The Sonoran Desert, sorted.
Sunrise balloon flights, Camelback at first light, jeep trails out to the Superstitions and the long road north to the Grand Canyon: what each one is really like, what it costs, and where to book.
Seven bookings that carry a first trip.
First visit or fifth, these are the ones that fill the days: a sunrise over the Sonoran Desert, a jeep trail out to the Superstitions, and the pedal bar crawl that runs Old Town Scottsdale every weekend.
Pedal Bar Crawl of Old Town Scottsdale
Pedal through Old Town Scottsdale on a party bike with a certified captain, drink specials at 3 bars, and a 2-hour ride for $69.99.
From $69 per person
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★ 5.0Safe betParty Bike Private Party Up To 14 People in Old Town ScottsdaleFrom $5993,541 reviews
★ 5.0Books out fast3 Hour Guided TomCar ATV Experience in Sonoran DesertFrom $2361,947 reviews
★ 5.0Crowd favoriteGuided Arizona Desert Tour by ATV – Centipede TourFrom $1071,386 reviews
★ 5.0Worth the early startGrand Canyon with Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon Van TourFrom $1981,337 reviews
★ 5.0Easy winPrivate Scottsdale Off-Road Jeep TourFrom $2191,247 reviews
★ 5.0Local favoriteGuided Arizona Desert Tour by UTV – Centipede TourFrom $1071,216 reviews
North to the rim, home by dark.
Four hours north through Sedona and the red rocks, a long afternoon on the South Rim, then the highway home under a desert sunset. It is the day most Phoenix trips get planned around, and the one worth giving a whole day to.
How do you want to take the desert?
Everyone comes for the Sonoran Desert; the right way in depends on your trip. Three honest routes below, and every option behind each one is already reviewed and priced.
By your own throttle
Ride it yourself
2 hours (approx.) · from $107 · 1,386 reviews
Strap into an ATV or a TomCar and follow a guide across open Sonoran trails, over dry washes and up onto the ridgelines. Dust, saguaros and full throttle. For travelers who would rather drive the desert than watch it roll past.
See the off-road tours →
Guided at golden hour
Ride out at sunset
2 hours (approx.) · from $195 · 919 reviews
Climb into an open jeep and let a guide take the wheel out toward the Superstition Mountains as the light turns gold. Slower, cooler and built for the camera. This is the desert at the hour it looks its best.
See the jeep tours →
On foot before the heat
Climb it at dawn
3 hours (approx.) · from $145 · 250 reviews
Meet a guide at first light for Camelback or a quiet Sonoran trail before the sun turns fierce. Real desert, earned slowly, with saguaros for company and the whole Valley spread out below. Start early and carry water.
See the hiking tours →
The desert cools, the Valley wakes.
When the heat finally breaks, Old Town Scottsdale fills up and the old streets of Phoenix give up their ghost stories. Pedal bar crawls, haunted history walks and long desert evenings. Book the night before it books out.
Old Town Scottsdale eats and drinks.
Scottsdale earned its food scene, and the best way in is a tasting walk with someone who books the tables. Six stops, alcohol often included, and a stretch of the old canal along the way.
Yes, the desert has a river.
The Salt River and Saguaro Lake sit twenty minutes past the last saguaro: cliff-walled, cool and quiet. Kayak, paddleboard or float past the wild horses on the bank. The desert you did not expect.
Where the light does the work.
It is a long drive north, and every mile pays off: the slot walls of Antelope Canyon lit from above, the great green bend of the Colorado at Horseshoe Bend, the river a thousand feet below. Leave in the dark, chase the light, home by night.
Pick your corner of the Valley.
The Valley works in pockets, and each one is a different day. Old Town Scottsdale for the food and the nights. Camelback for the climb. Saguaro Lake for the water. Roosevelt Row for the murals.
Know what you are after?
Twelve ways into the same desert. Pick the one that sounds like your kind of day, and every option behind it is already reviewed and priced.
Gone by sunrise, back by dark.
The interstate makes short work of Arizona. The Grand Canyon, red-rock Sedona, the slot canyons up north and a real Old West town are all a day trip from the Valley, and the seat home is part of the ticket.
Three days, done right.
You cannot see all of it in one trip, but you can absolutely nail the right three days. This is the order we would hand a friend flying into Sky Harbor tomorrow.
Day 1
Land soft in Scottsdale
Ease off the plane into Old Town Scottsdale: galleries, shaded patios and a food tour to shake off the flight. Slow pace, cold drinks, first taste of the desert heat.
Plan day one →
Day 2
A full desert day
Up before dawn for Camelback or a sunrise balloon, the hot hours by the pool or out on Saguaro Lake, then a jeep into the Superstitions as the light turns gold.
Plan day two →
Day 3
North to the canyon
The early van north through Sedona and the red rocks to the South Rim. Check the forecast, leave room for photos, and let the long drive home be part of it.
Plan the canyon day →
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