6 Best Day Trips from Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona, is the perfect place to enjoy a variety of day trips featuring desert landscapes to mountainous terrains.
The city is the starting point of fantastic destinations for a beautiful and memorable exploration around the Southwest.
Phoenix’s year-round, warm, desert climate and sun-kissed ambiance is a beautiful reason to fall in love with the city and a great destination to spend quality time with friends or family.
Phoenix is a great starting base for touring around; day trips are well known and common for locals and tourists.
You can start a day trip from Phoenix to some of the most picturesque landscapes in Arizona, alongside its historic and popular attractions.
If you’re not sure which destination to head to, we have prepared a list of the best day trips from Phoenix, Arizona recommendation for you.
Sedona
The first destination is the mesmerizing town of Sedona, an easy day trip that is only 2 hours away from Phoenix.
Sedona is surrounded by striking red towering rock mountains, cut through by winding Oak Creek.
You can hike to the Devil Bridge Trail if you’re into an adventure or tour in the town, which is the home of fortune-tellers, crystals sellers, and unique metaphysical gifts.
Grand Canyon National Park
If you’re not staying for long in Phoenix, you can take a quick road trip to The Grand Canyon National Park, the second-best place to take a day trip from Phoenix.
Indulge in The Grand Canyon National Park’s beauty, the most visited natural attraction in Arizona and Southwestern USA.
Aside from a road trip to enjoy The Grand Canyon’s beauty, organized tours and helicopter flights over the canyon are another way to see its color and panoramic beauty that attracts tourists to witness its exquisiteness.
Grand Canyon National Park is not the only landscape to explore in Arizona; you can also witness the beauty of the swirled orange walls of the Antelope Canyon.
Antelope Canyon
The third best day trip from Phoenix is Antelope Canyon.
Located on Navajo-owned land in Arizona, only visitors in the group were allowed to tour and see the glowing orange color palette of the magnificent Antelope Canyon reflected from the sunlight.
Antelope Canyon has two canyons, and the Lower Antelope Canyon is physically challenging to tour around, while the upper Antelope Canyon has more space on the floor to walk around.
Horseshoe Bend
If you’re fond of canyons, you can continue your journey and visit the fourth place to take a day trip from Phoenix, the Horseshoe Bend.
One of the most famous and visited destinations is Glen Canyon Recreation Area to see the dramatic and picturesque views of the Colorado River.
A fascinating horseshoe-shaped meander near the town of Page and a part of the Colorado River that travelers follow a trail to reach the top of the canyon and enjoy the regal scenery of Horseshoe Bend the Southwest.
Saguaro National Park
For scenery other than canyons, you’ll fall in love with the beauty of Saguaro National Park’s desert and saguaros landscapes.
It is an easy to unlock day trip from Phoenix near Tucson, a beautiful park in Arizona that offers beautiful cactus-covered mountainsides.
Saguaro National Park is hikers and outdoor activity lover’s heaven; a destination wherein a couple of easy hikes, you can reach Rincon Mountain District of Saguaro, Tucson Mountain District, and Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum that is worth a stop.
Prescott
From the majestic sceneries of Arizona, taking a day trip to historical places like Prescott is a great option as well.
Taking less than a 2-hour drive from Phoenix, you’ll reach the historic town of Prescott.
It is a perfect destination for travelers fond of history, old cities, and little outdoor activities.
Prescott is the former capital of Arizona, a town rich in history and historical ambiance.
From Victorian homes, business districts, parks, museums, venues, and more.
Prescott features natural areas ideal for hiking such as forests, mountains, and lakes surrounding the town.
There are so many beautiful sights to see from Phoenix, which makes this destination so popular.
From the landscapes of the Southwest to the epic outdoor adventures, you’ll have no shortage of memorable day trips just a short drive outside the Phoenix metro area.
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