Our Standout Sedona Experiences (From An Action-Packed 8-Day Trip)

Sedona is one of our favorite places in the American southwest. We love the parks in Utah and California, but Sedona’s red rock landscape just feels so unique and special. During our 8-day trip in December 2021, we ticked off Sedona’s major attractions, hikes, sunrise and sunset spots, jeep trails, caves, wineries, and heritage sites. We rented a jeep for three days which cost a fortune but gave us access to tons of hidden areas, we explored each day from dawn to dusk, and we hiked over twenty trails in total.

Visiting in December meant we had icy cold mornings and evenings but perfect daytime temperatures, along with lovely Christmas decorations at the famous shopping place in town called Tlaquepaque Village. Even though we visited in the “low” season, we knew we’d still have to wake up early every day to beat the crowds and get parked at popular trailheads like Cathedral Rock, Devils Bridge and Boynton Canyon. Thankfully, sunrises and photography are two of our favorite things in life, so braving the brutally cold mornings was totally worth it!

Overall, we absolutely loved our time in Sedona. The only way we can describe it is to imagine a gigantic red-rock theme park for adults who love nature and hiking. Except it isn’t tacky or commercialized. It’s actually the opposite – upscale, serious, and full of outdoorsy people who just want to get stuck into the trails. Our sort of place. But there were negatives – it was super crowded, traffic in town was always congested, and trailhead parking was quite frankly ridiculous.

We stayed in West Sedona and thought it was perfect our first time with a full itinerary. But if we had a more relaxed trip planned, we’d probably stay in Uptown instead so we could walk to restaurants. Based on our jam-packed 8-day trip, we’re going to walk you through the experiences we consider unmissable for a first-timer visiting Sedona. Let’s dive in!

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Hiking Cathedral Rock For Sunrise

Sunrise was by far our favorite time of day in Sedona. It was quiet, tranquil, and gave us that “alone in an alien landscape” feeling. The calm before the storm had never been more true. So we woke up long before dawn, threw a few hot coffees down, filled our flasks with more, put on our heavy coats, drove to trailheads in the dark, donned our headlamps, and climbed to trail summits in time for sunrise.

Our first sunrise hike was Doe Mountain. It was short and steep, but easy enough and we had the summit area entirely to ourselves. The sunrise was immense. We had wide open views and watched hot air balloons take off from the valley floor. Next, we hiked the famous Devils Bridge for sunrise. The bridge view was stunning, but overall we thought the short hike was massively overrated. And on our last day we hiked to Chimney Rock and Little Sugarloaf for sunrise, which turned out to be a true hidden gem. We had it to ourselves and the views were a major wow.

But in-between those, we also hiked to Cathedral Rock for sunrise. In truth, we actually tried to hike it for sunset the evening before, but the line of cars waiting to park at the trailhead on Back O Beyond Road was outrageous. We instantly gave up, and decided to go back the next morning. And we’re so glad we did. We actually arrived a bit later than we wanted, but the parking lot was surprisingly empty. The sunrise was close, so we had to really get a shift on with the climb, and it turned out to be steep with a rock scramble and switchbacks.

After rushing up, we arrived at a false summit (where the sign was), turned left, found another steep climb and sat alone at the top waiting for the sun to burst out from behind Courthouse Butte to our southeast. It was awesome. We actually thought Doe Mountain, Chimney Rock and Cathedral Rock were all incredible sunrise hikes, but Cathedral Rock is the most iconic natural landmark in Sedona so it had that extra dose of special. Our guide on Sedona’s best sunrise and sunset photo spots covers these summits and more.

Having Sedona’s Famous Subway Cave To Ourselves

When planning our trip, the one thing that really caught our eye was learning about Sedona’s hidden caves. We’re here for the adventure, and it’s not often you get to go hunting for postcard-perfect caves, right? So we worked in each of the hikes leading to a cave, starting with the most famous Instagram-hyped cave called Subway Cave which we knew was around half way along Boynton Canyon Trail.

We set off from the trailhead around 8:00 AM, hiked the first half of Boynton Canyon, turned right at a massive grey tree, climbed a steep bank, curved around a ledge and stepped inside the huge subway tunnel-shaped cave. There was nobody inside, so we took dozens of photos as quickly as possible. Turned out we didn’t need to rush, not a single person turned up the whole thirty minutes we were inside. It was such a cool experience. But we did miss Kachina Cave on the way back to the trailhead, which still haunts us to this day!

After Subway Cave, we hiked the much easier path to the Birthing Cave and it turned out to be amazing. We had it to ourselves again, the cave entrance looked like an enormous flame, and the views were fantastic. Later, we hiked Soldier Pass Trail to see Devil’s Kitchen, Seven Sacred Pools, and eventually Soldier Pass Cave. The cave was super photogenic, but the trail was much busier. We also hiked to Raven Caves heading south on 179, but it wasn’t worth the effort.

Near the end of our trip, we drove our jeep way out to the isolated and deserted northwest side of Sedona to hike into Hideout Cave. It had a small round window and a huge oval window with striking views, and we had this one to ourselves (which wasn’t a surprise). Then on our last full day we hiked off trail into rugged wilderness to climb inside Keyhole Cave. This one was a real adventure with pathfinding and a tough climb inside, but it was awesome. Overall, the caves were a highlight from our trip.

Hiking Bell Rock & Courthouse Butte Trail

We promise this is the last time we’ll talk about hiking. There’s loads more to do in Sedona, but hiking is by far the most popular activity so let’s get it all out of the way. Okay, we had over twenty hikes on our list, and we honestly didn’t think we’d be able to fit them all in. But we discovered the beauty of hiking in Sedona was that most of the trails were short and relatively easy. We found ourselves crushing three or four hikes most days.

Other than the sunrise hikes and cave hikes we’ve already discussed, we thought Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte was a fantastic trail. We started early, looped around Courthouse Butte first, climbed half way up Bell Rock, and then realized it was too icy to risk going any higher. At first we were disappointed, but the views were magical and we quickly found a hidden loop that wrapped around Bell Rock half way up. It was primitive and not clearly marked, so we took our time and made sure it was safe, but what a great hike.

Another hike we did that turned out to be a total hidden gem was Pyramid Mountain. It was an easy hike with incredible Cathedral Rock views, and we didn’t see a single other hiker the whole time which was wild. We also hiked West Fork Trail way up Oak Creek Canyon, and although we didn’t like paying for parking, the forested hike was different and it ended at a subway tunnel a bit like Zion’s but on a far less impressive scale.

The super easy Fay Canyon was another great hike that had a secret arch that looked a bit like a cave from inside and two end of trail summit climbs that added an adventure element. We hiked a portion of Munds Wagon Trail on the east side of Sedona, but we drove our jeep up there so didn’t have to climb the whole thing. And one that we missed but would do next time was Bear Mountain. It’s a long and hard one, which is why we skipped it.

Mark’s hiking tip: All Trails has Devils Bridge, Cathedral Rock and Boynton Canyon as the top three hikes in Sedona. We get it, they’re the popular hikes. But they’re also the busy hikes (along with Soldier Pass). For quieter and no less impressive hikes, we recommend Doe Mountain, Pyramid Mountain and Little Sugarloaf.

Watching Sunset From Airport Mesa

We knew Airport Mesa was the most popular sunset spot in Sedona, so naturally we had it high on our list of things to do. But we also wanted to find other cool places to see sunsets, because it’s nice to break the mold. We had success at Merry Go Round near the top of our drive up Schnebly Hill Road in the jeep, Dry Creek Vista in a hidden area behind the place most people park to hike Devils Bridge, and Lovers Knoll on Red Rock Loop Road (which we cover later).

So what about Airport Mesa? Well, we tried but failed to beat it. The thing we liked about Airport Mesa is that it was split into two distinct viewing areas offering wide-open views in opposite directions. We arrived at the top long before sunset, parked in a big parking lot and walked a few steps to reach the main west-facing sunset view overlooking West Sedona, but we had plenty of time so we hiked down Sedona View Trail to the bottom which is known as Airport Mesa Vortex.

At the bottom we climbed onto a flat tabletop like rock, joined maybe ten other people, and soaked up staggering southeast-facing views of Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte as the light softened. Then we simply hiked back up to the top and waited at the main viewing area until the sun set over the distant horizon. We were lucky with brilliant swirling colors lighting up the sky above the lit-up town of Sedona. And the best part was that we were already right in town, next to our car, with no hiking in the dark required.

Strolling Around Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village

Shopping isn’t necessarily our thing (especially in an outdoorsy place like Sedona), but we do appreciate local products, architecture and culture. And it turned out Sedona was filled with independent art galleries showcasing fine arts, paintings, jewelry, antiques, pottery and sculptures. After looking at a few spots, we finally found our favorite by far – Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village.

Honestly, we arrived with no expectations, but the maze of alleys and courtyards with intricate stucco walls, cobbled streets and grand arches were a complete surprise. We took a slow stroll around stores selling jewelry, clothes, pottery, boutique items and gifts, we grabbed cardamom chai tea and biscuits at The Chai Spot, and we had a delicious brunch at Pump House Station the morning we left Sedona. Next time we’d love to dress up and eat at the upscale Rene.

We actually ended up going to Tlaquepaque three times across our trip. Once to browse shops with a coffee and once the morning we left, but our favorite time was seeing the whole place lit up at night. We explored both sides of the village (it’s split into two halves by the highway) in the dark to see classy Christmas decorations, trees and lights. It made the Colonial Spanish architecture look even more picturesque and it was about as romantic as it gets.

Driving The Scenic Red Rock Loop Road

Technically, we’d say Sedona had two major scenic drives. The first was highway 179, which ran between Uptown and the Village of Oak Creek, with the standout views being the skyline dominating Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock formations. It was cool, but it was also a faster road with a decent amount of traffic, so it wasn’t especially relaxing for a scenic drive.

Then we found Red Rock Loop Road to the west of Sedona. It was a giant O-shaped loop from highway 89A, which we first drove counter-clockwise in late afternoon. We passed by Red Rock State Park without paying to go in (we’d only do it if we took our kids), then we paid to enter Crescent Moon Picnic Site because we’d read that it had amazing Cathedral Rock views – the views were great but we absolutely would not pay to go in again. Next, we hiked Pyramid Mountain, and finally we stopped at Lovers Knoll to watch the sunset.

And it was during the sunset that we realized this whole side of town was basically one great big secret. We sat totally alone at Lovers Knoll (except for this Vortex guided tour group) watching a dramatic sunset over Cathedral Rock with a handy bottle of wine that we always carried for occasions just like this. And from Lovers Knoll heading north, we found another awesome pullover at a higher elevation so the views were even more striking. This pullover was close to our hotel, so we went back to watch a dramatic sunrise the next morning.

Mark’s bike tour tip: If we were feeling fed up with sitting in the car too much, we’d scrap the scenic drives and join this popular e-bike tour of southeast Sedona’s major attractions instead.

Photographing Chapel Of The Holy Cross

After non-stop landscape photography with nothing but rock formations, we needed a change. So we switched gears and headed to Sedona’s most recognizable building – Chapel of the Holy Cross. We’d seen photos of the unique cross-shaped structure built into red rocks, so we had a pretty good idea of what to expect. But you know what? It turned out to be even better in person.

We arrived around one hour before dusk so we had time to see the church interior before watching a sunset over Sedona. After parking in the lower lot and snapping tons of photos (this was the best angle), we walked up the curving road, went inside the small but beautiful chapel for a few minutes, and then waited at the upper viewing area for sunset. It turned out to be a dud, with thick and heavy grey clouds on the horizon blocking any colors from lining the sky.

We learned that the church was completed in 1956 at a cost of $300,000, and inside we were treated to a 90 ft tall iron cross flanked by huge translucent glass windows. So the disappointing sunset didn’t overshadow our visit at all. Fo us, Chapel of the Holy Cross was distinctly Sedona, one of its icons. If it was our first time again, we’d consider joining this half day tour with near-perfect ratings which stops at many of Sedona’s top attractions, including the church – it looks like the perfect intro.

Kristen’s planning tip: We were able to stay at Chapel of the Holy Cross for sunset because it was December and the sun set at little after 5:00 PM which is when the church closes. If you visit any other time of year you won’t be able to watch sunset there.

Seeing Ancient Dwellings At Palatki & Honanki Heritage Sites

It would have be so easy for us to plan our entire trip around hiking. But with 8 full days we knew it would be important to diversify our itinerary as much as possible, so as soon as we discovered there were several ancient ruins near Sedona, they were on our list. The ruins we ended up visiting were two heritage sites called Palatki and Honanki, along with two national monuments called Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot.

We started with Montezuma Castle, the most famous and most visited ruin in the region. It was small, easy to walk around, and based around one outstanding feature – a uniquely preserved cliff dwelling built into a tall limestone wall. And we also visited its sister site called Montezuma Well, which had dwellings built into what looked like a massive well. Later in the week we also visited Tuzigoot, which was more of a walk through the ruins of a pueblo style village. They were both interesting, but didn’t blow us away.

The ruins that we found a bit more intimate, adventurous, and authentic Sedona were the heritage sites. We started with Palatki Heritage Site, which was accessible with two-wheel drive but we drove our jeep rental there anyway. It had a compulsory time slot that we booked in advance so we could have a guided tour of the archaeological site, and it turned out to be fantastic. The guide showed us ancient cliff dwellings and rock art, the canyon surroundings were stunning, and it was easy to imagine the people who lived there long ago.

Straight after Palatki, we hopped back in the jeep and hit the four-wheel drive roads all the way up to Honanki Heritage Site. This one didn’t need a reservation but it couldn’t be accessed by car, which meant it was even more intimate, secluded and secretive. It was a smaller site, but we still got to see more cliff dwellings and pictographs. Out of the two, we thought Palatki was better and it’s more accessible. But Honanki was worth it with the big jeep rubicon.

Tasting Wines In Page Springs

We’ve been known to enjoy a glass or ten of wine when we travel, but we had no idea that Sedona was home to the famous Verde Valley Wine Trail before we started planning our trip. Fantastic news! It turned out there were 25 wineries to uncover, and there was even this map to follow. We were under no illusions that 25 would be a trip of its own, but we had to at least find a few, right?

We stopped in Cottonwood old town after the Verde Canyon Railroad (which we cover next) to taste wine at Arizona Stronghold, and we had a few glasses at Winery 1912 – the only one of the 25 actually located in Sedona. But our favorite place with wineries on the list was the tiny, peaceful, and rural neighborhood called Page Springs.

We drove through Page Springs on the way back to Sedona from Montezuma Castle, and honestly it was like a little desert oasis. It was late afternoon and we were hungry, so we pulled into eat at Up the Creek and it was probably our favorite meal from the trip. Our window table was basically overhanging above Oak Creek, the food was delicious, and the vibe was just right. Then we drove a few minutes to DA Ranch winery and sampled five wines each. It was a lovely spot.

Kristen’s tour suggestion: Want to try wineries without driving? This popular guided tour with pick up and drop off in Sedona includes lunch and stops at four the the top wineries.

Riding The Verde Canyon Railroad

One of our favorite non-hiking experiences from Sedona was riding the Verde Canyon Railroad between Clarkdale and Perkinsville. In essence, it was a 4-hour round trip journey through Arizona wilderness on a slow vintage train. But there was more to it than that. We rolled by towering rock formations, crossed old wooden bridges on great big bends, passed through dark tunnels, and even saw bald eagles.

It wasn’t cheap, we paid something like $129 each (and that was winter pricing). But the price included train tickets, a surprisingly tasty charcuterie tray with meats, cheeses and fruits, plus a sparkling wine. Four hours was a long time, and we were ready to be done by the end, but it was worth doing for something a bit different. The change of pace was welcome after so much hiking.

Our favorite part was standing in the open-air carriages with a beer, listening to staff members telling fun stories from the past and pointing out interesting rock formations along the route. Overall, we wouldn’t say the Verde Canyon Railroad is an essential must-do activity for every first-timer going to Sedona, but we do think it’s a great addition for anyone who doesn’t want to spend all day every day hiking.

Mark’s adventure-seekers alternative: Instead of the slow and easy going train ride, we’d love to join this top rated kayak tour on the Verde River starting in Cottonwood. It looks like the perfect way to add a bit more adventure into the trip.

Driving Broken Arrow Jeep Trail

Sedona’s red rocks aren’t just perfect for hiking, they’re also ready made for off road trails with a four-wheel drive. We rented a jeep rubicon for three days from Barlow rentals in West Sedona for an astronomical sum of money that turned out to be our best investment of the trip. Not only could we drive Sedona’s jeep trails, but the jeep gave us the high-clearance we needed to access areas most people can’t reach.

Let’s start with the off-road trails. We warmed ourselves up with easy drives on the likes of Ranch Loop and Outlaw to get a feel for the jeep, see what it (and we) were capable of. Then we progressed to the long, slow and steep Schnebly Hill Road – which was headache-inducingly bouncy but led to spectacular views from the tall eastern red rocks. Next, we advanced to the steep V-shaped Diamondback Gulch and that was so much fun.

With eight trails under our belts, we felt ready to take on the cream of the crop – Broken Arrow Trail. This one was less of a drive and more of a technical rocky course with features named “the traffic circle”, “the slide”, and “the stairs”. We loved it so much we drove the full loop three times, and almost as a side note to the actual trail, the route led to some awesome viewpoints. If we could only pick on to do again next time, it would be Broken Arrow. It was the perfect way to complete the nine trails.

What about the special access? Well, the jeep allowed us to reach Honanki ruins, Hideout Cave, and a totally secret sunrise spot called Mystic Vista near Fay Canyon. But where it really shone was giving us access to the high-clearance only road at Dry Creek where other hikers are heading for Devils Bridge, we were able to drive all the way to Devils Bridge’s proper trailhead which was so handy in the pre-dawn darkness. Then we also used it to drive adjacent to Soldier Pass Trail, instead of having to deal with regular parking (Soldier Pass parking was one of the worst we saw in Sedona).

Mark’s off-road alternatives: If we didn’t rent a jeep next time, we’d consider joining this top rated ATV tour going off the beaten path in western Sedona, this Diamondback Gulch jeep tour (our second favorite trail), or this Broken Arrow jeep tour.

What We Skipped

Hot air balloon ride: We saw hot air balloons rising every dawn as we hiked or drove off-road trails. It looked like a ton of fun and we’re not sure there are many better places to do it, but it costs $375 per person which is bordering on special event territory. If we did it next time, we’d look at Red Rock Balloons and Northern Light Balloon Expeditions.

Golf: Sedona has four golf courses with resorts, pools, spas and restaurants. Throw in the year-round climate and you’ve got a great spot for a golf trip. Mark would love to give it a shot one day, but for us Sedona is more about hiking than golfing.

State parks: Sedona’s most popular state park is called Slide Rock. It’s a swimming hole with an 80-foot long natural sandstone slide which would be ideal for families or groups on hot days, but not so great for a December trip. Red Rock is a nature preserve and education center that would be great with kids, but we think there’s better ways for outdoorsy couples to spend time.

Vortexes: Sedona’s vortex sites are said to radiate energy and spirituality. Across our 8 days we visited each of the popular and lesser known vortex spots, and although we didn’t feel anything, we know the wellness and spirituality side is a big draw for lots of visitors. For us, just getting away from the crowds and having viewpoints to ourselves was enough.

Peace Park: We spent maybe an hour walking around Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park and we had absolutely nothing against it, but we thought there were better ways to spend our time. We’d only suggest adding it if you’re actively looking for a spiritual place to meditate or contemplate.

Jerome: Not far from Cottonwood (Verde Canyon Railroad, Tuzigoot) is the old ghost town of Jerome. They run ghost tours, there’s a few wineries and a mining museum. To be fair, we only didn’t go because we didn’t have time, but we’d go next time.

Next Steps

We hope our guide on the top things to do in Sedona helps with planning your trip.

If you’d like more personalized help, we offer expert travel planning video calls where we answer any questions you have, help you avoid tourist traps and plan out your entire Sedona itinerary step by step. See our packages and reviews.

Still researching for your trip?

• What to know about a first trip to Sedona
• Here’s exactly where to stay in Sedona
• These are the unmissable hikes in Sedona
• Here’s our 1-5 days in Sedona itinerary
• This our ultimate 7-day Sedona itinerary
• Here are the top places to visit in Arizona
• Sedona is one of our USA bucket list destinations

Finally, if you’ll be visiting more places on the same trip, we recommend reading our first-timers Arizona travel guide for more helpful tips and advice.

Happy travels,

Mark and Kristen

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