Arizona is famous for The Grand Canyon, but the entire state is full of must-visit destinations. 

Top Getaways in the Southwest U.S.

The best way to explore Arizona is on a road trip that will take you through jaw-dropping national parks, stunning deserts, vibrant cities, and one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world.

Here’s the ultimate Arizona road trip itinerary!

3 Nights in Tucson

Start your road trip in Tucson. On your first day, check into your hotel or vacation home, explore your neighborhood, and have dinner at one of the city’s many rooftop restaurants (my favorites are The Moonstone, Playground Bar & Lounge, and Sky Bar).

Spend your second day exploring the east side of Saguaro National Park in the morning and bring a picnic lunch. In the afternoon, bike around the historic city center, visit the Cathedral of Saint Augustine, and have an authentic Southwest dinner at Mariscos Chihuahua, Eclectic Cafe, Tucson Tamale Company, or Guadalajara Grill.

On your third day, take a day trip to see the views at Sentinel Peak Park and visit Mission San Xavier del Bac. Then end your day with a self-guided craft brewery tour. My favorite breweries are Crooked Tooth Brewing Co., Barrio Brewing, Ermanos Craft Beer and Wine Bar, Dragoon Brewing Co., and Iron John’s Brewing Company

On your fourth day, explore the west side of Saguaro National Park on your way out of Tucson, headed towards Scottsdale and Phoenix. Check into your hotel or vacation home, and have dinner at one of my favorite restaurants – Carolina’s Mexican Food, Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Cafe, or Tratto.

For day five, take a day trip to Apache Junction. This area has three main attractions: The Dolly Steamboat tour through Canyon Lake, Lost Dutchman State Park for hiking, and the Goldfield Ghost Town for re-living the “glory days” of the Wild Wild West.

Spend most of your sixth day relaxing, sleeping in, having a spa day, and lounging by the pool. Then end your day with a sunset horseback ride through the Sonoran Desert.

3 Nights in Sedona

When you leave Scottsdale on day seven, you’ll want to visit the Montezuma National Monument on your way to Sedona. Take the scenic route to Sedona by driving the Red Rock Scenic Byway. Then check into your hotel or vacation home and have dinner with a view of the red rocks at Tii Gavo, Javelina Cantina, or Hikeaway House.

On day eight, head out early in the morning to do a hike – you want to hike early to beat the crowds, find parking, and beat the heat. My favorite hikes are the Devil’s Bridge Trail (moderate, 3.9 out and back), Cathedral Rock Trail (moderate, 1.2-mile out and back), and Boynton Canyon Trail (moderate-difficult, 7.3-mile out and back).

Then in the evening, explore and shop in downtown. Finally, either get dinner at one of my favorite restaurants – The Hudson, Cucina Rustica, or Vino Di Sedona – or take a picnic dinner to the Crescent Moon Picnic Site.

For day nine, take a day trip to the Verde Valley wine trail. My favorite wineries are Page Spring Cellars, Javelina Leap, and Oak Creek Vineyards. If it’s summer, then you should paddle the Verde River with Verde Adventures’ Water To Wine Experience.

1 Night in the Grand Canyon

On day ten, leave Sedona early in the morning to arrive at The Grand Canyon as early as possible to explore it for the rest of the day.

The best viewpoints of The Grand Canyon are Mather Point (South Rim), Redwall Bridge (North Rim), Shoshone Point (South Rim), Desert View, and Angel’s Window (North Rim). Top hikes here are the South Rim Trail (flat, paved with shuttle stops), South Kaibab Trail (3 miles, out and back, strenuous), and the Bright Angel Point Trail (1 mile, out and back, easy).

3 Nights in Page

Spend most of day eleven seeing more of The Grand Canyon, and arrive in Page this evening.

For day twelve, paddle on Lake Powell in the morning and take in the views from Horseshoe Bend in the evening. Day thirteen is dedicated to hiking either The Wave (must get a permit) or Antelope Canyon – both of these are full-day hikes.

On day fourteen, you can head home or west to Southern California or Las Vegas. If you’re heading to Utah’s “Mighty Five” national parks or New Mexico, I highly recommend detouring to Monument Valley.

Plan Your Trip

Need help planning your road trip? Then you should use Roadtrippers, my favorite app for mapping-out road trips and finding Roadside America stops. If you’re going to rent a car, then I recommend Momondo, and if you want to rent an RV (which would be SO much fun for a Pacific Northwest road trip), you should use RVshare.

YOUR TRAVEL CHECKLIST

PIN THIS ITINERARY!

This Arizona road trip itinerary is not a sponsored post, and, as always, the thoughts and opinions expressed in this Arizona road trip itinerary are entirely my own. Some of the links in this Arizona road trip itinerary are affiliate links, and, at no cost to you, I may earn a small commission.