Wondering where to stay in Sedona? From Uptown, where I stayed, to West Sedona, the Village of Oak Creek, Cottonwood and Flagstaff, this guide covers the best areas and hotels for your trip.
Sedona sits among pine forests, red rock canyons and high desert, and it’s one of the most popular destinations in Arizona, for hikers, wellness seekers and road-trippers alike. Where you stay makes a big difference here: the town is spread out along two main roads, traffic can be heavy, and the best trailheads are scattered all around it.
I stayed at the Matterhorn Inn in Uptown Sedona in February, a great-value hotel with red rock views from every room, and it made a brilliant base for exploring. This guide covers Uptown and the other best areas to stay in and around Sedona, what there is to see and do in each, and the hotels to book.
The best places to stay in Sedona at a glance
| Category | Hotel |
|---|---|
| Where I stayed (great value) | Matterhorn Inn |
| Best overall | L’Auberge de Sedona |
| Best for a spa stay | Adobe Grand Villas |
| Best without a car | Sedona Uptown Suites |
The best areas to stay in Sedona
Sedona is small, but its neighbourhoods feel quite different. Uptown is the walkable tourist centre, West Sedona is where locals live and eat, and the Village of Oak Creek, a few miles south, sits right by some of the best trails. If you’re on a budget or exploring the wider area, Cottonwood and Flagstaff are both within an hour’s drive.
Uptown Sedona: the walkable heart of town for first-timers
Uptown is the historic heart of Sedona and the most popular place to stay. It’s compact and walkable, with restaurants, bars, galleries and souvenir shops along Main Street (SR 89A), and red rock views at every turn. It’s also on the doorstep of Oak Creek Canyon, a short drive from the trailheads, and the starting point for jeep tours and the Sedona Trolley. This is where I stayed, and I loved being able to walk out for dinner.
It’s the most touristy part of town and accommodation is pricier than elsewhere, but if it’s your first visit, you can’t beat the convenience.
Uptown highlights
Sedona Arts Center
Sedona Arts Center, in the old Art Barn at the north end of Uptown, is one of the best places to see the work of local artists, with a gallery of paintings, sculpture, pottery and photography (open daily, 10am to 5pm, from noon on Sundays) and a school running workshops in ceramics, painting and more.
Sedona Heritage Museum
Set in the old Jordan family homestead in Jordan Historical Park, surrounded by apple orchards, the Sedona Heritage Museum tells the story of the pioneer families who settled here from 1876, their orchards and ranches, and the Western films shot in Sedona since the 1920s. It’s open daily from 11am to 3pm.
Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village
Just across Oak Creek from Uptown, Tlaquepaque is a collection of galleries, craft shops and restaurants built to look like a traditional Mexican village, with arched walkways and courtyards under the sycamores. With more than 50 shops, galleries and places to eat, it’s the best place in Sedona for shopping, from jewellery and ceramics to paintings and Navajo rugs. It’s open daily from 10am to 5pm.
Suggested hotels in Uptown Sedona
Matterhorn Inn
I stayed at the Matterhorn Inn, a great-value hotel that’s been recently revamped into a stylish stay in the heart of Sedona. All the rooms come with views of the red rocks from a private balcony or terrace (by the end of my stay in February, there was snow on the rocks outside), it has eco-friendly credentials, and it’s well located for exploring: you can walk to Uptown’s restaurants and drive to the trailheads in minutes. There’s also an outdoor pool for warmer months.
L’Auberge de Sedona
The luxurious L’Auberge de Sedona is the place for a tranquil escape, set on the banks of Oak Creek just below Uptown. Stay in cottages among the sycamores, with a newly renovated spa, a cliffside pool and Cress on Oak Creek, one of Sedona’s best restaurants, right by the water.
Sedona Uptown Suites
Sedona Uptown Suites is a good choice if you don’t have a car, a short walk from Uptown’s restaurants and coffee shops. It has one- and two-bedroom suites with kitchens and red rock views, a fire pit and barbecue grills, and it’s one of the better-value options in Uptown, though there’s no pool or breakfast.
West Sedona: better value and a local feel
While Uptown is the most popular place to stay, accommodation there is more expensive. For a more affordable base, I’d look at West Sedona, the stretch of SR 89A west of Uptown where most locals live.
It’s central for the trailheads at Airport Mesa, Devil’s Bridge, Boynton Canyon and Red Rock State Park, and it has a more local feel, with some of Sedona’s best restaurants, plenty of crystal shops and psychics, and supermarkets for stocking up before a hike.
West Sedona highlights
Sedona Artist Market
The Sedona Artist Market is the place to find Arizona art and crafts, with work by more than 150 local artists, from paintings and pottery to jewellery, under one roof on SR 89A. It’s open daily from 10am to 5pm.
Airport Mesa
Airport Mesa, rising right above West Sedona, has some of the best views in town and is one of Sedona’s best-known vortexes. I went up in the late afternoon, when the low sun lights up the red rocks. There’s a 3.5-mile loop trail around the mesa, and it’s one of the best sunset spots in the area.
Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park
If you’re looking for a peaceful spot, visit Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park, a 36-foot Buddhist monument at the foot of Thunder Mountain, with walking paths through 14 acres of juniper woodland. It’s free and open to everyone, whatever your faith, from dawn to dusk.
Red Rock State Park
Red Rock State Park, a few miles south-west of West Sedona off Red Rock Loop Road, is a nature preserve along Oak Creek with easy trails and views of Cathedral Rock. There’s a naturalist-led walk every morning at 10am and bird walks on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. It’s open daily from 8am to 5pm, entry is $10 per adult, and swimming isn’t allowed.
Suggested hotels in West Sedona
Adobe Grand Villas
Adobe Grand Villas is the place for a cosy, indulgent stay: 16 individually decorated villas with Southwestern touches and at least two fireplaces each, plus a heated pool, hot tub, a small spa and a chef-prepared breakfast.
Lantern Light Inn
Planning a romantic trip? Stay at the Lantern Light Inn, a small, adults-only inn with a lush garden, well-equipped rooms and friendly hosts.
Casa Sedona Inn
Casa Sedona Inn is a 16-room bed and breakfast where every room has a gas fireplace and a balcony or patio, with a red rock viewing deck, a hot tub and breakfast included.
Village of Oak Creek: trailheads on your doorstep
The Village of Oak Creek, about 7 miles south of Uptown on SR 179, is the best place to stay for hiking. It sits right at the foot of Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte, with the Bell Rock Pathway and the Courthouse Butte Loop, my favourite hike in Sedona, starting on its doorstep.
It doesn’t have as much going on as central Sedona, but it’s calmer, often cheaper, and has a few good restaurants and a golf course.
Village of Oak Creek highlights
The Chapel of the Holy Cross
The Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona’s most famous landmark, is a few miles north of the village, just off SR 179. Completed in 1956, its modern architecture and 90-foot cross are striking against the red rocks, and while it gets busy (parking at the top is very limited), it’s well worth a visit. It’s open daily from 9am to 5pm, and entry is free.
Hiking
Oak Creek is right by some of Sedona’s best trails, including the Courthouse Butte Loop, the Bell Rock climb and the Bell Rock Pathway, which runs north towards Sedona. See my guide to hiking Bell Rock.
Stargazing
The Village of Oak Creek has been an International Dark Sky Community since 2016 (Sedona itself followed suit in 2014), with strict rules on outdoor lighting, so the stars are spectacular on a clear night. For something different, take this UFO and stargazing tour.
Suggested hotels in the Village of Oak Creek
Las Posadas of Sedona
Las Posadas of Sedona is a relaxing spot with spacious villa-style suites, red rock views and a home-cooked breakfast.
Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock
For a resort stay, Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock has spacious suites with fireplaces, a family pool and an adults’ pool, a spa and a golf course next door, with the Bell Rock Pathway a short walk away.
The Penrose Bed & Breakfast
The Penrose Bed & Breakfast is a homely, highly rated bed and breakfast near Bell Rock, with thoughtfully designed rooms, red rock views from every one and a two-course breakfast.
Element Sedona
If you’re travelling with a dog, Element Sedona is a modern, pet-friendly hotel in the Village of Oak Creek, a short drive from the Bell Rock trailheads, with spacious rooms with kitchens, a free breakfast, and an outdoor pool and hot tub.
Cottonwood: a cheaper base for wine lovers
Wine lover? Cottonwood, about 20 miles south-west of Sedona in the Verde Valley, is the place to stay. It’s more affordable than Sedona, with less crowded hotels, and Old Town Cottonwood is packed with wine tasting rooms and restaurants. It’s also closer to Jerome and to Phoenix, and the Verde Shuttle bus links it to Sedona.
Dead Horse Ranch State Park, on the edge of town, has trails and lagoons along the Verde River, and Cottonwood is an International Dark Sky Community too.
Cottonwood highlights
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Montezuma Castle National Monument, about 20 miles from Cottonwood off Interstate 17, is one of the best ways to learn about the area’s Native American history: a striking, well-preserved, five-storey Sinagua cliff dwelling tucked into a limestone alcove about 90 feet above Beaver Creek. I visited in February, and it’s well worth the trip. Entry is $10 per adult and also covers Tuzigoot National Monument, a hilltop pueblo on the edge of Cottonwood.
Verde Valley Wine Trail
You’ll find some of Arizona’s best wineries on the Verde Valley Wine Trail, with tasting rooms in Old Town Cottonwood, Jerome, Clarkdale and Cornville. Take a Verde Valley wine tour so nobody has to drive.
Verde Canyon Railroad
The Verde Canyon Railroad runs from Clarkdale, next to Cottonwood, through a remote red rock canyon along the Verde River to Perkinsville, a four-hour, 40-mile round trip in vintage carriages.
Blazin’ M Ranch
For a dose of the Wild West, the Blazin’ M Ranch near Dead Horse Ranch State Park serves a chuckwagon barbecue dinner followed by a live cowboy music and comedy show, from Wednesday to Sunday evenings. It closed in 2020 but is open again.
Suggested hotels in Cottonwood
The Tavern Hotel
The Tavern Hotel is a boutique hotel in a historic building on Main Street in Old Town Cottonwood, steps from the tasting rooms, with breakfast at its cafe and a welcome cocktail at the Tavern Grille.
Lux Verde Hotel
For great value, the Lux Verde Hotel has a seasonal pool (April to October), a hot tub, free continental breakfast and spacious rooms, and it’s pet-friendly.
SpringHill Suites by Marriott Cottonwood
SpringHill Suites by Marriott Cottonwood offers spacious, reliable rooms, a gym, an outdoor pool and breakfast at a reasonable rate.
Flagstaff: a mountain town for exploring northern Arizona
Flagstaff isn’t in Sedona, but it’s a great base if you’re exploring northern Arizona: it’s about 30 miles, or an hour’s drive, away down the switchbacks of Oak Creek Canyon, has more affordable hotels than Uptown, and is closer to the Grand Canyon.
It’s a lively mountain town with a historic downtown on Route 66, plenty of breweries and restaurants, and the pine forests of the Coconino National Forest all around. It’s also much cooler than Sedona in summer, though colder in winter.
Flagstaff highlights
Lowell Observatory
Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was discovered in 1930, is one of the best things to do in Flagstaff. You can tour its historic telescopes and, after dark, look through the six telescopes on its open-deck observatory, in the world’s first International Dark Sky City. It’s open from noon to 10pm (closed on Tuesdays), and admission is $35 for adults.
Museum of Northern Arizona
The Museum of Northern Arizona is the place to learn about the Native peoples, art, geology and natural history of the Colorado Plateau, with a strong collection of Hopi and Navajo art.
Coconino National Forest
The Coconino National Forest covers more than 1.8 million acres around Flagstaff and Sedona, from ponderosa pine forest to red rock canyons, with endless trails for hiking and biking. Don’t miss the Lava River Cave, about 14 miles north of Flagstaff: a mile-long lava tube you walk through by torchlight, where it’s around 40°F (4°C) even in summer. It’s one of the most unusual things to do in Arizona. There’s a $5 parking fee, and the forest road to it closes in winter, adding a walk of about 4 miles each way.
Suggested hotels in Flagstaff
Drury Plaza Hotel Flagstaff
The Drury hotel in Flagstaff (formerly Drury Inn & Suites) has an indoor pool, comfortable rooms, a free hot breakfast and free evening food and drinks, close to downtown and the university.
Little America Hotel Flagstaff
The classic Little America Hotel Flagstaff is set in 500 acres of pine forest on the edge of town, with spacious rooms, a pool and an onsite restaurant.
High Country Motor Lodge
High Country Motor Lodge is a stylishly revamped retro motor lodge on Route 66 near downtown, with an outdoor pool, a restaurant and bar, and fun touches like tape decks in the rooms.
Camping near Sedona
If you’d rather sleep under the stars, there are Forest Service campgrounds along Oak Creek Canyon, north of town on SR 89A. Manzanita, the closest to Sedona, is open all year, while Pine Flat (mid-April to late October) and Cave Springs, further up the canyon, are seasonal. Sites cost about $30 a night, are small and book up fast in spring and autumn, so reserve ahead on Recreation.gov. All three closed during the Pocket Fire in summer 2026, so check their status before you go.
For more space, Rancho Sedona RV Park is a short walk from Uptown on the banks of Oak Creek, and Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood has more than 100 campsites and a handful of log cabins. Spring and autumn are the best times to camp; I visited in February, when it would have been far too cold.
Where to stay in Sedona: FAQs
What is the best area to stay in Sedona?
It depends on your interests. For first-timers, Uptown Sedona is the most convenient, with restaurants and shops on your doorstep. For hiking, stay in the Village of Oak Creek, by Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte. For value, look at West Sedona, Cottonwood or Flagstaff.
How do you get around Sedona?
A car is the best way to get around. The free Sedona Shuttle runs from park-and-ride lots to the busiest trailheads (Cathedral Rock, Soldier Pass and Dry Creek Vista for Devil’s Bridge) from Thursday to Sunday, and daily in spring break. The Verde Shuttle bus runs hourly between Cottonwood, West Sedona, Uptown and Tlaquepaque, and the Sedona Trolley runs narrated tours from Uptown.
Tips for booking your Sedona hotel
- Book early for spring and autumn, Sedona’s busiest seasons, when prices peak. Winter is quieter and cheaper.
- Don’t pay too much for a view: Sedona is so beautiful that you’ll see the red rocks everywhere, and you won’t spend much time in your room.
- Book dinner reservations in advance: some of Sedona’s best restaurants are booked up weeks ahead.
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Read next
- The best things to do in Sedona
- 3 days in Sedona: the perfect Sedona itinerary
- The best hikes in Sedona
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