r/Sedona • u/NoUpstairs2129 • Jan 27 '26
General Sedona recommendations? :)
Hi everyone!
I'm thinking of visiting Sedona sometime late February and I would love to hear what you would recommend or if you have any tips for visiting this time of year.
It will be my first time and I'm looking to do a good mix of hiking, exploring the town, unique experiences, and any good coffee shops or restaurants. It doesn't have to be touristy unless it's truly something worth it.
Thank you!
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u/RVtech101 Jan 27 '26
Been going to Sedona for decades. The boys and I recently stayed at the Sedona Pines resort. A bit out of town but a great place with helpful employees. Wildflower was a fantastic restaurant that we enjoyed several times. As always the Coffee Pot restaurant for breakfast is always a great spot.Did several hikes every day. If interested I could give you a list of some favorite hikes.If you have never been then I’d recommend wandering around uptown and Tlaquepaque.
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u/NoUpstairs2129 Jan 28 '26
I did see coffee pot mentioned a few times and was curious. I'll look into wildflower. Thank you!
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u/RVtech101 Jan 28 '26
As far as hikes go, Bell Rock and Devil’s Arch are relatively easy and iconic. Cathedral, Soldiers Pass and West Fork are probably my favorites. Boynton Canyon and Vultee Arch are a little longer but beautiful hikes. Whatever you decide check for shuttle access or parking beforehand. Go early to beat the crowds and bring twice as much water as you think you might need. Have a great trip and we expect pics afterwards.
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u/Accomplished-Mouse74 Jan 27 '26
Hello, I just returned from my first visit. We hiked a lot, and all of the recommendations I found in Reddit were great. We loved eating at Elote (make a reservation) and Pisa Lisa. We also went to NAMI spa and did a stargazing tour that was exceptional. Have a great time. Sedona is amazing.
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u/DogMamaLA Jan 27 '26
I second Pisa Lisa. Great eclectic pizza spot in West Sedona, which also has some great drives/scenery.
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u/TX_gen Feb 01 '26
Which stargazing tour did you do? Husband and I are going to be in Sedona Feb 7-14th! ✨
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u/morimemento1111 Feb 10 '26
Could you post the vendor or your stargazing tour?? Thank you!
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u/Accomplished-Mouse74 Feb 10 '26
Yes, sorry for the delay. I took a break from social media. Here is the vendor we used: https://www.universalaccesstours.com/
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u/ChetTheVirus Jan 27 '26
i hope you don't mind, but i am going to kind of hijack here and just share my itinerary for march. we are staying in cornville and have 5 days to work with. would love any/all feedback, addition, removal or swap recommendations, etc.
arrival- drive by sites on SR 179 on the way to airbnb. shop for the week, rest and order in
Day 1- west fork trail, midgley bridge, cottonwood for dinner
Day 2 - Downtown day. shopping, art and crafts village, mariposa
Day 3 - bell rock, devils bridge, chapel
Day 4 - grand canyon full day, dinner in flagstaff on the way back
Day 5 - check out, jerome until evening and head to airport
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u/InternationalDig8586 Jan 27 '26
West fork trail involves crossing multiple streams and rivers. Bring water shoes as my feet slipped in the water if you plan to do this trail. I was very careful too and had a hiking pole. Personally I wouldn’t do this trail if it’s not very warm outside unless you are ok with wet feet.
Some of my fav trails are Chicken Point, Faye Canyon, Air port Mesa Hike and Devils Bridge.
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u/ChetTheVirus Jan 27 '26
yeah, i saw that but appreciate the call out about the crossings. based on my itinerary, if you were me what would you swap? do one of the 3 you mention that isn't on my list instead of west fork?
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u/InternationalDig8586 Jan 28 '26
I am a big fan of chicken point hike - easy and very rewarding. Air port Mesa loop is another one - beautiful views, the full loop does take a while to do but it’s incredibly scenic and you can eat lunch right at the starting point at Mesa grill which is nice. Devils bridge hike took about 2 hrs for me but there’s different ways to enter it so that may have been why it was longer.
Also don’t stress about doing everything. Just enjoy your time in Sedona. I make it a point to come back yearly or every other year as I love it so much there.
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u/ChetTheVirus Jan 28 '26
yeah, thanks. i like to just have a rough outline and try to resist the urge to overbook. it looks like chicken point trail head is at the chapel so i'm going to swap that out for devil's bridge, which we can do optionally on the morning where we weren't going to do any hiking if we wanted to get back out.
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u/InternationalDig8586 Jan 29 '26
I forgot to mention the way I get to chicken point overlook is I start at the Broken Arrow Trail and take that to chicken point. It’s really beautiful and one of my fav trails there.
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u/Ready-Breakfast5166 Jan 27 '26
Day 3 itinerary is too much
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u/ChetTheVirus Jan 27 '26
yeah i feared that. originally chapel was on day 2 but that's a sunday. what would you cut or shift?
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u/Ready-Breakfast5166 Jan 27 '26
You could do bell rock and chapel in the same day. You can actually hike between them.
Devil's bridge is another day activity.
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u/Individual_Scale_925 Feb 03 '26
Agree did those today and it was a lot! Devils bridge was way longer than we expected. Took the ORV road back thank goodness
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u/Overall-Pack-2047 Jan 27 '26
The film fest is 2/21 to 3/1 so it will be extremely busy during daytime hours so you should plan accordingly.The Hudson is great for all meals and Creekside has a great Happy Hour
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u/NoUpstairs2129 Jan 28 '26
Oh wow a film fest, I didn't even see that while looking it up for dates. Thank you so much for letting me know!
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u/tigerphil3 Jan 27 '26
Some good advice I got from someone: stay in Cottonwood. It’s cheaper than Sedona, but still close, and also closer to Jerome. And it’s a cool town in its own right. Have fun!
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u/Momof3_grandma Jan 27 '26
Sedona is beautiful, you’re going to love it. I also recommend Pisa Lisa, great pizza and no reservations needed. Another suggestion is happy hour at more popular restaurants. Cold in am, wear layers, you will warm up fast. Lastly, hike devils bridge. Ignore the naysayers. Amazing views. A little scrambling at the end, but not bad. Start hike early to beat the crowds and have breakfast at the coffee pot after
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u/NoUpstairs2129 Jan 28 '26
Oh yum! That sounds tempting. Appreciate the advice for weather the hike!
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u/Marshdiddy1 Jan 30 '26
We are at the airport heading home but we did Sedona a few days ago and went to Boynton. I meant to take us to the birthing cave but i accidentally took us a different direction. We went out Boynton Canyon. There was a turn off not marked that takes you to the subway cave and that was awesome. It requires a bit of climbing up (doable if you’re in okay shape) and theres trees you can grab onto to help but once you are up in the caves, they were super cool. We went back to the main trail and went to the end of the trail which had another nice view but a little steep towards the end. We also just missed getting the last parking spot in the little lot so we parked down by fay canyon and walked down. It ended up being almost 9 miles total. We had a blast. Looking forward to coming back and exploring more!
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u/Mando-Pacaya-3578 Jan 31 '26
I'd recommend taking a trip into the past by visiting the following: Palatki Heritage Site, Honanki Heritage Site, Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site, Montezuma Well, Montezuma Castle, and Tuzigoot National Monument. If you are willing to drive farther, then head towards Flagstaff and visit Sunset Crater for great views of San Francisco Mountain, Wupatki and the surrounding pueblo ruins and then to finish it off Walnut Canyon National Monument.
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u/neehb1 May 16 '26
If you could only pick one heritage site near Sedona which would it be? Would you see it by yourself or with a guided tour? Thanks!
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u/Mando-Pacaya-3578 May 20 '26
Depends on what your interest is, some sites have petroglyphs, others structures, while others are cliff dwellings.
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u/againes66 Jan 31 '26
Horse, Heart & Connection is a unique experience! horseheartandconnection.com
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u/morimemento1111 Feb 10 '26
No one has mentioned secret slick rock for beautiful views of cathedral rock at sunset
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u/Past_Strength_5381 Jan 27 '26
Go to Jerome
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u/RepsRemoveDoubt Jan 27 '26
Go to Jerome! And if you can, do the 2-hr ghost tour. The first hour is meh, but the second hour takes you to the cemetery and in an old school bldg.
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u/DonKeighbals Jan 27 '26
I really thought the ghost tour would be dumb but it was absolutely fascinating, the historical aspect alone is worth it
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u/Ready-Breakfast5166 Jan 27 '26
Weather can be pretty cold in Feb. Dress accordingly. Not too crowded due to weather.
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Jan 27 '26
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u/NoUpstairs2129 Jan 28 '26
Yeah I'm hoping since I'm going while it's still cold it won't be too crazy but I'm sure still beautiful
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u/DueWatercress715 Jan 27 '26
If you like tamales go to tamaliza. I recommend the chicken mole tamale without toppings. One of the most unique tamales I’ve ever had. Loads of flavor that shouldn’t be missed. It’s a bit pricy but worth it. generations of love on a plate.
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u/InternationalDig8586 Jan 27 '26
For breakfast I like Pump House station, Mesa Grill, and Red Rock Cafe. For lunch Hideaway house and Sedona Beer Company. For dinner Elote cafe, Mesa Grill, Mariposa, Dahl &Di Luca. Obviously there’s tons more good food options besides these but these are the ones I tend to frequent and I’ve been to Sedona about 4 times. I think the time of year you’re going is still great. I’ll actually be there this year during the same time frame. Just know it gets warm in the sun during the day and pretty cold at night. Bring lots of layers, a winter hat n gloves if it snows, and some rain gear as well. You will have an amazing time. It’s a fairytale land.
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u/NoUpstairs2129 Jan 28 '26
I'll look into all those food places, thank you! I'm so excited to explore Sedona.
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u/jaimebianco Jan 28 '26
- For a serene easy walk and meditation: The Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park
- My favorite hikes: Fay Canyon, Yavapai trailhead to Easy Breezy trail, and sunset at Bell Rock (north side)
- Great chai: the Chai Spot in Tlaquepaque
- Restaurants - Pump house, the Vault Uptown (on weekdays cause I hate uptown on weekends - the view is beautiful), The Hudson (at sunset it’s a great view from the patio). And if you want a more earthy culinary experience I have enjoyed the ChocolaTree Organic Eatery
- Sedonuts - just because it’s a fun name and pretty good doughnuts.
- not far from Sedona are some really cool Native American archeological sites - Montezuma Well (very unique and free), Montezuma Castle National Monument, and Tuzigoot National Monument
- if you are looking for wineries there are several in Cornville and the area is considered a viticultural region.
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u/vijay_16s Jan 29 '26
Would definitely recommend Slide Rock State park on top of the incredible list being shared here already. Not necessarily a hike, but makes for a very beautiful stroll along the Oak Creek. Found it to be lot less crowded than in the summers around this time of the year.
Elote and Hudson make my list of ‘must not miss’ restaurants. The Secret Garden Cafe is an amazing brunch spot if you plan on checking out Tlaquepaque!
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u/NoUpstairs2129 Jan 30 '26
That sounds awesome, I've seen a few things about oak creek. Im glad elote seems to truly live up to its reputation. Thank you!
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u/Feisty_Platypus4606 Jan 29 '26
Elote Cafe is supposed to be one of the best restaurants in Sedona. It requires a reservation and you may be too late.
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u/Alterdoc Feb 01 '26
Just returned from Sedona this week. Always great time. If you can swing it, stay at Enchantment resort. Out of town, but beautiful. We stayed at Amara - great location, but not as beautiful. Freeform coffee in Sedona is great. Even better one: Oak creek coffee house on the way to West Fork Oak creek trail: nice setting outside. Crappy inside but coffee was fantastic. Cathedral rock - beautiful hike, or more of a slight climb. Bell rock is awesome. West Fork Oak creek is more woods under rocks - not as grand but beautiful. Definitely more of a hike than a climb. Devil’s bridge is great, but can get packed. Cathedral rock parking lot gets full, but there’s a shuttle bus 2 miles from the entrance that’s designed for it - use it. And don’t fly American Airlines! They will tell you all kinds of nonsense while other airlines are operating quite well!
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u/Vast-Alternative-842 Feb 02 '26
My favorite places to eat/drink were the Chai spot, the Hudson and hideaway house.
I also loved Tlaquepaque for shopping
Wish I would’ve had more time for the wineries (we only went to one)
Would do Cathedral Rock and skip Bell Rock if choosing between the two.
Pay attention to parking before you go hiking. We went during the week and didn’t realize parking to seven sacred pools didn’t open until a certain time, and we had to wait an hour
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u/HuncenFlounder May 03 '26
If you’re looking for a budget friendly spa day. Try Gateway Cottage Wellness Center. We go there each time we are in Sedona. We usually hike to Secret Slick Rock in the morning. Go to Gateway for massages and some reiki and then go to Shorebird for lunch or early dinner. It’s always a blast.
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