Sedona, you are magical!

Dan and I planned a trip to Sedona and the Grand Canyon (more to come about that trip later!) and when booking our flights out West from Orlando, the best location distance and driving time-wise was to fly in and out of Las Vegas. We originally thought to fly into Las Vegas (3 hours from Sedona), visit the Grand Canyon, and fly out of Phoenix (3.5 hours from GC to Sedona). After pricing out our rental car picking up in Las Vegas and then dropping off at the Phoenix airport, the cost was much more than picking up and dropping off in Las Vegas. We decided to do the following plan:

Day 1: Orlando– Land in Las Vegas/ Drive to Sedona

Days 2 & 3: Sedona, Arizona (2 Nights in Sedona)

Days 4&5:  Grand Canyon (2 Nights in Grand Canyon)

Day 6:  Las Vegas (1 Night in Las Vegas)

This plan worked best for us, and while it may not work for everyone, it worked well for us being able to see and do everything we wanted within the time frame that we had.

Thinking of doing the same type of itinerary? Check out my guide on how to make the most of your time in Las Vegas here!

Day 1 was a long day for us. We flew into Las Vegas, got our rental car and made the 4-hour drive to Sedona. We left Las Vegas at about 3 PM and got to Sedona around 7 PM. It did get dark about 3 hours into our drive, so we were lucky and only had to drive in the dark for about an hour. Whenever we go somewhere new, we typically like to drive during the day, so that way we can see where we are going and feel safer about the drive during the day. Keep that in mind if that is a drive you are comfortable doing in the dark.

We spent our 2 nights in Sedona at the Hyatt Residence Club Sedona, Pinon Pointe. This hotel was a bit of a splurge, but since we are staying somewhere more budget-friendly in the Grand Canyon, that was how I justified it. I am SO glad we stayed at this Hyatt. It was within walking distance to all of the restaurants, shops, and the Pink Jeep Tour. We only had to drive our car when we drove to our hiking locations in the morning. It was such a convenient hotel and loved this location. This hotel offers free internet, free parking, a fitness center, and a pool. All rooms are one and two bedrooms and studios. We had a King Bed in our bedroom. Each room had a balcony that offered great views, depending on your location. This hotel is a timeshare, but I was also able to book on a regular booking vendor’s website. When we got our room, it was a bit confusing to find in the dark, since mostly all of Sedona works to control light pollution and dim the lights as well as face their streetlights downwards. All of the rooms open from the outside of the parking lot. Our room was actually down 2 flights of steps, so it was steep and really hard to do with suitcases because it did not have an elevator. Be prepared for a bit of walking up and downstairs, but the hotel is so worth it!

After checking into our hotel, we finally got settled about 8:30 PM. Since we were tired from our long day and trying to get acclimated to Pacific Coast Time, we decided to order and pick up a pizza from Moondog’s Pizza. We ordered a meat pizza and a salad and it was all so good! It was so good I totally forgot to document the pizza and the location. Oops! If you’re wanting great pizza for a decent price, this is the place! We went to sleep early with full bellies and happy hearts to be on this exciting trip together!

Day 2:

We woke up super early thanks to the time change (I honestly think I was a little nervous and excited for my first big hike, so I was ready to start the day!) We were hiking Devil’s Bridge at sunrise!

Every blog post I read prior to our trip talked about going as early as possible or doing a sunset hike. I knew there was no way I wanted to attempt climbing down in the dark, so we decided to do a sunrise hike and it was SO worth it! It was still so cool in the morning and with the sun barely up, it was not hot and the heat wasn’t brutal. Even for October, it can be cold in the morning, but really hot during the day.

Before hiking, we researched all of our hiking trails. There is a great website that lists all of the trails and allows people to leave reviews on the trail. I highly suggest using this to help you pick and decide what trails you want to use!

Pro Tip: Use www.AllTrails.Com

We woke up about 5:30 AM and were out the door by 6 AM. It doesn’t take me long to get ready when I’m doing something active in the morning, and I had prepped our backpack and things the night before so that we were ready to roll!

Devil’s Bridge is the largest natural sandstone arch in the Sedona area, and is almost one of the most popular hikes! If you’ve seen my photos, you’ll know why! The views are magical! This hike is 4 miles round trip and is definitely doable for most novice hikers like myself!

IF you want to do this hike early and park in the only parking lot for this hike, GET THERE AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. I can’t stress it enough! I am now sounding like all of the other bloggers that also say this. :) When we got to the parking lot by 6:15 or so (another great perk to staying at the Hyatt- it was so close to everything) the parking lot was almost totally full. This parking lot only holds about 50 cars, so it’s not that big. Once the lot fills up, you have to start parking out on the street which only adds more of a distance to the full trail.

If you have a 4×4:

You can drive and park directly at the Devils Bridge trailhead. This makes the hike 2 miles round trip.

To get to the car park, you will have to drive on Vultee Arch Road. Drive past the paved parking lot and continue down the very rocky dirt road for 1.3 miles until you get to the parking lot for Devils Bridge.

If you don’t have a  4×4

You can drive down Vultee Arch Road for a very short distance, park in the paved parking lot for the Dry Creek Vista Trail, and walk along the dirt road until you get to the Devils Bridge trailhead. This makes your hike 4.6 miles round trip, with most of that on a dirt road.

The trail is pretty flat at first. It will slowly incline uphill and get steeper as you progress. About 3 quarters of a mile from the parking area, be sure to follow signs where the trail divides. Walk down the path to the left and you’ll end at the base of the arch. If you keep climbing, you will follow the natural rock staircase (really fun if there are people trying to come down when you go up- another reason to go early to bypass the crowds) You’ll know you’re almost to the top because you can actually see the line forming waiting for their turn on Devil’s Bridge. The earlier you go, the easier it is to wait and get your picture taken. Make friends with others in line so they can take your photo on the bridge and you can return the photo. We all are there wanting the same thing, so you might as well be friendly! :) It was such a beautiful sight to see and I’m so glad we did it so early.

The earlier you go, the less crowded it will be, so I highly suggest it. There is nothing more accomplished feeling than knowing how much you’ve done by 9 AM and then having a full day ahead! The sun was also just starting to come up, so that helped keep it cool. By the afternoon, there is not much shade on the trail, so keep that in mind!

After our hike, we stopped at Layla’s Bakery right on the way out from the entrance of the Devil’s Bridge car parking area. Their coffee is SO good and their muffins were delicious as well. Layla’s actually specializes in European pastries, so he was super excited to get a Kouign Amann. So good!! We ate our breakfast back on our porch of our hotel taking in the beautiful Sedona morning sky!

After our hike, we had a couple of hours until our next adventure. We relaxed at the hotel before heading toward the downtown area around lunchtime. Our next adventure began at 1 PM and we had to be there by 12:30, so at 12, we decided to have an early lunch at the Chipotle right in the town center! Since it was so close to our hotel, we were able to walk which was awesome! Even Chipotle had gorgeous views!

After lunch, we had some spare time, so we walked through a couple of different shops. I found a new Christmas ornament (because I can’t go anywhere new without getting an ornament!) and then we walked over to our next fun activity- A Pink Jeep Tour! I had seen these a lot of people recommend these and thought it would be a fun way to spend the afternoon, especially since our goal was to see as much as possible in a short amount of time!

Pink Jeep Tours offer a couple of different options to choose from! I selected the Scenic Rim 2.0 This tour was 2 hours and we saw gorgeous views, cliffs, and rock formations. When they say it will be a rugged and bumpy ride, they aren’t lying! It was crazy and intense but so fun! We visited Merry-Go-Round Rock where Elvis Presley filmed a movie and saw the Cow Pies!

When you arrive to the Pink Jeep Tour location, you are currently required to get your temperature taken due to COVID. Once you enter, you will check in and be given a wristband with a number. Your number will match your waiting area before the start of your tour. There is a bathroom to use before you ride as well as a water refill station. We brought our backpack with the water bladder filled inside so we were all set. Then, when it’s time for your ride, your driver will come to your waiting spot and get you!

Due to Covid, we shared the jeep with only one other couple. We were separated with a plastic barrier and were required to wear masks. Because of all the dirt that the jeeps kicked up, it wasn’t actually a bad thing. When we got out of the jeeps, we could take our masks off, so it wasn’t too bad having to wear them. The tour is 2 hours round trip, so we were back to the Pink Jeep office by 3 PM. If you’re in Sedona for a short amount of time, this is such a great way to see some parts you wouldn’t necessarily see on your own! Pink Jeep Tours also offers other types of tours to pick from if you want to see something else.

We walked back to our hotel and then got ready for dinner. We wanted to do an early dinner because I wanted to get a good seat outside to watch the sunset! We walked to Canyon Breeze Restaurant (again, super close to our hotel!) and the views did not disappoint! If you’re wanting a table outside, especially on a weekend, I suggest getting there early. We got there about 5 PM, and still had to wait a little bit so we could get outside. The weather is SO amazing in Sedona- The no humidity thing is awesome! The food was good and by the time we finished, we headed back to the hotel and called it an early night since we had another hike on the agenda before leaving Sedona!

Day 3:

We were up super early again to hike Cathedral Rock! We got to the Cathedral Rock parking lot at about 6:30 AM. Again, every blog post I had read said to start early and they were right! The parking lot is super small. They do have an overflow parking lot down the road, but it does require walking from it. The Cathedral Rock Trail is 1.3 miles round trip. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but because of the way you get up to the top, it is pretty strenuous! AllTrails.Com rates this hike as “moderate.” This trail has amazing views of the red rock formations and is one of the most popular hikes in Sedona! I can see why- the views from the top were amazing. The trail starts with an easy incline, but turns into a short steep climb to the top. It goes get a bit scary because vertical climbing is required. There were some points I was using just rocks to climb up and praying not to fall. That was my worst fear!! Hiking shoes are definitely recommended, and the next time Dan and I plan to wear hiking shoes for future hikes. You definitely want a pair of good grip shoes. My tennis shoes were so old that the grip was so awful on them. I almost bought new shoes before we went specifically for that reason, but never found a pair I really liked in time. Honestly, I’m glad I waited because my shoes were covered in dust and dirt, and because of the red clay, had turned my shoes a dark red! Don’t buy new tennis shoes before hiking through here!

When getting to the top right at sunrise, the views are spectacular! It’s a lot less crowded, which also definitely helps. Be sure to follow the trail. It’s easy to try and climb up on your own, but you’ll see little rocks piled up together to indicate where you should be going. You’ll also think you’re to the top, but keep going! You’ll see others climbing higher. You are officially done when you get to the top and see the “End of Trail” sign. I saw a lot more people at the top. Tons of younger groups getting pics for the ‘Gram. ;) You will go right and see the Insta-worthy shot everyone takes. We actually made friends while we were there (thanks to trying to do this scary climb–more fun doing it with others like this since we’re all trying to accomplish the same thing!) If you keep walking left from the trail sign, you’ll climb a little more and get some other great views. Definitely be sure to go here after getting pictures on the other side!

On the way down, be sure to watch every step you take. It can be super slippery. You have to go down the same way you came up. The earlier you go, the better! There were SO many people trying to climb up when we were climbing down. Since you have to essentially form a line hiking up since it’s a vertical climb, it can take longer because you are only as fast as the person in front of you. We bypassed a lot of people basically sliding down on our butts on the vertical climb down. It made it easier and I felt safer doing it this way. Be sure to wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty or will be ok with if anything snags on the rock!

After our sunrise hike, we went back to Layla’s Bakery (we are creatures of habit when we find something we really like!) We brought the coffee and muffins back to our hotel to enjoy them on our hotel patio. Our hotel was kind enough to give us a late check out so that way we didn’t have to worry about our belongings and trying to check out while hiking that morning. We showered, got our stuff packed up, and it was time to head out to the Grand Canyon!

I absolutely loved Sedona and would go back in a heartbeat! The sunny blue skies almost every day of the year, great weather  (bless you, no humidity) and so much to see and do, make this place so special.

Other Great Sites to See When Visiting Sedona:

Chapel of the Holy Cross

Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village

Amitabha Stupa Peace Park

Oak Creek Canyon

Slide Rock State Park

Broken Arrow Trail via Pink Jeep Tours

Interested in visiting Sedona or the Grand Canyon and not sure where to start? I’d love to help you plan! Contact me and let’s chat!

Love and Travel Dust,

Molly