Sedona really does have something for everyone. From shopping and wine tasting, to hiking and ORVing, to yoga and aura readings; you can get all of this in one beautiful place. Whether you’re visiting for a relaxing vacation or family fun time, Sedona has something for you. Continue reading to find all of the best things to do in Sedona to add to your own Sedona vacation plans.
Nestled into the beautiful red rocks of Arizona, Sedona is filled with beauty no matter where you are. Exploring the majesty of nature is one of the best things to do in Sedona. However, even if you’re not the outdoorsy type you can enjoy the beauty of this resort destination as you shop and dine in Sedona.
People often visit Sedona as a day trip from Phoenix. Or Sedona is a stop along their Arizona road trip. Or Sedona is a chic base camp for a Grand Canyon vacation. Whatever your reason for visiting Sedona, use this plentiful list of things to do in Sedona to plan your vacation.
Things To Do In Sedona
Cathedral Rock
Time: 1-2 hours
Cathedral Rock is one of the most impressive red rock buttes that Sedona has to offer. You can see if from multiple locations throughout Sedona, including several private residences and hotels. However, the most popular way to experience it, is to hike up to it and even onto it. There is a small parking area at the Cathedral Rock trailhead. You may have to wait to get a parking spot or hike even further from where you park. However, you’ll be able to complete a fun hike as you scramble up the base of this rock. Honestly, we thought the views were better from the beginning section of the hike but the rock scrambling is fun.
Cost: $5 for parking (or an America the Beautiful Pass)
Bell Rock
Time: 1-2 hours
If you’re arriving in Sedona on 179, Bell Rock is one of the first big red rocks that you’ll have the chance of spotting. You can see it from to road or take the hike at Bell Rock to climb onto it.
Cost: $5 for parking (or an America the Beautiful Pass)
Chapel of the Holy Cross
Time: 20 minutes
This is a famous landmark in Sedona and one of the most popular things to do in Sedona. This Catholic Chapel is beautiful. The architecture of it fits into the natural beauty around it so well. We think it’s definitely worth a stop. However, there isn’t much to do here other than stop and photograph it. You can visit during the daily mass to see the service, however, we didn’t visit during that time.
When visiting the Chapel of the Holy Cross, you’ll want to park as soon as you see a parking space. You can attempt to get a parking space closest to the chapel but the traffic in the upper lot gets a little congested. So we’d recommend parking in the lower lots and completing a little extra walking to get to the church. When there, see the exterior of the church and stop in the church to see how they’ve incorporated a natural tree into the crucifix.
Cost: FREE
Shopping Uptown
Time: varies
Shopping is one of the most popular things to do in Sedona. You’ll find tourist shops, including a vibrant art scene. Parking here is chaotic and limited and creates traffic jams, so be prepared to wait for a parking spot.
Cost: whatever you want to spend
The Vortexes
Time: varies
There are four main vortex sites in Sedona. They are located at Cathedral Rock, Boynton Canyon, Airport Mesa and Bell Rock. People visit these vortexes to experience the energy they give off. You’ll often find people here meditating or doing yoga. There are reports of people actually feeling the energy within them or having inexplicable bouts of laughter or crying. We visited two vortexes, and while they were beautiful, we didn’t feel the energy.
Cost: parking costs vary
Get an Aura Photo
Time: 30 minutes
Because of all that energy pulsing through the Sedona Vortexes, it’s no wonder that there are several shops in Sedona that tap into that energy to provide aura photos, psychic readings, chakra alignment and more. While we didn’t stop in to do this as we don’t really believe in it, we really wish we would have. Our favorite mystical offering in Sedona was aura photos. You can have your aura photographed and analyzed. And what better Sedona souvenir can you imagine?
Cost: $20-80
Red Rock Scenic Loop
Time: 45 minutes
The Red Rock Loop Road is a short loop that takes you off of highway 89 and into the heart of Red Rock country before looping you back onto the main road. Even if you don’t have much time in Sedona and are just passing through, definitely drive this loop. There are a few scenic viewing points along this drive that gives you some great views of Cathedral Rock.
Cost: FREE
Red Rock Crossing Park
Time: 1 hour
This park is a great place to do two things at once. First, you’ll get great views of Cathedral Rock. Second, you’ll get to splash about in Oak Creek. Two of the best things to do in Sedona all in one place!
Price: $10/vehicle
Hiking
Time: varies
Hiking is one of the best things to do in Sedona and is a top reason for visiting the area. Check out our list of the best hikes in Sedona here for suggestions to fit your vacation plans and plenty of extra photos. Our favorite hike was to Devil’s Bridge. Check out the full post on that hike here, including best places to park and when to go.
Cost: parking fees vary
4-Wheel Drives
Time: varies
If you do any hiking in Sedona, you’ll also see tons of Jeeps on the trails doing 4WD tours. You can either rent a 4WD vehicle in Sedona or join a Pink Jeep tour. Whatever you choose to do, this is one of the top things to do in Sedona. And who doesn’t love the experience of driving a car over trails that look impassible.
Cost: $80+ **renting a 4WD vehicle and doing a self-driving tour is most cost effective for larger families
Mountain Biking
Time: varies
There are tons of trails in Sedona that are popular with mountain bikers and bring in people from around the country. You can rent a bike in Sedona and hit up the trails that day. The bike rental offices will even help you plan which trails to visit based on your skill level and time available.
Cost: bike rental starting at $40/day
Things to do Outside of Sedona
Verde Valley Wine Trail
Time: varies
The Verde Valley Wine Trail is one of the best things to do in Sedona for adults who may not want to spend their entire visit in nature. You can print out the wine trail passport or pick it up at participating wineries. When you visit the wineries, you can do a tasting and/or a tour, get your passport stamped and continue on. If you have the stamina (and designated driver) to complete the trail, submit your passport and you’ll be entered to win a prize. Check out the wine trail details here.
Cost: tastings at the wineries range from $10-20/person
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Time: 30 minutes
Montezuma Castle is a HUGE cliff dwelling located south of Sedona. This cliff dwelling is a 20 room high, 5-story cliff dwelling that is in pristine condition. A short path leads you to the viewing area for this dwelling set into the limestone cliffs.
Cost: $10/person, or an America the Beautiful Pass
Montezuma Well
Time: 45 minutes
Montezuma’s Well is located south of Sedona and is another historic site to visit. Admission to this site includes Montezuma Castle as well. This pond is located amid limestone cliffs dotted with cliff dwellings. Here you can walk to the lake and view the cliff dwellings. You can also explore the outlet leading from the pond. This is a nice little desert oasis filled with history.
Cost: $10/person, or an America the Beautiful Pass
Slide Rock State Park
Time: 1 hour
This is one of the most popular things to do in Sedona for families. Because what child doesn’t love playing in the water. And when they get the added bonus of getting to slide down the natural waterslides – BONUS! Slide Rock State Park is famous for the natural water slides made from the algae growing on the smooth rock below the river. At this park, you can also do a few short hikes and swim in the river.
Price: $10-30/vehicle, depending on time of year
Oak Creek Canyon Scenic Road
Time: 45 minutes (one way)
This scenic road is located just north of Sedona and will take you to Slide Rock State Park. However, even if you’re not visiting Slide Rock State Park, you will want to drive this road. The scenery here is stunning and very different from the rest of Sedona as you’ll be driving through a canyon. We visited Sedona as part of a larger road trip to the Grand Canyon, and this road is the one we took on the way out of town.
Cost: FREE
Tuzigoot National Monument
Time: 30 minutes
Tuzigoot National Monument is home to another huge pueblo. This 110-room pueblo sits atop a hill and is viewable via a short paved path.
Cost: $10/person, or an America the Beautiful Pass
Exploring the Rivers
Time: varies
There are a few tour operators that provide rafting, kayaking, tubing and paddle boarding tours in the rivers near Sedona. You can also rent the equipment to do your own self guided floats or paddles. This is a nice relaxing option for people who want to enjoy the cooler outdoor options in Sedona.
Cost: varies
When To Visit Sedona
Sedona is beautiful, and popular, year round. However, spring and fall are the most popular times to visit due to the more mild weather. We visited in October and the weather was perfect for visiting all of the best things to do in Sedona.
Winter can be beautiful with cooler weather but trails can get slick if temperatures drop below freezing. Summer is also beautiful, from indoors. Summer temperatures can get really hot making some of the outdoor hikes unbearable. However, if the things to do in Sedona that interest you are mainly short activities or indoor activities, the summer season does have less traffic.
Getting There and Around
Sedona is very easy to get to. Located just 2 hours north of Phoenix, you can easily drive there after arriving to the Phoenix International Airport. However, you will need a car to get there. We rented ours at the Phoenix airport. There are shuttles that run to Sedona, but then you’d have to rely on tours to get around, which wouldn’t be the best way to see Sedona, in our opinion.
You’ll be fine driving a regular vehicle in Sedona. However, you should know that there are several 4WD high clearance only roads. And that’s fine for most things. However, if you want to see everything in Sedona, you’ll want to rent a 4WD vehicle or consider taking a Jeep tour for a day.
Getting around IN Sedona is harder than getting there. Sedona has horrible traffic for a town of its size. Frequent roundabouts and stops for pedestrian traffic mean you can often wind up waiting in traffic for an hour to move from one side of Sedona to the other. Be aware that this traffic seems to be worst right before dinner.
What to Pack
Sedona is in the desert. And as such, it’s hot and dry. The most important thing you’ll want to pack is your water storage – at least 1 gal/person. We always travel with our hydration backpacks and this was a trip where they got plenty of use.
If you’re visiting Sedona, you’re probably there to spend some quality time outside. So you’ll want to pack some quality moisture wicking hiking clothing for your visit. And make sure to dress in layers as once the sun goes down, the temperature cools off quickly.
For hiking in Sedona, we actually recommend hiking shoes or sneakers instead of boots. With the warm weather and well kept trails, having breathable shoes is more important than sturdy hiking boots. I love my “hiking sandals” and wore them for this trip.
We hope that this post has helped you to discover some great things to do in Sedona to add to your Sedona vacation plans. If you have any questions or want to share your own suggestions, please leave them in the comments section below.
