Things to Do in Arizona

Most travelers venture to Sedona to get back to nature, get outdoors and get up close to Arizona’s stunning red rocks. But the unique shops, handmade crafts and tasty restaurants of Tlaquepaque offer visitors a chance to experience another part of Sedona—its artist community.

Visitors can wander the 40 specialty shops that make up this laid-back shopping destination and bare witness to artisans at work. Whether its blowing glass, painting an Arizona landscape or throwing a pot in one of Tlaquepaque’s studios, a visit to Tlaquepaque puts travelers in touch with the artists and offers a one-of-a-kind experience that’s sure to be a memorable part of any Sedona trip.

The city of Scottsdale sits adjacent to Phoenix, attracting visitors by the bus-load to Scottsdale Old Town. This older section of town is also its main cultural hub, thronged with dining, drinking, shopping and nightlife options.

Native American crafts, jewelry and artworks are sold in this downtown arts district, and galleries and outdoor sculptures add to the cultural feel. It’s also where you’ll find museums like Scottsdale’s Museum of Contemporary Art and the city’s historical museum.

Walking tours highlight the old town’s Old West character, with hitching posts from the days when horses were ridden through town and quaint stores selling Western gear.

Stunning scenery, epic red rock landscapes and wide-open skies are just part of what makes a trip to Sedona’s Bell Rock a memorable travel experience. Visitors can navigate the destination’s five trails, which range from an easy hike between the Courthouse Vista Parking Lot and the Base of Bell Rock, to more challenging routes, like the moderate climb to Upper Bell Rock Trail or the most strenuous option, known as The Ascent. Travelers will catch incredible views of Chicken Point, Submarine Rock and Chapel of the Holy Cross—true icons of Arizona’s famed Red Rock State Park—from various lookouts along Bell Rock’s multiple trails.

One of the highlights in Grand Canyon West is the Hualapai Village. The authentic dwellings provide a real fun-filled real Western adventure, which includes gun fights, cattle drives, and cowboy games like axe throwing and horseshoes. You can even mount up for a horseback or wagon ride to the edge of the rim for a spectacular scenic view of the Grand Canyon.

At the Hualapai Village, you can shop at the Hualapai Market, tour an authentic re-creation of an Indian village, watch Native American dance performances, dine at eateries and cafés, and view the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River from 4,000 feet/1,200 meters above from the Grand Canyon Skywalk. You can also enjoy activities like river rafting or exploring the Grand Canyon Caverns, which are dry caverns created from lava and limestone. This is also the only place within the Grand Canyon where visitors can access the Colorado River at the bottom of the canyon on a helicopter.

Want to make a spectacular understatement? Go ahead and call the Grand Canyon “a great big hole in the ground.” About 277 miles (444 km) long, an average of 10 miles (16 km) wide and more than a mile (1.6 km) deep, the colorful, eroded layers of this northwestern Arizona wonder reveal nothing less than the incredible geological history of the North American continent.

Each year, some 5 million people visit this testament to the power of water over rock, making the Grand Canyon the most popular national park in the U.S. Some arrive on a historic train from the depot in the Old West town of Williams, an hour south, while far more travel here by car.

You can brave the Skywalk, a transparent (and strongly reinforced) walkway that juts out over the West Rim; hike down, around or across the divide (remembering to bring lots of water); or soar high above the whole canyon on a helicopter tour.

Enjoy a sweeping panoramic view of the Grand Canyon from the historic Desert View Watchtower. The tower was built in in the early 1930s by architect Mary Colter, who created it as an homage to the watchtowers built by the native Anasazi people who once inhabited the area. The site consists of two circular buildings, one large and low, the other taller and more narrow, which stands five stories high. Inside the tower are petroglyph-style paintings.

This scenic drive in the Canyon’s southern section is open year round and boasts scenic views, incredible landscapes and plenty of overlooks. Travelers can explore the 26 miles of highway in about an hour, while en route to the park’s east entrance. While the spectacular views are the highlight of this journey, the Desert View Watchtower and Tusayan Ruin and Museum are both worth a stop for visitors who want to explore the region’s history and Native American culture.

With one of the most spectacular vistas in the Grand Canyon, Bright Angel Point lies at the end of the Bright Angel Point Trail, one the most popular of the North Rim corridor trails. The trail itself is wide, well graded and easy to follow. It's equally attractive to first-time canyon hikers and seasoned pros, as well as mule trains, making it a popular route. Because once you reach the point, panoramic views of the Grand Canyon unfold.

This easy trail follows a ridge line at the end of the Bright Angel Peninsula to Bright Angel Point, which offers a panoramic view of the canyon from its north side. You can also see and hear the rush of Roaring Spring, the North Rim’s only water source, which lies 3,600 feet/1,100 kilometers below the rim. Portions of the Cottonwood Campground, 4,000 feet/1,200 meters below the rim, are visible from the end of the trail. Grand Canyon Village on the south rim is visible about 10 miles/16 kilometer across the canyon.

Visitors to Oak Creek Canyon would be wise to stop at this scenic viewpoint for a bird’s eye view of the rolling Arizona landscape. A well-kept lookout lined with Native American artisans selling handmade jewelry proves a popular destination for tourists and photographers alike. Though visitors warn Oak Creek Vista can get crowded, most agree its epic views are worth the trip.

One of the sites most visitors encounter when they enter the South Rim is Mather Point. It’s an astonishing, breathtaking glimpse into the Grand Canyon. Best of all, you’re a short walk to the Canyon View Information Plaza, where you can pick up park information and begin your journey into the Canyon.

Mather Point has quite an extensive viewing area, set as it is on the south side of the Colorado River. Two narrow, railed overlooks, built on projecting rocks, provide views along the rim in both directions. The panorama extends from the lower end of Garden Creek, taking in some of the Bright Angel Trail, and a spectacular view over the deep canyon of Pipe Creek. To the west, you can jump on the Rim Trail, which offers more scenic vistas on its way to Yavapai Point. You can also see Bright Angel Creek, on the North Rim, between a collection of red buttes and ravines. A stop here is an excellent introduction to the Grand Canyon.