Sedona is a small town located in central Arizona that is known for its stunning red rocks and popular tourism. Only a 2 hour drive north from Phoenix, Sedona is a must see destination if you’re visiting Arizona, especially if you love to hike! Here is a great way to spend a day in Sedona!

Jeep Tour

A great way to start off your morning in Sedona is by taking a Jeep tour through the red rocks! There are several companies in Sedona to choose from, we ended up going with Arizona Safari Jeep Tours (Arizona Safari Jeep Tours | Sedona Jeep Tours & Off-Roading). They offer a wide variety of trails ranging from mild, moderate, or even very rugged. In addition to the Jeep tours, they also offer walking and hiking tours. With the back of the jeep being open, it can get pretty chilly. This company provided blankets as well as heaters at your feet.

As soon as we got in the jeep, our tour guide began telling us the history and background information on Sedona as well as the different mountain peaks that we passed on our way to the trails. We went on two different trails and had time at both to walk around, take in the views, and snap some pictures. Our tour guide even gave us a lesson on vortexes at one of the stops.

Lunch and Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village

After the jeep tour, it should be right around lunch time. I would recommend eating somewhere within the Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village so that once you are finished you can spend some time browsing in the different shops and buy some souvenirs.

Afternoon Hike

A hike in Sedona that we loved and doesn’t take that long is Bell Rock. There is a trail that circles Bell Rock that you can hike, or you could hike the trail that goes up the rocks. I’m so glad we chose to do the hike up the rocks because the views at the top were stunning! Once you get to a certain point on this hike, the trail markers end, but this didn’t stop a ton of hikers we saw go even further up the rocks. If this hike doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, there are so many other hikes in Sedona to choose from. Here are a couple other short hikes:

Seven Sacred Pools: around 1 mile
Cathedral Rock: 1.2 mile

Dinner:

I’m sure you’ve worked up an appetite on your hike. For dinner, I recommend going to Cowboy Club. This is the only restaurant in Sedona that offers cactus on its menu! Their Cactus Fries are served as an appetizer, and they are absolutely delicious. If you’re a fan of fried zucchini, then you will love these. Here you can also try Rattlesnake Sausage or Bison Brochettes!

Sunset & Stargazing at Airport Mesa:

Airport Mesa is a very popular spot to watch the sunset. Before you get to the top where you have to pay $3 to park, there are a few parking spots along the left side of the road. Here you can hike to the Airport Mesa Vortex and get an incredible view of the town. If there isn’t parking available, you can just park up at the top and there’s a .6 mile trail that takes you down to the same spot. If you aren’t feeling up to another hike, just relax at the top and wait for the beautiful sunset.

Other things to do:

Looking for more to do in Arizona? Check out this article: 20 things to do in Arizona