The Perfect 3-Day Sedona Itinerary for a Long Weekend
Tucked into Northern Arizona between Flagstaff and Phoenix, Sedona is a destination that in my opinion actually manages to live up to the hype. Whether you're looking for an ultra-luxurious wellness getaway or to spend your days on endless trails, Sedona delivers. The red rock formations rising up from the desert landscape are more than just a backdrop — you'll find yourself among them while scrambling on a hike or taking in their ancient power at one of Sedona's vortexes.
Three full days is enough time to get a real feel for Sedona without feeling like you're rushing. This Sedona itinerary works well as a long weekend trip or as part of a larger, longer Arizona itinerary. It's built around a mix of hikes, scenic drives and activities but with plenty of time for relaxation and the flexibility to swap out a restaurant or skip an activity that doesn't sit at the top of your list. The itinerary features some of the area's best hikes — Devil's Bridge, Fay Canyon, Bell Rock — along with top attractions like Chapel of the Holy Cross and Tlaquepaque Arts Village.
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you book or shop through them, at no extra cost to you.
Before You Go: A Few Practical Notes
Parking: A little bit of planning goes a long way in Sedona, mostly because of one recurring theme: parking. At the end of the day, Sedona is a small town that is playing host to a significant number of visitors each year. Some of the places that feel this stress the most are popular trailheads, which will fill up well before mid-morning during peak season. Be sure to only ever park in designated areas. You'll find that local authorities and the U.S. Forest Service have marked most roads near high traffic trailheads with "No Parking" signs. Parking on narrow shoulder areas, blocking gates, or spilling over onto residential streets and highway shoulders is heavily enforced and ticketed.
Alternatively, Sedona offers a complimentary, seasonal, shuttle system more on that below.
Red Rock Pass: You'll need a $5 Red Rock Pass, or another valid interagency pass such as the America the Beautiful National Parks pass, to park at most trailheads inside the Coconino National Forest. Passes are available for purchase at visitor centers, many trailhead kiosks, and at several shops around town — it's worth grabbing one on your first day so you're not scrambling for cash or trying to navigate an automated machine at 6 a.m.
Getting Around: A rental car is essentially required here. Sedona has very little public transportation, with the exception of their seasonal shuttle which runs to a handful of trailheads. Being able to drive yourself between trailheads, restaurants, and scenic overlooks will help you make the most of this itinerary. Fill up on gas and download offline Google Maps before you head out each day — cell service can be spotty once you're outside of town.
During peak season — roughly March through May, and again in October — expect trailhead lots to fill even earlier than usual, and popular restaurants to be booked out a week or more in advance. If you're visiting during the hotter summer months, try to structure your own days the same way this itinerary does: plan for hiking in the early morning, and treat the middle of the day as time for a scenic drive, a museum stop, or lunch somewhere air-conditioned rather than pushing through the heat on an exposed trail.
Finally, a quick geography note: Sedona is loosely divided into a few distinct areas — Uptown Sedona, which is walkable, touristy, and full of shops and galleries; West Sedona, which is more residential and has a lot of the area's everyday restaurants and grocery stores; and the Village of Oak Creek, a quieter area to the south that's closer to trailheads like Bell Rock and the Village of Oak Creek golf courses. This itinerary aims to focus on a different area each day so you're not pinballing around from neighborhood to neighborhood.
Where to Stay
Sedona doesn't have a single obvious neighborhood to base yourself in — it really depends on how you want to spend your mornings and evenings. Uptown Sedona puts you within walking distance of shops, galleries, and a handful of restaurants, which is convenient in the evenings but can mean more traffic and noise during the day. West Sedona is more residential and generally quieter, with easy access to grocery stores and a lot of the area's everyday restaurants, and it tends to put you closer to trailheads like Fay Canyon and Devil's Bridge. The Village of Oak Creek, a bit further south along State Route 179, is quieter still and sits closer to Bell Rock, making it a solid choice if that hike and the surrounding vortex sites are a priority for you.
Wherever you land, it's worth looking for a property with a hot tub or an on-site spa if the Day 2 afternoon of relaxation is something you're looking forward to — not every hotel in town offers spa services, and booking a treatment ahead of time is generally easier when it's with your own hotel rather than trying to get a same-day slot somewhere else in town. Check out my guide to the Sedona hotels I recommend to clients most often.
Sedona Itinerary Day 1: Sunrise Hikes and a Scenic Drive
Fay Canyon
Day one is all about getting your bearings while the light is still soft and the trails are still quiet. You'll knock out two of Sedona's best-loved hikes back to back, take a slower scenic drive through some of the area's most photographed rock formations, and end the day with a dinner reservation worth planning your whole evening around.
Sunrise at Devil's Bridge
Distance: ~1.7 miles round trip
Elevation gain: ~375 ft
Time: less than one hour
Difficulty: Moderate
Devil's Bridge shows up on nearly every list of the best hikes in Sedona thanks to its iconic photo op. The trail leads to the largest natural sandstone arch in the area, and while photos never quite capture it, walking out onto the bridge itself — wider than it looks from a distance, but still exposed on both sides — is a highlight of a Sedona trip.
The tradeoff for that fame is crowding. This is consistently one of the most popular trails in the region, and the line to take a photo on the bridge can stretch well past 30 minutes by mid-morning. Starting early, ideally rolling into the parking at least 30 minutes before sunrise (check sunrise times before your trip to determine the actual timing and don't forget to pack your headlamp!), solves two problems at once: you'll get a parking spot without circling, and you'll likely have the bridge nearly to yourself or at least with a much shorter line.
The hike itself starts on a wide, gently climbing dirt road before narrowing into single track. The final push to the bridge involves a short but steep rock scramble, so wear shoes with real traction — this isn't a hike to attempt in flip flops or worn-out sneakers.
Fay Canyon Trail
Distance: 2.1 miles round trip
Elevation gain: ~150 ft
Time: 1–1.5 hours
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
This is one of my favorite hikes in Sedona. After the adrenaline (and crowds) of Devil's Bridge, Fay Canyon is a welcome change of pace. The trail is mostly flat, shaded for a good stretch by canyon walls and scattered trees, and never feels as trafficked as its more famous neighbors just a few minutes down the road. It's an easy hike to recommend to anyone traveling with kids or older family members. Because the trailhead sits so close to Devil's Bridge, it's an easy add-on for late morning — by the time you finish, you'll have covered two of the area's best short hikes before lunch.
The reward is a set of quiet views deep into the canyon, framed by red rock walls on both sides. To reach some of the view points looking out of the canyon, there is a bit of a climb and some sections of trail that wouldn't be suitable for anyone with a fear of heights/exposure.
Scenic Drive: Upper Red Rock Loop Road
With the morning's hiking done, spend early afternoon on the Upper Red Rock Loop Road, a short paved drive that winds past some of the most photographed red rock formations in the entire region. There are several pull-offs along the way worth stopping for, each offering a slightly different angle on the red rock views. It's a low-effort, high-reward way to see more of the landscape while giving your legs a break after a busy morning. The drive takes about 30 minutes without stops, so plan for additional time to enjoy the view.
Bonus stop: If you have an extra half hour before dinner or want to do a picnic lunch, take a slight side quest off Red Rock Loop to the Crescent Moon Picnic Site, for one of the most photographed views of Cathedral Rock. Oak Creek runs directly in front of the formation here, and on a calm afternoon the reflection in the water is almost a mirror image of the rock above it. There's a day use fee, a picnic area with tables near the creek, and a small concession stand that's handy if anyone in your group needs a snack before dinner. It's an easy, low-effort stop that pairs naturally with the scenic drive.
Dinner at Mariposa
Save your appetite for dinner at Mariposa, a Latin-inspired restaurant known as much for its food as for its view. The dining room's floor-to-ceiling windows look out over the valley, and if you can time your reservation for the last hour or so of daylight, the sunset views here are worth the extra planning. The menu draws on wood-fired cooking and bold, globally inspired flavors. On our last visit, we each had an incredible steak and shared family-style sides like potatoes au gratin and a Brussles sprout and butternut squash hash. Book ahead — this is one of the most popular fine dining restaurants in Sedona and reservations fill up well in advance.
Sedona Itinerary Day 2: Oak Creek Canyon and a Wellness Moment
Oak Creek Canyon
Day two trades the red rock formations of town for the greener, creek-fed landscape of Oak Creek Canyon, then swings back into Sedona proper for an afternoon that's built around total relaxation.
Oak Creek Canyon Scenic Drive
Start the morning driving north out of Sedona on State Route 89A, through Oak Creek Canyon — one of the most scenic drives in the entire state of Arizona, and a drastically different landscape from the red rock desert you've spent the past day exploring. The road climbs alongside the creek through walls of pine, oak, and sandstone, with switchbacks near the top that offer sweeping views back down the canyon.
Once you're in the canyon, you have two solid options for the morning, depending on how your legs are feeling after the previous day:
Option A — Slide Rock State Park: A former homestead and apple orchard turned state park, best known today for its 80-foot natural rock waterslide worn smooth by Oak Creek over thousands of years. Swimming season generally runs through the summer months, but the park is worth a stop any time of year — even in cooler weather, the sight of clear water cutting through red and orange rock is one of the prettier scenes in the canyon. There's also a small picnic area near the creek if you'd rather bring a snack than commit to a full sit-down breakfast.
Option B — West Fork Trail: For a more active morning, the West Fork Trail is consistently ranked among the most beautiful hikes in Northern Arizona.
Distance: ~6.7 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 577 ft
Time: 3–4 hours
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
The trail crosses Oak Creek more than a dozen times as the canyon narrows into towering walls of sandstone, eventually opening into a section so tight in places that direct sunlight barely reaches the canyon floor at midday. It's an easy, mostly flat walk in terms of elevation, but the repeated creek crossings and overall distance make it a longer outing than the distance alone would suggest — budget more time than a typical hike of similar mileage.
You can pick whichever of these two options matches your energy for the day. Or, because the West Fork Trail is an out and back, you can go as far into the canyon as you like before turning around to head back. We didn't make it to the "end" of the trail and I honestly have zero FOMO about that.
Casual Oak Creek Lunch: Indian Gardens Cafe
A short drive back down the canyon, Indian Gardens Cafe is a relaxed, unpretentious lunch stop with a market attached and a shaded back patio. It's the kind of place where a breakfast burrito or a simple sandwich hits exactly right after a morning outdoors, and the setting makes it worth choosing over other options in town.
Afternoon: A Spa Moment
This is the one non-negotiable slow point of the whole itinerary, and it's worth protecting. Book a massage or spa treatment at your hotel for the mid-afternoon. Many of Sedona's resorts lean heavily into the area's reputation as a place of healing and relaxation — often tied to the region's famous energy vortexes. If your hotel doesn't have a spa on-site, several standalone spas in West Sedona and Uptown Sedona take walk-ins or same-day appointments.
Sunset at Airport Mesa
As the light starts to soften in the late afternoon, drive to Airport Mesa, one of Sedona's four major vortex sites and one of the most accessible sunset spots in town. The mesa itself is a rounded dome of orange rock with an easy climb to the top, and on a clear evening the 360-degree views stretch across the entire town and out to the surrounding red rock formations.
Fair warning: parking directly at the vortex trailhead is extremely limited, with only a handful of spots available. A more reliable option is to park up the hill in the small airport lot for a few dollars and walk the short connector trail down to the vortex — or simply pull off at the Sedona Airport Scenic Lookout across the street, which has its own dramatic view of the sunset and requires no hiking at all.
Dinner Downtown
Wrap up the day with dinner at either Elote Cafe or Dahl & DiLuca, two of the most consistently well-reviewed restaurants in town, each offering a very different experience. Elote Cafe serves inventive, contemporary Mexican dishes and has built a loyal following over the years — reservations go quickly, so book as early in your trip planning as you can, and consider a backup plan if a table doesn't open up. Dahl & DiLuca leans classic Italian, with a lovely outdoor patio that makes for an easy, unhurried evening.
Sedona Itinerary Day 3: One Last Hike, the Chapel, and Time in Town
Chapel of the Holy Cross
Your final full day blends one more standout hike with two of Sedona's most distinctive man-made landmarks — a chapel built directly into the rock and an entire shopping village designed to feel like a different country — before leaving the afternoon open for whichever add-on suits your group best.
Bell Rock Trail
Distance: ~0.8 miles round trip | Elevation gain: ~200 ft | Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour | Difficulty: Moderate, with a short scramble
Start the morning with a short hike at Bell Rock, one of the most recognizable formations in all of Sedona and another of the area's major vortex sites. The trail itself is short with a short rock scramble at the base of the formation (this one is very gentle compared to other hikes in the area). If you're feeling ambitious, you can continue scrambling higher up the rock for even better views, though the base loop alone delivers plenty for those that don't want to climb higher.
Chapel of the Holy Cross
From Bell Rock, it's a short drive to the Chapel of the Holy Cross, a small Roman Catholic chapel built directly into the red rock buttes in the 1950s by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. The building's angular shape echoes the rock formations surrounding it so closely that from certain angles it looks less like it was constructed and more like it grew out of the stone. It's free to visit, takes only 20 to 30 minutes including a stop in the small gift shop, and the view through the chapel's floor-to-ceiling windows out over the valley is a special place worth the short detour on its own.
Late Morning and Lunch: Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village
Spend the rest of the morning wandering Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village, a pedestrian district built decades ago to resemble a traditional Mexican village, right down to the cobblestone walkways, wrought-iron balconies, fountains, and mature trees that were deliberately preserved when the village was constructed. It's full of independent art galleries, jewelry shops, and boutiques, and it rewards slow, unhurried wandering more than a checklist approach.
For lunch, my recommendations are:
The Secret Garden Cafe — an intimate, European-feeling bistro with stained glass details inside and a large, greenery-filled outdoor patio, serving scratch-made salads, sandwiches, and breakfast items throughout the day.
Pump House Station — a more casual restaurant and brewery, a good fit if your group is looking for something lower-key with a wider drink menu.
Afternoon: Optional Activity
With the rest of the afternoon open, choose whichever of these fits your group's energy and interests best.
Pink Jeep Tours — a guided off-road tour through Sedona's backcountry, with a knowledgeable driver narrating the area's geology and history along the way, plus a couple of stops at scenic overlooks not accessible by a standard rental car.
Soldier's Pass Trail — a longer hike, at roughly 4.7 miles round trip with 800-plus feet of elevation gain and a moderate difficulty rating, that passes the Devil's Kitchen sinkhole, the Seven Sacred Pools carved into the sandstone by a seasonal stream, and a short scramble up into Soldier Pass Cave. Budget 2.5 to 3 hours if you go this route, and note that the trailhead's tiny parking lot (about 15 spots) makes an early start or an alternate access point worth considering.
Verde Canyon Railroad — a scenic train ride through Verde Canyon, a lower-key option that's easy on tired legs and offers a completely different perspective on the region's canyon country from the comfort of a rail car.
Final Dinner
Close out the trip with one more meal worth remembering.
If You Have Extra Time: Nearby Day Trips
Grand Canyon
If your schedule ends up with a spare day, or if you're already road-tripping through Northern Arizona, a few nearby destinations are worth folding into a longer visit:
Grand Canyon National Park is roughly a two-hour drive north of Sedona, making a day trip to the South Rim a realistic option if you're willing to commit most of a full day to the drive and a few hours of exploring. It's one of the most spectacular views in the entire national park system, and pairing it with a Sedona trip is a common move for visitors flying into Phoenix.
Montezuma Castle National Monument, a well-preserved cliff dwelling built by the Sinagua people roughly 900 years ago, sits closer to Sedona — about a 30-minute drive — and makes a much easier half-day addition than the Grand Canyon.
Horseshoe Bend, the dramatic curve of the Colorado River near Page, Arizona, is a longer haul from Sedona (closer to three hours each way), but it's a popular stop for visitors treating Sedona as one leg of a broader Northern Arizona road trip that also includes the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon.
Jerome, Arizona, about 45 minutes from Sedona, is a historic mining town well-known for its ghost stories. It's a great late afternoon or evening adventure to take in the old west charm and go on a haunted tour complete with your own ghost chasing technology.
Sedona Weekend Itinerary Final Thoughts
Three days is plenty of time to experience the best of what Sedona has to offer. This itinerary front-loads the more strenuous hikes into the mornings when the light and temperatures are generally at their best and leaves room in the afternoons for slow lunches, spa treatments and scenic drives with no agenda beyond enjoying the scenery.
For first-time visitors to Sedona, this itinerary hits the landmarks you'll see in every photo of Sedona — that likely played a role in why you picked it as your destination — while still leaving room for quieter, less-viral moments like a shaded walk through Fay Canyon. Whether you follow this exactly or swap in your own restaurants and trails, the template holds up well — start early and build in downtime to enjoy the quiet moments Sedona offers.
However you decide to spend your three days, the constant is Sedona's red rock formations. You'll find that they look different from every angle and at every hour. That natural beauty is really the thread that ties this three-day Sedona itinerary together.
Want more tips, personalized recommendations and access to perks such as complimentary upgrades and spa credits?
I would love to help you book your Sedona getaway!
Hi, I’m Jess
I’m here to help you plan epic adventures. If you’re looking for authentic travel guides that mix luxe lodging and incredible dining with out of this world hikes and adventures, you’re in the right place.
Holiday happenings and things to do at Christmas in Asheville, NC