Arizona Road Trip Itinerary
General Information
• 4 days / 3 nights
• Late October: Cool weather with sun
• Approximately $1000 in total ($400-500 using my rewards from my Capital One Venture card to pay for car rental and one hotel, and my flight was paid for with Southwest Credits)
I think I can speak for most adults when I say it feels good to be able to escape reality for a few days by going on vacation and/or taking a break from social obligations. My trip helped me find the comfort in my own company as well as speaking to safe strangers when I needed to get the right camera shot :). I hope this helps you get out of your comfort zone too and plan your next trip to Arizona!
Itinerary
Day 1
• 7:00 am: Arrive to Phoenix
- pick up rental
- drive to grocery store to pick up toiletries and gluten-free food and snacks
• First Stop: Montezuma Castle National Monument
- 30 minute stop
- easily walkable
- it’s a short stroll around with a few stops along the well-paved path with information
* recommend: purchase national park entrance pass for $70; regular entrance for this one location was $10
• Second Stop: Sunset Crater Volcano
- 30 minutes - 60 minutes
- stop by the welcome center to pick up trail information
- I chose the easiest and shortest, which is paved and easily walkable
- Then I drove to all of the other stops to quickly hop out of the car for photos and deep breathing. It eventually leads you to your next stop
• Fourth Stop: Navajo Bridge
- 15 - 30 minutes
- It’s a good stopping point to get out and stretch while admiring the work and scenery, use the restroom, and take some nice photos
• Last Stop: Page, AZ
- rest your head
- I stayed at the Comfort Inn
- Convenient location to fast food, restaurants, Walmart, and Horseshoe Bend
Day 2
• Wake up before sunrise
- eat breakfast
• First Stop: Horseshoe Bend
- get there early to get parking, take the best pictures, and have less crowds
- easy dirt path leading to horse shoe bend; however, its very uneven, rough rock formations to walk once you begin exploring the area further
* there is a small fee for parking, and you cannot park on the side of the road
In between time: fuel up your stomach and car
• Second Stop: Antelope Canyon - Canyon X
- After doing some research, it seems like Antelope canyon has become super popular and crowded. I chose Canyon X because it was newer and reviews said less crowded. The pics were just as amazing as the well-known upper and lower canyons.
- must be booked beforehand (preferably a week before) with a tour guide company
* recommend: going before or at 11 am to beat the crowds
Back on the road to Sedona, AZ
• Third Stop: Wupatki National Monument
- 60 - 90 minutes (depends on how much information you want to take in)
- dirt paths and a lot of steps. It’s more of an intermediate walk.
- you can also visit the smaller pueblos during the drive
• Arrive in Sedona, AZ
Day 3
• Relax
- That’s all I pretty much did in Sedona. This city has a 360 degree view of a breathtaking environment and landscaping.
• Last Stop: Sunset at Airport Mesa and Vortex
- take pictures, relax, and breathe deep
- small fee for parking
- easy and short walk if you just want to see the view across from the parking lot
- getting to the actual vortex and mesa is downhill, rocky, and narrow, and then it’s a steep but short climb up the mesa
Day 4
• Back to the airport in Phoenix
- Home sweet home
