24 Hours in Sedona: A Quick Guide
Sedona, Arizona, with its red rock cliffs and turquoise skies is one of the most beautiful places in the USA. Is 24 hours in Sedona enough to experience everything Sedona has to offer? Nope, but sometimes you’re just passing through and don’t have enough time to explore a destination in depth.
I’ve day tripped to Sedona, Arizona a few times from the Phoenix/Scottsdale area but never had the opportunity to stay overnight.
This time, my husband and I decided to take a mini break to Sedona between Christmas and New Years, since we were spending the holidays with family in Scottsdale.
If you’re planning a short trip to Sedona, here’s my guide on how to explore the best it has to offer – in just 24 hours.
Day 1
Arrive in Sedona
We drove to Sedona from Scottsdale, arriving at about 2 PM. Sedona is just over a two hour’s drive from Scottsdale.
Have Lunch
Our goal was to have a quick healthy lunch before heading off for a hike.
Every time I go to Sedona, I end up eating at least one meal at Wildflower Bread Company (The Shops at Pinon Pointe, 101 N. Highway 89A, Sedona, AZ). Wildflower Bread Company is a quick place to stop for a sandwich or salad during your 24 hours in Sedona. You can also catch some red rock views if you sit on the outdoor patio.
A Short Sunset Hike
After our late lunch, we wanted to go for a hike and catch some sunset views. Since we were visiting Sedona in December, sunset was at about 5:15 PM. We didn’t want to lose the light, so we opted to go hiking before checking into our hotel.
We chose the Doe Mountain trail hike because it was short enough to enjoy in the late afternoon while also offering epic views.
Doe Mountain trail offers stunning views of some of Sedona’s most beautiful natural sights, including Bear mountain, Maroon mountain, Wilson mountain, Loy, Boynton, and Secret Canyons, Chimney Rock, and the Cockscomb.
The hike is about 0.7 miles up, and you can then walk a 1.3 mile loop around the top. Since we were a bit short on time, we opted to walk up, see about 1/2 of the trail at the top, and then head back down during sunset.
The hike took us about an hour and a half, including a lot of photo taking time at the top.
The golden light at that time of day was epic although if you want golden light over the panoramic view of Sedona, I’d recommend trying the hike at sunrise (we didn’t).
The views astound 
The view from the top
If you don’t have a National Park Pass, you will need to buy a Red Rock pass from the machine located in the parking lot. A Red Rock pass is $5 for one day, $15 for a week or $20 for a year.
Check into Your Hotel
After our hike, we headed directly to our hotel. We stayed at the Arabella Hotel (725 AZ-179, Sedona, AZ). We booked our trip extremely last minute and snagged one of the last rooms available in town. We had no idea until we got there, but it turns out Sedona in December is extremely busy!
Have Dinner at Elote
Elote Cafe (771 AZ-179, Sedona, AZ), an award winning Mexican and Southwestern restaurant, is hands down the most popular restaurant in Sedona. 2 hour waits for a table are the norm. Before you ask, yes, it is possible to eat at Elote during your 24 hours in Sedona and yes, the food is delicious.
Elote doesn’t take reservations. You have to show up in person to put your name on the night’s waiting list. Once you put in your name, you have two options. You can take a pager and sit in Elote’s small front lobby to wait.
They serve complimentary popcorn and you can buy margaritas from a little bar. Or, you can put your name on the list and come back closer to your expected seating time. We went with the second option, since we were staying next door at the Arabella Hotel.
The Arabella Hotel is perfectly situated for anyone hoping to eat at Elote. While we waited for our table, we sat at an outdoor firepit at the hotel and drank wine until it was time to head back into the restaurant.
We ordered elote, the restaurant’s namesake dish, baby romaine ensalada, Baja fish tacos and the chipotle shrimp, all of which were delicious.
I was so engrossed with the food, I forgot to take pictures of any of it! We were seated at the bar and saw the restaurant’s owner and chef, Jeff Smedstad, come out multiple times to graciously sign his cookbook for guests.
After dinner, we walked the two minutes back to our room. Then, we collapsed in a food coma!
Day 2
Acai Bowls
After last night’s giant meal, you’ll probably be craving a healthier breakfast. We were! We decided to head to Berry Divine (2710 AZ-89A, Sedona, AZ ) for acai bowls before hitting up our next hike. Berry Divine was a bit out of the way from our next hike, but is perfectly situated for anyone heading towards the famous Devil’s Bridge trailway or the Doe Mountain trail we hiked the day before.
The goodies at Berry Divine 
My husband’s first acai bowl (he said it was “ok” lol)
Another great option for coffee and a quick bite is Creekside Coffee.
A Longer Hike
Before closing out our 24 hours in Sedona, we decided to go for a longer hike. We chose the West Fork trail, which many say is the most iconic trail in Sedona. This is a 6.4 mile round trip hike, which took us about 4 hours total. You have to pay $10 in cash to park onsite.
The hike begins with the ruins of Mayhew Cabin which was built in the 1870s, later converted into a lodge called Mayhew Lodge and open until 1968. Before its closing, Mayhew Lodge hosted Hollywood bigwigs like James Stewart, Walt Disney and Clark Gable. The lodge was taken over by the Forest Service and later burned down.
The ruins of Mayhew Lodge 
Can’t quite picture Clark Gable hanging here
We walked through towering red cliffs while snow fell quietly and blanketed the area. Calling this experience magical is an understatement. Although you might be tempted to cut the hike short, the most scenic spots are towards the end of the trail before you turn around to hike back.
This hike is easy and mostly flat. However, be prepared to walk across a creek multiple times. Supposedly there are 13 creek crossings during the hike but we lost count. Also, given that the trail requires you to walk to the endpoint and back, I don’t really understand how it could have an odd number of creek crossings.
If any of you know the answer, please comment below and solve this mystery once and for all! The creek crossings are across logs or rocks – there are no bridges – so I recommend you wear waterproof shoes.
One of the supposed 13 creek crossings 
Sedona in the snow
Head Out
It’s time to close out your 24 hours in Sedona and hit the road to your next destination! We headed north towards Flagstaff for an early dinner and then drove all the way to Page to check out Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend.
If I Had One More Day in Sedona…
If you have a little bit more time to spend in Sedona, here are a few of my favorite things to do from past trips:
Take an off roading trip in the red rocks with Pink Jeep Tours.
See a beautiful view of Cathedral Rock at the Crescent Moon Picnic Site. Parking is available on site for $10 cash.
Go shopping at Tlaquepaque arts and crafts village, an upscale shopping center and have dinner at Rene Restaurant.
Catch a view of the beautiful Chapel of the Holy Cross.
Where to Stay in Sedona
- Arabella, where we stayed, has a great location
- L’Auberge de Sedona is a classic upscale option
- Red Agave Resort is a trendy option
Have you been to Sedona? I’m planning to go back again (and again), so would love to hear if I’ve missed any of your favorite things to do!
xx
Vicki
I really loved Sedona and can’t wait to go back! I’m totally checking out the hike you mentioned! I need more of those views in my life!
I can’t wait to go back to Sedona again, hopefully in 2019!!
Sedona looks amazing, I love all the red rocks and cliffs! Love all the cacti too – not something we have in our English landscapes!
Claudia xo
I’ve only seen similar landscapes in person in Utah and in photos of Australia! I love it
You wouldnt need a national parks pass for a state park
Hi Shelby, you can use the national parks pass/America the Beautiful Pass in Sedona Red Rock Country in lieu of a Red Rocks Pass. Because of that, you don’t need to buy a Red Rocks Pass if you have the national pass.
You can find more information here:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/coconino/recreation/?cid=stelprdb5416207
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/coconino/passes-permits/recreation/?cid=stelprdb5416264
Hope this helps!
Hi! We were just there, and hiked the entire West Fork Trail…. We crossed13 times to the endpoint, and 13x coming back the other way. It’s a lovely hike! November was an excellent time to visit, and we recommend Cibola Pass to Soldier Pass to Brins for a 5-mile hike with stunning views. Check out the airport loop too, up by the Sedona Airport, and grab an excellent meal at the Mesa Grille. Excellent food with lots of vegan, paleo, and gf options.
sounds like an amazing trip!