Sedona Travel Guide

Sedona is one of my favorite places in Arizona. Objectively, it’s also one of the most beautiful places in Arizona. It’s nestled perfectly between the iconic red rocks on either side with gorgeous views around every corner.

The town itself feels artsy and eccentric, with cool shops along the streets and neat touristy things to do. So, if it feels a little overwhelming to you at all, I put together a quick list of places to visit, things to do, places to eat, and a little more to make your trip a bit easier.

Things to do:

Take a Jeep (or helicopter) Tour! I loved our most recent jeep tour with A Day in the West. I bought two-for-one coupons on Groupon for our tour, but you can totally buy them the day of if you’re not as much as a planner as I am! There are also helicopter tours in the area if you prefer to see Sedona from the air, rather than the ground.
Wine Tasting: There are some local wineries in the area, so you can opt to take a day for wine tasting! Our jeep tour included one tasting, but I’m sure there are other ways to visit more than just one winery.
Hiking: The obvious option is hiking in the area. With views like these, you want to make sure to try at least one moderate hike. There’s easy hikes and more difficult hikes, but take half a day to see the beauty in Sedona!
Visit a psychic. On my last visit, I got my first tarot card reading ever. I would say it was pretty neat. If I was going to get one anywhere, it would be in Sedona. I liked my tarot card reading, so I’ll say it’s legit for now 😉
Visit the local shops. There are a lot of local and unique shops in Sedona, so see what cool things you can pick up! You don’t need a ton of time for souvenir shopping, but the stores always have a few cool things.

Things to see:

Devil’s Bridge: I just wrote a full post on my hike at Devil’s Bridge along with a few tips to make it easier for you! It’s definitely an iconic hike in the area, so I highly recommend it!
Chimney Rock: It’s another neat rock formation in the area, but you probably don’t have to hike to see this one. You can see it from the road that takes you to the Devil’s Bridge Trailhead.
The vortexes: Sedona itself is known to be a “vortex” since it has the highest concentration of natural vortexes in the world. The four best known Sedona vortexes are found at Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, and Boynton Canyon – each radiating its own particular energy. They’re known for some kind of magnetic energy and they’re kinda neat, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Where to eat:

Thai Spices: This is one of our favorite restaurants in Sedona! I’m a huge fan of the Panang curry and the Chicken Pad Thai.
Coffee Pot Cafe: This place is home to 101 different omlettes. It’s actually a little bit overwhelming. After our Devil’s Bridge hike, Tanner and I each had our own omlettes (with sides of hashbrowns and a biscuit) and finished off 3 pancakes! I had the omlette with ground beef, green chile, onion, and cheese while Tanner’s had avocado, bacon, tomato, and onion.
Sedona Pizza and Pasta Company: This was the first restaurant we tried in Sedona the first time. The pizza was pretty good and you can’t go wrong with a classic pizza and some local brews.
Open Range Grill: We went here for our first meal this most recent trip. I had the patty melt and Tanner ordered wings. As far as bar food goes, it’s pretty good and the fries really hit the spot for me.

Where to stay:

AirBnB: Our first stay in Sedona, we enjoyed a nice private home, attached to the home of the host. It was a really small home, but perfect for a quiet night in Sedona. Gordon was our host for this trip and, although we never met him, he was extremely responsive to our questions and gave us several recommendations for the area!First time AirBnB user? Click HERE to book with my link and save $40 on your first reservation!
Cedars Resort: This time, we stayed at Cedars Resort for the night. It was a pretty nice stay (but check in is a little late) and the rooms come with the amenities you need. The king size bed was pretty comfy the view from our room was gorgeous!