Sedona Day Trip from Phoenix
Red sandstone buttes, creekside trails and the drive up Oak Creek Canyon
A one-day drive from Phoenix to Sedona — 244 mi round trip, about 4h 22m behind the wheel, with stops, timings and where to eat already worked out.
Red sandstone buttes, creekside trails and the drive up Oak Creek Canyon. It's a day out of Phoenix: 234 mi of driving in total, about 3h 58m behind the wheel, and the rest of the day on your feet.
The plan below is paced so the driving doesn't eat the day: leave after breakfast, be back for the evening. Every stop can be swapped for one of three alternatives if it isn't your kind of thing.
Your days
Red-rock day: you watch Bell Rock and a cliffside chapel by daylight, then close on Sedona's skyline at sunset before heading home.
Just north on AZ-179, Bell Rock rises abruptly from the highway — the first big red-rock moment of the day.
A few minutes further along AZ-179, a short spur road climbs to the chapel tucked into the cliffs.
Drive a few minutes into central Sedona to this shaded arts village near the creek.
After the arts village, settle in nearby for the day's one sit-down meal.
A short drive up Airport Road leads to this mesa-top overlook for the golden hour.
- Book Elote Cafe expectations low on wait times — it's walk-in only and popular.
- AZ-179 through the Village of Oak Creek requires a Red Rock Pass for trailhead parking, not needed for roadside viewpoints.
- Fill up on gas in Phoenix — Sedona stations are pricier.
- Airport Mesa lot is tiny; have a backup like Sunset Point if it's full.
- Slide Rock State Park+9 mi
A scenic creek-carved canyon with swimming holes and orchards, a classic Oak Creek Canyon stop.
- Cathedral Rock Vista+5 mi
One of the most photographed formations in Sedona, viewable from an easy roadside pullout.
- Montezuma Castle National Monument+6 mi
Well-preserved 12th-century cliff dwelling, an easy detour just off I-17 on the way back.
This route was drafted with AI. Please double-check roads, opening hours and local conditions before you go.
Questions, answered
- How far is Sedona from Phoenix?
- About two hours by car, roughly 190 km up I-17 and then east. It is the single most popular day trip from the city, which means the trailhead car parks fill by mid-morning at weekends: arriving before eight makes the difference between parking and circling.
- Can you visit the Grand Canyon in a day from Phoenix?
- The South Rim is about three and a half hours each way, so it is a long day: eleven or twelve hours door to door with only two or three hours at the rim. It works if the drive is part of the plan; it is far better as an overnight in Flagstaff or Tusayan.
- When is the best time for day trips from Phoenix?
- October to April. Winter is the region's high season for a reason: clear, dry days in the low twenties. From June to September, restrict yourself to the high country: Flagstaff, the Mogollon Rim, or to water, and start at dawn.
- Which of these works in summer?
- The high-elevation ones: Flagstaff at 2,100 m and the Mogollon Rim are usually fifteen to twenty degrees cooler than the valley. Canyon Lake works too if you're on the water rather than beside it. Saguaro country and the low desert are for the cooler months.
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