By leah jones
Phoenix is Arizona’s capital city and one of the largest in the country. That said, there is a lot to do and see in sunny Phoenix.
However, it also has plenty of great day trip options within a few hours' drive where you can beat the bustling town and heat while you explore. Here are some of the best destinations near Phoenix.
Sedona, featuring stunning red rock formations, hiking trails and spiritual vortex sites, is only two hours from Phoenix. It’s great for outdoor lovers, as well as art enthusiasts with its many galleries.
Jerome is a historic mining town turned artsy ghost town with great mountain views, quirky shops and haunted locations to explore. Get there in a two-hour drive.
Visit Prescott from Phoenix in about an hour and 45 minutes. This charming town boasts a historic Whiskey Row, beautiful lakes for activities like kayaking and forests for hiking and picnics.
Phoenix is less than two hours away from Arizona’s second biggest city, Tucson. It's home to Saguaro National Park, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and great Mexican food.
In a 3.5 hour drive from Phoenix you can visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Enjoy breathtaking views and hiking opportunities like no other.
Just 2.5 hours away you'll find Kartchner Caverns. The area is home to stunning underground caves with impressive stalactites and stalagmites made of limestone.
A lush escape in the mountains with cooler temperatures awaits you in Payton, 90 minutes from Phoenix. Be sure to check out Tonto Natural Bridge, considered the world’s largest structure of its kind.
Flagstaff is a cool mountain town with skiing in winter, hiking in summer and access to the Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monuments. Get there from Phoenix in about two hours.
Learn about the Sinagua people, one of the Indigenous peoples of Arizona, with their well-preserved ancient cliff dwellings at Montezuma Castle National Monument (1.5 hours from Phoenix).
Boyce Thompson Arboretum is Arizona’s largest and oldest botanical garden, featuring desert plants from around the world throughout hundreds of acres. Get there in a little over an hour from Phoenix.