Top Places to See in Arizona

A great list of things to do when you visit Arizona, with entries for Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, and many areas in-between!

  1. See the Grand Canyon
  2. Hike in Oak Creek Canyon in Sedona
  3. Eat pizza at the famous Pizzeria Bianco
  4. Learn about Native American Indians at the Heard Museum
  5. Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff
  6. Saguaro National Park near Tucson
  7. See birds, animals, and plants of the southwest at Boyce Thompson Arboretum
  8. Take a 4-5 hr drive from Phoenix on the Apache Trail
  9. Arizona Science Center
  10. Visit The Phoenix Zoo
  11. Check out the great art at the Phoenix Art Museum
  12. Be a cowboy and experience the wild west at the Rawhide Wild West Town (in Chandler near Phoenix)
  13. Learn about desert plants at the Desert Botanical Garden
  14. Hike Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley
  15. Visit Tombstone & Bisbee where all the wild west tales really happened and life is a little bit slower
  16. Lake Powell (the second largest man made lake in America)
  17. Go sailing on Lake Pleasant (closer to Phoenix)
  18. Lake Havasu (see London Bridge up close)
  19. See the San Xavier del Bac Mission near Tucson (a mission founded in 1692)
  20. Montezuma Castle (a day trip from the valley)
  21. Havasu Falls (at the bottom of the Grand Canyon but worth the hike) or other waterfalls
  22. Pretend you are John Ford filiming in Monument Valley (near four corners)
  23. Petrified Forest National Park
  24. Picacho Peak where the only Civil War battle in Arizona was faught (on the way to Tucson you will pass it on the freeway)
  25. Hike in the Chiricahua Mountains (The 10,000 foot mountains are in the southeastern corner of Arizona)
  26. Kartchner Caverns State Park is 2 1/2 miles of amazing underground caves (near Benson, AZ)
  27. Ski Arizona Snowbowl or Sunrise Ski Park
  28. Visit Jerome (old copper town)
  29. Taste espresso at great coffee shops in Arizona
  30. Eat some great food around Phoenix
  31. Cool down at Slide Rock in Sedona (2 hrs north of Phoenix)
  32. Hike Squaw Peak (aka Piestewa Peak) in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve
  33. Ski at Snowbowl (in Flagstaff) or at Sunrise Park Resort (about 4 hrs from Phoenix)
  34. See one of the best preserved meteorite craters on earth (35 miles east of Flagstaff)
  35. Go on a balloon ride
  36. Skydive over Arizona
  37. Tour Frank Lloyd Wright's home in Scottsdale, Taliesin West
  38. Take a hike in Arizona! There are tons of resources online for hikers
  39. Go to the Grand Canyon Skywalk (if you dare!)
  40. Visit one of hundreds of Arizona Heritage Sites
  41. Visit Scottsdale. The "Best Run City In The World."
  42. See amazing artwork and get shop till you drop in Old Town Scottsdale
  43. Eat ice cream at The Sugar Bowl, Scottsdale's oldest ice cream shops (since 1958!)
  44. Check out the world's first global Musical Instrument Museum
  45. Visit Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
  46. Explore the past at Walnut Canyon National Monument
  47. Take a relaxing trip to Greer Arizona
  48. See animals from all over the world at the Out of Africa Wildlife Park
  49. Take in the beautiful and amazing colors and shapes of Antelope Canyon
  50. See the beauty of Canyon de Chelly
  51. Do some climbing, hiking, or bouldering on Mt Lemon in Tucson
  52. Stop off at the experimental town of Arcosanti
  53. The Arizona Sea Life Aquarium has 26,000 square feet of indoor aquarium
  54. The Children's Museum of Phoenix is one of the best in the country
  55. Take a Jeep tour!
  56. Go horseback riding near Saguaro Lake (October though April)
  57. Step back into the wild west at Old Tucson Studios
  58. Tour Payson Rim Country
  59. Taste some great ice cream in Scottsdale
  60. Visit Sea Life Aquarium in Tempe
  61. Bullhead City has lots to see
  62. Have lunch at the Wrigly Mansion (reservation required)
  63. Visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson
  64. The Pima Air and Space Museum is one of southern Arizona's great gems... see old airplanes (Tucson)!
  65. Painted desert
  66. The Antelope Canyon is one of the most beautiful things I have seen in my life - a reader
  67. River Raft the Colorado River at the Grand Canyon
  68. Indian Ruins at Walnut Canyon near Flagstaff
  69. Joshua Tree Forest
  70. Take a Segway tour of Scottsdale!
  71. Go back in time at the Arizona Renaissance Festival (February through March, each year)
  72. Tour the Capitol and see the museum about the USS Arizona
  73. Mystery Castle at South Mountain (may not be open for tours) which was featured in Life
  74. See petroglyphs in the White Tank Mountains
  75. Sleep in a Wigwam (Holbrook, AZ)
  76. Arizona is serious about golf and has hundreds of beautiful golf courses

saguaro sunset photoAs you can see from the list, Arizona is a mecca for outdoor activities. Despite being known for warm temperatures, Arizona visitors can find fun things to do during all four seasons. However, it's the 300 days of sunshine that often turns temporary visitors into full-time residents. Those interested in moving to Arizona can find houses facing the desert scenery or Phoenix apartments in an up-and-coming metro area.

 

Whether you're traveling or moving to Arizona, the state is rather large so it might be beneficial to find used car dealerships in Phoenix AZ to find some good transportation to drive around in. After all, it's worth the drive to see all of the great activities there are available.

 

This list is constantly maintained, and items are added frequently. With over 70 items, we're working on an update that will organize items by geography — so, you'll be able to see ideas for things to do in Phoenix, for example, without having to see the list of things to do elseware in the state.

 

Visit the Grand Canyon

grand canyon photoThe Grand Canyon is the second most visited destination in America, and with good reason! Continue reading below to find out which National Park receives the most visitors annually.

 

Grand Canyon Fact:

 

 

Grand Canyon National Park Facts:

 

 

Number of visitors:

 



Sedona

 

grand canyon photoI've been visiting Sedona ever since I was a child (having grown up in Arizona). It has been a favorite destination for my parents and now my wife and I, along with our daughter. To get to Sedona, head north on I-17 and follow the signs - it takes about 2 hours to drive from Phoenix. Sedona is a respite from the desert heat in the summertime, and a way to see snow and beautiful pine trees year round.

 

My favorite place to hike in Sedona is the West Fork Trail of Oak Creek Canyon. It is very popular for a couple of reasons:

 

 

You can learn a lot more about the trail online, here are a couple of resources for you:

 

 

What else can you do in Sedona? Well, there is tremendous shopping in Sedona and you'll find plenty of art galleries, restaurants, and travel companies offering to take you on a Jeep tour of the back country. In fact, the Jeep tour are very exciting, and worth the expense - they'll take you back in the woods, and along creek beds to see the classic red rocks of Sedona.

 

One stop I highly recommend is a visit to Red Rock Crossing State Park. There is a wonderful view of Cathedral Rock and you can view it from a vantage point that includes a stream. It's beautiful!

 

A few photos from Arizona

 

 

 

A video about Arizona

Hiking The Grand Canyon

 

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Another Great List from Tornado


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