Best tours and Day Trips in Phoenix

The American Valley of the Sun is surrounded by treasures that tell the history and culture of the city among natural formations at long distances from downtown, so, it is recommended among the best things to do in Phoenix to take day tours to discover them.

Try the Verde Canyon train tour. Visit the mystical Navajo Nation. Explore the picturesque town of Sedona and tour its natural monuments. Want to see Arizona's most photographed canyons? Put Antelope Canyon and Grand Canyon tours on your bucket list. In this article you will find these and other tours with prices, pros and cons for you to organize your dream itinerary around Phoenix.

Your Apache Trail tour booking will take you to experience the rich history and culture of the Wild West in the state of Arizona, a highly recommended activity among the things to do in Phoenix in summer. After pickup at your hotel, begin the typical Apache Trail tour itinerary.

You visit Fish Creek Hill in the Superstition Mountains, where you learn about desert flora, including the Saguaro and Palo Verde cactus, as well as take a trip back in time as you pass Mother Lode Mercantile. Next, you follow the road to Goldfield, a restored ghost town that transports visitors back in time.

Later, you visit Canyon Lake, where you board the Dolly Steamboat, a steamboat that has been ferrying visitors around the lake since 1987. Here you observe the desert wildlife as you approach the volcanic cliffs.

Finally, you visit Tortilla Flat, an old town that officially has only 6 registeredinhabitants! And yet, this is the stop for shopping on the Apache Trail. Enjoy its original architecture, Old West traditions and native product offerings. Afterwards, you'll be taken back to your lodging to finish the exciting excursion.

Details of interest

• Price: From 154 € per person.
• Duration: 8 - 9 hours.
• What you should know: All persons over 3 years old are welcome on this type of tour.
• What the tour may include: Transportation service to and from the accommodation. Bottled water. Dolly Steamboat Cruise. Entrance to Goldfield Ghost Town. Entrance to Canyon Lake.
• Pros: This is one of the most complete and versatile Apache Trail passes because it combines sea and land in one tour.
• Cons: Groups can be large. No food or snacks are included.

When you book a tour to Antelope Canyon, you are actually booking a canyon tour because the trail is lined with canyons and the tours make several stops so you can appreciate them up close. The experience begins when you set off for one of the 10 most beautiful places in the shape of a heart: Antelope Canyon.

Before reaching this Arizona icon, the shuttle passes through a set of San Francisco Peaks, a series of dormant volcanoes that are part of the Navajo Reservation. Often the first stop is among Native American craft stalls before arriving at the main destination of this tour.

Once you arrive at the great secret of the Navajo, you'll make your way with your local guide through Antelope Canyon. This is one of the most photographed natural gems in the United States. The arrangement of its upper grooves measures up to 40 meters high, and allow natural light to shine through to highlight the canyon's reddish color gradient.

The next stop is sure to be to recharge with a light lunch and then continue on to Horseshoe Bend, another natural beauty located below Glen Canyon, next to the Colorado River.

Details of interest

• Price: From $378 per person.
• Duration: 12 - 16 hours.
• What you need to know: Because of the mountain hiking involved in this tour, participants are required to be in average physical condition. This is one of the day tours that usually starts earlier, around 05:00 hours.
• What the tour may include: Transportation service to and from the lodge. Local guide service, often Navajo. Entrance fee to Horseshoe Bend. Entrance fee to Antelope Canyon. Breakfast. Lunch. Bottled water.
• Pros: The experience is flexible. Groups are often small. Meals are often adjusted to different diets such as traditional, vegetarian or vegan.
• Cons: The start time may be inconvenient for those travelers who find it hard to wake up early, however, it is worth the effort to enjoy this Antelope Canyon tour.

The itineraries of many Grand Canyon tours begin by picking you up at your lodging, then the transport enters the Sonoran Desert where the change from saguaro cactus to pine trees indicates that the altitude is beginning to change.

The first stop is usually along the famous Route 66, where the views of Monument Valley towards Flagstaff make for one of Arizona's most evocative landscapes.

A little over an hour later you arrive at Grand Canyon National Park, where the rocky meanders encourage exploration. Here you usually have some free time to hike one of the trails through the Colorado River pass. One of the most popular trails is the Bright Angel Trail, which allows you to descend to the river after walking about 13 kilometers of average demand.

For those who are more interested in the photographic record of the experience, it is best to approach the Skywall, a glass-floored viewpoint located at 1,200 meters above sea level that allows you to penetrate 20 meters into the abyss. After exploring the surroundings of the 2,422-meter-deep canyon, you are taken back to your lodging to witness one of the most beautiful natural phenomena in the United States.

Details of interest

• Price: From 213 € per person.
• Duration: 13 - 14 hours.
• What you should know: You can take the tour any time of the year, you can even schedule a visit to the Grand Canyon in winter when the weather is nicer. Add it to your things to do in Phoenix in December for your next vacation.
• What the tour may include: Shuttle service to and from your lodging. Local professional guide service. Lunch. Bottled water. Entrance fee to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
• Pros: The experience is incredible, allowing you to contrast the rock formations of Monument Valley with the Grand Canyon. Even without knowing its name, the immensity of the place leads you to describe it that way. Also, it is appreciated that this type of tour is done in groups of a maximum of 13 people to protect this World Heritage Site.
• Cons: Meals are not always included. Not recommended for people with vertigo problems.

The Sedona and Native American Ruins tour, known for its monoliths, crimson rocks and canyons.

In Sedona, you visit Montezuma Castle National Monument and Tuzigoot National Monument, where you hear valuable information about Native American culture. You also explore geological formations such as Bell Rock, Holy Cross Chapel, Underwater Rock, Snoopy Rock and Mesa Airport.

Afterwards, you have free time to explore downtown Sedona, visit galleries, stores, do some future reading or just enjoy the atmosphere. This is one of the ideal day trips to Sedona from Phoenix to learn about the history and culture of the area's ancient Native Americans, while enjoying the stunning desert and its geological formations.

Details of interest

• Price: From $157 per person.
• Duration: 10 - 12 hours.
• What you need to know: This type of tour can often be customized. The groups are usually a maximum of 12 people, so you can vary the places to visit according to the interests of the participants and even the weather conditions.
• What the tour may include: Local guide service. Transportation service to and from the hotel. Bottled water. Entrance fee to Montezuma Castle National Monument. Entrance to the Tuzigoot National Monument. Entrance to the Chapel of the Holy Cross.
• Pros: The groups are usually medium sized. You get to see most of Sedona's sights on one tour.
• Cons: No food or snacks are included.

During this tour you will have the opportunity to travel back in time and explore one of the most famous towns of the Wild West. Over the course of the day, you learn about the legends and myths of Tombstone, as well as visit notable sites such as the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, San Xavier del Bac Mission and Boot Hill Cemetery.

Upon arriving in Tombstone, you are transported to the Wild West. The town is described by some as the place of 30 seconds of fame with more than 140 years of history, and you'll have time to lose yourself among its streets. Enter Big Nose Kate's Saloon and explore the Birdcage Theater, places frequented by outlaws and gunmen. In addition, you can visit the Tombstone Museum and courthouse, where you learn about daily life in a town where outlaw encounters were the law of the streets.

The tour also includes a visit to the famous O.K. Corral, scene of the notorious gunfight between the Earp brothers and the McLaury and Clanton brothers. You can also visit the Historama and the Pink Tree Museum among other sites of interest.

Then, before returning to Phoenix, you will visit the Mission San Xavier del Bac, near Tucson. This 18th century church houses original statues and mural paintings, giving visitors an authentic experience of the past

Did you know

Boot Hill Cemetery is named after the way most bandits were buried: 'with their boots on'. The expression has become ingrained in popular culture.

Details of interest

• Price: From 182 € per person.
• Duration: 12 - 13 hours.
• What you need to know: This type of experience is usually quite flexible in terms of the sites of interest to visit. If you are in the mood for a particular place, you can ask at the time of booking.
• What the tour may include: Transportation service to and from the hotel. Professional guide service. Entrance to San Xavier del Bac Mission. Entrance to Tombstone. Bottled water.
• Pros: This is a movie tour, to learn the story behind the history of the American West among entertaining activities, museums and charming streets.
• Cons: Meals are not included. Only entrance fees to selected sites are included.

Enjoy an exciting day trip on the Verde Canyon Railroad from Phoenix. The typical itinerary begins with pickup from your lodging around 06:00 am to head to the first destination of the ride: the Montezuma Castle National Monument, a well-preserved Native American monument in the Verde Valley. This rock structure has over 1,000 years of history and is considered one of the treasures of the Hohokam area.

Next, you visit Tuzigoot National Monument, built by the local Sinagua tribe, which features a limestone and sandstone castle as a reminder of the area's ancient inhabitants.

Continuing the tour, you arrive in the historic mining town of Jerome, where you can enjoy panoramic views of the Verde Valley. You explore the ghost streets and discover the secrets of this town that had its heyday in the 1920s as one of the most important mining centers in the Western United States.

The highlight of the tour is the ride on the iconic Verde Canyon Train. In first class, you have champagne and hors d'oeuvres at your disposal as you take in the views of towering red rock canyon walls and Native American ruins. During your 3.5-hour train ride you listen to interesting facts in the voice of a narrator. At the end of the tour, you are taken back to your lodging.

Details of interest

• Price: From 320 € per person.
• Duration: 12 - 13 hours.
• What you need to know: This type of tour is often recommended for adults.
• What the tour may include: Shuttle service to and from the hotel. Local expert guide service. Entrance to Montezuma Castle National Monument. Entrance to Tuzigoot National Monument. First class train ticket. Snacks. Lunch on board the train and glass of sparkling wine.
• Pros: It is a complete excursion with first class attention.
• Cons: The train ride can be long for some.

• Language. Tours in Phoenix and the surrounding area as in most of the United States are usually conducted in English, however, many people around Arizona speak Spanish, largely because of its shared culture with its sister country, Mexico.
• The starting time for day trips from Phoenix. It is usually between 05:00 and 06:00 hours to get the most out of the day. The distances are long, so a bit of effort is required. In any case, the destinations make up for these days in the best 'early bird' style.
• Protect yourself from the sun. Wear dark glasses and a hat or cap. Also, don't forget to wear sunscreen. Phoenix is home to some of the hottest places in the world.