Visit Phoenix

Giant saguaros at the foot of skyscrapers, trails climbing red mountains right inside the metro area, Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and a landmark museum of Native American art: Phoenix is best explored from November to April, by car, before heading on to Sedona or the Grand Canyon.

Why visit Phoenix in winter?

From November to March, Phoenix offers sunny days around 20 °C (68 °F) while much of the United States shivers, with hikes reachable from town and a rare Native American and architectural heritage. It is also the closest big city to the Grand Canyon, about four hours' drive away.

Phoenix must-sees

Cactus gardens, Native American collections and city summits, best tackled early in the morning while it is still cool.

Desert Botanical Garden

Thousands of cacti, agaves and Sonoran Desert plants along landscaped trails, with lantern-lit visits on some winter evenings.

Heard Museum

The reference museum on Native cultures of the Southwest: pottery, Hopi kachina dolls, jewelry and contemporary Indigenous art.

Musical Instrument Museum

The MIM displays instruments from nearly every country in the world, with a headset that plays music at each display case.

Camelback Mountain

A camel-shaped mountain amid residential neighborhoods, whose two steep trails offer the finest view over the whole valley.

Taliesin West

Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and studio in Scottsdale, UNESCO-listed with other works by the architect, open by guided tour only.

South Mountain Park

One of the largest municipal parks in the country, crossed by trails and by a road climbing to the Dobbins Lookout viewpoint.

Lost Dutchman State Park

Beneath the cliffs of the Superstition Mountains, an hour east, a hiking park covered in saguaros, superb at sunset.

What to discover in Phoenix and the Valley of the Sun?

Downtown Phoenix and Roosevelt Row

Long neglected, downtown has come alive around its sports arenas, the Arizona State University campus and the mural-covered Roosevelt Row arts district. On the first Friday of every month, an evening gallery walk draws crowds and food trucks. Heritage Square preserves a few late 19th-century Victorian houses, reminders of the original small farming town. Half a day is enough, and the Valley Metro light rail links the district to the airport in about twenty minutes.

Scottsdale and Old Town

About twenty minutes northeast, Scottsdale gathers resort hotels, golf courses and an Old Town with Western-style facades lined with Southwestern art galleries, jewelers and bars. On Thursday evenings, the Art Walk opens the galleries on Marshall Way. It is the most comfortable base for a three- or four-day stay, provided you have a car: distances across the metro area run into tens of kilometers and public transit is poorly suited to visitors.

Tempe and the urban lake

A college town adjoining Phoenix, Tempe revolves around Arizona State University's main campus and Mill Avenue, its strip of student bars and restaurants. Tempe Town Lake, created on the often dry bed of the Salt River, can be explored by kayak or paddleboard, and walked or biked around in about an hour. The area is linked to downtown Phoenix by light rail in a quarter of an hour, which makes it a practical car-free option.

Papago Park and its sandstone buttes

Between Phoenix and Tempe, Papago Park raises red sandstone buttes riddled with hollows, including Hole-in-the-Rock, a ten-minute walk away and very popular at sunset. The park also holds the Desert Botanical Garden and the Phoenix Zoo, so the three visits fit into a single day. Trails here are short and gentle: it is the best family introduction to the desert before tackling the tougher climbs of Camelback or South Mountain.

Sedona and the road to the Grand Canyon

Phoenix is the natural starting point for northern Arizona's great landscapes. Sedona and its red rocks are about two hours away on Interstate 17, the Grand Canyon's South Rim nearly four hours. A day trip to the canyon is possible but long: better to sleep there or in Flagstaff and give it two days. In summer, the plateau, cooler thanks to its altitude, becomes the classic escape from the valley heat.

Frequently asked questions about Phoenix

Can you hike in Phoenix in summer?
It is strongly discouraged outside dawn hours. With temperatures above 40 °C (104 °F), rescuers are called out every summer for dehydrated hikers, and the city closes some trails during heat warnings. If you come in July, walk before 7 am or head up to cooler Sedona and Flagstaff.
Do you need a reservation to hike Camelback Mountain?
No, access is free, but the Echo Canyon and Cholla trailhead parking lots are small and fill up at daybreak on weekends. Both trails are steep, with scrambling sections: allow two hours round trip and wear good shoes.
Phoenix or Scottsdale, where to stay?
Scottsdale has the nicest evening atmosphere, with a walkable Old Town and resort hotels. Tempe suits a car-free stay thanks to the light rail. Downtown Phoenix is handy for a concert or a game but quieter during the day.
How long does it take to drive from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon?
Allow nearly four hours to the South Rim, via Flagstaff. A same-day round trip means eight hours of driving: it is better to spend at least one night there, or to stop over in Sedona, halfway along.
When can you watch baseball spring training in Phoenix?
In February and March, about fifteen Major League teams train across the metro area and play Cactus League exhibition games in intimate ballparks. Demand is high at that time: hotels in Scottsdale and Tempe raise their rates.
When is the best time to see cacti in bloom?
Spring, from March to May: wildflowers after a wet winter, then the white blossoms of saguaros around May and June. The Desert Botanical Garden and Lost Dutchman State Park are at their best then, especially early in the morning.

Plan your trip to Phoenix

Build your day-by-day itinerary and manage budget, bookings and packing in PlanTripNow.
Aperçu de l'application PlanTripNow