3 days in Phoenix

Day by day

1. Day 1: Desert Botanical Garden and Papago Park and Hole-in-the-Rock

   Desert Botanical Garden, Papago Park and Hole-in-the-Rock and Phoenix Zoo, then South Mountain Park and Preserve in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Desert Botanical Garden

      Set among Papago Park's red buttes, the garden displays tens of thousands of desert plants, from towering saguaros and boojum trees to agaves and wildflowers, along trails that explain how people of the Sonoran Desert used them.

   2. Late morning

      Papago Park and Hole-in-the-Rock

      Combine an early-evening climb to Hole-in-the-Rock with dinner nearby after a day at the zoo or Desert Botanical Garden.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Sonoran hot dog

      Hot dog stands and food trucks across south and west Phoenix, especially in the evening.

   4. Afternoon

      Phoenix Zoo

      A large, non-profit zoo in Papago Park with an Arizona Trail of native wildlife, an African savanna, orangutans and a children's area.

   5. Evening

      South Mountain Park and Preserve

      Drive up to Dobbins Lookout around sunset, then stay to see the city lights spread out below.

2. Day 2: Camelback Mountain and Heard Museum

   Camelback Mountain, Heard Museum and Piestewa Peak, then Old Town Scottsdale in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Camelback Mountain

      Start at first light, carry more water than you think you need and turn back when half of it is gone; the city may close the trails on extreme heat days.

   2. Late morning

      Heard Museum

      Founded in 1929, the Heard is one of the leading museums of American Indian art, with galleries on the Native peoples of the Southwest, a large Hopi katsina doll collection and a moving exhibit on the boarding school era, set around courtyards with sculpture.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Chimichanga

      Sonoran-style Mexican restaurants across the Valley.

   4. Afternoon

      Piestewa Peak

      Go at sunrise on a weekday; parking at the main trailhead fills early on weekends.

   5. Evening

      Old Town Scottsdale

      Walk the gallery district on a Thursday evening, then have dinner nearby.

3. Day 3: Musical Instrument Museum and Sunrise hot-air balloon flight

   Musical Instrument Museum, Sunrise hot-air balloon flight and Phoenix Art Museum, then Roosevelt Row arts district in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Musical Instrument Museum

      The MIM displays thousands of instruments from around the world, arranged by country, with wireless headphones that play performance videos automatically as you approach each display.

   2. Late morning

      Sunrise hot-air balloon flight

      Book for early in your trip so there is time to rebook if wind cancels the flight.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cheese crisp

      Old-school Mexican restaurants across Phoenix and Tucson.

   4. Afternoon

      Phoenix Art Museum

      The region's largest art museum covers American, Western, Asian, European and Latin American art and fashion design.

   5. Evening

      Roosevelt Row arts district

      Visit on the first Friday of the month for the art walk, or on a cooler morning for mural photos.

Before you go

• Desert Botanical Garden: Timed tickets are needed for busy periods and the December luminaria evenings sell out early.
• Sunrise hot-air balloon flight: Flights operate only in calm weather and fill up in winter and spring; reserve ahead and expect a very early start.

If it rains

• Swap in Arizona Science Center (Downtown Phoenix): Use it as a midday escape from the heat with children, then picnic in the shade of Heritage Square.
• Swap in OdySea Aquarium (Scottsdale): Combine it with Butterfly Wonderland next door for a full indoor day in hot weather.
• Swap in Arizona Capitol Museum (Downtown Phoenix): Pair it with a walk through Wesley Bolin Plaza's memorials across the street.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Downtown Phoenix keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Arcadia ($$$) suits couples, food lovers and quiet stays. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 25–35 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.9 hours in December to 14.4 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Phoenix
• 2 days in Phoenix
• 5 days in Phoenix

Questions travellers ask