What are the must-visit places in Arizona? For sure, the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and Antelope Canyon come to mind. But there are also many lesser-known yet awe-inspiring places to see in Arizona. I’ve put together this bucket list of 29 spectacular destinations for anyone with Arizona wanderlust vibes, and so far, I have visited 20 of them.
You’ll find something for everyone on this Arizona bucket list. This diverse collection includes bustling cities, quirky small towns, national parks, historical sites, and natural wonders.
There’s so much to explore in the great state of Arizona, so let’s take a look at the top places to visit.
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Sedona
One of the absolute best places to visit in Arizona to relax and recharge is Sedona. This special place has a gorgeous landscape that makes Sedona an international destination.
So, of course, it’s at the top of the list of the best places to visit in Arizona.
Hiking the beautiful red rocks of Sedona is unlike any other place in the world. The Sedona Vortex hikes are particularly popular.
When you’re looking for a meditative and spiritual place outdoors in Sedona, then consider a visit to the Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park for a remarkable experience. This is one of my favorite places in Sedona for meditation and walking trails.
To fully recharge, carve out some time at a spa and experience the energy emanating from the natural vortexes.
Grand Canyon
A major bucket list item, the Grand Canyon is one of the best places to visit in Arizona. In the whole country, for that matter.
When planning to visit, the South Rim is open year-round and has convenient amenities like hotels and restaurants nearby, making it one of the best weekend getaways in Arizona.
There are lots of things to do at the South Rim, but one of the most popular is, of course, hiking the Grand Canyon.
Just be aware that when you hike down the Grand Canyon, you also have to hike back uphill. And plan on taking twice as long to hike back up compared to hiking down the canyon. I’ve only hiked as far as the Mile-and-a-Half Resthouse, and it took me a few hours with stops to enjoy the views, take photos, and talk with other hikers.
The South Rim is super popular and nearly always crowded. If you want a different perspective, consider the North Rim, which is open during the warmer seasons and has far fewer visitors.
Petrified Forest National Park
At the Petrified Forest National Park, you’ll find the world’s largest concentration of petrified wood. How cool is that?
Okay, so maybe that’s not super exciting to everyone. But you have to admit, it’s quite intriguing. And personally, I find it fascinating!
The landscape is breathtaking.
Hiking the Blue Mesa Trail, Painted Desert Rim Trail, and the Giant Logs Trail will give you stunning panoramic views, but you will also get up close to see the petrified logs.
There’s so much to do within its 200,000 acres. You’ll have fun hiking, biking, and even horseback riding.
Make sure to spend time at the Rainbow Forest Museum to learn more about it all.
Read my 1-Day Itinerary Petrified Forest National Park
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
You may have a bit of deja vu when you’re in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.
Considering its landscape has been used for numerous movies and old westerns, you’ve probably been here before via the cinema.
It’s no wonder filmmakers chose this beautiful landscape time and again. The red sandstone formations are incredible.
One of the best and easiest ways to experience Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is to drive the Valley Drive.
For mesmerizing otherworldly landscapes head to Monument Valley
Antelope Canyon
You know those gorgeous photos of people standing in an illuminated red canyon where the walls ungulate around them?
The one that seems to be another world? Yeah, you know the one. That’s Antelope Canyon, and it’s clearly one of the best places to visit in Arizona.
Make sure to plan your visit to Antelope Canyon in advance (a guided tour is required).
For a chance to see the sunlight streaming down through the red sandstone, book the Upper Antelope Canyon tour around midday. This is also the easiest tour because it’s basically flat, with no stairs to climb and no ladders.
You can also tour Lower Antelope Canyon, which is a bit more narrow and requires climbing a couple of staircases and some ladders inside the canyon.
I did both tours, and I preferred the lower canyon because I felt it had more photo opportunities, but both tours were fantastic, well organized, fun, and informative.
Read my list of the best things to do in Page Arizona.
Saguaro National Park
A special place to visit is definitely Saguaro National Park. Flanking the city of Tucson, the park is separated into East and West sections. Driving in Saguaro National Park East will give you some of the best views of the landscape. While hiking, Saguaro National Park West is some of the best in the state.
Regardless of which section you explore, you’ll love being in the beauty of the Sonoran Desert. Keep an eye out for the mighty saguaro cactus; they are impressive! If you want to see them in bloom, plan for late April through May.
READ NOW: 15 Best Places to Visit in April in USA
Flagstaff
Flagstaff seems to be a perfect home base for some of the best things to see in Arizona, like the Grand Canyon.
But the truth is that Flagstaff is a great destination on its own. And deserves its place on the list of the best cities to visit in Arizona. In fact, I wrote a list of 45 things to do in Flagstaff!
Your itinerary will be full of adventures with amazing hiking trails, groovy coffee shops and beer joints, spectacular Indian ruins, a volcano crater, and more. Make sure to check out the night sky at Lowell Observatory too.
If you decide to make Flagstaff your home base for Northern Arizona, you’ll also want to read my list of 17 best day trips from Flagstaff.
Havasu Falls
To be frank, getting to Havasu Falls is tough. Seriously, tough.
But is it worth it? Absolutely! The beautiful turquoise waters of Havasu Falls are unlike anything else in the world.
How tough is tough? First, you’ll have to get a permit, which is in high demand.
Then you have to commit to a really difficult hike to get to the falls. The trip requires spending the night camping or at the lodge. I wouldn’t do this one as a solo trip, though; I recommend going with a small group of experienced hikers instead.
Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is an incredible place and definitely one of the best places to visit in Arizona for adventurous souls. There are no paved roads within the national monument.
This is home to the natural formations of The Wave and White Pocket and Buckskin Gulch.
An awesome thing is that the State of Arizona is actively working to preserve Vermilion Cliffs.
To do that, they release a select number of permits each day. This means that you won’t be overwhelmed by crowds. But it also means permits are sometimes hard to come by.
Prescott
Prescott has so much to offer, no matter what you’re in the mood for. To begin, there are beautiful hiking trails to explore and tons of fishing and water action on the lakes. Lakes?! Yes, there are five gorgeous lakes near Prescott.
Lake Watson is my favorite because it’s bigger, so it’s better for kayaking, and hiking around the Dells (rock formation) is super cool.
You’ll love the historical side of Prescott too, with the Victorian homes and old western saloons. Definitely check out both the Museum of Indigenous People (formerly known as the Smoki Museum) and the Sharlot Hall Museum to learn about Prescott’s long history, from indigenous people to pioneers.
I spent a few weeks in this beautiful town, so be sure to check out my list of fun things to do in Prescott.
Horseshoe Bend
Horseshoe Bend is so impressive that even seeing a photo is awe-inspiring.
But the truth is, if you can see it in person, you absolutely must. That’s why it’s one of the best places to visit in Arizona.
It’s just over a half-mile hike to the lookout point, where you’ll see mighty mother nature at her best. The best time (and subsequently most popular) to visit Horseshoe Bend is for sunrise or sunset. Though t’s less busy at sunrise. Check out my guide for visiting Horseshoe Bend.
The Wave (Coyote Buttes North)
The Wave is such an incredible rock formation that it’s hard to believe that it’s real. But it is. And it’s even better to experience it in person. So, if you can do it, The Wave is definitely one of the coolest places to visit in Arizona.
The number of daily permits for the Wave is capped to help protect it. Permits are awarded by lottery four months ahead on recreation.gov.
Canyon de Chelly National Monument
A trip to the Canyon de Chelly National Monument is a truly special experience that includes gorgeous views of the landscape and the incredible sacred sights of the Navajo.
Driving along the canyon rims, north and south, will give you amazing views.
Stops along the drives include Navajo sights such as Antelope House Overlook. Definitely make it to Spider Rock Overlook, which has some of the best views of the whole monument.
Page
Page is the home of not one but two other places to visit in Arizona, listed here. But beyond Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, Page is a great place to spend some time. Enjoy hiking, watersports, scenic drives, and visiting the Glen Canyon Dam. Read the full list of things to do in Page.
Glen Canyon National Recreation Center is always a great place to spend time in the great outdoors. Do the scenic drive around dusk and watch the sunset from Wahweap Overlook.
Recently, Lake Powell experienced super low water levels, thus attracting visitors eager to see what’s emerging from under the water. Now that water levels are higher again, the focus is all about watersports on Lake Powell.
Be sure to go to the Glen Canyon Dam Visitor Center to learn about how the dam was built and all sorts of interesting facts. I got to do a tour of the dam in 2019, but they’ve stopped offering the tours, which is a shame because it was a fabulous experience.
Slide Rock State Park
True to its name, Slide Rock State Park has just about the coolest natural slide in the country. It’s where you can come to enjoy the beauty of the Arizona landscape and cool off in the refreshing water.
Slide Rock also has awesome hiking, one of the best historic homesteads, and an apple orchard to explore. So when heading to Slide Rock, be sure to bring your hiking shoes and your bathing suit.
Tucson
When you’re craving incredible food in Arizona, set your sights on Tucson. This fabulous city has it all. You know it’s a serious culinary scene when it’s designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.
With roots in Native American, Mexican, and Spanish Colonial cuisine, you don’t want to miss out on the food scene in Tucson. The tacos are magnificent in Tucson. I loved Seis Kitchen (on South Avenida del Convento).
Head to Fourth Avenue for everything Tucson. From shops and restaurants to museums and historic sites, it’s there.
And all around Tucson, you will find exceptional art murals. This is one town that loves murals. There’s so much to see; for sure check out the Goddess of Agave and Greetings from Tucson mural.
Surrounded by Saguaro National Park, Tucson is also a nature lover’s dream. The park is actually two parks that hug Tucson, one to the west and one to the east.
As if that’s not enough, there’s also no shortage of spectacular day trips from Tucson, like Mount Lemmon and San Xavier del Bac Mission.
Goddess of Agave by Rock “CYFI” Martinez
Tonto National Forest
A visit to Tonto National Forest is super interesting and definitely one of the best places to enjoy the outdoors in Arizona.
Tonto National Forest is a wonderland for nature seekers. You’ll love exploring the largest forest in Arizona. I loved hiking the Wave Cave Trail in the Superstition Mountains; it’s a beautiful hike!
But it’s so much more than just a hike in the forest. Definitely check out the cool towns like Tortilla Flat and Goldfield Ghost Town.
Don’t miss getting out on the water at Canyon Lake or, if you’re feeling adventurous, driving the scenic (mostly unpaved) Highway 88.
Montezuma Castle
Montezuma Castle is seriously jaw-dropping. It boggles the mind to think about how people built something like it so high up.
And more impressively, it was so long ago. So, clearly Montezuma Castle is one of the most intriguing places to visit in Arizona.
Although we know a bit about the history (it dates back to 1100 – 1425 CE and was used by the Sinagua people during flood seasons), we are still left in awe of this incredible place.
When you visit, be sure to take some time to take the short drive to Montezuma Well, where you can see more cliff dwellings and walk down to the lake.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
The best thing about the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is that it’s designed to help preserve and protect the natural Sonoran Desert and its inhabitants.
The main one being the organ pipe cactus, which is a really special plant that’s impressive to see with its large arms curving and reaching out as far as possible. They’re really cool to see IRL.
Tons of other plants and animals are also protected in the monument. This way, we can enjoy the natural beauty for generations to come.
Winslow
Winslow, Arizona seems to ring a bell for just about all of us.
And the truth is, you’re probably remembering it from a line in the classic “Take It Easy” song by The Eagles.
In town, you can actually visit the corner mentioned in the song. There, you’ll find statues of the songwriters.
When you get hungry, you’ll want to visit the Turquoise Room at La Posada Hotel and then spend some time in the splendid gift shop. Also, view the magnificent art work of Tina Mion and others at the hotel art gallery.
Don’t miss exploring Homolovi State Park, where there are over 300 ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites, a visitor center and museum, hiking trails, and a campground.
Read about all the cool things to do on a Day Trip to Winslow from Flagstaff.
Phoenix
A major US city, Phoenix has something for just about everyone, making it seriously one of the best places to visit in Arizona.
Phoenix has world-class accommodations, shopping, and dining. Plus, Phoenix museums include those focused on science, art, children, and of course, history.
Arizona is known for incredible outdoor adventures in the desert landscape. And Phoenix is no different. Nature lovers will feel at home in the Sonoran Desert, at the Botanic Gardens, or hiking at Hole in the Rock.
And don’t worry if you’re traveling on a budget, because you’ll find plenty of free things to do in Phoenix, such as the Mesa Arts Center and Camelback Mountain.
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Jerome
If you’re looking for a place in Arizona with tons of character, head to Jerome. This once-thriving mining town was known as one of the toughest places in the state.
Today, it’s a bit tame, comparatively. But you’ll love exploring the town and be amazed at everything there is to do.
Learn about the prosperous mining industry at Jerome State Historic Park. Go looking for ghosts in town. Or simply enjoy tasting the local wines.
Lake Havasu State Park
For fun on the water, head to Lake Havasu State Park. There’s tons of fun to be had throughout the entire park.
Get out on the water on a boat or kayak. You can bring your own or rent one on the lakeside.
You’ll enjoy watching the animals, like roadrunners and desert cottontails, in the park. Just to the north, in the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, there’s even more.
Definitely check out London Bridge at Lake Havasu. Yes, that London Bridge. It was moved here in 1971.
Bisbee
Bisbee is the place to be if you want to learn all about Arizona’s heyday in the mining industry. Here, you’ll be able to take a historic tour of the town and even head down into the Copper Queen Mine.
If you’re not alright with being underground, visit the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum above ground instead.
Known as one of the best places to visit in Arizona for ghost hunters, you can take a tour of Bisbee in search of spirits said to haunt the town.
One thing you’ll notice while wandering around Bisbee is that there are a lot of stairs. In fact, there is a unique annual event known as the Bisbee 1000 (The Great Stair Climb) that happens on the 3rd Saturday in October.
Cottonwood
Located in central Arizona, Cottonwood is perfectly positioned for just about everything you’re looking for on your next Arizona getaway.
While summertime is hot but not excessively so and winters are not too cold, Cottonwood’s elevation makes it great just about any time of year.
With Mingus Mountain, the Verde River, and Sedona near Cottonwood, outdoor adventure can easily fill any itinerary. The oddly named Dead Horse Ranch State Park is the perfect place for birdwatching, fishing from the shore, or in a kayak.
In town, you’ll have a great time exploring historic buildings, shops, and restaurants.
Also nearby, don’t miss visiting the Copper Art Museum and Tuzigoot National Monument.
Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
Mother Nature’s power is mighty, and one of the best examples of this is the Tonto Natural Bridge.
It stands an impressive 183 feet tall and 150 feet wide.
You can see the bridge up close by hiking to it, or catch a glimpse from your car if you’re short on time.
The entire Tonto Natural Bridge State Park is a great place to spend some time. Hiking trails will take you throughout the park to see the landscape and wildlife.
Tubac
Tubac is steeped in history and the arts. Since its founding in 1752 as a Spanish Presidio, it has transformed into an artist colony that is well known in the art world.
Today, you can enjoy Tubac with its lovely restaurants, shops, and art galleries. To learn about the area’s history, visit Tumacacori National Historical Park and Presidio State Park.
If you visit in early November you can attend the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Procession starting at Presidio State Park.
One last thing: don’t be surprised when you see kilometers instead of miles shown on signage along Interstate Highway 19 on your way to Tubac. It’s the only interstate highway where you’re going to see such a thing. Back in 1979, the United States thought about switching to the metric system, and from Tucson to Nogales, the signage on I-19 is all kilometers.
Globe
Globe is a great small town full of history and character, making it definitely one of the best places to visit in Arizona.
Globe’s past is a major feature of this quaint town. In downtown, you’ll see historic buildings, some of which date back to the turn of the century, like the jailhouse of 1910.
Don’t miss Besh-Ba-Gowah, the ancient pueblo site. It’s super interesting to learn about the Salado people and explore the 200 rooms that date back some 800 years.
To get the best view of the beautiful landscape in Globe, take the scenic drive through Salt River Canyon.
Tombstone
If you’re looking for a Wild West adventure, there’s no better place to be than Tombstone.
Strolling down the main drag, Allen Street, you’ll love the historic buildings that have been there since the beginning.
If you look around, you’ll even see bullet holes made during the rough and tumble days.
One of the coolest experiences in Tombstone is when actors recreate a cowboy scuffle. And for someplace to eat (or just grab a beer), you don’t want to miss Big Nose Kate’s Saloon for the food and atmosphere.
And be sure to keep an eye out for ghosts said to haunt the town.
Final Thoughts
It’s easy to see that this great state has so many awesome things to do and see. This list is packed with 29 of the best places to visit in Arizona. Using this list, any itinerary will be filled with everything from searching for ghosts to water sports and bucket list items.
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