Sedona Must-Do Activities and Lodging

When my family went to Arizona four years ago, our itinerary included visits to Sedona, the Grand Canyon, and Scottsdale. Although the Grand Canyon may be one of the most visited national parks in the United States and Scottsdale may have more than its fair share of five-star resorts, Sedona was without a doubt our favorite part of the trip. For us, Sedona was the perfect mix of unique landscapes, fun activities, and great accommodations. Considering adding Sedona to your travel list? Check out the Sedona must-do activities and lodging that made our vacation so memorable.

#1 Sedona Must-Do: Hiking

With its towering red-rock cliffs and hundreds of miles of trails, Sedona is a hiker’s paradise. The rock formations are so numerous in Sedona that you don’t even have to hike very far to get a big payoff. Regardless of your hiking abilities, you can find breathtaking vistas. During our trip, we hiked two popular trails, Bell Rock and Doe Mountain.

Bell Rock

Bell Rock Pathway is an easy hike along a flat paved surface. It leads to the large dome-shaped Bell Rock, where you have the opportunity to hike to the top along the more difficult Bell Rock Trail. Bell Rock is also circled by the Courthouse Butte Loop Trail, a two-hour hike totaling 4.2 miles. We scrambled up Bell Rock Trail as far as we felt comfortable before making our way back down and spending some time on the loop. This area tends to be busy because of its central location and its proximity to four of Sedona’s purported vortexes, places thought to be filled with powerful spiritual energy.

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Doe Mountain

Doe Mountain Trail is a moderate 1.6 mile in-and-out switchback trail up and along the side of a mesa. The trailhead is located just two miles from the gates of Enchantment Resort and is a great start to the day if you’re staying at the resort. The trail is less populated and more serene than Bell Rock and provides 360-degree panoramic views at the summit. The scenery from the mesa’s plateau reportedly makes it one of the best hikes in the area. We didn’t make it to the top because the path became more rugged near the end and the kids were getting antsy. But even going as far as we did rewarded us with beautiful views for our efforts.

#2 Sedona Must-Do: Sightseeing

Pink Jeep Tour

You can experience even more of the magnificent Sedona landscape by taking one of the popular Pink Adventure Tours. We did the Broken Arrow jeep tour, described by the company as its “most extreme off-road adventure.” The tours, which depart hourly and last two hours, take you up, down and over the massive rock formations. This is an activity on every Sedona must-do list, and you may wonder if it’s just hype. It’s not. Exciting and fun with entertaining guides and safe equipment, it’s arguably the best guided excursion I’ve done anywhere so far.

Driving through and on top of the red rocks of Sedona is nothing short of impressive. At various points, we were able to get out of the jeep and walk around on the rocks to enjoy the view and take pictures. Our guide was gracious about taking pictures of us in front of several of the rock formations, even suggesting some of the best photo opportunities.

Chapel of the Holy Cross

After your four-wheeling adventure, you can wind down with a tranquil visit to the Chapel of the Holy Cross. The chapel is a Roman Catholic church built into the butte overlooking Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte and Cathedral Rock. No services are held there, but you can enter during daytime hours to see the tall stained-glass windows that form the front and back walls of the chapel. A short easy trail leads out and back from the chapel grounds, providing gorgeous views of the area. On our visit, we spent a short time sitting in the chapel before exploring the trail.

Montezuma Castle

If you’re willing to venture outside of Sedona for sightseeing, don’t miss Montezuma Castle National Monument, ancient cliff-dwellings less than an hour’s drive to the south. The cliff dwellings were the home of the Sinagua people from approximately 1100 to 1425 A.D. To protect both the archeological site and its visitors, you’re not allowed to enter the dwellings, which are set into the limestone cliff 90-feet above the ground. You can, however, admire them from a concrete path that runs along the base of the cliff. Educational signs describing the life of the Sinagua are also available along the path. The site takes less than an hour to see and was a worthwhile stop as we made our way into town.

#3 Sedona Must-Do: Swimming

Another Sedona must-do is taking a swim at Oak Creek Canyon. The most popular place to do this is Slide Rock State Park, where an 80-foot chute forms a natural water slide along the red rocks of the river gorge. On our trip, we didn’t get a chance to experience Slide Rock, as the swimming area was closed due to the Slide Fire of 2014, which burned more than 21,000 acres around the canyon. Fortunately, Sedona has numerous other swimming holes, and we found ourselves at Red Rock Crossing beneath the towering presence of Cathedral Rock, by way of Crescent Moon State Park. The kids enjoyed jumping into the water from the boulders and slipping through some of the shorter natural slides there.

After splashing around in the river, we set off to find Buddha Beach, a riverbank where people stack smooth stones into hundreds of cairns. The area is believed by some to be another of Sedona’s powerful vortexes. Vortex or not, our kids had a great time gathering rocks and building their own cairns under the dappled light of the trees.

#4 Sedona Must-Do: Shopping

If you want to balance your rugged outdoor activities in Sedona with a little luxury, try Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village for some shopping. Tlaquepaque has boutiques, galleries and restaurants set in charming stucco buildings with barrel-tiled roofs and cobblestone paths. In the courtyards, you’ll sometimes find live music. On our visit, we came across Esteban, the classical guitarist of late-night informercial fame. I was the only person in my family excited by this discovery (“Oh my gosh, it’s Esteban! From the informercials!”) because apparently, I was the only one who used to stay up late watching infomercials.

#5 Sedona Must-Do: Canyon-View Lodging

Sedona is home to one of my all-time favorite hotels, Enchantment Resort. Nestled at the foot of Boynton Canyon, Enchantment Resort is just 20 minutes outside of the city, but it feels like a world away. Red-rock cliffs surround the resort on three sides, making each moment you spend there a sightseeing opportunity.

Lodging is in southwestern-style casitas, with private balconies offering views of the surrounding canyons. Resort amenities include a pool, a golf course, and a renowned spa, Mii Amo, which was recently voted the #1 destination spa in the United States, by Travel & Leisure’s World’s Best Awards. The resort also has several restaurants, including Tii Gavo, an outdoor terrace serving regional cuisine where you can eat dinner while watching the light play on the canyon walls.

We loved returning to the resort after our daily activities to relax at the stunning pool set among the colorful rock formations. And at night, we were awed and amazed that we could walk out onto our patio and see the Milky Way. We were so enchanted by Enchantment—and Sedona—that every member of my family was sad when it was time to leave.

Need more advice about Arizona? Check out my article about a two-day, one-night stay in the Grand Canyon!