Things to do in Sedona

Hikes, tours, vortexes and sunsets. Facts checked, and no fees added.

Suggested

Tours12 things to do

Hikes9 things to do

West Sedona, Capitol Butte(Thunder Mountain), & Coffee Pot Rock seen from Sedona’s Airport Mesa Scenic Overlook at sunset

Views and landmarks8 things to do

Vortex and wellness7 things to do

Rock formations at Palatki heritage site, in the Coconino National Forest in Sedona, Arizona. A cave drawing detailing the position of the m

History and culture4 things to do

Day trips6 things to do

Patio de las Campañas, Tlaquepaque, Sedona

Events5 things to do

Sedona tours

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Tours$$

Red rock jeep tours

Usually 1.5–3 hours · Easy to bumpy

Ride rough 4x4 roads into the red rocks with a guide who drives and tells the stories.

Red Rock scenery as seen from Broken Arrow Trail in Sedona. For details on how to get to this trail, visit www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreat

Tours$$

Broken Arrow 4x4 tour

Usually about 2 hours · Very bumpy

One of Sedona's best-known rough 4x4 routes, run by guided tour companies.

Tours$$

ATV and UTV tours

Usually 2–4 hours · Moderate

Drive yourself on dirt roads outside town, usually behind a guide.

Sedona's main attraction is its array of red sandstone formations. The formations appear to glow in brilliant orange and red when illuminate

Tours$$

E-bike tours

Usually 2–3 hours · Moderate

Cover more ground than a hike, with a motor to help on the climbs.

Tours$$$

Helicopter tours

Usually 15–50 minutes · Easy

See Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock and the canyons from above in one short flight.

I took this photo while hot air ballooning near Sedona, Arizona.

Tours$$$

Hot air balloon rides

Usually 3–4 hours in total · Easy

Lift off at sunrise and drift over the valley as the sun lights up the cliffs.

Colorful fall leaves along the West Fork hiking trail in Sedona AZ in 2021.

Tours$$

Guided hikes

Usually 2–4 hours · Pick your level

A local guide chooses a trail for your fitness and handles the navigation and parking.

Greenery highlights a photo of Bell Rock in Sedona, standing tall in the distance.

Tours$$

Vortex tours

Usually 1.5–3 hours · Easy

Visit one or more of Sedona's well-known vortex sites with a guide, often with a meditation.

Sedona hikes

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Tours$$

Guided hikes

Usually 2–4 hours · Pick your level

A local guide chooses a trail for your fitness and handles the navigation and parking.

HikesFree

Cathedral Rock Trail

1–2 hours · Strenuous

Short and very steep, with a hands-on scramble up slickrock to a saddle between the spires.

HikesFree

Devil's Bridge Trail

2–3 hours · Moderate

Walk out onto the largest natural sandstone arch in the Sedona area.

HikesFree

Bell Rock Pathway

Pick your length · Easy

A wide, mostly easy path around one of Sedona's best-known vortex sites.

HikesFree

Boynton Canyon Trail

3–4 hours · Moderate

A long, gentle canyon walk, with a short side trail to the Boynton vortex.

Devil's Kitchen Sinkhole in Sedona, Arizona

HikesFree

Soldier Pass Trail

About 2.5 hours · Moderate

See the Devil's Kitchen sinkhole and the Seven Sacred Pools on one trail.

Fay Canyon is a favorite hike for many who prefer a shorter hike with minimal elevation gain or who enjoy the grandeur of red sandstone wall

HikesFree

Fay Canyon Trail

About 1 hour · Easy

A flat, gentle box-canyon walk that ends at a red cliff. A great first hike.

Hikes$

West Fork of Oak Creek

3–4 hours · Moderate

A shady creek walk between tall canyon walls, famous for autumn colour.

Sedona views and landmarks

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This shot was taken at night of the Oak Creek Roundabout and bridge, Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village, Airport Mesa and moon in distance

Tours$$

Stargazing tours

Usually 1.5–2 hours · Easy

Look through telescopes with a guide who points out planets, star clusters and galaxies.

Views and landmarksFree

Airport Mesa

30 min–2 hours · Easy to moderate

Sedona's classic sunset spot and a well-known vortex site, with an optional loop hike.

Views and landmarksFree

Chapel of the Holy Cross

30–60 min · Easy

A chapel built into the red rock buttes, with wide views from the ramp.

Cathedral Rock at Red Rock Crossing. Taken well after sunset with a 10 sec exposure at f6.7 and ISO 100. The gorillapod definitely came in h

Views and landmarks$

Crescent Moon Picnic Site (Red Rock Crossing)

1–3 hours · Easy

The famous view of Cathedral Rock reflected in Oak Creek, with shady picnic spots.

Views and landmarksFree

Red Rock Scenic Byway (SR 179)

30–60 min · Easy

The drive into Sedona from the south, past Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte.

Views and landmarksFree

Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village

1–2 hours · Easy

Galleries, fountains and shaded courtyards in a Mexican village style.

Looking south at Courthouse Rock in the Eagletail Mountains Wilderness in February, this was the darkest sky I have ever seen, probably Bort

Views and landmarksFree

Stargazing on your own

1 hour · Easy

Sedona protects its night sky. Drive a few minutes from the lights and look up.

Views and landmarks$$

Slide Rock State Park

2–4 hours · Easy

Slide down a natural sandstone chute in Oak Creek, in a historic apple farm.

Vortex and spiritual Sedona

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Tours$$

Vortex tours

Usually 1.5–3 hours · Easy

Visit one or more of Sedona's well-known vortex sites with a guide, often with a meditation.

HikesFree

Cathedral Rock Trail

1–2 hours · Strenuous

Short and very steep, with a hands-on scramble up slickrock to a saddle between the spires.

HikesFree

Bell Rock Pathway

Pick your length · Easy

A wide, mostly easy path around one of Sedona's best-known vortex sites.

HikesFree

Boynton Canyon Trail

3–4 hours · Moderate

A long, gentle canyon walk, with a short side trail to the Boynton vortex.

Views and landmarksFree

Airport Mesa

30 min–2 hours · Easy to moderate

Sedona's classic sunset spot and a well-known vortex site, with an optional loop hike.

Views and landmarksFree

Chapel of the Holy Cross

30–60 min · Easy

A chapel built into the red rock buttes, with wide views from the ramp.

Vortex and wellnessFree

Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park

30–60 min · Easy

A Buddhist stupa in a quiet juniper park with red rock views.

Sedona history and culture

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Views and landmarksFree

Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village

1–2 hours · Easy

Galleries, fountains and shaded courtyards in a Mexican village style.

History and cultureFree

Palatki Heritage Site

About 1.5 hours · Easy

Ancient Sinagua cliff dwellings and rock art, visited on a short ranger-led walk.

History and culture$

Sedona Heritage Museum

1 hour · Easy

Pioneer, orchard and movie-making history in a historic homestead.

History and culture$

Montezuma Castle National Monument

1–2 hours · Easy

A five-story cliff dwelling built into a limestone cliff above Beaver Creek.

Day trips from Sedona

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Views and landmarks$$

Slide Rock State Park

2–4 hours · Easy

Slide down a natural sandstone chute in Oak Creek, in a historic apple farm.

History and culture$

Montezuma Castle National Monument

1–2 hours · Easy

A five-story cliff dwelling built into a limestone cliff above Beaver Creek.

Day trips$$$

Grand Canyon South Rim day trip

Full day · Easy

Drive or take a guided tour to the South Rim for the classic viewpoints.

Antelope Canyon, Navajo Tribal Park, Arizona, USA.

Day trips$$$

Antelope Canyon tours from Sedona

Full day · Moderate

A long day out to the famous slot canyon near Page, often with Horseshoe Bend.

Day trips$$

Verde Canyon Railroad

About 4 hours · Easy

A scenic train ride through a canyon you can't reach by road.

Day trips$$

Out of Africa Wildlife Park

Half day · Easy

A wildlife park with safari drives, shows and big-cat feeds.

The 15 best things to do in Sedona

Our shortlist for a first visit, balancing famous sights, free options and a couple of splurges. Each links to a page with distances, fees and sources.

Devil's Bridge Trail Free
Walk out onto the largest natural sandstone arch in the Sedona area.
Cathedral Rock Trail Free
Short and very steep, with a hands-on scramble up slickrock to a saddle between the spires.
Red rock jeep tours $$
Ride rough 4x4 roads into the red rocks with a guide who drives and tells the stories.
Airport Mesa Free
Sedona's classic sunset spot and a well-known vortex site, with an optional loop hike.
Chapel of the Holy Cross Free
A chapel built into the red rock buttes, with wide views from the ramp.
Slide Rock State Park $$
Slide down a natural sandstone chute in Oak Creek, in a historic apple farm.
West Fork of Oak Creek $
A shady creek walk between tall canyon walls, famous for autumn colour.
Crescent Moon Picnic Site (Red Rock Crossing) $
The famous view of Cathedral Rock reflected in Oak Creek, with shady picnic spots.
Bell Rock Pathway Free
A wide, mostly easy path around one of Sedona's best-known vortex sites.
Helicopter tours $$$
See Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock and the canyons from above in one short flight.
Palatki Heritage Site Free
Ancient Sinagua cliff dwellings and rock art, visited on a short ranger-led walk.
Stargazing tours $$
Look through telescopes with a guide who points out planets, star clusters and galaxies.
Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village Free
Galleries, fountains and shaded courtyards in a Mexican village style.
Grand Canyon South Rim day trip $$$
Drive or take a guided tour to the South Rim for the classic viewpoints.
Hot air balloon rides $$$
Lift off at sunrise and drift over the valley as the sun lights up the cliffs.

Good to know before you go

Many trailheads need a Red Rock Pass, which the Forest Service sells for $5 a day, $15 a week or $20 a year. An America the Beautiful pass also works. The free Sedona Shuttle serves popular trailheads like Cathedral Rock and Soldier Pass, typically Thursday to Sunday, and riders don't need a pass.

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the busiest seasons. Summer highs average in the 90s°F, with the monsoon from mid-June to September. Winter is mild by day and cold at night.

Questions people ask

What is Sedona best known for?

Its red rock formations, like Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock, its hiking trails and its vortex sites. It's also an International Dark Sky Community, designated in 2014.

Do I need a Red Rock Pass in Sedona?

You need one to park at many Forest Service trailheads. The Forest Service lists $5 a day, $15 a week or $20 a year. Some sites charge their own day-use fee instead.

What is the best month to visit Sedona?

April and October are often considered the best, with mild highs in the 70s°F and little rain. They're also the busiest, so book tours early.

Sources

Facts last checked November 3, 2026. Prices, hours and rules change, so confirm with the official source before you go.