather is in spring and autumn. It is particularly recommended between March and May, when in addition to comfortable temperatures, there is a wonderful desert bloom. In the summer, it is hot and dry during the day but pleasant after dark. Winters are cool, with daytime temperatures ranging from 13-16 degrees Celsius, but at night the temperature can drop to zero degrees.
Attractions and Tours in Sedona and Surroundings
The most efficient and fastest way to get to know Sedona is through recommended guided tours.
Tours for booking from GetYourGuide.com:
Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village
The town center is full of art, handicraft, and souvenir shops and galleries, but it is highly recommended to visit the colorful Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village, designed as a typical Mexican village with about fifty artist shops and galleries alongside restaurants and performances.
Heritage Museum
The most recommended museum in Sedona is the Sedona Heritage Museum located in Jordan Historical Park. The museum features exhibits on the lives of the area's first settlers, cowboy life in Sedona, and the variety of movies filmed in the area, which were mostly Westerns.
Spa
Sedona is also known for its high-quality spa sites. Especially recommended: Sedona Soul SPA and Sedona's New Day Spa.
Red Rock Scenic Byway SR 179
The most popular and recommended activity in the town is driving the scenic road between impressive viewpoints of the cliffs: Red Rock Scenic Byway SR 179, and hiking on several excellent trails. Particularly recommended: Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, and the Sedona Airport Overlook towards the Chapel of the Holy Cross—a modern church from the 1950s situated atop a red rock cliff, blending perfectly into the ancient landscape and overlooking spectacular views of the Sedona area. A massive cross forms the main stained-glass window of the church.
Also, Devil's Bridge Trail: A moderate 6.8 km hiking trail leading to a giant sandstone arch. Along the entire route, there are impressive views of the red cliffs and rocks, as well as wildflowers.
Guided and Independent Tours
♦ Booking guided tours in Sedona from Viator:
Bicycle Tours
In addition to an abundance of hiking trails for all difficulty levels and scenic drives, Sedona is a wonderful destination for mountain bike enthusiasts, with a large selection of trails. A recommended bike shop that rents bikes and provides extensive information and maps is: Over The Edge Sports.
Those who prefer less effort can go on a self-guided e-bike tour: The Ultimate Ebike Tour of Sedona. The best of Sedona EZRider.
Jeep and ATV Tours
A popular and recommended activity in Sedona is a Jeep tour. A recommended company offering two-hour Jeep tours, which can be booked on the reliable Viator website, is: Sedona Red Rocks Outback Tour: Scenic with mild off-roading.
Stargazing
In Sedona, the skies are usually clear without urban light interference, making it a wonderful destination for stargazing. Every evening, guided tours are held in the Sedona area following the stars.
♦ Booking a stargazing tour in Sedona: Sedona Stargazing Tour.
During the tour, the guide points to the stars using a powerful laser beam and shares stories about the origins of the star names and how ancient humans perceived them. You can also view the stars through the company's advanced telescopes.
Tourist Sites Near Sedona:
Slide Rock State Park
A fifteen-minute drive (11 km) north of Sedona, it is highly recommended to visit Slide Rock State Park, named for its natural water slide. The park has a nice, easy hiking trail passing through natural pools formed between interesting rock formations.
The Town of Jerome
A 20-minute drive (15 km) from Sedona leads to the ghost town of Jerome, which was once a copper mining town and is now a bohemian town with writers, musicians, and intellectuals. The town is known for its recommended wineries where you can tour and taste wines. A particularly recommended winery is: Caduceus Cellars.
Blazin’ M Ranch
A ranch filled with Wild West-style attractions located about a 25-minute drive (30 km) from Sedona. Activities include carriage rides around the ranch, rifle target shooting, horseshoeing, lasso making, and more.
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Montezuma Castle National Monument is located about 35 minutes (40 km) south of Sedona. This is an area of cliff dwellings built into the canyon walls, where the Sinagua lived, a pre-Columbian culture that resided in the area between 1100 and 1425 AD. Building at a high altitude provided a safe place, protected from predators and floods. The main structure at the site consists of five stories with twenty rooms that could previously only be reached by climbing a ladder. It is considered one of the best-preserved cliff dwelling sites in the United States and offers a glimpse into the life of the Sinagua. There is a visitor center and a museum displaying artifacts found at the site, including handicrafts, stone tools, and grinding stones used for corn.
Walnut Canyon National Monument
Walnut Canyon National Monument, located about an hour's drive (65 km) northeast of Sedona, is another impressive site where one can witness the ancient remains of Indian settlements. The main attraction in the park is a hiking trail called Island Trail, which is 1 mile long (about an hour's walk) and passes through an impressive landscape between cliffs where the Indians built their homes. You can see the remains of houses, prayer rooms, and gathering halls, gaining an understanding of their lifestyle in the area.
Meteor Crater
A unique site about a 1:20 hour drive (110 km) northeast of Sedona (about 35 minutes east of Walnut Canyon) is Meteor Crater, where you visit a giant crater formed by a meteor strike about 50,000 years ago. The diameter of the crater is about 1.2 km. The site has a visitor center with a small museum screening a film about how the crater was formed, and a walking trail on the rim of the crater with impressive views of the massive hole.
