10 Great Sites for Arizona Sightseeing
Ready for the ultimate guide to Arizona sightseeing? The State of Arizona is best known for being a desert filled with cacti, animals, and amazing natural sites. It is home to the Grand Canyon and other National Parks. Everyone should take the time to visit Arizona at least once. The state is large and is perfect to keep coming back to. Everyone should be able to enjoy their vacation, so you don’t want to be rushed when traveling so enjoy your time here in Arizona. You can always come back and visit another area.
Arizona Sightseeing and Planning
We personally recommend choosing an area in Arizona and exploring it. Arizona sightseeing can be split into different regions such as southern, northern, eastern, and western Arizona. It is best to choose an area and stay there for your Arizona sightseeing adventure. This is so you do not have to drive everywhere to see different sites. You can stay in the local area, which gives you more time to see things instead of wasting your time driving in the car.
Another way to travel throughout Arizona is to choose a starting point and make your way across the state. You can start in southern Arizona and make your way up to northern Arizona or vice versa. The start point doesn’t really matter as long as you know know where you’re heading to.
Las Vegas, Nevada is another good starting point for you to explore Arizona. You can easily drive from the Harry Reid International Airport to Flagstaff, Arizona. This gets you close to the center of Arizona and it is only about a 4-hour drive. It gives you a good spot to begin your Arizona adventure as there is a lot to do there.
Those are just some ideas for organizing your trip. However you plan it, we hope you get the most out of your time in Arizona. Now we get to the fun stuff, the sites that you came to see.
Here are all of the major sites to see in Arizona. While this list is not everything you can see, we think we covered quite a bit.
Major Arizona Parks
Arizona has a lot of parks throughout the whole entire state. They are something that you should definitely visit when you visit Arizona. It is a great way to get outside and see sites that people from all over the world come to see. Many of these parks have tours and visitor centers that you can visit before you enter the park.
Guided Tour
There are some parks that require you to have a licensed guide with you when you explore the park or go hiking. These guides and tours usually need to be made online before you go. Some places have tours that fill up months and even years before you go. Thinking about visiting The Lower Antelope Canyon? We offer hour long guided tours by experienced guides that will show you the great rock formations of the canyon.
Havasu Falls
Speaking of Arizona sightseeing, Havasu Falls is definitely a major highlight. Made popular by social media, this is one spot where you will want to book a reservation before you go. Spots fill up fast. You may have to plan several years out to get a reservation before you go.
Once you have your reservation (sometimes referred to as a permit), you can start planning your trip. You can hike from the trailhead to the waterfalls. Enjoy the falls, they are unique and special in terms of Arizona sightseeing and the country. Please be respectful of the Havasupai people, you are visiting their home.
Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Hours: Open 24/7
Phone: (928) 674-5500
This is a free place to visit, no tickets are required. The campsites do require a fee. Since it is on Navajo land, you will need a tour guide for the inside of the canyons. This allows you to be safe in a new area and learn something new.
Petrified Forest National Park
Hours: Mon-Sunday 8am – 6pm
Phone: (928) 524-6228
If you want to see something different for Arizona sightseeing, this is the place to go. There is a lot to do at this National Park, so you can spend as little or as much time as you want here.
The Petrified Forest National Park is in northern Arizona. It features a forest full of wood that has been petrified. There is also a museum, petroglyphs, and different hiking trails.
Saguaro National Park
Hours: Mon-Sunday 9am – 5pm
Phone: (520) 733-5153
This National Park is split into the east and west sides. The east side is more extensive and has around 128 miles of hiking. The west side is smaller but has more picnic areas and a larger saguaro density. You can spend time on both sides if you would like to or choose one side to focus on.
Whatever you decide, get ready to see some giant cacti. They tend to bloom in the spring months if you want to see them flower.
Grand Canyon
Open: 24/7
Phone: (928) 638-7888
Considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders, the Grand Canyon National Park is known as the Arizona sightseeing spot. It is a site that draws in over 5 million people annually. It is split into the south and north rim.
There are different trails you can choose from for hiking. Donkeys are a popular option for getting down into the canyon. You can also fly over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter with private tour options.
Colorado River
The Colorado River starts in Colorado and ends in California. It goes through Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. There are different tours that let you fish, kayak, boat, and enjoy the Colorado River.
Route 66
Historic Route 66 is a major road that goes across the United States of America. It was shown in the fun-loving movie Cars and is a bucket list trip for people. The road is an interstate road that covers 8 different states in the US. These states include Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
The road starts in Illinois and ends in California. The great secret is that you don’t have to drive the whole length of the road. You can easily stay in Arizona, drive on Route 66, and do some Arizona sightseeing along the way.
Museums and Art
If you don’t want to spend all day outside or in the sun, Arizona still has things to offer. A trip for Arizona sightseeing would not be complete without a trip to a museum or art gallery.
Art Galleries
Just because you are in the desert, it does not mean that you can’t have great art. In fact, you are going to get some extremely unique and memorable art exhibits in Arizona.
Some of these galleries include the On the Edge Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ. It is a gallery that is taken care of by 40 different local artists. The pieces of art include a variety of mediums that include oil, pastel, ceramic, glass, and jewelry.
Heard Museum
Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 10am – 4pm Monday – Closed
Tickets:
Adults (18-64): $20
Student: $9
Children (6-17): $9
Seniors (65+): $17
If there is one museum that you should visit, it is the Heard Museum. It has around 250,000 visitors annually and focuses on American Indian Art. Children who are 5 years old and younger have free admittance. American Indians get in free as well, they just need to show their tribal ID when they arrive. Please note that the ticket prices listed above are for online orders. If you walk up and get tickets the prices will be 3 dollars more expensive.
Guided tours and private group tours are available for visitors. The museum has rotating galleries and exhibits as well as permanent exhibits. They have a collection of the Native People in the Southwest, a sculpture garden, a theater, and a souvenir shop.
Ghost Towns
For some good Arizona sightseeing, it is rumored that there are 300 ghost towns in Arizona. This can be a great opportunity if you want something a little spooky and fun. Take a look at different ghost town tours wherever you are staying. There are several that are located out of major cities such as Mesa and Flagstaff.
Outdoor Fun
If you feel like your Arizona sightseeing isn’t quite complete, we have more ideas for you. It is typical to visit several big sites and then fit in some smaller ones. This is great if you want to avoid large crowds or just need some quiet time in nature.
Lake Powell
Lake Powell is located on the border of northern Arizona and southern Utah. It is a man-made lake that has 2 million visitors a year. There are several ways to stay when you visit Lake Powell. You can stay in a hotel, cabin, houseboat, or camping.
Have some fun out on the water with your favorite watercraft. Enjoy different tours of the area or simply soak up the sun. Lake Powell has different marinas where you can get to different points of interest.
See Moki Canyon, Gregory Arch, Bullfrog Bay, and Hole in the Rock. Enjoy going underneath arches as you spend time on the water. There is always something new to do at this lake so it is a favorite for locals and visitors alike.
Rock Formations
When you think about Arizona sightseeing, you probably think of the desert and colorful rocks and formations. Even if you are not too excited about hiking or being outside, you can still see these gorgeous formations. It is possible for you to find a rock formation that allows you to drive by while looking or stop for a short bit to enjoy the sites.
There are plenty of rock formations in the whole state. Some of our favorites include the Wave, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and Red Rock State Park. Take a guided tour or just spend some time with your group sightseeing in Arizona. Do not be afraid to do your own research and find something that was not mentioned on this list.
Desert Botanical Garden
Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday: 7am – 8pm Thursday-Monday: Closed
Phone: (480) 941-1225
Tickets:
Adult (18+): $15-$25
Kids (3-17): $15
Children (3 and under): Free
It is always nice to get out and see some desert plants. Just because Arizona is hot, it does not mean that there is a lack of plants to see. Enjoy some Arizona sightseeing and walk along the garden trails.
Tickets are required and reservations must be made in advance. Their trails include the Sonoran Desert Nature Loop, Center for Desert Living Trail, the Desert Discovery Loop Trail, and the Harriet K. Maxwell Desert Wildflower Loop Trail.