ARIZONA

The greatest-hits loop, sequenced the way locals actually drive it.

The route at a glance

Phoenix (1 night) → Sedona (2 nights) → Grand Canyon South Rim (2 nights) → Page (1 night) → Flagstaff (1 night) → Phoenix. Roughly 900 miles of driving, but never more than about 2.5 hours behind the wheel in a day except the final return leg. The logic: climb gradually from desert (1,100 ft) to red rocks (4,300 ft) to the high country (7,000 ft), see the canyon with fresh eyes mid-trip, then descend home. Fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX), rent the car there, and drop it back at the end, no one-way fees.

Flights to Phoenix · [AFFILIATE: rental cars at Phoenix Sky Harbor]

Best months: March–May and September–November. This exact loop works in summer if you start hikes at dawn and treat midday as driving/pool time; in winter, pack for snow at the canyon and Flagstaff while Phoenix stays mild.

Day 1: Phoenix & Scottsdale

Land, pick up the car, and don't drive anywhere far today. Desert Botanical Garden in the afternoon, dinner and a wander in Old Town Scottsdale in the evening. If you have a full extra day, use our 2-day Phoenix & Scottsdale itinerary, but for the road trip, one good evening in the Valley is the right appetizer. Sleep in Scottsdale or Phoenix.

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Variations & booking order

Only 5 days? Cut Page (do Antelope as a long day from the canyon only if you must, better: save it) and one Sedona night. Never cut the second canyon night.
Have 9–10 days? Add a night in Flagstaff, a night in Tucson for Saguaro National Park, or Monument Valley after Page.
Book in this order: (1) Grand Canyon lodging, (2) Antelope Canyon midday tour, (3) Sedona lodging, (4) rental car, (5) everything else.
Car choice: Any standard car handles this whole loop. Every mile is paved highway. High clearance is unnecessary; comfort and trunk space matter more.
One-way option: Flying into Phoenix and out of Las Vegas (or reverse) also works with a one-way rental, and pairs this loop with a Vegas finish.

Day 2: Drive to Sedona (about 2 hours)

Take I-17 north, exit at SR 179, and the red rocks build like a movie set: Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte first, then the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Check in, hike something short before sunset (Airport Mesa loop or Bell Rock Pathway), and watch the light show from Airport Mesa viewpoint. Book Sedona lodging well ahead. See our where-to-stay-in-Sedona guide for area picks.

Day 3: Sedona, full day

Sunrise hike (Cathedral Rock or Devil's Bridge, start by 8 a.m.), midday at Tlaquepaque and Oak Creek, afternoon jeep tour or the West Fork Trail in Oak Creek Canyon. Our Sedona weekend guide is this day, expanded.

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Day 4: Sedona → Grand Canyon South Rim (about 2.25 hours)

Drive SR 89A through Oak Creek Canyon to Flagstaff (stop for coffee in the historic downtown), then US 180 past the San Francisco Peaks to SR 64 and the South Entrance. Arrive by early afternoon: Visitor Center and Mather Point first, then walk a stretch of the Rim Trail into Grand Canyon Village as the light softens. Sleep in the park or in Tusayan, book this night first when planning the whole trip; it's the hardest reservation on the route in season.

Day 5: Grand Canyon, full day

Sunrise at Mather or Yaki Point. Morning: a below-the-rim taste on the Bright Angel Trail (to the first tunnel or 1.5-mile resthouse, then back up, allow double time for the climb). Afternoon: shuttle the Hermit Road viewpoints, finishing at Hopi Point for sunset. Full detail in our South Rim first-timer's guide.

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Day 6: Grand Canyon → Page (about 2.5 hours via Desert View)

Leave along Desert View Drive, stopping at Grandview and Lipan Points and climbing the Desert View Watchtower, then exit the East Entrance through Cameron (stop at the historic trading post) and on to Page on US 89. Afternoon: your pre-booked Antelope Canyon tour (you did book ahead, it's tour-only, see our Antelope Canyon guide). Sunset at Horseshoe Bend, five minutes from town. Sleep in Page.

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Day 7: Page → Flagstaff → Phoenix (about 4.5 hours total driving)

South on US 89 to Flagstaff for a proper pause: Route 66 downtown, lunch, and, if timing allows, an hour at Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was discovered. Then it's a straight, scenic descent on I-17 back to Phoenix (about 2 hours); Sunset Point rest area is the photo stop. Drop the car, fly home, or, better, add a night in Phoenix and fly out rested the next morning.

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