All The Details On The Drive From Scottsdale To Sedona, Arizona

Looking For More Details On The Drive Up From Scottsdale To Sedona, Arizona?

As a former Arizona resident (I lived in Scottsdale for 12+ years), my family made the drive up to Sedona a couple of times, so I can help you with all the details of planning a road trip, like the different options for getting there, when to make the drive, what to see on the way, and whether to do just a day trip or spend the night.

🏜 Ways To Get From Scottsdale To Sedona

There are a couple of different ways to get up to Sedona from Scottsdale, depending on budget, time, and further Arizona travel plans:

Drive Yourself From Scottsdale To Sedona

Driving yourself is the best way to experience this part of Arizona and have the time to explore more.

Making the drive yourself from Scottsdale up to Sedona is definitely the best option to give you more time and freedom to explore the area exactly how you want, plus you can then easily continue on to other destinations like the Grand Canyon.

While there are three different route options from Scottsdale to Sedona, the easiest and most direct route is straight up I-17, taking just over 2 hours and about 130 miles.

Take A Day Trip Tour To Sedona

If you take a day trip tour up here, you can also find options that include the Grand Canyon.

If you’re visiting the Scottsdale or Phoenix areas without a car, the easiest and most convenient way to get to Sedona is on a guided day trip tour, though this won’t leave much time to really explore Sedona (or the Grand Canyon).

try this small group Sedona tour
or try this Sedona and Grand Canyon combo tour

Bus/Shuttle To Sedona

If you don't want to take a tour and your not able to drive yourself, there is a bus/shuttle that leaves out of the Phoenix airport.

Though this is the most time consuming way to get to Sedona from Scottsdale, there is a bus/shuttle option that will drive you up to Sedona from the Phoenix airport.

This is ideal if you’re flying into Phoenix and wanting to head straight to Sedona without staying and exploring the Scottsdale/Phoenix areas.

☀️ What’s The Best Time Of Year To Visit Sedona?

The best time of year to make the drive from Scottsdale to Sedona is when the weather is more pleasant around spring or fall.

There are two factors that help determine what is the best time of year to visit Sedona, or any other destination in Arizona, and they are the weather and tourism.

Sedona gets hot summer days that can reach temperatures in the 100s, but this season is one of the cheaper and less crowded times to visit

The winter season can get cold and snowy, but December, January, and February are some of the cheapest and least crowded months to visit here in Sedona specifically

The busiest (and most expensive) season to visit Sedona is typically spring, but temperatures are very pleasant and perfect for spending time outdoors (the same with Scottsdale)

The fall season starts to gradually cool off a bit (temperatures can still be pretty hot though), but crowds are usually much thinner in Sedona this time of year

🛑 What To See On The Way To Sedona

Although the drive up from Scottsdale to Sedona is pretty short (just over 2 hours), there are a couple of interesting stops you can make along the way:

Montezuma Castle National Monument (ancient Sinagua Indian site)
Arcosanti (a small town living with a low environmental impact)
Chapel of the Holy Cross (church on top of Sedona red rocks)
Cathedral Rock Trailhead (short but difficult hike)
Bell Rock (famous Sedona mountain peak)

🌵 Spend The Night Or Do A Day Trip Drive From Scottsdale To Sedona?

While it’s super easy to do a day trip drive up from Scottsdale to Sedona, there is too much to see and do to fit it all in on just a single day (though a day trip is still worth it over not going at all).

Best Things To Do In Sedona

Although you can drive up to Sedona from Scottsdale on just a day trip, there's so much to do (like hiking) that spending the night will be a better option.

Hiking – there are nearly 200 hiking trails around Sedona, but some of the most popular are Devils Bridge Trail, Cathedral Rock Trail, and West Fork of Oak Creek Trail

The Red Rock Scenic Byway – scenic drive through the Sedona area

Stargazing – great place to see the night sky

Verde Canyon Railroad Adventure – ride through the Sedona area

Jeep Tour – very popular way to get out into Sedona nature

Other Adventurous Tours – guided tours like kayaking on the Verde River or e-biking through Sedona

Eat – Sedona is little bit of a hippie/hipster town so there are some good healthier options here (similar to Scottsdale) like Picazzo’s Healthy Italian Kitchen, Vespa Healthy Italian Café, Local Juicery, Karen’s Gluten Free Bakeshop, Fresh & Natural Thai Kitchen, Berry Divine Acai Bowl, and ChocolaTree Organic Eatery

🔁 Sum Up: The Drive From Scottsdale To Sedona

Sedona is a beautiful nature and outdoor destination that’s super easy to visit on a day trip drive up from Scottsdale or as a combo trip to other Arizona destinations like the Grand Canyon. There’s hundreds of hiking trails, awesome stargazing opportunities, indigenous ruins, and so much more to explore around this beautiful Red Rock area.