Sedona, Arizona is absolutely incredible. This town is known for its surreal rock formations, amazing hikes, and magical vortexes. Carl and I spent 2.5 great days in Sedona and we loved it! In this Sedona Arizona Travel Guide, I will be sharing where we stayed, our favorite hikes, and our restaurant recommendations.
Sedona Hotels
Orchards Inn
We stayed here on our Sedona trip and really enjoyed our stayed! I loved that each room has a panoramic scenic red rock view and it was walking distance to the shops and restaurants.
Amara Resort
This is a beautiful spa resort that has an infinity pool, fire pits, a fitness center, and a complimentary golf car service to main street shops!
L’Auberge De Sedona
This is an upscale resort that has breathtaking views. It is also is walking distance to the main street.
Sedona Hiking Trails
There are so many amazing hiking trails in Sedona. They vary in length and difficulty – there is a hike for everyone! Carl and I did five hikes in two days, which we thought was completely do-able. Each day we combined a longer hike with short hikes. The first day we hiked Devil’s Bridge and Boynton Canyon + Subway Cave. The second day we hiked Cathedral Rock, Soldier’s Pass, and Airport Mesa.
Devil’s Bridge
One of the popular hikes in Sedona is The Devil’s Bridge. This was the first hike of our trip and we loved it! The views were insanely beautiful!
It is a moderate 4.2 mile out and back trail. The majority of the hike is easy, but the last part of the hike is uphill. I recommend parking at the Mezcal trail and following it to the Devil’s Bridge trail for a more scenic route.
The hike could get pretty crowded so I recommend getting to the trail before 7am. I’ve heard stories of people waiting over an hour to get a photo here! We started the hike at 6:30am and luckily only waited 15/20 minutes for a photo. But if you don’t want to wait in line, there are a bunch of other cool photo spots along the trail too!
Soldier Pass
Our favorite trail that we did in Sedona was Soldier Pass. It is a 4.5 mile moderate loop trail that is filled with so many cool sites and amazing views! The hike begins at a massive sink hole and then you make a stop at the Seven Sacred Pools, where you will find seven natural pools that are carved in the sandstone.
After, the trail will lead you towards the Soldier Cave. You have to climb up a very rocky narrow way to get into the cave, which is pretty thrilling. It was really cool getting to explore a cave!
We did this hike in the early afternoon so the parking lot was already filled. We parked at the Posse Grounds Park and took the Sedona Shuttle. The shuttle ride was about 10 minutes!
Boynton Canyon ft Subway Cave
The Boynton Canyon + Subway Cave trail is another popular hike in Sedona! It is a moderate 7.1 mile trail filled with awesome red rock views. Walking through the subway cave was really cool – it does get narrow walking into it so just be careful!
This hike gets pretty crowded – we went in the early afternoon and we had to be patient for a photo with no one in it haha. I recommend getting to this hike early in the morning to avoid the crowds!
Cathedral Rock
The Cathedral Rock trail is a short, but steep 1.2 mile out and back trail. This is another popular trail that gets crowded so I recommend getting there early. We arrived at the trail before 7am and only half of the parking lot was filled.
Unfortunately, the top of the trail was closed for maintenance when we went so we couldn’t hike all the way to the top, but it was still a really cool hike with amazing views!
Airport Mesa
The Airport Mesa trail is one of Sedona’s vortex hikes. A vortex is known to be a center of energy that is conductive to healing, meditation, and self-exploration. Many people feel uplifted or inspired after visiting a vortex. Sedona is known for its vortex energy – the strongest vortex locations are Airport Mesa, Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, and Boynton Canyon. I didn’t personally feel anything, but I loved exploring Sedona and I definitely wanted to try some of their vortex hikes.
Airport Mesa was our third hike of the day and it was perfect because it was an easy and relaxing hike. It was a 3.2 mile loop trail. There is no elevation, but the trail is pretty rocky so you have to watch where you ae walking. It was an amazing view, but I do wish this hike was a little shorter. Since the hike was a big circle, the hike felt too long since you were seeing the same view.
If you don’t hike this trail, I still recommend checking out the scenic viewing deck. I heard it’s a great spot to see the sunset!
Sedona Restaurants
Local Juicery
After our first hike, we came here for smoothies every morning. They were so good! They also have breakfast bowls, juices, coffee, toasts and salads.
Red Rock Cafe
I highly recommend coming here for breakfast! I loved their Blue Corn Huervos Rancheros.
Wildflower
This is a great quick lunch option. They have sandwiches, soups and salads. My favorite was their Southwest Superfood salad.
Indian Gardens Cafe & Market
This is another great breakfast and lunch option where they serve coffee, salads, sandwiches, and pastries. They have a cute outdoor patio!
The Hudson
We came here for dinner on our first night and loved it! They had amazing red rock views and we really enjoyed the food. For appetizers, I recommend trying their bruschettas, spinach artichoke dip, and shrimp ceviche! For our entrees, we had the butternut squash ravioli and blackened swordfish. So yummy!
Molé Sedona
If you are looking for an amazing Mexican restaurant, you have to eat here! Their food is so delicious and it was our favorite restaurant in Sedona. We really liked the elote bone marrow appetizer! And I loved their shrimp and crab meat enchiladas. For dessert, I recommend their prickly pear flan!
Sedona Beer Company
This is a local brewery that makes a great casual lunch or dinner option. We came here for dinner on our last night for burgers and to try their local beer.
I hope you enjoyed my Sedona Arizona Travel Guide!
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Looking to explore more of the Southwest – check out my Las Vegas Travel Guide!
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