Looking for a great option for a quick trip with a few of your favorite people? I just returned home from a long weekend, girls’ trip to Sedona and am excited to share a few highlights. This was a quick escape with a few general things mapped out, but for the most part, flexible in timing and amount of activities. We just wanted to relax, get a change of scenery, and go somewhere none of us had been. Here’s how to spend 3 days in Sedona.
Where We Stayed
We rented a house through Airbnb for our long weekend. There were a fair amount of options and one that immediately caught our eye was a house within walking distance to a great hiking trail. Trails are abundant in Sedona but we thought it would be extra nice if we didn’t even need to drive to one.
It had 3 bedrooms with a backyard and firepit with some scenic views. Being able to walk to trails was an great amenity. The house itself had everything we needed and easy check-in and out. First image below is of the house, and additional images from around the neighborhood and the firepit.
Where We Ate
There were plenty of good options for food and drink for our 3 days in Sedona. One thing to note is that places seem to close relatively early in Sedona, maybe due to the Dark Sky Community designation that Sedona holds or just that its not a late-night party kinda town. Regardless, be sure to check on hours of local restaurants beforehand.
The Hudson
The Hudson is a solid choice for a nice dinner in Sedona. We arrived around 7PM on a Friday evening and were able to snag two seats at the bar for dinner (otherwise it would have been a 30-minute wait for a table). We ended up sharing the steak fillet and the calamari and having a couple of fancy cocktails. It was the perfect amount of food to share and the quality was top-notch. A bit on the pricier-side but to be expected in this kinda restaurant.
Wildflower
We stopped at Wildflower for a quick breakfast before our day trip to the Grand Canyon. It’s an order at the counter kinda place that also offers some casual space to eat there. Breakfast sandwiches, bagels, burritos and pastries are all on the menu. My bagel and cream cheese was tasty.
Open Range Grill and Tavern
We chose Open Range after our day trip to the Grand Canyon. It’s a large casual restaurant and bar that has some amazing views. We all got burgers and they hit the spot. This place is decidedly casual and would be a decent place to take the whole family. It’s on the louder, more chaotic side energy-wise
HP Cafe
We stopped at HP Cafe for breakfast on our last morning in Sedona. Its an interesting little restaurant that feels more like it should be part of a generic hotel lobby rather than the southwest vibe that encompasses the rest of Sedona. But the service and food here was great, we all enjoyed what we got. They even had a deal on the first brunch cocktail you got, if you’re into that kinda thing. (I absolutely enjoyed a slightly spicy bloody mary)
What We Did
Hiking in Sedona
Sedona is full of things to do, especially of the outdoor variety. We went on a great hike which was within walking distance from the house. The specific trail we did was a loop of a few trails called “Chapel Trail to Broken Arrow Trail to Mystic Trail Loop” It offered amazing views and a relaxed workout.
Overall I recommend this trail or parts of it for most people, including kids. There needs to be awareness of where you are walking and taking your time in some areas but there weren’t any overly aggressive parts that gave me any pause or concern. Bring plenty of water, slather on that sunscreen and go earlier in the day so you have plenty of time to finish the loop during daylight.
Shopping in Sedona
We also did a little shopping while in Sedona, there are some great shops to check out and you can easily spend a few hours walking around, popping in and out of the local shops. We enjoyed walking around Uptown Sedona best as it’s a concentrated area of shops and restaurants along with neverending, beautiful, red rock views.
Day Trip to the Grand Canyon
We took a day trip to the Grand Canyon which is about a 2 hour scenic drive from Sedona. We left the house by 9AM and grabbed a quick breakfast before hitting the road. We wanted to get there with plenty of time to wander around before it got dark for the ride back. The roads can get pretty dark and have some twists and turns around some canyon dropoffs to be aware of, so we didn’t really want to be driving too late.
We arrived at the South Rim entrance, which is the only one open during the colder months and it was busy but not overly crowded. I’d say Feburary is a great time to visit the Grand Canyon as its not overwhelmed with people and the temperature was very comfortable. If I were to visit again I’d love to stay overnight at least and do some hiking but for a daytrip during our 3 days in Sedona I highly recommend it.
Overall we had a great 3 days in Sedona. We probably could have crammed in more but we were all there to relax and not be on any sort of strict schedule, so we did plenty of hanging out at the house and took our time coming and going. It was a fun escape to somewhere new without any pressure or timeline.
Bonus: Brief stop in Scottsdale
The night before our morning flights back home we stayed one night in Scottsdale to make it easier for travel the next day. We stayed at another AirBnb and did grab dinner out. Here’s the small glimpse of Scottsdale that we got. I would definitely spend a day or two more exploring here on my next trip to Arizona.
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