Sedona stole my heart on our recent visit! Imagine a verdant green valley, full of towering pink sandstone formations, good energy vibes, lots of local artisans, and an epic foodie scene. Voilá: You get a unique small town in Arizona that makes a great weekend getaway. What should you include in your Sedona itinerary? My picks: red rock hikes, a mountain bike adventure or vortex jeep tour, a visit to historic Tlaquepaque Village, and a glass blowing class.
Here are all the details on what we did in Sedona.
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Sedona Itinerary
Day 1: Visit Montezuma Castle and See Slide Rock
Montezuma Castle is quite a sight.
If you’re driving into Sedona from Phoenix, as we did, be sure to pull off Highway 260 as you approach Sedona to stop into Montezuma Castle National Monument. (Free entrance for National Park Pass holders.)
Montezuma Castle was once home to about 35 Sinagua—a pre-Columbian culture—in a set of rooms nestled high up into the limestone cliff here, overlooking Beaver Creek.
This settlement goes wayyy back. In fact, between 1100 and 1400, archaeologists think the “neighborhood” also included a larger pueblo and other small alcove homes in the cliff face.
They’re not sure why the Sinagua chose to carve their homes so high up into the cliffs. It may have been so they could easily spot any approaching invaders or simply as a convenient location near a water source. In any case, it’s a dramatic thing to see!
Then it’s on to Sedona…
Visit Slide Rock State Park.
Slide Rock State Park, which was originally a homestead apple farm, is probably one of the most popular spots in Sedona. The park offers several short trails and an epic swimming hole in Oak Creek!
While we were here in April, there were still some brave souls swimming in the chilly water. But summer is when this place really shines. An absolutely lovely spot for a picnic and a swim. (Just be prepared for massive summer crowds.)
The only downside? It costs $30 per vehicle to park here, which seems a little steep for a state park. If you plan ahead, you can park elsewhere and use the free Sedona shuttle to get here.
However, be aware that many shuttles only operate Thursday through Sunday, although the Verde Shuttle runs seven days a week. The limited shuttle hours seems so short-sighted because parking lots at trailheads can be super packed.
We had lunch on our first day at 89Agave Cantina and it was surprisingly great! It’s right on the main drag in the “touristy” area, so I wasn’t expecting much with its kitschy vibe—it even gets panned on Yelp—but honestly, in some ways, I preferred it to Elote, one of the top Mexican places in town. More on that below.
This trip was such a special one for us since we were joined by my brother and sister-in-law, who live in the greater Phoenix area, about 90 minutes away. We don’t get to see a lot of each other, so we spent the afternoon hanging out and playing cards and picking up groceries from nearby Whole Foods for dinner.
But this afternoon would also be a great day to book a jeep tour to—literally—get the lay of the land. Your guide will take you, by jeep to Sedona’s extraordinary vortex sites.
My Top Tips for Visiting Sedona
• Reserve restaurants before you go. Sedona is small and great places book up so reserve at least a month ahead if you plan to hit popular places like Mariposa Grill and Elote.
• Plan ahead for hikes or go early. Parking lots are small and fill up fast. Either get there very early, take the FREE shuttle, or plan to sit and wait until a spot opens up.
• Check shuttle schedules. Many only operate Thursday through Sunday!
• Visit in spring or fall for best weather. Sedona bakes in summer and is cooler with occasional snow in winter.
• Save on meals. Whoever heard of saving money by shopping at Whole Foods, right? Well, Sedona’s Whole Foods has the most amazing salad bar I have ever seen.
We spent $20 for two build-your-own salads most days for one meal. (Eating or making a grocery salad for one of our daily meals often saves us money and keeps us from overeating on our trips!)
Have you heard about the vortexes? These are sites all around Sedona—seven of them—that are believed to be swirling energy centers that impact physical, emotional, and spiritual health. After your tour, you may understand why people around the world come to Sedona to experience the energy.
Whatever you believe, it’s a fascinating geological and spiritual concept. I will say that at a minimum, I’m confident you’ll feel the happy energy vibe while exploring Sedona.
Your jeep guide will share how the vortexes connect Chinese medicine, American Indian lore, and New Age Mysticism. You’ll also do a little hiking, so wear appropriate shoes.
It’s a great way to see a lot of Sedona’s famous sites and hear the backstory in just 2.5 hours. Check out the Explore Sedona Vortexes Jeep Tour cost and availability here.
Read more on travel in the USA west:
• A 10 Day road trip through Utah’s Mighty Five national parks
• 26 best national parks in the western USA
• Top hikes in Zion National Park
Day 2 A Hike, Glass Blowing Class, and a Mountain Bike Ride
Sedona is a mecca for hikers…whether you’re looking for an all-day adventure or a big payoff just for stretching your legs on a flat trail.
There are dozens of fantastic trails to choose from but as I mentioned earlier, the parking lots fill up fast! So if you’d rather not start your hike from a random road somewhere, arrive early! Or expect to wait around for a spot to open up.
Take a hike.
We took a short wander on Yavapai Vista Trail, just a half mile out and back trail that offered gorgeous vistas and plenty of spring wildflowers.
If you’re looking for a longer or more challenging hike, head to Devil’s Bridge, which is a moderate 3.9 mile hike with 521 ft elevation gain. It’s best between September and June and offers stunning vistas.
Or Cathedral Rock. While it’s just 1.1 miles out and back, it’s a hard hike with 669 ft in elevation gain. You’ll be scrambling up slippery rocks to the top so be sure to wear hiking boots that grip!
Also, be aware that this particular trailhead is only accessible via the shuttle Thursday through Sunday. Otherwise, there are two parking lots open on other days.
Lunch at Mariposa Grill
Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill was the best place we ate in Sedona!
My best advice: Reserve restaurants like this one well ahead of your trip or prepare to be sad when they’re all booked up.
Glass-Blowing Class.
Sedona is a huge haven for artists, with more than 80 galleries throughout town as well as lots of local artisans.
I’ve always wanted to try glass blowing so I was thrilled to find out about The Melting Pot, a glass art studio run by locals. Our 90-minute private glass blowing class for beginners was absolutely amazing.
We could choose from several projects at different price points. And then choose our glass colors. The owner, who taught the class, was a true master glassblower.
We felt completely safe with his “hands on hands” approach to everything we were doing.
It was about 90 minutes long. We then picked up our projects after they’d cooled the next day. Highly recommended.
And, even if you don’t want to blow glass, stop in for a gorgeous glass local souvenir or to peek into the workroom where they’re all blowing glass.
It’s a very cool place!
Mountain Biking Sedona
In addition to new age seekers, hikers, foodies, and artisans, bicyclists are also drawn to Sedona.
What’s so special? Epic views, technical rides with flow, oodles of trails to choose from, and unique red slickrock riding.
Steve rented a mountain bike from Thunder Mountain Bikes for a full day for well under $100 and headed directly to nearby Soldier Wash Trails in the Coconino National Forest.
He enjoyed a stunning ride and said it may have been his all-time favorite!
Day 3: A Massage, Hike to Bell Rock & a Visit to Tlaquepaque Village
Sedona is a major wellness destination. I mean…this is yoga/spa central. Many pilgrims come here to heal. I even learned about salt therapy while I was here, which I’d never heard of before.
Also known as “halotherapy”, you breathe in salt particles which is supposed to clear mucous, reduce inflammation, and improve lung function. Who knew?
In any case, you can’t visit Sedona without a little self-care, right? So I promptly booked us two massages at Uptown Massage.
It was everything I hoped for and more. I’ve enjoyed a lot of massages in my day so when I say it’s in the top five percent of best massages ever, you’ll know I’m highly recommending this place!
Steve and I both raved about our masseuses.
Lunch at Vespa Healthy Italian Cafe
Vespa Healthy Italian Cafe was so good we went back twice!
You know how you can get that heavy feeling when you eat too much pizza? Yeah, that doesn’t happen here.
This is truly authentic Italian food: salads, mains, and pizza. Everything is organic and fresh. Plus, they make “Pinsa Romana”, Roman-style pizza. The dough is lighter, crispier, and easier to digest.
While it tastes delicious—and the mouth feel is like regular pizza—it goes down easy and doesn’t make you feel overly full. Kind of dangerous actually!
Plus, they serve every personal pizza with your very own full-size, sharp cutting shears. This makes so much sense!
Who hasn’t struggled to cut a pizza with a dull pizza cutter or knife? Brilliant!
Hike Bell Rock
So back to Sedona’s vortexes…Many people come here to absorb this special energy because the earth just feels more alive. There’s a large community here that promotes alternative healing and spiritual practices.
Some people feel tingling or inspired or uplifted after visiting a vortex. So you owe it to yourself to go see what you notice while in Sedona.
The most famous vortexes are Cathedral Rock, Boynton Canyon, Airport Mesa, and Bell Rock. You’ll find people meditating, doing yoga, or in our case, at Bell Rock, someone playing a flute as she sat in her bare feet and took it all in.
I felt like I was in a Native American movie listening to the lilting flute music float over the gorgeous red rock formations! So peaceful and magical.
The Bell Rock trail is, again, just a short .8-mile out-and-back trail, with just 203 ft in elevation gain but the views are unbelievable.
Check out Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village
Tlaquepaque Village is a must-see in Sedona!
With its stucco walls, arches, and cobblestoned walkways, Tlaquepaque (which means “the best of everything”) includes over 50 art galleries, jewelry designers, weavers, decor pieces, photography, and so much more.
It’s a wonderful place to wander or find a special Sedona souvenir. In spring, it was also awash in spring flowers.
Dinner at Elote Cafe
We were pretty excited to score reservations at top-rated Elote Cafe, for upscale fine dining Mexican fare. They typically book several months out! However, you can order takeout if you miss out on a reservation.
I think the highlight of our dinner for me was the actual Elote appetizer. Have you ever had Mexican fire-roasted corn at a taco truck or other eatery?
Elote takes the best of that recipe—fire-roasted corn, spicy mayo, lime, and cotija cheese and serves it as a tortilla chip dip. I plan to try this recipe at home soon!
While I’ve had better Nopales salads (hello Anthropology Museum in Mexico City), the roasted poblano and jack cheese tamale with salsa verde and crema hit the spot!
We’ll be back, Sedona!
I fell in love with this little Arizona town and can hardly wait to get back.
Whether you’re an avid hiker, art enthusiast, foodie or just looking for a long weekend with good vibes, Sedona is your place!
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