Sedona Weekend Itinerary: Best Things to Do in Sedona

Sedona is a town in Arizona surrounded by beautiful red rocks. Sedona offers a perfect destination for a relaxing weekend getaway from the city. Spend time hiking, walking around the shops in the downtown, and dining with a view. After living in Sedona, I put together this Sedona weekend itinerary with the best things to do in Sedona.

How to Get to Sedona

Sedona is located in northern Arizona, a two hour drive north of Phoenix. The best way to get to Sedona is to fly into Phoenix Airport (PHX) and rent a car to drive to Sedona. You will need a car during your time in Sedona to get to the hiking trails and restaurants, and it will be much cheaper to reserve the rental car ahead of time on Discover Cars from Phoenix. The drive from Phoenix to Sedona is beautiful since as you go up in elevation the landscape drastically changes.

Start booking your trip to Sedona by finding the best flight deals to Phoenix on Skyscanner.

TIP: Avoid driving back to Phoenix late Sunday night as there is often bad traffic from Sedona back to Phoenix at this time as many people are returning from their weekend trips in northern Arizona.

Where to Stay in Sedona

Sedona has a range of airbnbs, resorts, and hotels ranging from budget to luxury. If you are looking to spend more time at the hotel enjoying the spa and pool then I recommend a resort like the Enchantment Resort. If you prefer to spend more time exploring, Airbnb would be a great alternative with many unique options throughout Sedona.

West Sedona: If you are planning to do a lot of hiking during your weekend in Sedona, West Sedona would be the best area to stay. This is where we lived and we were able to walk to hiking trails directly from our house. There are usually beautiful views of the red rocks from the homes here.

Uptown: In uptown Sedona you can find restaurants and shops, as well as some hiking trails. The benefit of staying in uptown is that you may be able to walk to restaurants. Uptown can however get busy, and the main road can get backed up.

Village of Oak Creek: If you are looking for a cheaper accommodation option, you can stay in Oak Creek. This village is at the southern entrance to Sedona, located right near bell rock. It is a 20 minute drive from here to west Sedona, where the tip hiking trails in Sedona are located.

Best Time To Visit Sedona

Sedona is a beautiful place regardless of the season, but your visit will be more enjoyable if the weather is better. Summer in Sedona can get very hot with temperatures over 100 degrees. Therefore, I recommend skipping Sedona in the summer especially if you are planning to hike. The best time to visit Sedona is in the fall and spring when the weather is perfect for hiking.

Sedona doesn’t have many trees that change colors in autumn, but if you are looking for fall foliage you can find some in Oak Creek Canyon in the north part of Sedona. If you want to see Sedona with snow that typically happens January or February and you would need to go soon after it snows as it melts quickly.

What to Bring for a Weekend in Sedona

Make the best of your weekend in Sedona by making sure that you pack these essentials.

Hiking Shoes: I recommend hiking shoes for Sedona as the trails are often rocky and/or sandy and the traction is needed. If you don’t want to carry heavy hiking boots but want some support and enough traction, you should look into these Salomon hiking shoes.
Daypack: Don’t forget to bring a comfortable backpack to carry everything you need for your Sedona weekend hiking adventure. This REI Bag is perfect for day hikes.
Reusable Water Bottle: Bring this water bottle that can keep your water cold for 12 hours.
Sunscreen: The sun can be really strong in Sedona and most of the hikes don’t have much shade. Don’t forget to bring sunscreen with you and re-apply!
Sunglasses and hat: Bring your sunglasses so you can clearly see the incredible red cliffs during your weekend in Sedona. A hat is also helpful as most hikes don’t have shade.
Camera and Charger: One of the things you can’t forget to bring on your Sedona weekend itinerary is your camera so you can capture your memories in Sedona.

FREE Google Maps List with 30+ Destinations in Sedona

Explore Sedona with this Google Maps list of 30+ destinations including hikes, viewpoints, and restaurants. Additional notes are included for off-the-beaten-path hiking trails. Subscribe below to get the link!

10 Best Things To Do in Sedona

Hike the many incredible hiking trails in Sedona. Choose which hikes to do during your weekend in Sedona from our list of the Best Hikes in Sedona and our guide to Sedona Off the Beaten Path.
Get an incredible aerial view of the red rocks on a helicopter tour over Sedona.
Stay at the Enchantment Resort and relax in the pool surrounded by beautiful red rock views.
Do a scenic Kayak tour on the Verde River in nearby Cottonwood.
Go wine tasting near Sedona with a wine tour.
Hike one of the top shaded hikes in Sedona during the summer.
Eat at a restaurant with a view. Top options include: The Hudson, View 180, Hideaway House, or Mesa Grill.
Go shopping in uptown Sedona at the crystal shops, boutiques, and galleries.
Explore Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village and visit the galleries and shops.
Check out Jerome Ghost Town, 40 minutes from Sedona. Plan your trip to Jerome with our guide to a day trip to Jerome.

Sedona Weekend Itinerary

You can easily visit Sedona in a weekend especially if you are already living on the west coast. If you are living on the east coast luckily you will gain 2-3 hours flying to Phoenix so you might only need to leave work a couple hours early on Friday and then you can take a red eye back. This Sedona weekend itinerary will take you to the top hikes in Sedona, beautiful viewpoints, and delicious places to eat.

Saturday

Breakfast at Indian Garden's Cafe and Market

Start your weekend in Sedona eating breakfast at Indian Garden’s Cafe and Market. Indian Garden’s Cafe and Market is a cute cafe in North Sedona with nice outdoor seating in a garden area. Since it is also a market you can also purchase baked goods and snacks for the day.

Hike Devil's Bridge Trail

Next on your Sedona weekend itinerary is hiking to Devil’s Bridge. Devil’s Bridge is a very popular 4.2-mile round trip hike in Sedona that takes you to a natural sandstone arch formed by erosion. While the destination of the trail is amazing, the hike itself is mostly on a dirt road and doesn’t have much views. This is usually one of the busiest hikes in Sedona so make sure to start early.

If you are looking for a less crowded hiking trail option, continue to our Sedona Off the Beaten Path guide. For additional popular hikes, view our list of Best Hikes in Sedona.

Hike Broken Arrow Trail

Broken Arrow is an easy 3-mile round trip hike to an incredible viewpoint called Chicken Point. I’ve hiked this trail several times and each time I’m still in awe of how beautiful it is. This hike is a great option for your first day as it has great views but isn’t difficult so you will still have energy to hike more on Sunday.

Dinner and Catch the Sunset with a Drink at View 180

Change into a nice outfit and head to the Enchantment Resort, a beautiful resort in Sedona with several nice restaurants. Make a reservation at View 180 where you can enjoy a drink surrounded by the beautiful red rocks. This restaurant is open from 4 pm to 9:30 pm. If you are hungry they also have some food options or you can go to Tii Gavo which is also located at the Enchantment Resort for more options. If you prefer a more affordable option for dinner you can checkout Pisa Lisa, Hideaway House, Fresh and Natural Thai Kitchen, or 89Agave Cantina. Another place to get drinks after dinner is Vino Di Sedona, a wine bar that has live music every night.

Sunday

Breakfast

On Sunday try to get a quick breakfast so you can have more time to hike. Wildflower Bread Company and Whole Foods are good options if you are looking for something quick. If you prefer a more sit down place to have brunch I recommend The Secret Garden Cafe or Mesa Grill.

Hike Soldier Pass and Brins Mesa Loop

One of the best hikes in Sedona and a highlight of this Sedona weekend itinerary is Soldier Pass and Brins Mesa Loop. This 5-mile loop features the Seven Sacred Pools and the Devil’s Kitchen sinkhole. You can start the trail at Soldier Pass Trailhead if you can find parking there, but the parking lot is very small and gets full fast. You can find additional parking at Jordan Road Trailhead. These trailheads are a 15 minute drive away from each other so if you don’t want to waste time and you think the Soldier Pass Trailhead parking might already full, you can just go straight to Jordan Road Trailhead. If you intend to do the full loop you will end up hiking the same amount either way.

You can do the loop either clockwise or counter clockwise. If you do the loop counter clockwise from Soldier Pass Trailhead, you will see a large sinkhole soon into the trail called Devil’s Kitchen. Then you will continue hiking and you will come across the Seven Sacred Pools. The small pools look really nice with the surrounding red rocks towering above. Soon after you pass the Seven Sacred Pools you will start hiking up the rock until you reach the top of the mesa and meet Brins Mesa Trail. Here you will see breathtaking views of Sedona and the surrounding red rocks. After reaching Brins Mesa Trail you will hike down the rock on this side and then loop back to Soldier Pass Trailhead on Cibola Pass Trail.

Lunch With a View

Continue enjoying the beauty of Sedona during lunch, by choosing a restaurant with a good view. I recommend The Hudson or Mesa Grill.

Schuerman Mountain Trail to Viewpoint

If you want to try to fit in another hike, I recommend hiking Schuerman Mountain Trail to the viewpoint. This part of the trail will be about 1.8 miles roundtrip and will take you to a beautiful viewpoint where you can see Cathedral Rock and other surrounding red rocks. On the trail to the viewpoint you will also see Thunder Mountain and Coffee Pot Rock as well as surrounding mountains. This is a great off-the-beaten-path hike to enjoy the beauty of Sedona without the crowds. For more hidden gems in Sedona, continue to our guide to Sedona Off-The-Beaten-Path.

Explore Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village

A weekend in Sedona is not complete without stopping at Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village. Here you can find galleries, shops, and restaurants. Try Chai at the Chai Spot, and later return for dinner at one of the few restaurants.

Enjoy the Views from Bell Rock

On your way back home from your weekend in Sedona you should make a quick stop at Bell Rock. Bell Rock is a rock formation located towards the south entrance of Sedona on 89A. It is a short walk from the parking lot to Bell Rock. Once you reach Bell Rock you only need to climb up the rock a little to enjoy great views. If you are able to, you can climb further up the rock. This can be a very easy or difficult trail depending on how far up the rock you go, but either way it is worth a quick stop.

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