Travel Tips for Sedona, Arizona, United States

Cost: € (affordable)

Safety: 3/5 for solo female travellers

Sedona is a fascinating place that people visit to meditate, enjoy yoga, hike and self explore. The landscape is beautiful and naturally colourful, as the Arizona desert town is surrounded by red-rock, pine forests and canyon walls.

I would recommend visiting for 2-3 days, but book for longer if you want to embark on a day trip to the Grand Canyon. I travelled alone for some of my trip and I felt safe, however I would recommend visiting with other people as the hiking trails can get tricky sometimes.

How to get there

I travelled from Tucson to Sedona via jeep and the drive took about 3 and a half hours.

It is possible to fly from Ireland, but it will be a long journey! You can fly from Dublin to Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (which is about 30km from Sedona) via American Airlines. The flight length will vary as there will be stop-overs.

Language, Currency & Weather

English is the most commonly spoken language in Sedona. The currency is the US Dollar, but I primarily used my visa debit card or Apple Pay.

Sedona has a temperate semi-arid climate so in winter, temperatures range between 14 and -1 degrees Celsius and in summer, temperatures range between 17 and 34 degrees Celsius.

In my opinion, the best time to visit Sedona is spring or autumn as temperatures are milder and it is easier to hike and explore the city.

Public Transport

In my opinion, the best way to get around Sedona is by car because most of the hiking trails and sites are off the main roads. However, if you don’t have that option, there is one public bus that travels between Sedona and Cottonwood. The Verde Lynx makes multiple trips per day and stops at the most notable areas. It costs 2 dollars per ride.

To get to and from the airport, I would recommend booking an airport shuttle service or taxi.

Where To Stay

The price of accommodation in Sedona will depend on what time of year you visit. Overall it is expensive, but it is possible to sometimes find good deals.

I would recommend booking the Sugar Loaf Lodge in West Sedona, or Sky Ranch Lodge (this is a bit away from the centre but is a very cool spot).

Arroyo Pinion Hotel is also a great spot, as well as GreenTree Inn. They are both located in West Sedona.

Where To Go & What To Do

There is plenty to do in Sedona, including hiking, shopping, yoga and stargazing. I would recommend driving along the Red Rock Scenic Byway and seeing Bell Rock, hiking Cathedral Rock, visiting the Chapel of the Holy Rock (Roman Catholic Chapel built in 1956 and in 2007 became one of the Seven Man-Made Wonders of Arizona) and hiking the Devil’s Bridge Trail.

I would highly advise you to experience the vortex sites, which are thought to facilitate meditation, healing and creative thinking. The vortices are located at Airport Mesa, Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock at Red Rock Crossing, Boynton Canyon, at the Chapel of the Holy Cross and Schnebly Hill.

I would also pay a visit to Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village or drive/take a tour of the Broken Arrow 4WD Trail. A relaxing and peaceful place to visit is the Buddhist Amitabha Stupa, located at the base of Thunder Mountain.

I would book a bus tour, or a mountain bike tour (if this is something you would be interested in) as there are lots of place to mountain bike including the Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte loop and around Cathedral Rock.

Definitely add Slide Rock State Park to your list as this place is a great swimming spot especially in hot weather and it also gives you the option to go cliff jumping.

If you don’t want to go hiking, then book a tour or drive along the scenic roads in Sedona, including the Red Rock Scenic Byway (mentioned above), Oak Creek Canyon scenic road and the Red Rock Loop Road.

What & Where To Eat

Top of the list is a visit to the Verde Valley Wine Trail, where you can visit several wineries for tours and tasting.

For dinner, I visited Mariposa, which has fantastic views of the red rocks of Sedona and serves amazing food. Elote Café is also a great spot for dinner (we made a reservation as this place is always booked out). 

For lunch, I stopped by The Hudson which has delicious food and stunning outdoor patio views.

Some other great spots I visited were Vino Di Sedona for live music and small plates, Saltrock Southwest Kitchen overlooking Oak Creek and Mole for some tacos.

Have fun in Sedona!