Sedona · Weekend itinerary
A Weekend in Sedona for Grown-Ups
Two days is enough for the essentials: a red rock hike, a jeep ride, a sunset and two dinners with a view.
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Day 1: Hike and sunset
Check the Sedona Shuttle schedule before you set out.
Morning
Cathedral Rock Trail
Back O' Beyond Rd, off SR 179
Heads-up: Trailhead parking is closed on days the shuttle runs. Check sedonashuttle.com for the schedule.
Take the free Sedona Shuttle if it is running.
A short but steep scramble up the slickrock to the saddle of Sedona's most photographed formation. The free Sedona Shuttle serves the Cathedral Rock trailhead from a park-and-ride, and the trailhead lot is closed on shuttle days; a Red Rock Pass is needed to park at trailheads.
Afternoon
Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village
336 State Route 179
Lunch and galleries.
Galleries, craft shops and courtyards in an arts village on SR 179, with restaurants including René at Tlaquepaque and Oak Creek Brewery & Grill. Shops open around 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunset
Airport Mesa Scenic Overlook
Airport Rd, Airport Mesa
$3 to park; arrive early.
Sedona's classic sunset view across the whole red rock skyline, from the lot the airport runs on top of the mesa. Parking is $3 for the day (keep the receipt); cards and cash accepted. The short Airport View and longer Airport Loop trails start here.
Dinner
Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill
700 W State Route 89A
A window table for the afterglow.
Chef Lisa Dahl's restaurant on a bluff above the canyon, opened in 2015: South American-inspired grill cooking from Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a terrace facing the red rocks. Lunch and dinner.
Day 2: Jeep and creek
Off-road in the morning, slow afternoon.
Morning
Pink Jeep Tours: Broken Arrow
Departs Uptown Sedona
Book the Broken Arrow route.
The company's best-known off-road route, climbing the slickrock of the Broken Arrow trail in a pink open-air jeep. The standard tour lasts about two hours; a shorter twilight version and a three-hour combo with the Scenic Rim also run.
Afternoon
Chapel of the Holy Cross
Chapel Rd, off SR 179
Go in the last hour to find parking.
A chapel built into the red rock buttes, looking out over the valley. Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; free (donations welcome). The lot is small and fills at weekends, and a golf-cart shuttle helps with the steep ramp.
Dinner
Cress on Oak Creek
L'Auberge de Sedona, 301 L'Auberge Ln
Dinner beside Oak Creek.
L'Auberge de Sedona's restaurant, beside Oak Creek. Dinner daily from 5 to 9 p.m. (last seating), Sunday brunch, and the Cress Bar from 2 to 9 p.m. Reservations strongly recommended.
Late
Evening Sky Tours stargazing
Village of Oak Creek (Big Park), south on SR 179
Heads-up: Start times change with the season.
If you have the energy, a later tour.
A professional astronomer walks you through the constellations, then at least six objects through big telescopes: planets, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies. Tours run year-round; in September they start at 8:30 and 10 p.m., in October at 8 and 9:30 p.m., and from November at 7:30 and 9 p.m.
Staying longer? Our 3-day Sedona itinerary adds Elote Cafe and a day in the Verde Valley.
Everything here was checked in September 2026. Hours, shuttle days and tour times change with the seasons, so confirm before you go.
Questions people ask
Is a weekend enough for Sedona?
Yes for a hike, a jeep tour, a sunset and two great dinners. Add a day for the Verde Valley wineries or Jerome.
What should you not miss in Sedona?
Sunset from Airport Mesa, the Chapel of the Holy Cross, a red rock hike like Cathedral Rock and a night of stargazing.