Things to do · Sedona · United States
13 best things to do in Sedona
13 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Sedona are Cathedral Rock, Chapel of the Holy Cross and Devil's Bridge. Of the 13 picks below, 6 are free, 2 work on a rainy day and 7 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Cathedral Rock
- Free sights
- 6
- Good on a rainy day
- Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cathedral Rock | Village of Oak Creek | 1.5–2 hours | Free |
| Chapel of the Holy Cross | SR 179 | 30–45 minutes | Free |
| Devil's Bridge | West Sedona | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Red-rock jeep tour | Uptown Sedona | 2–3 hours | Expensive |
| Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte | Village of Oak Creek | 1–2.5 hours | Free |
| Red Rock State Park | West Sedona | 2 hours | Low cost |
| Slide Rock State Park | Oak Creek Canyon | 2–4 hours | Mid-priced |
| Airport Mesa | West Sedona | 1 hour | Low cost |
| West Fork of Oak Creek Trail | Oak Creek Canyon | 2–4 hours | Low cost |
| Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village | Gallery District | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Soldier Pass Trail | West Sedona | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Palatki Heritage Site | Red Canyon | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Sedona Heritage Museum | Uptown Sedona | 1 hour | Low cost |
The 13 best things to do
Nature · Village of Oak Creek
1.Cathedral Rock
Sedona's most photographed butte has a short but very steep trail of about 1 km each way, climbing slickrock with a final scramble to a saddle between its spires. For an easier view, Red Rock Crossing at Crescent Moon Picnic Site shows it reflected in Oak Creek.
Use the free Sedona Shuttle to the trailhead rather than hunting for parking, and go early to avoid both heat and crowds.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Views
- Active
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Religious site · SR 179
2.Chapel of the Holy Cross
A Catholic chapel built in 1956 into a red-rock ridge, with a giant cross forming its façade and a window looking out across the valley. It is free to enter and gives some of the best views of the buttes without a hike.
Arrive early in the day; parking on the narrow access road is limited and fills quickly.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Architecture
- Views
- Free
Nature · West Sedona
3.Devil's Bridge
The largest natural sandstone arch in the Sedona area is reached by a trail of about 6.5 km round trip from the Dry Creek Vista trailhead, finishing with a steep stone staircase. Visitors can walk out onto the arch, which is about 1.5 metres wide.
Start before sunrise or ride the free shuttle; by mid-morning the queue to stand on the arch for photos can last over an hour.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Active
- Photo spot
- Views
- Outdoors
Experience · Uptown Sedona
4.Red-rock jeep tour
Open-air jeep tours, led by companies such as Pink Jeep Tours since 1960, bounce over rocky backcountry trails like Broken Arrow, climbing slickrock steps and stopping at viewpoints that would otherwise mean long hikes.
Choose a rough-road tour such as Broken Arrow only if everyone is comfortable with steep, bumpy descents.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Popular tours sell out at weekends and in spring and autumn; book a few days ahead.
- Kids
- Views
- Active
- Iconic
Nature · Village of Oak Creek
5.Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte
Bell Rock's rounded shape rises beside SR 179, with the Bell Rock Pathway an easy, wide trail suitable for families. Fitter hikers can scramble partway up its ledges or walk the loop of about 6.5 km around neighbouring Courthouse Butte.
Families with young children can stick to the pathway's lower ledges, which give views without exposure.
- Time needed
- 1–2.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Views
Park · West Sedona
6.Red Rock State Park
A nature preserve along Oak Creek with gentle trails through riparian woodland, views of Cathedral Rock and a visitor centre explaining local ecology. Ranger-led bird and nature walks run in the cooler months.
Climb the short Eagle's Nest Trail for a classic Cathedral Rock view without the crowds of the main trail.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
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Park · Oak Creek Canyon
7.Slide Rock State Park
On a historic apple farm in Oak Creek Canyon, a slippery sandstone chute about 25 metres long sends swimmers sliding down the creek into pools. The water is cold even in summer, and the park also has creekside trails and the old orchard.
Arrive at opening on summer weekends; the parking lot fills and visitors are turned away. Wear water shoes on the slick rock.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Active
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Viewpoint · West Sedona
8.Airport Mesa
A flat-topped mesa between Uptown and West Sedona with a short climb to one of Sedona's best-known vortex sites and a panoramic view of Thunder Mountain, Coffee Pot Rock and Cathedral Rock. The Airport Loop Trail of about 5.3 km circles it.
Arrive at least 45 minutes before sunset to find space at the small overlook parking area.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
- After dark
Nature · Oak Creek Canyon
1.West Fork of Oak Creek Trail
Sedona's most popular canyon walk follows a tributary of Oak Creek between towering walls, crossing the stream on stepping stones many times. The maintained trail runs about 5.5 km each way, and maples and oaks turn red and gold in late October.
Bring shoes you don't mind getting wet, and expect a parking fee at the Call of the Canyon trailhead.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Kids
Market · Gallery District
2.Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village
Built in the 1970s in the style of a Mexican village under old sycamores by Oak Creek, Tlaquepaque holds galleries, craft shops and restaurants around tiled courtyards and fountains. It is especially pretty in December, when it is lit by luminarias.
Combine an afternoon browse with an early dinner on one of the courtyard patios.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Art
- Rainy day
- Free
- Couples
Nature · West Sedona
3.Soldier Pass Trail
A moderate trail past the Devil's Kitchen, a large sinkhole, and the Seven Sacred Pools, a chain of rock basins that hold water after rain, continuing to a small arch and cave high on the cliffs.
The trailhead parking lot is tiny; take the free shuttle or arrive at dawn.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Active
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Historic site · Red Canyon
4.Palatki Heritage Site
Cliff dwellings built by the Sinagua people around 1150–1350 and pictographs spanning thousands of years sit beneath red cliffs west of Sedona. Volunteers and rangers explain the sites along short trails.
The last stretch is a rough dirt road; drive slowly and check conditions after rain.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Visits require a reservation in advance; book by phone or online before you drive out.
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Kids
Museum · Uptown Sedona
5.Sedona Heritage Museum
Set in a pioneer family's farmhouse and apple-packing shed in Jordan Historical Park, the museum covers ranching, orchards and the many Western films shot among the red rocks.
Take a look at the restored apple-sorting machine in the packing shed, a reminder that Sedona was once orchard country.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village and Sedona Heritage Museum |
| History | Palatki Heritage Site and Sedona Heritage Museum |
| Views | Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte, Chapel of the Holy Cross and Devil's Bridge |
| Outdoors and nature | Cathedral Rock, Devil's Bridge, Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte and Red Rock State Park |
| Food and markets | Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village |
| After dark | Airport Mesa |
| With children | Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte, Red Rock State Park, Slide Rock State Park and West Fork of Oak Creek Trail |
| On a rainy day | Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village and Sedona Heritage Museum |
What to book ahead
- Red-rock jeep tour: Popular tours sell out at weekends and in spring and autumn; book a few days ahead.
- Palatki Heritage Site: Visits require a reservation in advance; book by phone or online before you drive out.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Sedona?
Cathedral Rock. Sedona's most photographed butte has a short but very steep trail of about 1 km each way, climbing slickrock with a final scramble to a saddle between its spires.
+What can you do for free in Sedona?
Cathedral Rock, Chapel of the Holy Cross, Devil's Bridge, Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte and Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Sedona when it rains?
Head indoors to Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village and Sedona Heritage Museum.
+What is there to do in Sedona at night?
Airport Mesa are best after dark.