That Cool Travel Couple

During the pandemic, everyone was limited on where they could travel to. That was a difficult time for us, but luckily we ended up exploring more around the United States and happily stumbled across Sedona! This is a hidden jewel of Arizona, our neighboring state.

How to Get There

There are multiple ways to visit Sedona and it largely depends on how much time you have. If you are planning to spend a three day weekend here, we recommend flying. It’s best to fly into Phoenix and rent a car to make the two hour trip up north to Sedona.

We had a little more time and planned to journey into Utah and Colorado while in that neck of the woods. It made sense for us to road trip there though it’s an eight hour trip from LA. We visited during August meaning it was very hot! Make sure you have plenty of engine coolant before you leave, and check out our tips for surviving a road trip in a heat wave.

Where to Stay

There are tons of awesome hotels to stay at in Sedona. But be forewarned – they get pretty pricey! We had heard good things about the Enchantment Resort and we were celebrating a special occasion so made the splurge. Chances are you’ve seen a photo of this resort before. It has a pretty iconic sparkling blue pool set against the dramatic red rocks of Sedona. It’s also located near lots of great trails in the area, and has an awesome spa and a couple of restaurants on site. It was a nice place to stay, but we found the rooms a little outdated. You also had to get a golf cart to bring you to your car every time you wanted to go out.

We’ve also heard great things about the Amara Resort and would probably stay here if we were to come back! There are also a handful of campgrounds and RV resorts in the area too, which are definitely more affordable.

What to Do

Explore the trails of Sedona! We love using AllTrails to figure out the best trails for us and you can sort by skill level and length of time. You really can’t go wrong with the trails in the area, but make sure to bring plenty of water as it gets really HOT in the desert! This lookout is from the Birthing Cave.

Fly over Sedona! We had originally planned a hot air balloon ride, but it was canceled due to high winds. Instead, we hopped on a helicopter and had absolutely jaw dropping views of the red rocks from up above. We highly recommend this experience for anyone visiting Sedona for the first time!

Relax in a dreamy spa. We really enjoyed spending time at the Enchantment Resort spa, as it has several different pools and relaxation areas. Book your treatments early as it does fill up!

Go for a sunset horseback ride in the hills. We visited a ranch in Coconino and the guide was absolutely excellent. He did a great job of guiding us even though we were first timers, and had lots of knowledge about the trails in the area.

You’ll definitely want to check out the nearby Cottonwood, Arizona. This is a small town near Sedona but has amazing food and drink offerings. Check out Carlson Creek tasing room, and have lunch at Merkin Vineyards. There are also plenty of great small shops offering a variety of local crafts.

Optional Additions

Sedona is quite close to Flagstaff, which is a great base for exploring Grand Canyon National Park! Kaibab Lake is located northwest of Sedona and is a gorgeous area to have a picnic and fire in cold weather, or go for a swim in the summer.

This is also really close to Williams, Arizona which has a cute downtown that makes for a nice stroll. Check out Grand Canyon Wine Co for a delicious sampler of local wines.