HotHotels
Arizona Biltmore, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Phoenix

Things to do guide

The best things to do in Phoenix

Updated 7 October 2026 · 16 things to do

Pictured: Arizona Biltmore, LXR Hotels & Resorts

Phoenix is a city built in defiance of its surroundings, and the surroundings are the best thing about it. The Sonoran Desert pushes right into town: saguaro cacti stand on the hillsides like sentries, rust-red mountains rise between the suburbs, and the sunsets look as if somebody has turned the saturation up. You can hike a peak before breakfast and be by a pool by ten.

The Valley of the Sun, as the whole sprawl is known, also has more culture than its reputation suggests. There is a superb museum of Native American art, a collection of instruments from every country on earth, and the desert home Frank Lloyd Wright built for himself. Add Scottsdale's bars and some of the best Mexican food north of the border, and winter here starts to look very clever indeed.

Don't miss

  1. 1Desert Botanical Garden
  2. 2Camelback Mountain
  3. 3Heard Museum
  4. 4Taliesin West
  5. 5Sedona

The desert on your doorstep

The reason to come: wild Sonoran landscape inside the city limits.

  1. Desert Botanical Garden

    Nature

    Cacti at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix
    Photo: Simeon87, CC BY-SA 3.0

    If you only do one thing in Phoenix, do this. Set among the red buttes of Papago Park, the garden gathers thousands of desert plants from around the world along looping trails: towering saguaros, fat barrel cacti, spiky agaves and wildflowers that erupt in spring. It turns a landscape that can look hostile into something intricate and beautiful.

    It suits everyone from keen gardeners to bored teenagers with a camera, and it is especially lovely in the soft light at either end of the day.

    Tip: Go early or late. The middle of the day is hot for much of the year and there is little shade on the trails.

  2. Camelback Mountain

    Nature

    Camelback Mountain seen from Papago Park
    Photo: Dru Bloomfield from Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, CC BY 2.0

    The hump-backed mountain that gives the city its skyline, and its most famous hike. Two trails climb to the summit, both short, steep and properly strenuous, with stretches of scrambling over bare rock. The reward is a full-circle view of the valley, from downtown's towers to the distant ranges.

    This is one for fit, confident walkers. Everyone else can admire it from a resort terrace in Paradise Valley with a drink in hand, which is also a fine way to see it.

    Tip: Start at dawn, carry far more water than you think you need, and do not attempt it in the heat of a summer day.

  3. Papago Park

    Nature

    People watching the sunset from Hole-in-the-Rock in Papago Park
    Photo: Bigmacthealmanac, CC0

    A pocket of desert between Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe, marked by rounded sandstone buttes the colour of terracotta. The star turn is Hole-in-the-Rock, a natural opening worn through one of the buttes, reached by a short, easy path. Sit inside it at sunset and watch the city light up. It is the gentlest way to get a desert view, and good for families.

  4. South Mountain Park

    Nature

    One of the largest city parks in the United States, a whole range of desert mountains on the southern edge of Phoenix. Miles of trails cross it for walkers, mountain bikers and horse riders, and a road winds up to Dobbins Lookout for a sweeping view over the valley. Come for sunset if you would rather drive to your panorama than climb to it.

Museums and architecture

  1. Heard Museum

    Museum

    The Heard Museum in Phoenix
    Photo: Yassie, CC BY-SA 3.0

    One of the finest museums of Native American art and culture in the country, housed in a graceful Spanish Colonial-style building with shady courtyards. The collections concentrate on the peoples of the Southwest: Hopi katsina dolls, Navajo textiles and jewellery, pottery and powerful contemporary work.

    It is thoughtful rather than dusty, and it gives real context to the landscape and the place names you will meet all over Arizona.

  2. Musical Instrument Museum

    Museum

    The main entrance of the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix
    Photo: PamMcP, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A surprise hit in north Phoenix. The museum displays thousands of instruments from every corner of the world, arranged by country, and hands you a headset that plays each one as you walk up to it. One minute it is a West African kora, the next a Scottish pipe band. There are famous musicians' own instruments too, and a room where you can bang, pluck and strum for yourself.

    Tip: It is much bigger than it sounds. Allow half a day, and it is a first-rate refuge from summer heat.

  3. Taliesin West

    Landmark

    Taliesin West in Scottsdale
    Photo: Jwagg0309, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and studio, built from the 1930s onwards in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale. Wright and his apprentices made it out of desert rock, sand and redwood, low and angular, so that it seems to grow from the ground. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed with seven of his other buildings.

    Visits are by tour. Architecture fans will be in heaven; anyone else will at least covet the living room.

    Tip: Tours fill up in winter and spring. Book ahead.

  4. Phoenix Art Museum

    Museum

    The main entrance of the Phoenix Art Museum
    Photo: Chanel Wheeler, CC BY-SA 2.0

    The biggest art museum in the Southwest sits on Central Avenue, a short ride from downtown on the light rail. The collection ranges across American, European, Asian and Latin American art, with strong fashion and contemporary galleries. Look out for Yayoi Kusama's infinity room of tiny floating lights, a firm favourite with visitors of all ages.

Neighbourhoods to wander

  1. Old Town Scottsdale

    Neighbourhood

    A street in Old Town Scottsdale
    Photo: Marine 69-71, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The liveliest few blocks in the valley. Old Town mixes wooden-fronted Wild West shops selling boots and turquoise with art galleries, smart restaurants, cocktail bars and clubs. By day it is for browsing and long lunches; after dark it is the nightlife capital of Arizona, especially at weekends.

    It is also one of the few places round here where you can leave the car and walk, which counts for a lot.

  2. Roosevelt Row

    Neighbourhood

    Downtown Phoenix's arts district, a stretch of old bungalows and warehouses turned into galleries, studios, coffee shops, bars and restaurants. Big, bright murals cover the walls, and the area is known for its monthly First Friday art walk, when the streets fill with people. Come for an evening of street art and local beer.

  3. Tempe Town Lake

    Activity

    A long ribbon of water made by damming a dry stretch of the Salt River beside Tempe, the university town east of the airport. Paths run along both banks for walkers and cyclists, and you can hire kayaks, paddleboards and pedal boats. Afterwards, Mill Avenue is a short walk away for student-priced food and drink.

Eat, drink and play

  1. Sonoran-style Mexican food

    Food

    A Sonoran hot dog topped with beans, tomatoes and salsa
    Photo: Mudwater, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Phoenix sits close to the Mexican state of Sonora, and the cooking has crossed the border intact. Look for carne asada grilled over mesquite, soft flour tortillas, cheese crisps and the Sonoran hot dog, wrapped in bacon and buried under beans, onions and salsa. The chimichanga, a deep-fried burrito, is widely claimed as an Arizona invention.

    The best of it is often in modest, family-run places. Follow the queue.

  2. Spring training baseball

    Activity

    Every February and March, half of Major League Baseball's teams decamp to the Phoenix area to prepare for the season in what is called the Cactus League. Games are played in small, sunny ballparks dotted around the valley, where you sit close to the action in shirtsleeves with a cold drink. Even non-fans tend to enjoy an afternoon of it.

Day trips

  1. Sedona

    Day trip

    Cathedral Rock in Sedona at sunset
    Photo: Terrydarc, CC BY-SA 3.0

    About two hours north, the desert suddenly rears up into towers, domes and cliffs of glowing red rock. Sedona sits in the middle of it all, a small town of galleries and jeep tours surrounded by some of the most photographed scenery in the Southwest. Walk to Cathedral Rock or Bell Rock, then drive up wooded Oak Creek Canyon.

    Tip: Sedona is busy at weekends and the trailhead car parks fill early. Go midweek if you can.

  2. The Grand Canyon

    Day trip

    The Grand Canyon from the South Rim near Mather Point
    Photo: Escobedodora9876, CC BY-SA 4.0

    It is a long day from Phoenix, several hours' drive each way to the South Rim, but people do it, and nobody regrets it. Nothing prepares you for the first look over the edge: a mile deep, miles across, banded in red, orange and purple. If you can spare a night nearby, do. Sunrise and sunset are when the canyon is at its most astonishing.

  3. The Apache Trail and the Superstition Mountains

    Day trip

    The Superstition Mountains from Lost Dutchman State Park
    Photo: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0

    East of the city, the jagged Superstition Mountains rise straight out of the desert floor, wrapped in legends of a lost gold mine. The old Apache Trail road heads into them past Lost Dutchman State Park, the reconstructed mining settlement of Goldfield and the blue water of Canyon Lake. It is the classic taste of the Old West within easy reach of town.

Where to stay in Phoenix

Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay in Phoenix →

Getting around

Greater Phoenix is enormous and spread out, and a hire car is by far the easiest way to see it. The light rail is useful for a narrow strip linking the airport area, downtown Phoenix and Tempe. Old Town Scottsdale and downtown Phoenix are both walkable once you are there.

When to go

Winter and spring are the prime seasons, with warm, sunny days and cool nights; spring also brings wildflowers and baseball. Summer is extremely hot, which means quieter resorts and a life lived between pool and air conditioning. If you hike in the warmer months, go at dawn and carry plenty of water.

Questions about visiting Phoenix

What is Phoenix best known for?
Sunshine, the Sonoran Desert and its saguaro cacti, golf and spa resorts, Camelback Mountain, and winter warmth that draws visitors from colder places. It is also the usual gateway to Sedona and the Grand Canyon.
Is Phoenix worth visiting?
Yes, particularly between late autumn and spring. The desert scenery is spectacular and close at hand, the museums are better than most people expect, and Scottsdale adds good restaurants and nightlife.
What is there to do in Phoenix with kids?
The Musical Instrument Museum, the Desert Botanical Garden, the short walk to Hole-in-the-Rock in Papago Park and paddling on Tempe Town Lake all work well, and many resorts have pools with slides and lazy rivers.
How many days do you need in Phoenix?
Three days covers the main sights in Phoenix and Scottsdale at an easy pace. Add a day or two if you want to visit Sedona or the Grand Canyon.
Do you need a car in Phoenix?
For most visitors, yes. The sights are widely scattered and public transport is limited beyond the light rail line between downtown Phoenix and Tempe.

More guides