Best tours and Day Trips in Phoenix

The American Valley of the Sun is surrounded by treasures that tell the story of the city's history and culture among natural formations at long distances from downtown, so one of the best things to do in Phoenix is to take a day tour 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. Fancy seeing Arizona's most photographed canyons? Put tours to Antelope Canyon and the Grand Canyon on your bucket list. In this article you'll find these and other tours with prices, pros and cons to help you put together 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 pick-up from your hotel, begin the typical Apache Trail 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 taking a trip back in time as you pass the Mother Lode Mercantile. Next, you follow the road to Goldfield, a restored ghost town that transports visitors back in time.

Afterwards, 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 ancient town with an officially registeredpopulation of only 6! And yet, this is the shopping stop on the Apache Trail. Enjoy the original architecture, Old West traditions and local produce on offer. Afterwards, you'll be driven back to your accommodation to finish the exciting tour.

Interesting details

• Price: From 154 € per person.
• Duration: 8 - 9 hours.
• What you should know: All persons over 3 years of age are welcome on this type of tour.
• What the tour may include: Transport 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 comprehensive 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're actually booking a canyon walk because the trail is lined with canyons and the tours make several stops so you can get up close and personal with them. The experience begins when you set off for one of the 10 most beautiful heart-shaped places: 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 the 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 America's most photographed natural gems. The arrangement of its upper slots is up to 40 metres high, allowing natural light to shine through and highlight the canyon's reddish colour 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 on 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 the earliest, around 05:00 hours.
• What the tour may include: Transport service to and from the accommodation. 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 travellers who find it difficult to wake up early, however, it is worth the effort to enjoy this Antelope Canyon tour.

The itineraries for many Grand Canyon tours begin when you're picked up from your accommodation, then the shuttle 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 across 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 time to explore some of the trails along the Colorado River pass. One of the most popular trails is the Bright Angel Trail, which descends to the river after an average 13-kilometre hike.

For those who are more interested in the photographic record of the experience, it's best to head to the Skywall, a glass-floored lookout at 1,200 metres above sea level that allows you to penetrate 20 metres into the abyss. After exploring the surroundings of the 2,422-metre deep canyon, you'll be taken back to your accommodation to witness one of the most beautiful natural phenomena in the United States.

Interesting details

• Price: From 213 € per person.
• Duration: 13 - 14 hours.
• What you should know: You can do the tour at any time of the year, you can even schedule a visit to the Grand Canyon in winter when the weather is milder. Add it to your things to do in Phoenix in December for your next holiday.
• What the tour may include: Shuttle service to and from your accommodation. Professional local guide service. Lunch. Bottled water. Entrance 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. It is also appreciated that this type of tour is done in groups of maximum 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 the Bell Rock, Holy Cross Chapel, Underwater Rock, Snoopy Rock and Mesa Airport.

Afterwards, you have free time to explore downtown Sedona, visit galleries, shops, 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 should know: This type of tour can often be customised. Groups usually have 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. Transport 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 in the Wild West. Over the course of the day, you learn about the legends and myths of Tombstone, as well as visiting notable sites such as the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, San Xavier del Bac Mission and Boot Hill Cemetery.

Upon arrival in Tombstone, you are transported to the Wild West. The town is described by some as the place of 30 seconds of fame with over 140 years of history, and you'll have time to lose yourself in the streets. Enter Big Nose Kate's Saloon and explore the Birdcage Theatre, haunts of 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'll visit Mission San Xavier del Bac, near Tucson. This 18th century church houses original statues and wall paintings, giving visitors an authentic experience of the past

Did you know

Boot Hill Cemetery is named after the way most highwaymen 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 places of interest to visit. If you fancy a particular place, you can ask at the time of booking.
• What the tour may include: Transport 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 amidst 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 starts with pick-up from your accommodation at around 06:00 hours to head to the first destination of the ride: Montezuma Castle National Monument, a well-preserved Native American monument in the Verde Valley. This rock structure has more than 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 centres in the Western United States.

The highlight of the tour is the ride on the iconic Verde Canyon Train. In first class, champagne and hors d'oeuvres are 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 hear interesting facts from a narrator. At the end of the tour, you are taken back to your accommodation.

Interesting details

• 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's a comprehensive tour with top-notch attention.
• Cons: The train journey 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 start time for day trips from Phoenix. It's usually between 05:00 and 06:00 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.