A classic Arizona road trip loop from Phoenix through Sedona, Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon South Rim, Page, and Monument Valley, plus an optional Saguaro and Tucson leg, with how many days you need and the best time to go.
Arizona Road Trip Itinerary: 7 to 10 Days
The classic Arizona road trip itinerary is a 7 to 10 day loop from Phoenix: north to Sedona for the red rocks, up to Flagstaff, west to the Grand Canyon South Rim, northeast to Page for Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, and on to Monument Valley, then back south to Phoenix. With 9 or 10 days, add an optional Saguaro National Park and Tucson leg in the south. Go in spring or fall to skip the summer desert heat.
Few states pack as much scenery into one loop as Arizona. In a single week you can walk beneath red rock spires in Sedona, stand on the rim of the Grand Canyon, thread a glowing slot canyon near Page, and watch the sun set over the buttes of Monument Valley. This Arizona road trip itinerary lays out the classic circle from Phoenix, tells you how many days you need, and flags the best time to go so you can plan the trip around the region\'s desert heat. When you want the trails mapped out day by day, our Arizona canyoneering 10 day itinerary, Grand Canyon South Rim itinerary, and Sedona hiking itinerary do the heavy lifting.
The classic Arizona road trip itinerary loop
The best Arizona road trip itinerary is a loop that starts and ends in Phoenix, the state\'s main airport hub. Driving it as a circle keeps your daily hours behind the wheel short and strings every signature landscape together without backtracking. Here is the route stop by stop.
Day 1: Phoenix to Sedona
Pick up your car in Phoenix and drive about two hours north to Sedona, where the desert gives way to a cathedral of red sandstone. Sedona is the softest possible start: short scenic trails, a walkable arts district, and some of the most photographed rock in the Southwest. Hike Cathedral Rock at sunset or the easy Bell Rock loop, and save a full day here. Our Sedona hiking itinerary picks the best red rock trails by effort level.
Day 2: Sedona red rocks and Oak Creek
Give Sedona a second day. Drive the Red Rock Scenic Byway, hike Devil\'s Bridge or the West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon, and cool off in the swimming holes along Oak Creek. This is also the launch point for slot canyon and rappel adventures if you want a more technical day. The full canyoneering side of Arizona gets its own dedicated route in our Arizona canyoneering 10 day itinerary.
Day 3: Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon South Rim
Head north through Flagstaff, a high pine-forest town at 7,000 feet that makes a cool contrast to the desert below and a good coffee-and-supplies stop. From Flagstaff it is about 90 minutes to the Grand Canyon South Rim, the most accessible and most jaw-dropping stretch of the canyon. Walk the Rim Trail at sunset and, if your legs are ready, descend a short way down the Bright Angel or South Kaibab trail for a taste of going below the edge. Our Grand Canyon South Rim itinerary covers where to hike, where to sleep, and how to beat the crowds.
Day 4: Grand Canyon to Page
Spend the morning at the rim, then drive about 2.5 hours northeast to Page, a small town on the shores of Lake Powell that anchors two of Arizona\'s most famous sights. Antelope Canyon, a narrow slot where light beams pour through sculpted sandstone, can only be visited on a Navajo-guided tour, so book ahead. Just outside town, Horseshoe Bend delivers a short walk to a jaw-dropping overlook where the Colorado River wraps a full curve around a sandstone tower.
Day 5: Page to Monument Valley
From Page it is roughly two hours east to Monument Valley on the Arizona and Utah border, the landscape that defined the American West in a hundred films. The isolated red buttes rise straight off the desert floor, and the 17 mile unpaved scenic loop (drive it yourself in a higher-clearance vehicle or take a Navajo-guided tour) gets you among them. Time it for sunrise or sunset when the rock glows deepest.
Days 6 to 7: Loop back to Phoenix
Circle back south through Flagstaff to Phoenix, roughly a five to six hour drive that you can break in Flagstaff or with a stop at Walnut Canyon or Sunset Crater. This closes the seven day version of the loop. If you have more time, do not rush the return: add a night in Flagstaff and a half day back in Sedona, or peel south for the optional desert leg below.
Optional southern leg: Saguaro and Tucson
If you have 9 or 10 days, extend the loop south from Phoenix to Tucson and Saguaro National Park. This is a completely different Arizona: a low Sonoran desert forested with giant saguaro cactus, some standing 40 feet tall and 150 years old. Hike among them in the park\'s east and west districts, and use Tucson as a warm, food-forward base. Our Saguaro National Park hikes itinerary maps the best cactus-country trails. This leg works best in the cooler months, when the north is snowy and the desert south is perfect.
How many days do you need for an Arizona road trip?
Plan 7 to 10 days for a well-paced Arizona road trip itinerary.
- 7 days: Phoenix, Sedona, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon South Rim, and Page. The core northern loop with time for a real hike at each stop.
- 8 to 9 days: Add Monument Valley on the way, and slow the whole loop down so it never feels like a marathon.
- 10 days: Add the southern leg to Saguaro National Park and Tucson, plus a buffer day for weather or a bonus hike.
- Long weekend: Skip the full loop and focus on Sedona plus the Grand Canyon South Rim, which sit close together.
Best time to go on an Arizona road trip
The best time for an Arizona road trip is spring (March through May) and fall (September through November). Temperatures are mild across both the low desert and the high canyon country, the Grand Canyon South Rim is fully open, and spring brings wildflowers to the Sonoran Desert around Phoenix and Tucson. Avoid the peak of summer, when Phoenix, Page, and the low desert routinely climb past 100 degrees Fahrenheit and midday hiking turns dangerous. If summer is your only window, start hikes at dawn, carry far more water than you think you need, and lean on the cooler high country around Flagstaff and the rim. Winter is quiet and affordable in the south around Tucson and Saguaro, but Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon rim can get snow and icy trails.
Go deeper: hikes and side trips
The loop above is the backbone. To turn it into a genuine outdoor trip, layer in the region\'s best hiking:
- Slot canyons and rappels: Arizona is a canyoneering paradise. Our Arizona canyoneering 10 day itinerary turns the drive into a technical adventure through narrow sculpted canyons.
- Below the rim: The Grand Canyon South Rim itinerary shows how to hike partway down and back safely in a day.
- Red rock trails: The Sedona hiking itinerary sorts the red rock classics by difficulty.
- Turquoise waterfalls: The famous blue-green falls of Havasupai in Arizona require a permit booked months in advance, so plan this one early if it makes your list.
- Cactus country: The Saguaro National Park hikes itinerary covers the giant cactus forests near Tucson on the optional southern leg.
Plan your Arizona road trip
Ready to turn this Arizona road trip itinerary into a real plan? Start with the Grand Canyon South Rim itinerary and the Sedona hiking itinerary for the two anchor stops on the northern loop, then fold in the Arizona canyoneering 10 day itinerary if you want to go deeper into the canyons. Each one maps the trailheads, the drive, and where to sleep so all you have to do is show up and hike.
Arizona Road Trip Itinerary FAQs
Plan 7 to 10 days for a classic Arizona road trip itinerary. Seven days is enough to loop Phoenix, Sedona, Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon South Rim, and Page without feeling rushed. Ten days lets you add Monument Valley in the northeast and an optional Saguaro and Tucson leg in the south, and it leaves room for real hiking rather than just scenic overlooks. If you only have a long weekend, focus on Sedona and the Grand Canyon South Rim, which sit close together on the northern loop.
The best Arizona road trip itinerary is a loop that starts and ends in Phoenix. Drive north to Sedona for the red rocks, up to Flagstaff, west to the Grand Canyon South Rim, northeast to Page for Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, and on to Monument Valley on the Arizona and Utah line. From there you circle back south through Flagstaff to Phoenix. Add a southern leg to Saguaro National Park and Tucson if you have 9 or 10 days. This routing keeps your daily drives short and hits every signature Arizona landscape in one clean circle.
Spring (March through May) and fall (September through November) are the best times for an Arizona road trip. Temperatures across the desert and the canyon country are mild, wildflowers bloom around Phoenix and Tucson in spring, and the Grand Canyon South Rim stays open and comfortable. Avoid mid summer, when Phoenix, Page, and the low desert regularly top 100 degrees Fahrenheit and afternoon hiking becomes dangerous. Winter is quiet and cheap in the south around Tucson and Saguaro, but Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon rim can see snow and icy trails.
Yes, a car is essential for an Arizona road trip. The signature stops are spread across hundreds of miles with little public transit between them, and the drive itself, past red rock canyons, pine forests, and open desert, is half the experience. Any standard car handles the paved loop from Phoenix through Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Page, and Monument Valley. You only need higher clearance if you plan to explore backcountry forest roads or the unpaved scenic drive inside Monument Valley.
Yes, and they pair perfectly. Sedona and the Grand Canyon South Rim are only about two hours apart by car, both on the northern half of the Arizona loop. A common plan is to spend two nights in Sedona hiking the red rocks, then drive north through Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon South Rim for a night or two at the rim. Our Sedona hiking guide and Grand Canyon South Rim itinerary break down the best trails at each stop.
The must-see stops are the red rock trails of Sedona, the Grand Canyon South Rim and its Rim Trail, Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend near Page, and the buttes of Monument Valley. For a deeper outdoor trip, add the slot canyons and rappels of an Arizona canyoneering route, the turquoise waterfalls of Havasupai (which require a hard-to-get permit booked months ahead), and the giant cactus forests of Saguaro National Park near Tucson. Pace it over 7 to 10 days so each stop gets real time rather than a quick photo.
Plan the full trip
Arizona & Utah · Slot Canyons + Grand Canyon
Northern Arizona · Grand Canyon National Park
Northern Arizona · Red Rock Country
