Two hours north, the desert turns red. Here is the route, the stops worth making, the parking rules nobody mentions and a timed plan for the whole day.
Updated October 2026 · 3 min read
Sedona is about 116 miles north of Phoenix, roughly two hours by car on Interstate 17 and the Red Rock Scenic Byway. That makes it the easiest big-scenery day trip from the Valley, and one of the most rewarding: red sandstone buttes, cool creekside canyons, galleries and a sunset that people plan whole trips around.
It is also busy. Parking at the famous trailheads fills early, and traffic through town backs up on weekends. A little planning - or a driver who drops you at the trailhead and collects you after - makes all the difference.
01 · Sedona
Camp Verde, off Interstate 17About 1.5 hours from Phoenix
A five-story Sinagua cliff dwelling tucked into a limestone cliff above Beaver Creek, more than 800 years old and remarkably intact. A short, flat, paved loop takes about 45 minutes with time to read the signs. It is right off the highway and the perfect leg-stretch.
State Route 179, through the Village of Oak CreekThe last 30 minutes
Leave the interstate at State Route 179 and the red rocks start to appear. Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte rise beside the road, with a big trailhead lot for a short walk out toward them. Drive it slowly - this is the classic entrance to Sedona.
02 · Sedona
Off State Route 17930 to 45 min
A chapel built into the red rock in 1956, with a cross rising through its glass front wall and wide views across the valley. Visitors are welcome; the walk up from the parking area is short but steep.
Back O' Beyond Road, or Red Rock Crossing1 to 2 hours
Sedona's most famous formation. The trail up is short but steep, with scrambling on bare rock, and the view from the saddle is worth every step. For an easier view, the Crescent Moon picnic area at Red Rock Crossing shows Cathedral Rock reflected in Oak Creek.
Local tip: The Cathedral Rock lot fills soon after sunrise. Being dropped off and picked up removes the biggest headache of a Sedona day.
Next to Oak Creek1 hour
A shady, cobbled village of galleries, craft shops and restaurants, modeled on a traditional Mexican village with arches, courtyards and fountains. A good place for lunch.
State Route 89A1 hour
The town's main street of shops, restaurants and viewpoints, and the starting point for the well-known jeep tours into the backcountry.
State Route 89A north of town1 to 2 hours
North of Sedona the road drops into a narrow, forested canyon along Oak Creek. Slide Rock State Park has a natural water slide worn into the creek bed - a summer favorite, so arrive early on hot days.
Airport RoadLast hour of light
A small mesa just above town with a 360-degree view as the buttes glow red at sunset. It is also one of Sedona's best-known vortex sites, along with Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock and Boynton Canyon.
Local tip: The overlook parking is tiny and fills an hour before sunset. Ask your chauffeur for a drop-off and arrange the pickup for after the light is gone.
03 · Sedona
A relaxed plan for a spring or autumn day. Adjust for sunset, which ranges from about 5:20pm in December to 7:45pm in June.
7:30am - Leave Phoenix
Your hotel or home
Beat the morning traffic north on Interstate 17.
9:00am - Montezuma Castle
Camp Verde · 45 min
Walk the loop and stretch your legs.
10:15am - Bell Rock and the byway
Village of Oak Creek · 1 hour
A short walk on the Bell Rock pathway, then the drive into town.
11:30am - Chapel of the Holy Cross
Off State Route 179 · 45 min
Views first, crowds second.
12:30pm - Lunch at Tlaquepaque
Next to Oak Creek · 1.5 hours
Lunch, then the galleries.
2:30pm - Oak Creek Canyon or a hike
Your choice · 2 hours
Slide Rock and the canyon drive, or a hike at Cathedral Rock or in Boynton Canyon.
5:00pm - Uptown and an early dinner
Uptown Sedona · 1.5 hours
Shops, then dinner with a view.
Sunset - Airport Mesa
Airport Road · 45 min
Watch the rocks turn red.
After dark - Home to Phoenix
Interstate 17 · About 2 hours
Back in the Valley in the late evening.
Good to know
Many trailheads around Sedona are on national forest land and require a Red Rock Pass to park, available from machines at the trailheads; an America the Beautiful national parks pass is also accepted. The busiest trailheads fill early, especially on weekends from March to May and in October and November.
The city runs a free Sedona Shuttle to several of the most popular trailheads on set days of the week, from park-and-ride lots outside town. Alternatively, a private driver can drop you at the trailhead and collect you later, which avoids both the parking and the passes.
Good to know
Spring and autumn are ideal: warm days, cool nights and the best hiking. Summer is hot in the afternoons, though Sedona at around 4,500 feet is still noticeably cooler than Phoenix, and July to September brings monsoon storms. Winter is quiet and crisp, with the occasional dusting of snow on the red rocks - one of the prettiest sights in Arizona.
Getting there
Our Sedona days run by the hour in an Escalade or Sprinter: pickup at your hotel, every stop on your list, drop-offs at the trailheads and home after sunset. Add the Verde Valley wineries or keep going to the Grand Canyon.
Good to know
About 116 miles, or around two hours by car via Interstate 17 and State Route 179.
One day is enough to see the highlights: the Red Rock Scenic Byway, the Chapel of the Holy Cross, a short hike, Tlaquepaque and sunset at Airport Mesa. Serious hikers will want two or three days.
You need one to park at many national forest trailheads around Sedona. You do not need one if you are dropped off rather than parking, and an America the Beautiful pass is accepted instead.
March to May and October to November have the best weather, but they are also the busiest. Weekdays are noticeably quieter than weekends.
Yes, with a long day of 12 hours or more. Most people see Sedona briefly on the way up and drive straight back to Phoenix from the Grand Canyon.
Keep exploring
Grouped by drive time, from the Superstitions to the Grand Canyon.
Read the guide Wine countryCottonwood tasting rooms, Page Springs estates and Jerome on the hill.
Read the guide Arizona guideGrand Canyon, Sedona, Monument Valley, Page, Jerome, Tucson and more.
Read the guide Vacation planningWhere to stay, when to come and a three-day plan for first-time visitors.
Read the guideReserve
Tell us where you want to go and when. Dispatch confirms the car, the chauffeur and a fixed price before you pay.
