Welcome to Arizona, the Grand Canyon State! The State of Arizona is located in the US southwest, and it’s bordered by New Mexico, California, Utah and the country of Mexico.
Arizona was officially admitted to the Union on February 14th, 1912 as the 48th state and it’s currently the 6th largest state in the USA.
- Capital City: Phoenix
- Population: About 7.2 million
- Time Zone: Mountain Standard Time (MST) for the majority of the state, but the Navajo Nation uses Daylight Saving Time (DST)
We’re huge fans of what’s on offer for adventure tourism in Arizona, and some of our all-time favorite travel experiences are from places like the Grand Canyon, Sedona and Vermilion Cliffs.
Take a look through our guides and resources below to begin planning your trip to AZ!
Arizona Travel Highlights
Arizona is a popular year-round travel destination for both domestic and international visitors. It offers unique landscapes, vibrant cities, historic towns and the largest percentage of land designated to Indigenous people with a total of 22 tribes.
National Parks:
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Saguaro National Park
- Petrified Forest National Park
Want more National Park content? Visit our US National Parks page.
Popular places to visit:
- Montezuma Castle National Monument
- Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
- Coconino National Forest
- Horseshoe Bend
- Monument Valley
- Hoover Dam
- Sedona
- Tuscon
- Phoenix
Arizona Bucket List
You know the Grand Canyon is in Arizona, but do you know about all the other amazing places you can explore?
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park is located in northern Arizona between Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The canyon has been carved out over millions of years by the mighty Colorado River, and today it’s one of the most visited places in America.
We’ve been to the Grand Canyon in different seasons, and it’s a place we recommend you visit at least one in your lifetime. The first time you lay eyes on the Grand Canyon is one of those wow moments you’ll never forget.
Our Grand Canyon South Rim Travel Guides:
- Grand Canyon South Rim – Everything you need to know about visiting South Rim for the first time.
- Best hikes at Grand Canyon South Rim – Top South Rim hikes including easy, moderate, hard and very hard trails.
- Grand Canyon Viewpoints – Best viewpoints along Hermits Rest Road, Grand Canyon Village and Desert View Drive.
- Where to stay at Grand Canyon South Rim – Best hotels available on South Rim and nearby based on our experiences.
- Grand Canyon sunrises and sunsets – Exactly where to see the best sunrises and sunset at South Rim.
Need help planning your trip to Grand Canyon?
Our popular Grand Canyon travel guidebook helps you with planning every aspect of your visit to South Rim, including the best viewpoints and hikes, where to eat and stay, itinerary ideas and map!
View Guidebook
Top Grand Canyon Trails
There’s no shortage of stunning hiking trails at South Rim. And we like that most of the famous trails are out and back, so you only have to hike as far as you feel comfortable before turning around.
The two most popular hiking trails are Bright Angel and South Kaibab, both of which descend into the canyon. Beginner hikers should consider hiking the South Rim Trail, which is flat and very easy as it follows the edge of the rim.
- Day hiking Bright Angel Trail – The most heavily trafficked route into the canyon.
- How to hike South Kaibab Trail – Our favorite hike into the Grand Canyon.
- South Kaibab to Bright Angel Trail – The ultimate Grand Canyon day hike (very hard).
Grand Canyon Travel Planning
A visit to the Grand Canyon is often paired with a road trip to other popular travel destinations in Arizona and the surrounding states. Here are more of our guides to help you with planning:
- Airports near Grand Canyon – The 5 closest airports to South Rim.
- Grand Canyon in winter – 10 key things to know before you visit.
- Best time to visit Grand Canyon – Breakdown by month and season.
The Wave
Hiking the Wave is one of our most memorable experiences to date. Unfortunately you can’t just turn up and hike, you’ll need a permit and rangers will be on the trail checking permits.
Until March 2022, there was a lottery permit process which used to take place at a gymnasium in Kanab, Utah. This was how we won a permit to hike The Wave at the end of 2021.
We were one of the last groups to score a permit through this in-person process. We stood with many other groups waiting to see if our number was drawn. It was incredibly nerve racking and you could cut the tension with a knife!
However, the wave permit process is now held online, and we’ve written a detailed guide to help you understand the process. Read about the wave permit process here.
Next, read our popular guide on hiking the Wave in Arizona. We cover everything from the updated permit process, to packing, preparation and photography, along with our full walkthrough of the trail.
Sedona
Sedona is another extremely popular travel destination in Arizona. There’s something for everyone here including hiking trails, off roading adventures, spiritual mediation and the Verde Valley Wine Trail.
After spending a full 8 days in Sedona hiking, off-roading, sipping wine, exploring the Verde Valley and hunting caves, we’ve put together a series of very detailed travel guides to help you make the most of your time.
- Sedona Itinerary – The best way to spend 1-7 days in Sedona.
- Best things to do in Sedona – Our roundup of the top activities.
- Where to stay in Sedona – Best hotels for all budgets.
- Sedona sunrise and sunset photo spots – The places you can’t miss at dawn and dusk.
- Visiting Sedona in December – 10 key things you should know before visiting in winter.
- Best ruins in Sedona – A complete guide to the Indigenous ruins in Sedona.
Sedona Hikes
One of the most popular activities in Sedona, Arizona is hiking. Our advice is to begin your hike very early in the day because trails can be crowded and it can be extremely difficult to park.
- Best hiking trails in Sedona – Our favorite easy, moderate and hard hikes in Sedona.
- How to hike to Devil’s Bridge – Walkthrough for one of Sedona’s most popular trails with tips to avoid the crowds.
- Hiking Cathedral Rock Trail – Everything you need to know about another of Sedona’s most popular hikes.
- Visiting Airport Mesa for sunset – How to visit both sides of Airport Mesa and enjoy the sunset spectacle.
- West Fork Trail in Sedona – How to get to the trailhead, which pass you need and trail walkthrough.
- Pyramid and Scorpion Loop Trail – Hidden gem hike if you’re looking to escape Sedona’s busiest trails.
Love hiking? Don’t miss our popular guide showcasing the best hiking trails in the US.
Jeep Trails In Sedona
There’s several off roading trails in Sedona just waiting to be explored. Start by reading our best jeep trails guide first and then continue on to read about the individual trails.
- Best Jeep trails in Sedona – The 9 best jeep trails to drive off road in Sedona, Arizona.
- Driving Diamondback Gulch – How to drive the 6.7 mile trail with steep V shaped ravine.
- How To Drive Schnebly Hill Road – Driving the rocky road to a stunning viewpoint.
- Broken Arrow Jeep Trail – The most popular off-roading trail in Sedona.
Sedona Caves
One of our favorite things to do in Sedona is find the hidden caves. Here are our helpful guides to help you find the most popular caves in town:
- Hidden caves in Sedona – A complete guide to finding all seven hidden and mysterious caves in Sedona.
- Subway Cave – The most popular cave in Sedona, located on Boynton Canyon Trail.
- Roberts Roost and Hideout Cave – Hidden gem cave in the northwest of Sedona.
- Keyhole Cave – Largest secret cave in Sedona with a tough off-trail hike.
- Soldier Pass Cave – Very popular family friendly hike leading to various landmarks.
- Birthing Cave – Easy hike to a picturesque cave.
Sedona Attractions
If you can’t get enough of Sedona, there’s still so much to explore. Here are more of our popular guides to fill your Sedona itinerary:
- Best tours in Sedona – Wine tours, ATV excursions, train rides and helicopter tours.
- Sedona Wineries – Best wineries along the popular Verde Valley Wine Trail near Sedona, Arizona.
- Best vortexes in Sedona – The mysterious energy vortexes and how to find them.
- Montezuma Castle National Monument – Some of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in the American Southwest.
- Tuzigoot National Monument – A fascinating ancient multi-room pueblo found within the Verde Valley region.
- Verde Canyon Railroad – Our experience on the train ride through the Verde Canyon.
- Palatki Heritage Site – Collection of cliff dwellings and rock art located in Coconino National Forest.
- Honanki Heritage Site – Well preserved cliff dwellings within an isolated canyon near Sedona, Arizona.
Horseshoe Bend
Horseshoe Bend is an extraordinarily striking 270 degree U-shaped meander in the mighty Colorado River. This famous geological feature is located close to the northern Arizona border in Page and it makes for a great road trip stop.
We’ve visited Horseshoe Bend at sunset and at sunrise in different seasons. In our guide, we compare experiences and tell you the best time to visit Horseshoe Bend in Arizona.
Planning Your Arizona Road Trip
Planning a road trip through Arizona is relatively straightforward. The core of the best places to visit in Arizona are in the center of the state running north to south.
However, a handful of top spots are located further out to the east or west, which makes them more challenging to include on a typical AZ road trip route.
Ideally you would fly into Tucson in southern Arizona and fly out of Las Vegas in Nevada. If not, fly into Phoenix and drive straight down to Tucson to get started.
This would allow you to hire a car and drive straight up through the spine of Arizona, ticking off the best of Tucson, Phoenix, Sedona, Flagstaff, Page and Grand Canyon before finishing in Vegas.
Arizona Road Trip Example Itinerary
Let’s take a brief look at an example 19 day Arizona road trip itinerary featuring most of the fun things to do in the Grand Canyon State.
Tucson – Days 1 to 4
- Spend the first day eating and exploring the best things to do around Tucson
- Use the second day for visiting both sides of Saguaro National Park
- Day three is for exploring Sabino Canyon
- Last day in Tucson is reserved for either Organ Pipe Cactus or Tombstone
Phoenix – Days 5 to 6
- Explore the best of Phoenix on day five
- Spend day six hiking in the Superstition Mountains
Sedona – Days 7 to 9
- Sedona is a wonderful place to visit in Arizona so you’ll need a few days
- Hike the best trails and hire a Jeep for a day
- Spend day nine drinking wine in Cottonwood and the Verde Valley
Flagstaff – Days 10 to 11
- Explore Flagstaff and visit Walnut Canyon
- Visit Sunset Crater or hike Humphrey’s Peak
Petrified Forest and Canyon de Chelly – Day 12
- Early drive to explore Petrified Forest in the morning
- Spend the afternoon at Canyon de Chelly
- Stay somewhere near Monument Valley
Monument Valley and Page – Day 13
- Sunrise start at Monument Valley
- Drive to Page for a tour of Antelope Canyon
- Sunset at Horseshoe Bend
Vermilion Cliffs – Day 14
- Hike The Wave if you can win a permit
- Otherwise visit South Coyote Buttes or White Pocket
- Alternatively, hike a portion of Buckskin Gulch
Grand Canyon – Days 15 to 17
- Spend day fifteen at Grand Canyon North Rim
- Drive to South Rim and see the best viewpoints
- Spend day 17 hiking down into South Rim
Havasu Falls – Days 18 to 19
- Drive over to Havasu Falls trailhead and hike to the waterfall
- Spend the night at Havasu Falls
- Hike back on the morning of day 19
- Drive to Hoover Dam on the way back to Las Vegas
Best Time To Visit Arizona
Spring and Fall are the most comfortable seasons to visit Arizona, but both peak seasons in the state result in higher hotel prices and overcrowding issues at the popular tourist spots.
April, May, September and October are the busiest months to visit Arizona. You will find every thing to do in this list will be crowded or hard to book, plus hotel prices will be inflated.
Summer months are hot in Arizona which does reduce the crowds and costs a little, but Winter is a fantastic time to avoid both.
Top 20 Things To Do In Arizona
Here’s a summary of the top 20 things to do and best places to visit in Arizona:
- Take a guided tour of Canyon de Chelly
- Taste delicious wine in Cottonwood
- See the best of Flagstaff
- Hike and explore the incredible Grand Canyon
- Get a permit and hike to Havasu Falls
- See the Hoover Dam
- Drive the loop road through Monument Valley
- Explore Organ Pipe Cactus
- Photograph Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon in Page
- Explore the Painted Hills and Petrified Forest
- See the best of Phoenix
- Hike in Sabino Canyon
- Photograph and hike in Saguaro
- Spend a few days exploring Sedona
- Hike to the viewpoint overlooking Sunset Crater
- Hike around the Superstition Mountains
- Visit the wild west town of Tombstone
- Explore the best of Tucson
- Hike and photograph the amazing Vermilion Cliffs
- See old cliffside dwellings in Walnut Canyon
Want more hiking content? Head over to our Hiking Guides to find bucket list trails from around the world.
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