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Arizona, United States

Phoenix

Spend a full day: hike at dawn, then the desert garden and museums, then dinner in Old Town Scottsdale. We have mapped 3 sights, 1 activity and 1 outdoor spot here, each with a reason to go.

Plan Phoenix with friendsBrowse 8 places
Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Places
8

3 See · 1 Do · 1 Outdoors · 2 Eat · 1 Drink

Curated routes
1

Grand Canyon & Arizona

Best season
Mar – May

from our route notes

Warmest month
July

42°C / 107°F avg high

Coolest month
December

19°C / 66°F avg high

Wettest month
January

about 33 mm rain

Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.

Things to do in Phoenix

8 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.

See

3 sights worth building a day around across Midtown, North Phoenix and North Scottsdale.

  • Heard Museum in PhoenixPhoto: Yassie · CC BY-SA 3.0
    See

    Heard Museum

    Deep collection of Native American art, jewelry and Hopi katsina dolls.

    • Midtown
    • $$
    • 2 hr
  • Musical Instrument Museum in PhoenixPhoto: Diane Merrill · Google
    See

    Musical Instrument Museum

    Thousands of instruments from about 200 countries, with headphone audio at each display.

    Tip Allow at least 3 hours; it is bigger than it looks.

    • North Phoenix
    • $$
    • 3 hr
  • Taliesin West in PhoenixPhoto: Lar (primary) User:Lar (secondary) · Public domain
    See

    Taliesin West

    Frank Lloyd Wright's desert home and studio, seen on guided tours.

    Tip Book the tour ahead; most of the walking is outdoors.

    • North Scottsdale
    • $$$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Morning

Do

1 activity for when the group wants to do more than look in Arcadia.

  • Camelback Mountain – Echo Canyon Trail in PhoenixPhoto: David Packer · Google
    Do

    Camelback Mountain – Echo Canyon Trail

    Steep, rocky 1.2-mile climb to the city's best summit view.

    Tip Start at sunrise; the lot fills fast and the trail closes in extreme heat.

    • Arcadia
    • Free
    • 2.5 hr
    • Sunrise, Oct–Apr

Outdoors

1 outdoor spot for fresh air in Papago Park.

  • Desert Botanical Garden in PhoenixPhoto: Scotwriter21 · CC BY-SA 4.0
    Outdoors

    Desert Botanical Garden

    Trails through saguaros, cacti and wildflowers from deserts worldwide.

    Tip Go late afternoon for golden light on the cacti.

    • Papago Park
    • $$
    • 2 hr
    • Late afternoon

Eat

Where we would book a table in Phoenix across Heritage Square and Roosevelt Row.

  • Pizzeria Bianco in PhoenixPhoto: Tony the Marine (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0
    Eat

    Pizzeria Bianco

    Chris Bianco's wood-fired pizza in a 1929 brick building at Heritage Square.

    Tip Order the Rosa (red onion, pistachio, rosemary).

    • Heritage Square
    • $$
    • 75 min
    • Dinner
  • Matt's Big Breakfast in PhoenixPhoto: A Z · Google
    Eat

    Matt's Big Breakfast

    Downtown diner known for thick bacon, griddle cakes and long weekend lines.

    Tip Weekday mornings mean shorter waits.

    • Roosevelt Row
    • $
    • 60 min
    • Weekday breakfast

Drink

Our picks for a drink in Phoenix in Old Town Scottsdale.

  • Rusty Spur Saloon in PhoenixPhoto: Rusty Spur Saloon · Google
    Drink

    Rusty Spur Saloon

    Old Town Scottsdale saloon, open since 1951, with live country music.

    • Old Town Scottsdale
    • $
    • 60 min
    • Evening

How to fit Phoenix into a trip

Phoenix is stop 1 of 3 on our Grand Canyon & Arizona route. Follow it as-is or lift Phoenix into your own plan.

Getting here and onward

Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.

Phoenix month by month

Average daily highs run from 19°C / 66°F in December to 42°C / 107°F in July. January is the wettest month, with about 33 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.

Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Phoenix weather and the best time to visit →

Near Phoenix

7 other destinations from our guides within about 400 km (249 mi), measured in a straight line.

Phoenix questions, answered

How many days do you need in Phoenix?

Our route notes suggest a full day in Phoenix. On our Grand Canyon & Arizona route it is stop 1 of 3 in a 5-day trip. The listed visit times for our 8 places add up to roughly 14 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.

What is Phoenix best known for?

Spend a full day: hike at dawn, then the desert garden and museums, then dinner in Old Town Scottsdale. Standouts on our list: Heard Museum (Deep collection of Native American art, jewelry and Hopi katsina dolls); Musical Instrument Museum (Thousands of instruments from about 200 countries, with headphone audio at each display); Taliesin West (Frank Lloyd Wright's desert home and studio, seen on guided tours).

When is the best time to visit Phoenix?

Our Grand Canyon & Arizona route is best Mar – May. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in July (42°C / 107°F), the coolest in December (19°C / 66°F) and the most rain in January (about 33 mm).

What are the best things to do in Phoenix?

Start with Camelback Mountain – Echo Canyon Trail, Desert Botanical Garden, Heard Museum, Musical Instrument Museum and Taliesin West. Our guide lists 8 places in all, from 3 sights, 1 activity, 1 outdoor spot, 2 places to eat and 1 bar or café.

Where should a group eat in Phoenix?

Our picks: Pizzeria Bianco (Heritage Square); Matt's Big Breakfast (Roosevelt Row). Order the Rosa (red onion, pistachio, rosemary) (Pizzeria Bianco).

What is near Phoenix?

The closest destinations in our guides are Downtown Phoenix (about 0 km / 0 mi), Papago Park & Camelback (about 12 km / 7 mi) and Sedona (about 161 km / 100 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.

Plan Phoenix with your crew

Open the Grand Canyon & Arizona route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 8 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.

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