Things to Do in Sedona

Sedona is about 113 miles and 2 hours by car from Phoenix, mostly on Interstate 17. The top things to do are red-rock hikes such as Cathedral Rock and Devil's Bridge, which a free shuttle serves from Thursday to Sunday, and Slide Rock State Park. We re-read Visit Sedona, Groome Transportation, the Forest Service pass page, the Sedona Shuttle and Arizona State Parks on 7 November 2026.

How far is Sedona from Phoenix?

Sedona is 113.4 miles from Phoenix, about 2 hours by car, says Visit Sedona. Most of the drive is Interstate 17 north. You leave it at exit 298 and take State Route 179 for about 14 miles into town. If you have no car, a private shuttle runs from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

Getting there: Drive: 113.4 miles and an estimated 2 hours from Phoenix. The route is I-17 north for 98.4 miles to exit 298, then SR 179 for about 14 miles to SR 89A. A second route leaves I-17 at exit 287 and takes AZ 260 west to SR 89A. Visit Sedona gives the start as "Phoenix, Arizona", not the airport, and does not price fuel or car rental (Visit Sedona, Getting to Sedona, read 7 Nov 2026)

Getting there: Groome Transportation, Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX) to Sedona: about 14 departures a day, the first at 6:15 a.m. and the last at 12:15 a.m. The 6:15 a.m. trip reaches the Village of Oak Creek (Holiday Inn Express) at 8:30 a.m. and West Sedona (Aiden by Best Western, 2545 W State Route 89A) at 9:00 a.m. Adult fares start at $69 online or $74, and $55 for a child 12 or under. The page says fares change by date and time, adds a $2 per person fuel surcharge, and does not say if the fare is one way. Book online or call 928-350-8466 (Groome Transportation, Sedona, read 7 Nov 2026)

These are the 3 ways to get from Phoenix to Sedona without driving yourself:

• Groome shuttle from Sky Harbor, with the times and fares above.

• Private car service. Visit Sedona lists local car and limousine companies, but it does not say which ones pick up in Phoenix. Call them to confirm. We did not check their prices.

• Public bus. Visit Sedona's getting-there page lists no public bus from Phoenix. Not confirmed with a transit agency.

Once you are in Sedona, the free Sedona Shuttle covers five trailheads from Thursday to Sunday (see below).

So, drive if you can, and take the Groome shuttle from Sky Harbor if you cannot.

How far is Sedona from the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff?

Getting there: Sedona to the Grand Canyon South Rim: about 119 miles (NPS, Driving Directions to the South Rim, read 7 Nov 2026). Visit Sedona lists 114.3 miles and about 2 hours. The routes go through Flagstaff

Getting there: Sedona to Flagstaff: about 27 miles on State Route 89A (Forest Service, Devil's Bridge Trail page, read 14 Oct 2026). The Forest Service Bell Rock page says the Bell Rock area is about 31 miles south of Flagstaff on State Route 179

Getting there: From Las Vegas: 278.0 miles, about 5 hours. From Los Angeles: 482 miles, about 7 hours 30 minutes (Visit Sedona, Getting to Sedona, read 14 Oct 2026)

So, plan about 2 hours each way for a Grand Canyon day trip, and under an hour for Flagstaff.

Things to do in Sedona

Most visitors come for the hiking. The Forest Service gives these figures on its trail pages.

Cathedral Rock is short but steep. The Forest Service says the walk is 1.1 miles round trip and rates it strenuous. Devil's Bridge is a sandstone arch. Low-clearance cars can park at the Mescal or Dry Creek Vista trailheads and walk in. The Forest Service says that makes the round trip 4.0 miles from Mescal and 5.8 miles from Dry Creek Vista. The free shuttle stops at both. Bell Rock Pathway runs beside State Route 179 and has three trailheads, so you can walk a part of it. Boynton Canyon starts near the Enchantment Resort.

Other stops we checked:

• Slide Rock State Park. A creek-side park on State Route 89A in Oak Creek Canyon. The fees are below.

• Chapel of the Holy Cross. A chapel built into a red rock at 780 Chapel Road. The Sedona Chamber of Commerce lists 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Other listings give other hours, and we could not read the chapel's own site, so the hours are not confirmed. Check before you go.

We did not check jeep tours, balloon rides, galleries or restaurants, so this list covers only the places we could verify.

The Red Rock Pass

Price: Red Rock Pass: $5 daily, $15 weekly, $20 annual. You need a pass if you leave your vehicle at a Sedona-area Coconino National Forest fee site. Most sites accept the Red Rock Pass or the America the Beautiful Pass. It is not valid at national parks or Arizona state parks. Buy it on Recreation.gov (no printed pass, your licence plate is recorded), at fee machines at the site, at the Sedona Chamber of Commerce, or at the Red Rock Visitor Center (daily and weekly only) (Forest Service, Red Rock and Coconino Passes page, last updated 17 Jun 2026, read 14 Oct 2026; prices re-read 7 Nov 2026)

Note: Five sites run by a concessionaire (Beaver Creek, Call of the Canyon, Crescent Moon, Grasshopper Point and Lower Lake Mary) need a separate Coconino Hospitality Annual Pass instead (same page)

An older forum post said the Forest Service proposed higher fees in 2025. The Forest Service page we read, updated 17 June 2026, lists the $5, $15 and $20 prices and announces no change.

The free Sedona Shuttle

Getting there: The Sedona Shuttle trailhead routes run Thursday to Sunday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Service is daily during spring break, listed as 25 Feb to 25 Apr 2027. There is no service on Thanksgiving (26 Nov 2026) or Christmas Day. Rides and parking are free. No reservations are needed. Routes: Dry Creek Vista and Mescal, Soldier Pass, and Cathedral Rock and Little Horse (Sedona Shuttle, How to Ride, read 14 Oct 2026; days, hours and holiday dates re-read 7 Nov 2026)

Address: Park and Ride lots: North SR 179, 1294 SR 179, for Cathedral Rock and Little Horse (65 spaces). Posse Grounds, 20 Carruth Drive in West Sedona, for Soldier Pass (260 spaces). West SR 89A, 905 Upper Red Rock Loop Road, for Mescal and Dry Creek Vista (91 spaces) (same page)

Note: Bikes under 55 pounds can go on the front rack, three at a time. Service animals can ride. Other dogs must be in a carrier, or leashed and muzzled (same page)

If you go to Cathedral Rock from Monday to Wednesday, plan to park at the trailhead and pay with a Red Rock Pass.

Slide Rock State Park

Price: $20 a vehicle with 1 to 4 people from October to April, and $30 from May to September, plus $5 for each extra person. Children under 6 are free (Arizona State Parks, Slide Rock, read 7 Nov 2026)

Hours: 31 Jan to 20 Nov: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with entry and the swim area closing at 5 p.m. 21 Nov to 30 Jan: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with entry and the swim area closing at 4 p.m. Open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, closed on Christmas (same page)

Note: On 7 Nov 2026 the park page said "Slide Rock State Park will reopen on November 7, 2026" and gave no reason. On 14 Oct 2026 it said the swim area was closed because of elevated water levels. Reservations are not available. Entry is by vehicle only, with no walk-ins, drop-offs or bicycles. When the 156-space lot fills, staff close it, which can last all day, and cars may not wait on Highway 89A (Arizona State Parks and azfamily.com, 23 Apr 2026)

Arizona State Parks says pets are not allowed in the creek area at any time and not in the park from 1 May to 30 September.

Where to stay in Sedona

We did not check hotel rates, taxes or resort fees, so this table has no prices. The area notes are our own view.

Spring and fall are the busy seasons, so book early for those months.

What we checked and what can change

Read on 7 November 2026:

• Visit Sedona, Getting to Sedona: the Phoenix distance, drive time and route, and the list of transport companies.

• Groome Transportation, Sedona: the Sky Harbor timetable, stops and fares.

• NPS, Driving Directions to the South Rim: 119 miles from Sedona.

• Forest Service, Red Rock and Coconino Passes (updated 17 June 2026): pass prices.

• Sedona Shuttle, How to Ride: days, hours, free rides and holiday dates.

• Arizona State Parks, Slide Rock: fees, hours and the reopening notice.

Read on 14 October 2026 and not re-read: the Forest Service pages for the Cathedral Rock, Devil's Bridge, Bell Rock Pathway and Boynton Canyon trails (the pages show 2025 dates), the shuttle lot addresses and bike rules, the Slide Rock parking and pet rules, and the Las Vegas and Los Angeles drive times.

Not confirmed: the Chapel of the Holy Cross hours from its own site, hotel prices, lodging taxes, a public bus from Phoenix, private car service prices, the Groome ride time on trips other than the first one, and drive times in traffic. We did not drive these routes. Fees and the shuttle can change, so check the pages before you go.