Arizona Travel Guide

Overview and Things to Consider

Arizona is roughly the size of Italy, with landscapes that vary dramatically. The north is the Colorado Plateau, high desert holding the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly and Antelope Canyon. The middle has Sedona's red rock formations and Flagstaff's ponderosa pine forests at 7,000 feet. The south is the Sonoran Desert, the driest and hottest zone, with Tucson, Saguaro National Park, the Chiricahua Mountains and the Mexican border country.

Phoenix (Sky Harbor airport, and the fourth largest city in the US) is the main gateway, though Flagstaff and Tucson both have airports with limited service. Few travelers put Phoenix itself high on the list, but it's the hub that gets you everywhere else. Heat and climate drive every Arizona plan.

Getting There and Around

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is the primary gateway, with direct flights from most major US cities and some international connections. Las Vegas (Harry Reid International) is the other common entry point. It's about 4 hours from the Grand Canyon South Rim and works as an alternative hub for northern Arizona.

A rental car is essentially required for any Arizona trip outside of Phoenix. The state's attractions are spread across vast distances and public transportation between them is minimal. The key routes: Phoenix to Grand Canyon South Rim is about 3.5 hours north (via Flagstaff). Phoenix to Sedona is 2 hours north. Phoenix to Tucson is 2 hours south. Monument Valley is about 5.5 hours north from Phoenix, usually approached via Flagstaff.

What's Changed Since 2016

The Grand Canyon and other popular sites now use timed entry permits in peak season. You can no longer count on driving to the South Rim in summer and finding a parking space, and advance reservations for shuttle buses and some trails are now required or strongly recommended. Antelope Canyon, the famous slot canyon near Page, needs advance booking and has been all but booked out weeks or months ahead in peak periods for years.

The Colorado River's water crisis is easier to see now. Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the two massive reservoirs on the Colorado, hit historic lows, and despite some recovery the water supply for the Southwest is a long-term concern for the region's future. The drought also raises wildfire risk in the forests around Flagstaff and in the canyon.

Ideas to Consider for Your Visit

The Grand Canyon South Rim is the classic, and it earns its reputation: you can't grasp the scale until you're standing at the edge. The Rim Trail is accessible to everyone and links the main viewpoints. If you do one hike below the rim, make it the South Kaibab Trail to Cedar Ridge (3 miles round trip, with significant elevation), which shows you the canyon from inside. Don't try to hike to the Colorado River and back in one day. The NPS explicitly advises against it, and every summer people are rescued (and die) trying.

Sedona's red rock landscape is one of the most dramatic in the Southwest. Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock and the Airport Mesa views are all reachable from the main road. The hiking is excellent, and Devil's Bridge (a natural sandstone arch) and the West Fork of Oak Creek trail are the two most rewarding hikes. Sedona also has the biggest spiritual tourism industry in the US - vortexes, crystal shops, healers - which you'll find interesting, irritating or both, depending on your disposition.

Antelope Canyon (Upper and Lower) near Page is one of the most photographed slot canyons in the world. At certain times of year, beams of light drop into the chambers. You need a guided tour with a Navajo Nation operator, booked in advance. Upper Canyon is more accessible. Lower Canyon is less crowded and has more varied formations.

Saguaro National Park (both districts) around Tucson is the best place in the world to see the saguaro cactus in its native habitat. The cactus forests look best at sunrise and sunset, when the light catches the spines. The Rincon Mountain district (east) has better hiking, and the Tucson Mountain district (west) has denser cactus. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum nearby is one of the best natural history museums in the country.

Realities to Be Aware Of

Summer heat in the low desert (Phoenix, Tucson, the canyon below the rim) is extreme, and Phoenix regularly records temperatures above 115°F in July and August. People die of heat exposure in Arizona every summer, including in the Grand Canyon, where it's much hotter below the rim than on it. From June through September, do strenuous things before 10am and after 4pm, carry more water than you think you need, and know the signs of heat exhaustion.

Arizona is big and the distances between sites are real. Grand Canyon to Monument Valley is 3 hours. Monument Valley to Antelope Canyon is another 1.5 hours. Tucson to Flagstaff is 3.5 hours. Budget realistic drive times and don't overplan a single day.

If Arizona Is Part of a Longer Trip

Arizona sits at the center of the Four Corners region. The classic Southwest road trip runs Grand Canyon - Monument Valley - Mesa Verde (Colorado) - Arches/Canyonlands (Utah) - Bryce Canyon - Zion - Las Vegas. The loop takes 10-14 days and is one of the great road trips in the country. Utah's canyon country picks up where Arizona's desert leaves off.

Yearly Things to Consider

Arizona has two travel climates, set by elevation. The low desert (Phoenix, Tucson) is best October through April, when it's pleasant and everyone's outside. Summer there is brutal. The high country (Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon rim, Sedona) is pleasant in summer and cold in winter, and Flagstaff regularly gets heavy snow. The best window for the whole state is March-May and October-November.

Ideas for Itineraries

3 Days in Arizona

Fly into Phoenix and drive to Sedona (2 hours north) for one night. Drive on to the Grand Canyon South Rim (2 hours north) and spend the afternoon and night at the rim. Walk the Rim Trail at sunrise, do a short hike into the canyon, then drive back to Phoenix. Three days is tight for the Grand Canyon, and you'll wish you'd given it more.

5 Days in Arizona

With five days: one night in Phoenix or Scottsdale, two in Sedona (enough for proper hiking) and two at the Grand Canyon (enough for the rim, a canyon hike, and both sunset and sunrise). If the desert interests you more than the canyon, swap Tucson and Saguaro in for one of the northern stops.

1 Week in Arizona

A week lets you do the northern Arizona circuit properly: Phoenix/Scottsdale - Sedona - Grand Canyon - Page (Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend) - Monument Valley - back to Phoenix via Flagstaff. You see the state's headline landscapes with enough time at each to take them in.

2 Weeks or More in Arizona

Two weeks lets you add Tucson and the south (Saguaro, the Chiricahua Mountains, and Bisbee, a border town with an interesting arts community), the White Mountains in the east, and an overnight backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon (Phantom Ranch reservations are extremely competitive, so book a year in advance). The North Rim, open only May through October, gets fewer visitors and is arguably more dramatic in places.

Nearby on BootsnAll

• Tucson - A fare-free bus city in 2026, with a 4,000-year food story and saguaro forest on both edges of town.
• Flagstaff - A 7,000-foot college and railroad town marking 25 years as the world's first Dark Sky City in 2026, with Route 66 turning 100 on its main street, cliff dwellings and a 1,000-year-old volcano a short drive out, and the Grand Canyon 90 minutes north.
• Page - In 2026, a dam town of 7,440 people watching its lake hit record lows.