Three Days in Sedona, Arizona
Located a two hour drive from downtown Phoenix sits a vast range of larger than life red rocks. Coming down the highway, you’ll pass cacti, rolling hills and beautiful skies. It won’t be until you come over a hillside and see that red clay in the distance that you’ll think, “Where am I?”
So, how do you spend three days in Sedona, Arizona?
My first trip to Sedona (I say first, because it will certainly not be my last), was unexpected, so I didn’t have a lot of time to plan or know what to expect. But, a quick getaway with my sister and my cousin turned into one of my favorite trips to date.
The blessing and the curse of having three days in Sedona is that there is so much to do. The city is situated within a short drive of several other hotspots: Cottonwood, Prescott, Jerome, Flagstaff and of course, the Grand Canyon. It was a daunting task to decide where to spend our time, but being that we are three outdoor loving gals, we chose to stick to Sedona and hike as much as possible.
We arrived in Sedona late from our flight from Phoenix, so we opted to spend the night in at our hotel, the Hyatt Residence Club Sedona, Piñon Pointe. What a beautiful property it is! We were lucky enough to have a spacious room with two bedrooms, living room and full kitchen. We cooked, mapped out our weekend, and hit the hay!
Day 1:
A sunrise in Sedona is different from a sunrise anywhere else, let me tell you. Waking up early to the first hints of sunlight, we ran to our balcony to watch the sunrise over the red rocks.
After breakfast in our room, we geared up and headed out for our first and longest hike of the weekend, Soldier’s Pass. The beauty of this hike is that you pass through a number of sites including Devil’s Kitchen sinkhole and Seven Sacred Ponds. It brings you into Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness, which only adds to the solitude you’ll feel after leaving the busy start of the trail. Soldier’s Pass is a moderate, 4.5 mile hike that is a must do.
Following our morning hike, we headed to lunch at Etch Kitchen & Bar (sadly, it has since permanently closed). It is set right on a creek bed under a canopy of trees. We definitely earned our wine and cheese board after the hike.
Next, we headed to downtown Sedona for a day of shopping and wine tasting. There are so many shops and bars to pop in and out of. Our favorites were:
Wine tasting at Winery 1912, Vino Zona and Art of Wine
Tequila Tasting at 89Agave Cantina
Beer flights at Oak Creek Brewery
Exploring Tlaquepaque Village
We ended the day with wine and French Onion Soup at Timo Wine Bar, an adorable restaurant in Tlaquepaque. The service and conversation were some of our favorite memories of the trip. (sadly, it has since permanently closed)
Day 2:
Our second full day began with, you guessed it, another hike! We hiked the iconic Devil’s Bridge, an out and back, easy to moderate hike. If you have a 4x4 vehicle, definitely use it to get to the official start of the trailhead. We followed the crowd, even though we had a Jeep, and parked at Dry Creek Road parking lot. From there, you’ll need to walk about a mile to the start of the trailhead. Once we got there, we realized there was plenty of parking for 4x4 vehicles and would have saved us a lot of time.
The hike itself is easy going, with just a steep climb toward the end. My advice - go early! The bridge is beautiful, but the line to get a picture on it was not worth our time. I’d suggest being on the trailhead no later than 8am to beat some of the crowds, even earlier if you’re up for it!
After our hike, we changed and got ready for the highlight of our day, the Pink Jeep Tour! This popular attraction absolutely lives up to the hype. We were picked up at the Hyatt Residence Club by our driver, Andrew, and took off into the wilderness from there. The Broken Arrow tour, which we chose, is 2 hours and you’ll have white knuckles most of the time. The photo stops are well worth it and you get to experience a part of red rock country that you would not get to on your own.
We then spent the afternoon exploring more of Tlaquepaque (hitting up a few more wine tastings on the way - not ashamed) before we headed to Elote Cafe for dinner.
Elote Cafe is a popular Mexican restaurant, for good reason, although they don’t take reservations. We waited about 90 minutes but, don’t be deterred! You can order margaritas and popcorn from the bar, and they have a spacious patio to wait.
At the time of our visit, they did not take reservations. Now it appears that they do! To book, find them on OpenTable!
Day 3:
On day 3, we headed out for another hike - this time in West Fork. This gorgeous hike led us through canyons, creeks and gorgeous scenery. Different from previous hikes, this trail keeps you in the canyon, looking up at the rock faces. It can get cold in the canyon, so bring extra layers and a beer or two!
After the hike, we headed back to Main Street for lunch at Cowboy Club, followed by some more shopping. We considered spending the afternoon at nearby Cottonwood, but wanted to make sure we had time for our sunset hike.
Like I said - there is so much to do.
Now for my favorite part of the entire trip, the sunset hike to Cathedral Rock. There is really no way to describe this hike, all I can say is, just do it.
Parking can be difficult, so make sure you arrive in time to find parking and get to the top before sunset. The trail itself is very short, less than 1 mile. It isn’t well marked, but just follow the crowd - trust me, there will be one.
After scaling the rock face and feeling breathless, you will reach the top. Now, find a place to sit, relax, and wait for the sun to drop (I really did not mean to rhyme this but, Cathedral Rock is honestly a poetic experience so it is fitting).
Pro tip: once the sun sets, most of the crowd will head down right away. Sit back and wait for the sun to completely sink. The reds, oranges and yellows will be well worth it - and, you may find that you’ll have the place to yourself at this point!
MOST IMPORTANTLY: make sure you bring a headlamp or flashlight! Our hotel supplied them, but we also had our own. Although the hike is short, it will be difficult, and could be dangerous, to find your way without a light.
On our way back to Phoenix the following day, we stopped briefly at Chapel of the Holy Cross, a beautiful chapel built right into the red rocks. I only wish we had more time to explore it!
No matter how you decide to spend your three days in Sedona, Arizona, you will not be disappointed. This is just a sampling of the hikes, activities and restaurants that are at your disposal.
So, explore, find the Vortexes, drink the wine and get outside - just don’t forget your camera.
