A few weeks ago, my close friends and I went to Scottsdale and Sedona for a long weekend getaway. We had the most amazing trip, ate delicious food, and saw beautiful scenery while we were there. If you’ve ever wanted to visit Scottsdale or Sedona, or if you’re in the process of planning a trip, keep reading! Here is your weekend guide to Scottsdale & Sedona.
Scottsdale
Where we stayed:
JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa – Let me tell you, this resort is GORGEOUS. It’s truly one of the most amazing hotels I’ve ever seen. I was so incredibly pleased with everything about our stay. The scenery, the service, the food, drinks.. everything! I would definitely stay here again, and highly recommend it to anyone going to the Scottsdale area.
Other resorts that came highly recommended to me before our trip:
- The Scott Resort & Spa
- Hotel Adeline
- The Westin Kierland Villas
- Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch
- W Scottsdale
- The Saguaro Scottsdale
Where we ate:
Toca Madeira – Make sure you make a reservation well in advance for this one! It was SUCH an amazing spot. Both the vibe and the food were incredible.
The Montauk – This place was adorable and the food was delicious. We went here for a late lunch and it was great!
SumoMaya – We ate here one night and it was very crowded and the AC wasn’t working properly… LOL. Other than that, the food was pretty good.
Nobu – We grabbed a drink before our reservation at Toca Madeira. They are right near one another.
Sugar Bowl – An Instagrammers paradise! This famous desert spot was adorable, and the perfect place to cure any ice cream craving.
Other restaurant recommendations:
- Culinary Dropout
- Diego Pops
- JOJO Coffeehouse
- The Mission
- Maple and Ash
- Cafe Monarch
What to do:
Old Town Scottsdale – All the bars are in this area if that’s what you’re in to! We stopped into a few of them, and they were a lot of fun. Sooo many people were out and about, and most of the bars were super crowded.
Fashion Square – A luxery shopping center where a lot of stores and restaurants are (ex. Toca Madeira and Nobu).
Arizona Canal – There’s not much to necessarily “do” at the canal, but it’s still pretty cool to see it. We walked down to the canal on our way to one of the bars one night.
Botanical Gardens – Try to go early in the morning/as soon as they open. Otherwise, it gets to be pretty hot and there isn’t much shade! Aside from the heat, the gardens were super pretty, and I recommend going if you want to learn about some of the plants/scenery you’ll see in the area.
Golf – I don’t golf, but all the guys on our trip were SO excited about the golf courses in Scottsdale. Apparently they have some of the best courses in the US?!
Pinnacle Peak Park – I read about this in so many different articles. This is one of Scottsdale’s most popular places for hiking and sight seeing. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to go here on our trip, but I would love to go next time I’m in AZ.
Chocolate Tour of Scottsdale – Yet another activity we didn’t have time to do. However, I am a HUGE chocolate fan and would love to be able to experience this the next time I visit.
Sedona
We just did a day trip here, so we did not stay anywhere. We also didn’t have time to do a whole lot of activities since we only had a short amount of time to sight see. I’m going to be sharing some recommendations other people sent to me that will hopefully be helpful for anyone planning a trip! I’ll also use these recs for the next time I go.
Where to stay:
- Airbnb
- Sky Rock Inn of Sedona
- The Wilde Resort and Spa
- Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock
- Enchantment Resort
Where to eat:
Mariposa – Make reservations well in advance! I was lucky enough to get a reservation because someone else cancelled at the last minute. The food was delicious, and the view is incredible.
Other recommendations I got from people who have spent more time there:
- L’auberge de Sedona
- Pump House
- Hideaway House
- Cucina Rustica
What to do:
Pink Jeep Tour – There are so many to choose from! However, beware. If it says “rugged” in the description, it will most definitely be RUGGED. I underestimated this and was in for a huge surprise once the tour got started haha!
Tlaquepaque shops – Lots of cute little shops in the most adorable shopping center. We also popped in to one of the restaurants for a glass of wine and some appetizers.
Airport Mesa trail – recommended to me if I wanted a great view without sweating LOL. You can park your car up there and overlook the mountains without having to hike.
More recommendations that I haven’t personally experienced:
- Star gazing excursion
- Montezuma’s Castle
- Jerome, AZ – A preserved ghost town near Sedona
- Vortex tour
- ATVs
Hikes:
- Devils Bridge
- Cathedral Rock
- Boynton Canyon
- West Fork Trail
- Doe Mountain Summit – easy hike with 360 views of Sedona. Not as “busy” as other hikes
And there you have it! I hope this post was helpful, and that you found it useful when planning your next trip to Scottsdale or Sedona. I also have another blog post from a trip to the Phoenix area a few years ago when I went on a Bachelorette trip. If you’re planning the ultimate Girls Weekend, make sure to check out that post as well! You can find it here.
xo,
Ashlen