The Perfect Arizona Road Trip
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Seven Days in Amazing Arizona
Arizona is Amazing! It just is. If you’re not from this area of the United States, you’ll be in awe at all of the differences in the landscape and climate throughout the state and find every fifty miles or so is like being in a new place!
We set out to explore as much as we could in seven days in Arizona. We stayed in six hotels in six nights!!! We felt our pace was good and didn’t feel rushed, but we definitely had places we’d like to explore again, but that is usually how it is when we do these types of road trips. You get a taste of each area and find there are certain places you spent enough time in to be okay if you never go back, and other places you can’t wait to visit again! If the pace I outline for you is too much, you could easily stay in just one of the places we visited for your entire trip, or just pick a couple of towns close together and explore those.
Here’s a breakdown of our Seven Day Itinerary:
Day 1- Phoenix
Today’s Agenda:
· Explore Phoenix
· Get the Road Trip Necessities Handled
· Hang at a Cool Hotel
Arrive early to explore some of the fun Phoenix has to offer (Camelback Mountain, Desert Botanical Garden, or the Phoenix Zoo to name a few)!
We chose to use the day to get our rental car, explore a little, get our snacks for the week (road trip essentials!), and hang out at our hotel. Our flight was so early, we had our rental car by 9:30 a.m., so we had enough time for brunch!
We highly recommend The Morning Squeeze! It is actually in Scottsdale, but Scottsdale and Phoenix are so close together it’s hard to know where one town starts, and one begins. The French toast and kids grilled cheese got great reviews!
After brunch, we headed to our hotel. There were several fun resorts in Phoenix that had waterslides (yes, waterslides!), so we chose one of them to beat the heat! Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort at the north end of town was perfect for our trip since this resort is on the North end of Phoenix and that was the direction we were headed the next day!
The resort is sprawling and had multiple pools with waterfalls, a poolside bar, and a waterslide to enjoy while we waited for our room to be ready. All the rooms here are suites and it provided plenty of room for our family. There were several restaurants on property, and they even have a AAA Four-Diamond restaurant on property if that is what you’re feeling for dinner. We chose a fun food truck for dinner but did check out the views from the “fancy” restaurant the next morning and they were breathtaking!
Day 2- Sedona
Today’s Agenda:
· Montezuma Castle National Monument
· Do a Couple of Hikes in Sedona
· Explore Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village
· Experience a Unique Hotel
· Have Dinner with a Sunset View
Montezuma Castle National Monument
As we left Phoenix, we decided to go by Montezuma Castle National Monument. This is on the way to Sedona, and you should absolutely stop here. There is a cost to get in (see my tip below about the National Park Pass), but it’s a short walk to see an amazing piece of a perfectly preserved high-rise Native American mansion that is thousands of years old!
When you arrive in Sedona, drive around town to orient yourself and be sure to check out the McDonald’s. We didn’t eat there, but we had to drive by. There are thousands of McDonald’s in America, and they all have golden arches, except in Sedona. Here, they are turquoise! Not a must-do, but it’s definitely a fun bit of pop culture!
Research some hikes ahead of time and choose at least one to do. We stuck to easier hikes for this trip and chose to visit the Airport and do a trail there. We started on the Airport loop trail at the trailhead from the parking lot and ended on the Airport Mesa overlook, which is said to be one of the vortex sites in Sedona. We didn’t continue the entire loop and chose instead to head back the way we came in, although I think the distance was similar, but two of out of group were getting a little hangry and opted for the known vs. unknown. (Don’t forget to bring snacks and water when you hike!) There is also a shorter way to get to the Airport Mesa from a trail on the same road (before you get up to the actual airport parking lot).
We then headed to the Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village. This is a gorgeous area with shops, musicians, fountains, and restaurants. Do not miss this when you come to Sedona!
We had gorgeous views of the Red Rocks of Sedona during our delicious sunset dinner at The Hudson. The food was delicious, and the patio seating was perfect (although the inside dining looked like it would have been fun too)! Another bonus was this restaurant was a short walk from hotel.
Our hotel for the evening was the Arabella Hotel and I highly recommend this hotel. The rooms are uniquely decorated, clean, and comfortable; the staff was kind and the hotel had tons of activities: bike rentals, scheduled tours, fire pits, pool, on-site hiking trail entrance, kid’s activities, wine-tastings and more all with NO resort fee! We had a nice patio close to the trails and we found the swing there was a great place to relax with a book. We really enjoyed the fire pits after dinner and got to work with a fun astronomer who brought a telescope bigger than our dining room table and told us all about the cosmos.
Day 3-
Today’s Agenda:
· Early Morning Hike
· Brunch in Sedona
· Drive to Page but make a quick detour to visit Winslow & Holbrook
We woke early to see sunrise, but somehow got the sunrise time wrong and missed it by just a few minutes, but still got up in plenty of time for an early morning hike! The Arabella hotel backed up to a private hiking trail called Marge’s Draw. This beginner’s walk takes you straight to Snoopy Rock (it really looks like Snoopy!!) was easy, but beautiful and provided views of Uptown Sedona and Steamboat Rock.
After our hike, we changed, checked out of our hotel, and headed to Salt Rock Kitchen (it is inside the Amara resort) for one of the best brunches ever with an awe-inspiring view!
When our blissful brunch was complete, it was time to hit the road again. We knew we wanted to end in Page, which was almost on the Utah border, but chose to detour and hit a little piece of Route 66 on the way. Before leaving Sedona, we went by the Chapel of the Holy Cross and it was amazing to see this church perched on the side of a mountain.
After leaving Sedona, we drove first to Holbrook, Arizona. There is not much to see here, but it is home to one of those kitschy “old America” hotels that was part of the inspiration for the Disney movie Cars, so we had to go. This was a quick stop, but we were glad we made it!
Then, on to Winslow, Arizona so I could stand on a corner like in the Eagles song, ‘Take It Easy’. We snapped a few pics and enjoyed exploring the stores here.
The drive to Page was really beautiful and we found a great Spotify playlist for Road Trips to enhance our drive!
We stopped to get gas at the Navajo Trail Trading Post in Cameron, and this was such a neat stop. Inside the gift shop (we bought Navajo made silver and turquoise earrings), there is a self-guided walking tour of Navajo culture that made me tear up a few times. If you have a minute, I recommend stopping.
We made it to Page late that afternoon. Page seemed to mostly be chain hotels, and we usually choose Hilton properties when this is the case, so we checked into a new Home2Suites by Hilton. It had a cool view of the dam and the room had a kitchenette and plenty of storage. It would be great for families with an extended stay.
We had dinner at a fun, casual place with great reviews called BirdHouse. It had a hot chicken thing going on (think Nashville style like Hattie B’s) and was good. Reviews raved about the mac-n-cheese, but we didn’t think it deserved the praise. Their chicken, sauces, and fries were good though!
Day 4-Page
Today’s Agenda
· Kayaking in Lake Powell
· Hike Lower Antelope Canyon
· Visit Horseshoe Bend
· Land in Flagstaff for the night
We checked out of the hotel on day four and headed to the Antelope Point Marina on Lake Powell. We knew we wanted to kayak on Lake Powell to the lower part of Antelope Canyon and then get out and walk around in the canyon. There are some tour companies who offer this tour, but they were booked. We have kayaked many times before, and after looking at the map of the river and watching a few videos of people who had done it, we decided it looked easy enough to do on our own (it’s not complicated to get there-you basically just have to turn left once and paddle a lot!), so we saved a ton of money and rented two tandem kayaks from the marina and set out. This is about a five-mile total paddle, so be prepared, but it was absolutely worth it! Lake Powell is crystal clear in some points and you’re inside a canyon, so it is really a unique experience!
Once we got to there, walking in Antelope Canyon, a slot canyon, was like nothing we had ever done, and pictures don’t even do justice to the beauty!! We walked around for about an hour and each corner seemed more beautiful than the next!
After our adventure was over, we changed into dry clothes (in our car lol) and took a short drive to Horseshoe Bend. This is also a must-do if you are in this part of Arizona! Sadly, we didn’t get to enjoy it as much as we would have liked as we were caught in a wind/sandstorm. The winds were too high for us to go out onto the rocks and take the amazing pics you see when you google this place and we had to keep shielding our eyes (and had I had to wash my hair three times that night to get all the sand out!), but it really was gorgeous!
We left Page and made the drive back to Flagstaff. This is a gorgeous drive with a view of Humphreys Peak (the highest point in Arizona) for much of the drive.
In Flagstaff, if you have the energy, there are several breweries to explore, but we were tired and took advantage of the “5:30 Kickback” at our hotel, the Drury Inn on the campus of Northern Arizona University. Sometimes on trips like these, a little low-key evening is perfect, and this was one of those!
Day 5-Grand Canyon Railway & Grand Canyon
Today’s Agenda:
· Head to Williams to Ride the Grand Canyon Railway to the Grand Canyon
· Explore Grand Canyon
· Dinner in Williams
· Stay at Grand Canyon Hotel in Williams
We had secured hard-to-get reservations on the train to the Grand Canyon, so we left Flagstaff first thing and headed to Williams.
The Grand Canyon Railway and Grand Canyon Railway Hotel are in the same parking lot of the tiny, but adorable town of Williams. We tried to check in to our hotel before our train ride, but the room wasn’t available yet, but they did let us park there.
We enjoyed watching the Wild West show and explored the historic depot before boarding the train.
On board, we had a wonderful time with our train host, traveling cowboy musicians who play music periodically, and seeing the sights. The only tickets that were available when we booked were First Class. While we were very comfortable on the train in the First-Class car, and I don’t have anything to compare it to since we didn’t experience Coach, I’m not sure it was worth the significant price difference. However, you do get some snacks and drinks (non-alcoholic) and more comfortable seating in the price of First Class.
It was neat to arrive at the historic train depot in the Grand Canyon and this definitely beat trying to wait (sometimes hour-long waits are reported) to get inside the park if you drive. We walked up a few stairs and were right at the El Tovar and Hopi House. I recommend checking out both of these sites. We only had three hours until our train ride back, so we chose to do the rim trail at the top of the Canyon. This was flat and paved and perfect for little ones or those looking for an easy walk. There are numerous places to get great photos of this wonder of the world from this trail.
The train ride does not give you much time to explore, so if you really want to experience some of the lower trails, or take a tour by donkey, or white-water raft in the basin, you will need another day here. If you just want to check it off your bucket list, see beautiful vistas and historical sites, this is the perfect amount of time. This really is a bucket list destination. Pictures in no way can do it justice!
We rode the train back to Williams and headed to check in and try to find dinner. The town was crowded that night and we had not made advance reservations, because we were not sure how long it would take to get checked in, etc., so we ended up back at our hotel bar for dinner. It was good, but nothing to rave about. It was a cute spot for a drink if you’re staying at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel.
Day 6- Scottsdale
· Drive to Scottsdale
· Explore Scottsdale and Stay the Night
We stopped by the cutest coffee shop in Williams, Brewed Awakenings, before heading out. It was adorable, had a friendly staff, and the coffee was delicious! We also checked out a few stores before driving to Scottsdale.
We arrived early in Scottsdale and were please our hotel room was ready for us. We stayed at the Canopy by Hilton Scottsdale Old Town and were definitely glad we chose this place. It is brand new, has a great location, had wonderful staff and is gorgeous!! We quickly changed and went to enjoy the rooftop pool with mountain views for a few hours before heading out to dinner.
The roof would have been a great place to enjoy sunset, but we wanted to catch happy hour (food and drink) specials at Diego Pops. It was walking distance from our hotel and this place was so cute! While we waited for our table to be ready, we were able to order a few appetizers and drinks from the outdoor patio area. The food was inventive (I had a roasted Brussel sprout and black bean bowl) and delicious! I wish I was there right now!
After dinner, we walked around and checked out the sculpture and fountains in Old Town and had dessert at a cookie dough place called Unbaked. It was great, but very rich-share if someone is willing!
Day 7
Today’s Agenda:
· Explore Scottsdale
· Fly home
We had a credit at our hotel, (thanks hubby for traveling so much for work you’re a Hilton Diamond member!), so we opted for breakfast there and it did not disappoint! They had several breakfast staple options, each with a Southwest flair.
After breakfast we headed out to explore a few shops in Scottsdale. There is an upscale, artistic vibe to this city, and we loved it!
Sadly, after a few hours it was time to return our rental car and head to the airport. We enjoyed Arizona so much, we thought of extending our trip another night, and all said this was one of our favorite trips ever!!