Exactly How To Spend 1-5 Days In Sedona (Guide For First Timers)

We spent 8 full days exploring Sedona in December 2021, and we didn’t waste a second. We hiked every major trail, tested the lesser-known ones, explored caves, found hidden viewpoints and drove every jeep trail. We experienced Sedona in every possible way – sunrise, sunset, midday crowds, empty trailheads, vortex sites, ruins, wineries and everything in between. And after doing it all, we figured out exactly how to plan the perfect trip, no matter how long you have.

This guide isn’t just a list of ideas. It’s a realistic breakdown of what you can genuinely accomplish in 1, 3 or 5 days. We know which trails are worth squeezing into a short visit and when to hike them to avoid parking issues, we know which viewpoints deliver the biggest impact with the lowest amount of effort, and we know how to structure days so you’re not wasting time zig-zagging across town.

In this guide we’ll help you decide how long you actually need, and then we’ll give you flexible, efficient itineraries for hikers and non-hikers at every trip length. Whether you want a fast-paced adventure or a slower sightseeing trip, you’ll find clear options mapped out for each day – and plenty of alternatives to scale things up or down.

At the end, we’ll share our essential planning tips, time-saving advice, common mistakes to avoid and when a longer trip (like our full 7-day Sedona itinerary) makes more sense. If you’re still trying to figure out the right amount of time in Sedona, this guide will make that decision easy. Let’s dive in.

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How Long Do You Actually Need In Sedona?

Choosing how long to spend in Sedona depends on your goals, how much you want to hike and how intense you want the trip to be. We lean towards lots of hiking and high-intensity – and after spending eight packed days in Sedona, we learned exactly what would be realistic in different timeframes and what would start to feel rushed, even for FOMO travelers like us!

Below we break down what you can experience in 1, 3 and 5 days, so you can match the right trip length to your travel style.

1 Day

We think you might be surprised by how much you can get through with just 24 hours. Many of Sedona’s popular hikes are close to one another, so with an early start and an efficient route we would be aiming to tick off 3-5 major trails (depending on how intense we wanted the day to be). Without hiking, you can easily hit a few of the biggest highlights – sunrise, scenic drives, viewpoints, wineries, shopping and sunset.

3 Days

Honestly, we think 3 full days is the absolute minimum timeframe enthusiastic hikers should be considering. Personally we’d map out the most efficient route to squeeze in as many popular and hidden gem trails as possible, but it’s also a great amount of time if you want to hike just the major trails at a slower pace for a more balanced trip. With no hikes, we think three days is more than enough time to see the best of the region – there’s not a huge amount of traditional attractions to tick off.

5 Days

If you’re a keen hiker and want to put a real dent in the incredible network of trails surrounding Sedona, we encourage you to spend 5 days in town. We could easily fill a full week with hikes alone – and there’s a lot more to do alongside hiking (photo spots, jeep trails, ruins, wineries etc). Five days gives you flexibility to add in those other things. Truthfully, we think 5 days is too long for a sightseeing-only trip, unless you plan to use Sedona as a base to take day trips, rent a jeep for a few days or take a specialist trip like a spa retreat.

What We’d Do Now

If we were to plan a shorter trip to Sedona right now, we’d create an action-packed 5-day itinerary filled with hikes, jeep trails and photo spots. They were our favorite things from our 8-day trip in December 2021, so we would prioritize them again next time. We enjoyed the other sightseeing attractions too, but for us Sedona is all about red rock adventure.

1-Day Sedona Itinerary

If you’ve only got one day, you need maximum impact with minimal wasted time. Based on what delivers the biggest payoff, here’s exactly how we’d spend a single day in Sedona as hikers or non-hikers.

Hikers

• MORNING: Doe Mountain for sunrise, Boynton Canyon to Subway Cave, Fay Canyon
• AFTERNOON: Birthing Cave, Cathedral Rock for sunset (Devils Bridge backup)

With just one day we’d pack lunch, snacks and water in the car, then rush around northwest Sedona squeezing in as many of our favorite hikes as we could manage from sunrise to sunset. This intensive hiking itinerary is efficient because Doe Mountain, Fay Canyon, Boynton Canyon and Birthing Cave are very close to one another. (Note – do not hike the full Boynton Canyon Trail, go to the Subway Cave and back only to save time.)

Five hikes might sound like too much, but it’s totally doable for most hikers with an early start and no wasted time in between. Doe Mountain for sunrise 5-7 AM, Subway Cave 7-10 AM, Fay Canyon 10 AM -12 PM, Birthing Cave 1-3 PM, Cathedral Rock or Devils Bridge for sunset 4-6 PM. This is exactly how we’d do a day in Sedona.

Cathedral Rock would be our first choice sunset hike but it would mean driving from northwest to southeast Sedona, and parking at the trailhead is notoriously difficult in the late afternoon (we got stuck in a massive line of cars, gave up and went back to hike it for sunrise the next morning during our trip).

The photo spot at the end of Devils Bridge was cool (though, if we’re being honest we thought it was overhyped on social media and we expected a bit more), so this would be our backup sunset hike because it’s in the same area as the other 4 hikes and there’s tons more parking options at Mescal Trailhead or Dry Creek Trailhead.

Non-Hikers

• MORNING: Red Rock Loop Road, shops and galleries at Tlaquepaque Village, lunch in Uptown
• AFTERNOON: Chapel of the Holy Cross, Winery 1912, sunset at Airport Mesa

As long as you don’t have any specific interest (like focusing heavily on vortex sites, sampling wineries or taking a relaxing spa break), we actually think it’s pretty easy to see most of Sedona on a day trip without any hikes. We’d basically spend a day in the car driving through town, stopping to see red rock views, eating, drinking and taking photos.

You could add in a national monument if interested in ancient ruins, switch out Tlaquepaque and Uptown for wineries in Page Springs, or take one of the many guided tours in Sedona as alternative ideas.

Mark’s balanced one day tip: Combine the easy Fay Canyon and Birthing Cave hikes with scenic drives and attractions like Chapel of the Holy Cross for a more balanced day trip route.

3-Day Sedona Itinerary

With three days, you can slow down a bit – but you still need to be smart about the order of hikes and viewpoints. These 3-day plans are built from the same routes and timings we tested ourselves, refined into efficient options for both hiking-heavy and low-effort trips.

3 Days For Hikers

• DAY 1: Doe Mountain for sunrise, Boynton Canyon to Subway Cave, Fay Canyon, Birthing Cave
• DAY 2: Devils Bridge for sunrise, Soldier Pass Cave, Bell Rock + Courthouse Butte, Cathedral Rock for sunset
• DAY 3: Chimney Rock + Little Sugarloaf for sunrise, Pyramid + Scorpion, Page Springs wineries, Airport Mesa for sunset

This is how we would plan a 3-day trip to Sedona. The route combines stunning sunrises and sunsets with hiking our favorite popular and hidden gem trails at exactly the right times. And it even squeezes in a few wineries in Page Springs (we like DA Ranch followed by dinner at Up the Creek Bistro).

Four hikes on both days 1 and 2 might sound like too much, but trust us it’s doable for most visitors because the trails are short. We were surprised at how quickly we worked through them. With early starts to each day, there’s actually ample time built in for lunch breaks and free evenings. In fact, we think quick hikers would manage even more trails if desired. For instance, we’d consider adding on the challenging Keyhole Cave hike to the end day 1 if we had time and energy.

On a first visit we know you’ll want to hike the most popular trails, but wait until day 3 when you hike the hidden gems we found. We didn’t see a single other hiker on Chimney Rock Little Sugarloaf at sunrise or Pyramid Scorpion Loop, which was wild considering how packed the other trails were.

3 Days For Non-Hikers

• DAY 1: Tlaquepaque Village, Uptown, Chapel of the Holy Cross, Village of Oak Creek lunch, Montezuma Castle National Monument, Airport Mesa for sunset
• DAY 2: Tuzigoot National Monument, Jerome, Verde Canyon Railroad
• DAY 3: Slide Rock State Park, Sedona Heritage Museum, Amitabha Stupa & Peace Park, Lover’s Knoll for sunset

This would be a fun, balanced itinerary with plenty to see and do but without feeling rushed. Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot have a combined entry ticket for $10 (America the Beautiful Pass also valid). Verde Canyon Railroad is expensive at $130/adult but it lasts 4 hours and goes deep into rural Arizona – we thought it was worth the money. Slide Rock costs $30 May – September or $20 October – April. Sedona Heritage Museum costs $10/adult.

Our major alternative here is to combine your preferred attractions into 2 days, then hire a jeep on the third day to drive Sedona’s awesome off-road trails. We rented a jeep for 3 days during our trip to Sedona in 2021 – it cost us $750 which we know is an eye-watering number, but it more than paid for itself in experiences.

Kristen’s three day combo tip: It would be easy to sprinkle some of the least difficult hikes into this sightseeing itinerary if you don’t want to take on any adventure trails but still want a taste of what it’s like to hike in Sedona. You could add Fay Canyon into day 1, Pyramid + Scorpion into day 2 and Birthing Cave into day 3. There’s so much flexibility!

5-Day Sedona Itinerary

Five days gives you room to explore further out trails, hit the classic viewpoints at the perfect times, and mix in ruins, caves, a jeep rental or wineries without feeling squeezed for time. These are the itineraries we recommend now that we know how the days will naturally flow.

5 Days For Hikers

• DAY 1: Cathedral Rock for sunrise, Bell Rock, Chapel of the Holy Cross, Uptown, Tlaquepaque Village, Amitabha Peace Park, Airport Mesa for sunset
• DAY 2: Doe Mountain for sunrise, Boynton Canyon to Subway Cave, Fay Canyon, Birthing Cave
• DAY 3: Chimney Rock + Little Sugarloaf for sunrise, rent a jeep for 24 hours*, Palatki Heritage Site, Diamondback Gulch, Honanki Heritage Site, Outlaw, Broken Arrow Trail
• DAY 4: Devils Bridge for sunrise, Soldier Pass Cave, return jeep*, Montezuma Castle, Page Springs wineries, Pyramid + Scorpion sunset
• DAY 5: Tuzigoot, Jerome, Verde Canyon Railroad

We love the added flexibility with five days, and even for a hiking itinerary there’s a lot more going on than just hitting trails. We’d do 4 amazing sunrise hikes, hire a jeep for 24 to drive adventurous off-road trails (and get exclusive access to Devils Bridge Trailhead and Soldier Pass Trail without dealing with the common trailhead parking issues), visit more attractions like Sedona’s ancient ruins, and include wineries on the Verde Valley Wine Trail.

We would keep the itinerary intense and filled with our favorite hikes, rather than slowing things down because we had extra time. The major differentiator here is hiring a jeep – we know it’s expensive, but it adds in so many more accessible areas and Sedona’s off-road trails are incredibly enjoyable.

If we didn’t hire a jeep, we’d add more hikes like Keyhole Cave and Munds Wagon into day 3. Other alternatives include taking a guided jeep tour of the Outlaw Trail to see one of the off-road trails without paying for a jeep, or taking a guided tour of the vortex sites.

Either way, we think 5 days combining hikes with sightseeing attractions is the best way for you to plan a first visit to Sedona. Even without the expensive jeep rental, there’s so much you can do to fill your time, so don’t think five days is too long – it really isn’t!

5 Days For Non-Hikers

• DAY 1: Chapel of the Holy Cross, Village of Oak Creek, Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site, Montezuma Castle and Well, Page Springs wineries
• DAY 2: Tuzigoot, Jerome, Verde Canyon Railroad
• DAY 3: Amitabha Stupa & Peace Park, Sedona Heritage Museum, Slide Rock State Park, Tlaquepaque Village, Airport Mesa for sunset
• DAY 4: Rent a jeep for the day: Outlaw, Diamondback Gulch, Broken Arrow, Schnebly Hill Road
• DAY 5: Take a day trip tour to the Grand Canyon

This 5 day itinerary involves no hiking at all, hits major attractions at the right times of day, keeps the cost of a jeep rental down by only getting it for one day and includes a day trip to the Grand Canyon (here’s our guide to visiting Grand Canyon South Rim if you drive yourself instead of taking a tour).

We think 4 days with a day trip on day 5 is the optimal way to see and do the best of Sedona on a sightseeing-first trip with no hikes. Here are a few other things we’d consider adding in if we didn’t hire a jeep on day 4:

• Fly high above Sedona in a hot air balloon at sunrise
• Hire bikes at Thunder Mountain and hit Sedona’s top mountain biking trails
• Book a round of golf with a view at Sedona Golf Resort
• Take this guided tour day trip to Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend

Mark’s non-hikers tip: If we didn’t plan to hike or rent a jeep (and we were trying to be efficient with time), we’d only spend 3 days in Sedona and 1 day at Grand Canyon South Rim for a total of 4 days. The main thing to do in both places is hike.

Planning A Short Trip To Sedona

From our 8 days in Sedona, we learned about budgeting, where to stay and key tips you need to know before your trip. These are the things we would have loved to know before we visited:

1-5 Day Budget Breakdown

We found Sedona to be an expensive place to visit compared to many other places we’ve been. Not the most expensive, but certainly well above average. Our best advice is to book your hotel early, as soon as you know your dates. Eating out at sit-down restaurants was more commonly in the $30 range than $10-20, but attractions were reasonably priced.

Here’s how much a couple might spend by following our itinerary:

Expense	1 Day	3 Days	5 Days
Hotel	$200	$400	$600
Eating Out	$100	$200	$300
Wine Tasting	$15	$30	$30
Jeep Rental	N/A	$400	$400
Rental Car	$45	$115	$200
Gas	$10	$30	$50
Verde Canyon Railroad	N/A	$260	$260
Red Rock 7-Day Pass	$15	$15	$15
National Monuments	N/A	$10	$10
Heritage Museum	N/A	$10	$10
Total Cost	$385	$1,470	$1,875

These numbers are rough estimates we’ve created based on the average visitor booking a mid-range hotel and spending $50 per person on food each day. Remember, the total cost of 3 days and 5 days is so high because of the jeep rental and Verde Canyon Railroad. Taking those two things out of the itineraries – 3 days total cost is $810 and 5 days total cost is $1,215.

Where To Stay

On our eight-day trip we based ourselves in West Sedona. It worked really well for a week long stay, but we think it would be perfect for a shorter trip length too. The location made it easy to reach the trailheads on the west and north sides (which is exactly where our 1 day hiking itinerary takes you) without dealing with driving through Uptown.

The area was low-key, practical and packed with casual restaurants – nothing within walking distance, but everything was a quick drive. We think this area works best for serious hikers who want to spend all day on the trails before eating a chilled out meal at night without dressing up.

Uptown was the opposite – busier, more walkable, and far more convenient if having restaurants right on your doorstep is a priority. It’s also the most central base for general sightseeing and visiting attractions, plus it’s got instant access to 89A heading north for day trips to the Grand Canyon or beyond.

We think this area works better for non-hikers because it’s got the shops, galleries, winery and restaurants within walking distance. It’s a bit more upscale and hotel prices reflect that, but it’s probably the best overall area to stay for most visitors, especially families.

If you’re aiming to keep costs down, the Village of Oak Creek offers good value and a slower pace, and Cottonwood is typically the cheapest option of all (which works well if wineries are your top priority). Both require a bit more driving, but for a short trip with light sightseeing, they can work perfectly well.

For a 1-5 day trip, we’d personally choose Uptown for convenience or West Sedona for faster access to hikes. If you want a deeper breakdown of every area and the top-rated places to stay, you can see our full Sedona accommodation guide – but here are the hotels we think make most sense for a shorter trip:

• Budget – Best Western Plus Arroyo Roble
• Mid range – Matterhorn Inn
• Luxury – Adobe Grand Villas
• Unique – Inn at Thunder Mountain
• Spa resort – L’Auberge de Sedona

What You Need To Know

Parking for hikes: Trailhead parking is notoriously challenging in Sedona, and on such a short trip you can’t afford to lose time. Follow our itineraries and arrive at the most popular hikes before sunrise. During busy periods, consider using the Sedona Shuttle as an alternative.

Grouping trails: If you don’t follow our hiking itineraries or would prefer to create your own route, just remember to group hikes together by location so you don’t lose your limited time driving or sitting in traffic jams. Our best advice – have backup plans in case you can’t get parked at a certain trailhead.

Physical demands: Our 1-5 day hiking itineraries are physically demanding. Training before arriving will help, but make sure to cut a hike or two each day if you don’t feel comfortable with the high intensity.

Packing: It’s crucial to pack effectively whether you have 1 or 5 days in Sedona. We had freezing cold mornings and evenings but comfortable sunny daytime temperatures in December. Moisture wicking shirts, lots of mid-layers and warm outer layers were key for our hikes. If you visit in spring or summer you won’t need the heavy layers, but you’ll still need plenty of hiking gear. Remember sun protection and water every day.

Permits and rules: No hike in Sedona requires a permit like Angels Landing or Half Dome, but almost every single trailhead parking lot requires either a Red Rock Pass or Interagency Pass. Buy one of the two passes in advance so you don’t lose time on the ground. It’s imperative to practice leave-no-trace when hiking in Sedona. Pack out whatever you pack in.

Dining and groceries: Want a great way to speed up your itinerary and save money at the same time? Go to Safeway and stock up on lunch foods, pack a lunch every day and eat on the go. You’ll save a small fortune and tons of time sitting around waiting for meals. We did a massive Safeway shop the day we arrived into town for our 8 day trip in 2021.

Cell service: Most of the major trails had decent cell service coverage during our trip, but there were definitely a few times on more remote hikes or deeper canyons when it dropped out. Consider installing a hiking app like AllTrails or our personal favorite GaiaGPS so you can download offline maps and track your position without service (here’s our guide on the must-have hiking apps to learn more).

Sunrise and sunset: Daylight hours vary between seasons, so make sure you know sunrise and sunset times for the dates you plan to visit. Factor in when you need to wake up and whether you should eat dinner before or after sunset. We know getting up for sunrise hikes isn’t for everyone, but they’re worth the effort.

Crowds: Sedona is an immensely popular year round tourist destination, so plan for heavy crowds at trails, attractions and hotels. We recommend booking hotels in advance, reserving tables at restaurants and getting out early in the morning to beat the rush.

Best Time For A 1-5 Day Trip

We visited Sedona in December when the mornings and evenings were ice-cold. Our sunrise and sunset hikes and photoshoots were brutal, but it soon warmed and in return we had an easier go of trailhead parking (which is the biggest deal in Sedona).

If you have a healthy budget and you don’t mind crowds, we’d suggest visiting in April, May, September or October to benefit from comfortable conditions for hiking, sightseeing and photography. The mornings and evenings will be far more comfortable, but you will have the worst of the trailhead issues to contend with.

The one season of the year we personally would avoid is summer. Temperatures can be dangerously hot, and monsoon-type rains and thunderstorms are more common. That said, hotels are cheaper and trails are less crowded because of those very reasons (and the jeep rental companies typically offer discounted rates), so there’s a trade-off to be had.

We would definitely avoid holidays year-round (it’s just not worth it), and we’d plan our 1-5 day trip to avoid weekends when crowds and hotel prices inflate. Ideally you’d do a Sunday – Friday 5 day trip to get the best deals and quietest trailheads, while maximizing your itinerary.

Common Mistakes To Avoid On Short Trips

We made plenty of mistakes on our first visit – and we saw other travelers making different errors on trails, at photo spots and in parking lots. Here are the big pit falls to avoid so your trip runs smoothly from day one.

Starting hikes too late: If you only have 1-3 days, a late start will destroy your whole itinerary. Trailheads like Cathedral Rock and Soldier Pass are already chaotic by 8:00 AM (and by chaotic, we mean there’s nowhere to park). Sunrise hikes at the most popular trails are key for efficiency.

Underestimating driving and parking times: A 10 minute drive on Google Maps isn’t a 10 minute drive in Sedona. Traffic bottlenecks near Uptown can be brutal time suckers and some parking lots can leave you doing loops waiting for a space to open up. On a short trip, you don’t have an hour here or there to burn in the car, plan effectively and have backup ideas.

Overloading a one-day itinerary: We personally would try to overload a one-day itinerary but we’re strong hikers in good shape (we travel and hike for a living after all!). If you’re not sure about taking on five hikes in a day, cut two and plan some sightseeing instead. You’ll have a better trip for it.

Ignoring heat and hydration: Shorter trips can make people lazy with water, layers and shade. Remember, this is a desert environment – harsh, exposed, hot. Even in winter after shivering in the mornings we had sunscreen on by midday. Carrying plenty of fluids is crucial.

Picking the wrong hikes: A lot of first-timers burn time on trails that aren’t good value for short trips. Boynton Canyon is a great example, we hiked the whole trail during our visit but honestly only the Subway Cave part is worth doing on a 1-5 day timeframe. Bear Mountain looks awesome, but it eats up half a day. Keyhole Cave is adventurous, but it’s hard and required pathfinding skills.

Skipping sunrise or sunset: With such little time, making the most of every daylight hour is essential. Watch sunrise from a trail summit (we did this almost every day) and stay out until sunset. Not only are they amazing photo ops, but you need the light to fit more in.

Not allowing enough time: Here’s the biggest mistake of all – thinking you can just stop in for half a day and see everything. Without hiking, sure you can squeeze in the most central areas into 8 hours. But with hiking? No chance. You need at least 3 days to even put a dent in those amazing red rock trails.

When To Consider A Full 7-Day Trip Instead

A shorter trip works for hitting the highlights, but there are times when even five days just isn’t enough. We would consider a full week on our next trip if we wanted to do any of the following:

• Hike 80%+ of the best trails without burning out
• Reach any of the lesser-known spots
• Visit with our young daughter and didn’t want to rush
• Downtime in between hikes or sightseeing
• Make the most of golden hour photography
• Mix hiking with jeep tours, wineries or wellness
• Use Sedona as a base for further exploration

If any of those sound like you, read our step-by-step one-week Sedona itinerary to see how you can fit even more into your trip.

Next Steps

We hope our itinerary ideas help you figure out how to spend your days in Sedona.

Don’t forget you can book a travel planning video call with us if you’d like our expert help organizing your trip to Sedona. We can answer any questions you have or walk through a personalized itinerary to make the most of your time.

Still researching for your trip?

• What to expect first time in Sedona
• Here’s what to do in Sedona
• Here are the best areas to stay in Sedona
• These are the top hikes in Sedona

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

Happy Travels,

Mark and Kristen

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