23 Best Things To Do In Sedona 2025 (From A Local)
Are you looking for a list of all of the best things to do in Sedona? You’re in the right place.
Sedona is a beautiful city tucked away in Arizona’s Red Rock Country, and my absolute favorite place to visit. Not only does it have excellent hiking trails and spa resorts, but it’s one of the most mystical places to visit in the United States!
This article will cover all of the best things to do in Sedona, from the top hiking trails to scenic viewpoints, and all of the unique places you won’t want to miss visiting.
Here are the 23 best things to do in Sedona.
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Top 23 Things To Do In Sedona
Red Rock Scenic Byway
The best first thing to do as you enter Sedona is drive the Red Rock Scenic Byway. This is a scenic 7 mile stretch of road that begins in the Village of Oak Creek, and has beautiful mountain views all throughout.
You’ll see the iconic Bell Rock mountain at the beginning of the drive, and it will take you to the shops downtown. That said, you can expect every drive in Sedona to be scenic!
Bell Rock
Bell Rock is Sedona’s most iconic mountain, and a must-see landmark. It’s a short walk to get to the base of the mountain, and you can scramble up for a sweeping red rock view.
This is a great beginner-friendly hike, and a lovely area to hike around when you first arrive in Sedona.
Cathedral Rock
Cathedral Rock is another must-see mountain, and by far my favorite hike in Sedona. It’s a 1.1 mile round trip hike uphill to one of the most spectacular red rock views. The hike requires a bit of scrambling on the way up, but the views at the top make it well worth it.
If you’re not a fan of hiking, you can get a view of the entire mountain from the Baldwin Trail or Crescent Moon Picnic Site.
Jeep Tour
Beyond hiking, Jeep tours are a fantastic way to enjoy red rock scenery, and learn about the history of Sedona from a local guide.
There’s everything from rugged offroading to scenic sightseeing tours depending on your adventure level. I went, and highly recommend going on a jeep tour with Arizona Safari Tours.
Our guide showed us around all of the different areas of Sedona, pointed out the popular rock formations, and gave us restaurant recommendations. (Plus, their jeeps have padded seats, and they don’t drive crazy!)
Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village
Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village is an artsy village style outdoor shopping center, with fountains and cobblestone paths in downtown. This is a charming place to shop around, and it has everything from artisan shops to art galleries, and chai tea cafes
Chapel of the Holy Cross
Chapel of the Holy Cross is a stunning roman catholic church built directly into the red rocks, and another must-see Sedona landmark.
It has a parking lot, and is a short hike uphill (or free golf cart ride) to reach the entrance. From the entrance, you’ll have an amazing view of the red rocks, and the nearby mansions. You can enter the church for free, and it has a large gift shop on the first floor.
UTV Rental/ATV tour
Beyond Jeep tours, one of the best ways to explore the red rocks is by UTV/ATV. You can rent these vehicles from a company like Sedona ATV, to venture out to popular landmarks, and hiking trails on your own.
If it’s your first time in Sedona, they offer guided ATV tours as well, so you don’t have to worry about directions.
Slide Rock State Park
If you’re visiting Sedona on a warm day, swim down natural water slides at Slide Rock! This is a beautiful state park at the base of Oak Creek Canyon, with natural swimming holes, picnic areas, and an 80 ft natural red rock water slide.
This was my favorite place to visit on family trips growing up, and it’s definitely worth a visit if it’s your first time in Sedona. Entrance to the park is $30/vehicle up to 4 people (May-Sep), and the swim area closes at 4pm.
West Fork of Oak Creek Trail
The West Fork of Oak Creek is a secret gem hiking trail at the base of Oak Creek Canyon. The trail is around 6.5 miles roundtrip, and it has 13 river crossings where you can get your feet wet in the water.
This trail has beautiful forest scenery, and it’s a great alternative to Slide Rock if you prefer hiking. Entrance is $12/vehicle, or only $4/person if you park a bit further down the highway, and walk in.
Midgley Bridge Picnic Site
The Midgley Bridge is a scenic bridge over Oak Creek Canyon, with a picnic area and hiking trails.
You’ll pass this bridge if you’re driving to Slide Rock State Park, and it has a small parking lot right off of the highway. Many people miss this stop, but it has a spectacular view of Oak Creek Canyon!
Spa Resort
Sedona is home to a variety of top-notch wellness resorts that offer unique amenities like yoga and sound bath healing sessions. The two most amazing places to stay at are the Enchantment Resort and L’Auberge de Sedona.
The Enchantment Resort is tucked away in West Sedona, and has dozens of amenities, including guided hikes, yoga sessions, tennis courts, outdoor pools, and much more. It’s steps away from the Boynton Canyon Trail, in a secluded area outside of town.
L’Auberge de Sedona is another luxurious resort in downtown, with a spa that offers sound healing sessions, pools, hot tubs, and a restaurant that serves meals by the river.
If you’re traveling on a budget, Los Abrigados Resort is a nice place to stay at with outdoor pools, a sauna, and spa that offers massages.
Airport Mesa Lookout
For one of the best red rock views, head to the Airport Mesa Lookout. This is a scenic lookout on Sedona’s airport hill, overlooking the red rock buttes and spires. Parking is $3/vehicle at the large private lot right next to the lookout.
At the bottom of the hill, you’ll see a small parking lot. If you can find a parking space here (free), you can hike to the Airport Mesa Vortex instead. This is a short hike up a small mound, where you’ll have an amazing panoramic view of the mountains.
Son Silver West Art Gallery
Besides the shops in downtown, Son Silver West Art Gallery is one of my favorite places to shop in Sedona. It’s an outdoor art gallery that sells everything from sculptures to pottery, and jewelry. Before leaving Sedona, make sure to stop here for souvenirs!
Amitabha Medicine Wheel
Amitabha Stupa Peace Park is a peaceful park at the base of Thunder Mountain, with a consecrated Buddha shrine, statues, and a medicine wheel.
This park was created as a space for people to pray and meditate, and it’s one of the most unique places in town. It’s free to visit, and there’s a short hiking trail to get to it from the parking lot.
Boynton Canyon Cave
The Boynton Canyon Subway Cave is a red sandstone cave that resembles a subway tunnel, and another popular Sedona landmark.
To get to it, you can hike the Boynton Canyon Trail, a 6.1 mile round trip hike, mostly over a flat trail through the pine forests. This hike took me 2.5 hours and it wasn’t my favorite, but if you enjoy long hikes it may be worth it!
Beyond the sandstone cave, you can visit the Boynton Canyon Vortex on this same trail (via Boynton Vista), which will only be a 1.1 mile hike.
This is a Sedona energy vortex site, near a 80 ft tall sandstone spire known as the “Kachina Woman”, that almost looks like two people leaning back to back! This hike only takes a half hour, and has beautiful panoramic views of the ponderosa pine forests.
Devil’s Bridge
Devil’s Bridge is a 54 ft tall natural sandstone arch, and one of Sedona’s most photographed landmarks. It’s a moderate 3.9 mile round trip hike that takes you to the arch, where you can walk over it to snap a photo!
This is one of my favorite hikes, but keep in mind that it can be crowded depending on when you visit. For the least amount of crowds, try hiking it very early in the morning, or a little later in the afternoon.
Soldiers Pass Trail
Soldiers Pass Trail is a popular trail that leads to the Seven Sacred Pools and Devil’s Kitchen Sinkhole landmarks. It’s a moderate, 4.8 mile round trip hike that can take between 2-3 hours.
This is a good (slightly shorter) alternative to the Boynton Canyon Trail, and you can actually see a hidden cave from this same trail!
Buddha Beach
The Crescent Moon Picnic Site is a picnic area with natural swimming pools (Buddha Beach), and a gorgeous view of Cathedral Rock. This is the perfect place to cool off during summer, or to photograph Cathedral Rock during sunset.
To get to it, you can either park at the picnic site ($15/vehicle), or at Baldwin Trail ($5/Daily Red Rock Pass) on the opposite side of the river. From Baldwin Trail, it’s a short 10 minute walk to get down to the river, which you can swim across to access the picnic areas.
Verde Canyon Railroad
If you’re looking for a fun and relaxing activity, ride the Verde Canyon Railroad. This is a narrated 3 hour train ride, where you’ll enjoy views of the Verde River, wildlife, and an old mining town.
The train ride includes on board snacks and champagne, and they’re located in Clarkdale, only a half hour outside of Sedona.
Psychic Reading
One of the reasons Sedona is such a special place to visit is its spiritual vibe. In downtown, you can stop at one of the New Age shops to get a psychic reading, aura reading, or do a sound bath healing session!
Shops like Crystal Magic and Mystical Bazaar offer these services, and are fun places to shop around for souvenirs.
Jerome’s Ghost Town
Jerome is a historic mining town perched on Cleopatra hill, only a 30 minute drive from Sedona. During peak copper mining, the town was rebuilt several times due to catastrophic fires and mining explosions.
Now, it operates as a tourist ghost town, with a main street lined with quirky shops, museums, and supposedly haunted hotels and restaurants! This is a fun place to visit for all ages, and you can delve more into its history at Jerome’s State Historic Park.
Ancient Ruins
Sedona is near several ancient ruins. In town, you can drive to the Palatki and Honanki Heritage Sites if you have a 4×4 vehicle. These sites have great collections of petroglyphs, and are also accessible by joining a jeep tour.
If you venture 30 minutes outside of Sedona, you can visit Montezuma’s Castle, Montezuma’s Well, and the Crane Petroglyph Site.
Montezuma’s Castle is a well-preserved 20-room limestone castle built into the cliffs with a visitor center ($10/person), and Montezuma’s Well is a natural limestone sinkhole with ancient ruins (free).
The Crane Petroglyph Site is a series of ancient petroglyphs, only 10 minutes from Montezuma’s Well (Daily Red Rock Pass/$5).
Day Trip To Grand Canyon
Sedona is only a 2.5 hour drive from the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, and is well worth visiting to cross off of your bucket list! This the park’s main entrance, where you’ll find the visitor center, popular overlooks, and restaurants and hotels in Grand Canyon Village.
In a few hours, you can visit the popular overlooks, and hike along the rim for breathtaking views of the canyon! For a complete itinerary, check out our Sedona to Grand Canyon day trip guide.
Summary
Sedona is one of the most unique places to visit in the United States, whether you’re into hiking, luxurious spa resorts, or getting a psychic reading.
If you have limited time in Sedona, I recommend hiking Cathedral Rock, shopping and dining in downtown, and watching the sunset from Airport Mesa.
And for more tips planning the perfect weekend, check out our 2 day Sedona itinerary!