Ready to discover the best things to do in Phoenix? From the Heard Museum’s American Indian art and the red buttes of Papago Park to small plates at Valentine, cocktails in a vintage train carriage and desert hikes with views over the whole valley, this is how to make the most of Arizona’s laid-back capital.

Don’t let Phoenix be just a quick stop on your way to Arizona’s stunning natural landscapes. Sure, it’s within reach of the Grand Canyon, Sedona and plenty of other natural wonders, but this big city with a chilled-out vibe is worth exploring in its own right.

I visited Phoenix in February, as part of a Southwest road trip that also took in Tucson and Sedona. I visited the Heard Museum, explored the trails of Papago Park, ate at Valentine (hands-down my favourite restaurant in the city), had cocktails aboard the train carriage at Platform 18 and found a cool brunch spot with a live DJ at Chico Malo. I also made the trip out to the cliff dwellings of Montezuma Castle.

Now, don’t get me wrong: Phoenix isn’t the kind of city that’s packed with things to do. There’s plenty to keep you busy, but the best way to enjoy the city is to do so at your leisure. Expect a surprisingly vibrant food scene, world-class museums and plenty of desert to explore, from botanical gardens to mountain summits right in the middle of town.

This guide starts with the places I loved most, then covers everything else worth your time, from hikes and day trips to some of the city’s quirkier corners.

The best things to do in Phoenix

Learn about American Indian art and history at the Heard Museum

The white arched entrance of the Heard Museum on Central Avenue in Phoenix under a deep blue sky
The arched entrance of the Heard Museum

If you only have time to visit one museum in Phoenix, this should be it. The Heard Museum showcases American Indian art, and it’s one of the most respected museums of its kind in the US.

Plan to spend at least a couple of hours here. It’s not massive, but it’s packed with eye-catching pieces along with in-depth information, and a visit is as much a learning experience as it is a visual one.

That’s particularly true of Away From Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories, a no-punches-pulled look at the US’s terrible historic boarding school system for Native Americans, which took children from their families and tried to erase their languages and cultures. It’s a moving, sobering exhibition, and essential viewing.

Other long-running galleries include HOME: Native People in the Southwest, which covers the cultures of the region’s tribes through pottery, baskets, jewellery and textiles, and Substance of Stars, created with Indigenous communities to share their stories of the night sky. Temporary exhibitions change throughout the year.

The museum is at 2301 North Central Avenue, a short ride north of downtown on the light rail. From September to May it’s open daily from 10am to 4pm; in summer (June to August) it’s closed on Mondays.

Hike to the Hole-in-the-Rock in Papago Park

Green desert shrubs below a rocky red sandstone butte in Papago Park, Phoenix
Desert scrub below the red buttes of Papago Park in February

Papago Park is a pretty park with lots of nice hiking trails, and it’s an easy escape from the city. Its rounded red sandstone buttes rise straight out of the desert on the border between Phoenix and Tempe, and the trails that wind between them are mostly short and gentle.

The best-known spot is the Hole-in-the-Rock, a natural opening worn through one of the buttes. A short, steep scramble takes you up into it, and the hole frames the city to the west, which makes it a lovely place to watch the sunset.

The park is also home to the Desert Botanical Garden, the Phoenix Zoo and Governor Hunt’s Tomb (all further down this list), so it’s easy to fill a whole day here. Phoenix’s parks are generally open from 5am to 11pm.

Eat at Valentine, my favourite restaurant in Phoenix

A bright green cocktail with a salted rim on the bar at Valentine restaurant in Phoenix
A green cocktail at the bar at Valentine

Hands-down my favourite restaurant in Phoenix, Valentine is an atmospheric spot in the Melrose district with a small plates concept. It’s housed in a mid-century building at 4130 North 7th Avenue, with an open frontage, terracotta-pipe shelving and warm lamplight inside.

The food is excellent: the smoked Two Wash Ranch chicken was cooked to perfection when I visited. Can poultry really be this good? Definitely. The eclectic menu features unusual dishes, such as the bison tartare tostada and grilled lamb hearts with green chilli bacon that were on it when I went.

Smoked Two Wash Ranch chicken in a bowl of broth at Valentine restaurant, Phoenix
My smoked Two Wash Ranch chicken at Valentine

Wash it all down with a glass of natural wine or one of their unique cocktails (Dirty Cactus Martini, anyone?). The kitchen cooks Sonoran-influenced food over wood fire and the menu changes with the seasons, so expect it to look a little different when you go. It’s also a popular spot for brunch and pastries. Book ahead on Resy, especially at weekends.

Explore the Desert Botanical Garden

The entrance canopy and living plant wall at the Desert Botanical Garden in Papago Park, Phoenix
The entrance to the Desert Botanical Garden in Papago Park

Phoenix sits bang in the middle of the Sonoran Desert, which is home to an astonishing variety of cacti and other desert plants. Want to learn more about them? Head to one of my top picks in the city: the Desert Botanical Garden in Papago Park.

The garden covers 140 acres, with five trails looping through 55 acres of cacti, succulents, desert wildflowers and trees from the Sonoran Desert and arid lands around the world. Look out for the towering saguaros and the hummingbirds that dart between the flowers.

Opening hours change with the seasons, with evening events through autumn and winter, including the candlelit Las Noches de las Luminarias in December. Adult tickets start at $32.95, and on the second Tuesday of each month it’s pay what you can.

Top Tip

Save some time to eat at Gertrude’s Restaurant by Tarbell’s, the garden’s sit-down restaurant, which uses seasonal Southwestern ingredients.

Board the train for cocktails at Platform 18

Guests drinking cocktails inside the wood-panelled train carriage bar at Platform 18, Phoenix
The packed train-carriage bar at Platform 18

One advantage of visiting warm-weather cities is that the nights are magical, and Phoenix’s bar scene is one of its highlights. Platform 18 is a quirky bar styled like a historic train carriage: hop aboard for well-executed cocktails and a touch of immersive drama. It’s a bit kitsch, but cool with it.

The carriage is a replica of a 1920s Presidential Pullman railcar, tucked inside the Century Grand on East Indian School Road in Arcadia. A visit lasts about 90 minutes, with views of passing scenery projected onto the windows, and the cocktail menu changes with each new “journey”.

It’s closed on Mondays and opens from 4pm from Tuesday to Thursday and from 2:30pm from Friday to Sunday, until midnight. Walk-ins are welcome, but book at busy times (a deposit goes towards your bill).

Brunch with a live DJ at Chico Malo

Chico Malo is a cool downtown restaurant with a live DJ for brunch. It serves traditional brunch fare and Mexican dishes: go for the smoked birria for a hearty start to your day, and I’m not judging if you opt for a second cocktail.

Chico Malo is at 50 West Jefferson Street in the CityScape complex, a short walk from Heritage Square and the Arizona Science Center. Brunch runs on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 3pm, and it’s also open for lunch on weekdays and for dinner every night, with a daily happy hour from 3pm to 6pm.

Take a day trip to Montezuma Castle National Monument

The Sinagua cliff dwelling of Montezuma Castle in its limestone alcove above desert shrubs, Arizona
Montezuma Castle in its limestone alcove in February

OK, so this is actually an hour and a half out of Phoenix, but these striking, well-preserved dwellings set into the side of a cliff are well worth a visit while you’re in the area. I visited in February, and it’s an easy stop on the drive between Phoenix and Sedona.

The five-storey, 20-room dwelling was built by the Sinagua people in the 1100s, in a natural alcove about 90 feet up a limestone cliff above Beaver Creek, and they had left the area by the early 1400s. You can’t go inside, but an easy paved loop trail of about a third of a mile takes you right below it. Montezuma Well, a spring-fed sinkhole about 20 minutes’ drive away, is part of the same monument.

The monument is open from 9am to 5pm daily. Entry is $10 per adult (under-16s go free), and the ticket is valid for seven days and also covers Tuzigoot National Monument. It’s about 95 miles from Phoenix, up I-17 to exit 289. See my complete guide to Montezuma Castle for more.

Do

If you’d rather not drive, the From Phoenix: Sedona, Jerome & Montezuma Castle Day Trip combines the castle with Sedona, Red Rock State Park and the old mining town of Jerome.

See the Grand Canyon

Orange sunset sky above dark cliffs and the canyon from Mather Point, Grand Canyon South Rim
Sunset over the Grand Canyon from Mather Point

I’ll cut to the chase: part of the appeal of visiting Phoenix is its proximity to the Grand Canyon. If you haven’t been to this massive national park, it’s time to get excited.

Carved by the Colorado River over millions of years, the canyon is about 277 river miles long, up to 18 miles wide and more than a mile deep, and the national park is larger than the state of Rhode Island. On top of being ancient and enormous, it’s filled with hidden side canyons, microclimates and jaw-dropping vistas you’ll never forget.

But make no mistake, it’s a serious commitment as a day trip: the South Rim is about 230 miles from Phoenix, three and a half to four hours’ drive each way. I thoroughly recommend it if it’s your only chance to see it, though staying a night or two is far better.

Keen to book a tour? The From Phoenix: Grand Canyon with Sedona & Oak Creek Day Tour is a good option. It’s a long day of about 13 hours, but you’ll ride in an air-conditioned vehicle, stopping in Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon on the way to the rim, where the guides know the best viewpoints and how to avoid the queues.

Have a little longer to explore? You’ll find the best views of the Grand Canyon by checking it out from several different vantage points at your own pace. Grandview Point on Desert View Drive has truly remarkable views (but it’s far from a secret), and Mather Point, by the visitor centre, is a classic first look.

Climb Camelback Mountain

A fiery orange and purple sunset over desert scrub and a rugged peak near Scottsdale, Arizona
A fiery desert sunset over the mountains near Scottsdale

Hiking in the desert is mesmerising, and Camelback Mountain is Phoenix’s most famous summit. The 2,704-foot peak, shaped like a resting camel, rises right in the middle of the city between Phoenix and Paradise Valley, and once you reach the top you’ll see why people flock here. The views over the whole valley are top-notch.

Be warned, though: it’s tougher than it looks. The Echo Canyon Trail is about 2.5 miles there and back, with around 1,250 feet of climbing, and the upper section is a steep scramble over boulders with handrails in places. The Cholla Trail on the eastern side is slightly longer and a little more gradual. Both are free, open from sunrise to sunset, and the car parks fill up early.

Top Tip

Pack way more water than you think you’ll need, as this trail gets HOT. When the National Weather Service issues an extreme heat warning, the city closes the Camelback trails from 9am to 5pm, so in summer, hike at dawn or not at all.

Soar above the desert in a hot-air balloon

A colourful hot-air balloon floating above desert mountains and suburbs north of Phoenix
A hot-air balloon over the desert mountains north of Phoenix

Want to see the desert from a whole new angle? Float above it in a hot-air balloon. The mostly calm early-morning weather makes the Sonoran Desert around Phoenix one of the most popular places in the US to fly.

You’ll catch the desert backdrop from an angle unlike any other, especially on a sunrise flight, as the light spreads across the saguaros and the mountains around the valley.

Do

Make a morning of it on this hot-air balloon ride with champagne and catering: the flight lasts up to an hour, followed by a champagne toast and breakfast or a charcuterie picnic, with hotel pickup available.

Head to Phoenix Art Museum

The exterior of Phoenix Art Museum on Central Avenue in Midtown Phoenix
Phoenix Art Museum in Midtown

What is there to do in Phoenix between hiking, exploring the desert and refuelling with some delicious food? The city’s museums are a pleasant surprise, and Phoenix Art Museum is the biggest art museum in the Southwest.

Founded in 1959, it covers everything from American and European art to Asian, Latin American and contemporary collections, plus photography and fashion design. The Thorne Miniature Rooms, tiny, meticulously detailed rooms in the style of different periods, are a favourite. Big touring exhibitions change through the year, so check what’s on before you go.

The museum is at 1625 North Central Avenue, a few blocks south of the Heard Museum, so the two make an easy pairing. It’s open from Wednesday to Sunday (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays) and stays open until 8pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. Adult tickets cost $23, and it’s pay what you wish on Wednesdays from 3pm to 8pm.

Catch a game at Chase Field

Fans watching an Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game under the closed roof at Chase Field, Phoenix
A Diamondbacks game under the roof at Chase Field

Baseball is America’s favourite pastime, and Chase Field is the downtown home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have played in the National League West since 1998. Its retractable roof and air conditioning keep games comfortable even in the height of summer, and the Diamondbacks won the World Series in 2001.

Even if you’re not a fan of the game, an evening at the ballpark with a hot dog and a beer is a fun way to see the city at play, and the season runs from late March to September. Tours of the ballpark are also available on some days.

Grab a slice at Pizzeria Bianco

A wood-fired pizza topped with fennel sausage, roasted onions and mozzarella at Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix
My wood-fired pizza with fennel sausage and roasted onions at Pizzeria Bianco

A culinary trip to Phoenix wouldn’t be complete without tasting the legendary pies from Chris Bianco. His pizza empire, featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table: Pizza, began in 1988 as a humble operation in the corner of a grocery store. I’ve eaten here myself on a previous trip to Phoenix, and it’s a stop I’d add to any visit.

Decades later, Bianco has a James Beard award (Best Chef: Southwest, in 2003) to his name and two Pizzeria Bianco restaurants in Phoenix, plus outposts in Los Angeles.

Visit the original at Heritage Square (623 East Adams Street) and order any of the expertly crafted wood-fired pizzas, or head to the Town & Country branch on North 20th Street. You’ll be happy you did. Bar Bianco, next door to the Heritage Square pizzeria, is a cosy spot for a drink while you wait for a table.

Explore one of the biggest city parks in the US at South Mountain

A saguaro cactus and green desert hills under a cloudy sunrise sky in South Mountain Park, Phoenix
A saguaro and desert hills at sunrise in South Mountain Park

Fancy wandering through one of the largest city parks in the US? Of course you do. South Mountain Park and Preserve covers more than 16,000 acres of desert mountains on the southern edge of Phoenix, with around 58 miles of trails to explore on foot, by bike or (excitingly) on horseback.

The best-known viewpoint is Dobbins Lookout, at 2,330 feet, which you can drive or hike up to for a sweeping view over the city. Even though you’re close to Phoenix, you’re in the heart of the desert wilderness, so take safety very seriously: pack plenty of water, carry a map and avoid the year’s hottest months.

The Mystery Castle, a quirky 18-room home built from salvaged materials in the park’s northern foothills from the 1930s, used to be a popular stop here, but it closed to tours after it was vandalised in 2022 and remains closed to visitors.

Step back in time at Heritage Square

The red-brick Victorian Rosson House with its turret and palm trees at Heritage Square, Phoenix
The Victorian Rosson House at Heritage Square

Want to see what Phoenix was like when it first became Arizona’s territorial capital, in 1889? Head to Heritage Square, a block of restored 19th- and early 20th-century homes in the heart of downtown.

Its centrepiece is the Rosson House Museum, an 1895 Queen Anne Victorian mansion where some of Phoenix’s leading families lived as the small desert town grew into one of the largest cities in the US. Guided tours last about an hour, with around ten people per tour, and run from Thursday to Sunday. Tickets cost $14 for adults.

It’s a great way to spend an hour or two while you’re downtown, especially in summer, and Pizzeria Bianco is right next door.

Do

Come back after dark for the Phoenix ghost tour, an hour-long walk through the historic district that starts by Teeter House at Heritage Square.

Have a pint at Arizona Wilderness DTPHX

Craft beer in the Southwest is a real thing, and Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. is one of the leaders of the pack, with inventive takes on farmhouse ales, IPAs and stouts brewed with Arizona ingredients.

If you don’t like beer, don’t worry. Cocktails, wine and food are available at its lively downtown beer garden at 201 East Roosevelt Street, in the Roosevelt Row arts district. Swing by in the early evening for a bite to eat and a drink in the Valley of the Sun.

Wander the murals of Roosevelt Row

Roosevelt Row, or RoRo, is downtown Phoenix’s arts district: a few blocks of galleries, independent shops, bars and cafés, with huge, colourful murals painted across the walls of old bungalows and warehouses. It’s a great place for a wander and some street-art spotting at any time.

The best time to come is on the first Friday of the month, when the area hosts First Friday, one of the biggest monthly art walks in the US. Galleries open late, the streets fill with food trucks, street performers and pop-up stalls, and the whole neighbourhood turns into a street party.

Browse the Musical Instrument Museum

The stone entrance sign and desert garden at the Musical Instrument Museum in north Phoenix
The entrance sign at the Musical Instrument Museum

What to do in Phoenix if you’re a music lover? Heading over to the Musical Instrument Museum, better known as MIM, is a no-brainer, of course.

Sometimes museums that get this specific only draw a devoted crowd, but MIM has one of the largest collections of musical instruments in the world, spanning cultures, countries and genres, with thousands of instruments on display. Wireless headsets play video and music as you approach each display, so you can hear the instruments as you go. No wonder it’s so popular.

The museum is at 4725 East Mayo Boulevard in north Phoenix and is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Check the programme for concerts in the museum’s own theatre, too.

Check out the Burton Barr Central Library

The glass and steel facade of the Burton Barr Central Library lit by evening sun in Phoenix
The Burton Barr Central Library in the evening sun

As a little bit of a book nerd, a visit to a special library is always high on my list, and the Burton Barr Central Library fits the bill very nicely. Designed by Will Bruder with DWL Architects and opened in 1995, the five-storey building is a modern architectural landmark, clad in copper and steel and named after Burton Barr, a long-serving majority leader of the Arizona House of Representatives.

Inside, the five-level glass staircase known as the Crystal Canyon leads up to a one-acre reading room on the top floor, one of the largest in the US. The library holds about a million books and is still a vital part of the community.

I’m always up for a good read, aren’t you?

Eat fry bread at the Fry Bread House

Fry bread is a deep-fried flatbread that has been a part of Native American diets since the troubling history of tribal displacement in the Southwest in the 1860s, when it was made from the government rations given to displaced people.

While the origins are genuinely disheartening, Native American communities adopted the dish as a culinary icon, and it has stood the test of time.

The Fry Bread House, at 4545 North 7th Avenue in Melrose, was opened in 1992 by Cecelia Miller, a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, and is still run by her family. It won a James Beard America’s Classics award in 2012 and was among the Arizona restaurants recommended in Michelin’s first Southwest guide in 2026. Order it on its own with honey and powdered sugar, with beans and cheese, or as a fully loaded taco with red or green chilli.

Visit the historic waterfall at Arizona Falls

Looking for free things to do in Phoenix? Visit Arizona Falls, a historic waterfall on the Arizona Canal that’s one part public art space and one part working hydroelectric plant.

The canal drops about 20 feet here, and in 1902 the spot became home to Arizona’s first hydroelectric power plant. It closed in 1950, but in 2003 it was rebuilt as both a small working power station and a public gathering place, with a pedestrian bridge leading to a seating area surrounded by falling water on three sides.

It’s near 56th Street and Indian School Road in Arcadia, and you’ll capture some epic photos and get a lesson in engineering along the way.

Try a Sonoran hot dog at El Caprichoso

What’s one of the must-do things in Phoenix at night? Ending your evening with a Sonoran hot dog at El Caprichoso is something of a rite of passage after a few cocktails in the Arizona capital.

The Sonoran hot dog isn’t your ordinary frank. Oh no no no. This speciality from across the border in Mexico is a bacon-wrapped hot dog in a soft bolillo roll, loaded with beans, tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, mustard and a drizzle of mayo.

El Caprichoso has several stands around the west side of the city, including on North 35th Avenue and West Van Buren Street. They’re open from 6:30pm until late every night except Monday, and until 2am or later at weekends.

Nerd out at the Arizona Science Center

The curved grey Arizona Science Center building beside a street with the downtown Phoenix skyline behind
The Arizona Science Center below the downtown skyline

Though most popular with families and children, the Arizona Science Center, downtown at 600 East Washington Street, offers plenty for adults, too.

Every couple of months it holds Science With A Twist, a 21-and-over evening event with themed demonstrations, hands-on activities and access to all four floors, and it’s a fantastic time to tap into your scientific side with a cocktail in hand (which gets a HUGE yes from me). Advance tickets cost about $30.

Top Tip

The Science With A Twist themes and dates change, so check the next event before you plan your evening.

Have dinner at Christopher’s at the Wrigley Mansion

Stone steps and gardens leading up to the white Wrigley Mansion on its hilltop in Phoenix
The steps up to the Wrigley Mansion

The Wrigley Mansion is an iconic house on a hill overlooking Phoenix and the mountains around it. Chewing-gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. built it in 1931 as a 50th wedding anniversary gift for his wife, Ada, and it was later home to Geordie Hormel, of the Hormel food family, who bought it in the 1990s.

What makes it one of the most special places for dinner in the city is Christopher’s. James Beard award-winning chef Christopher Gross serves refined French-inspired fine dining here, and the mansion also has a more relaxed restaurant and lounge, Geordie’s, and a wine bar.

Dress up, order a cocktail and celebrate Phoenix in style.

Check out a show at the Orpheum Theatre

The ornate Spanish Baroque facade and marquee of the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix
The Spanish Baroque façade of the Orpheum Theatre

Looking for indoor things to do in Phoenix at night? The historic Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix opened in 1929 as a vaudeville house on the Orpheum Circuit and is now a 1,364-seat venue for opera, ballet, comedy, music and touring shows.

The city bought the theatre in 1984, and a 12-year restoration brought back the magic of its original Spanish Baroque Revival decor, inside and out, before it reopened in 1997. It’s home to Phoenix Opera and hosts Ballet Arizona performances, so check out what’s on here and book your tickets in advance.

Watch thousands of bats at the Bat Cave

Alright, hear me out on this one. I know it’s a tad quirky and might even cause some legitimate night terrors for some of you (skip this if that’s you).

But one of the most interesting free things to do in Phoenix is to head to the “Bat Cave”, a flood-control tunnel on the Arizona Canal, around sunset, and wait patiently for thousands of migratory bats to stream out into the night sky. The swarm lasts about 45 minutes.

The bats are here from about May to October. The viewing area is just north of the junction of 40th Street and Camelback Road, west of 40th Street along the canal path. Park near the junction, walk along the canal and look for the crowds.

Hike up Piestewa Peak

The rocky summit of Piestewa Peak glowing orange in the last light of the day, Phoenix
Piestewa Peak’s rocky summit glowing at sunset

Looking for another free hike with a view? Piestewa Peak, at around 2,600 feet, is slightly less famous than Camelback Mountain, but no less magnificent, and many locals think its view is even better.

The Summit Trail is about 2.2 miles there and back with around 1,200 feet of climbing, and it’s steep, so you might need to hype yourself up for the challenge. It’s worth every effort, with some scrambling near the top. Like Camelback, the trail closes from 9am to 5pm during extreme heat warnings.

Top Tip

Wear your best boots for this hike. I love the Berghaus Expeditor Trek 2 boots.

Tour Tovrea Castle at Carraro Heights

The tiered white Tovrea Castle with an Arizona flag on top and saguaros in front, Phoenix
Tovrea Castle and its saguaros under a blue sky

When Alessio Carraro moved to Arizona, the Italian-born developer had grand plans for this property above the Sonoran Desert, and in the late 1920s he built a tiered, wedding-cake-like castle as the centrepiece of a planned resort.

The resort never happened, and the Tovrea family bought the castle in 1931, which is why it bears their name today. It sparked curiosity and conversation for decades before it opened to the public in 2012.

Visits are only by guided tour: you ride a tram through the cactus gardens and then explore the castle’s main floor and basement. Regular tours run from Friday to Sunday, and tickets are so popular that they’re allocated by lottery months in advance, so plan ahead on the Tovrea Castle tours website, which also releases last-minute tickets when there are cancellations.

Swing by the Phoenix Zoo

The covered entrance walkway and sign at the Phoenix Zoo in Papago Park
The entrance to the Phoenix Zoo

Keen to explore one of the largest non-profit zoos in the United States? While it’s not on every holidaymaker’s Arizona itinerary, the Phoenix Zoo in Papago Park is one of the top attractions in the city, home to around 3,000 animals, including many endangered species.

Check out the big cats, giraffes, orangutans and Arabian oryx, and if you’re visiting from October to mid-January, come back after dark for ZooLights, when the zoo is lit up with festive light displays. Opening hours change with the seasons, and adult tickets cost $44.95.

Top Tip

Want to fit it in with your other travel plans? Purchase your ticket ahead of time to skip the queues, especially at weekends.

Pan for gold in the Bradshaw Mountains

Rugged desert ridges and a dirt track winding through the Bradshaw Mountains north of Phoenix
The rugged Bradshaw Mountains north of Phoenix

The Southwest was swept up in the gold rushes of the mid-1800s, and mining brought new wealth to small towns across Arizona. The Bradshaw Mountains, north of Phoenix between the city and Prescott, were one of the territory’s richest mining districts.

Lynx Creek, near Prescott, is the best-known spot, and a stretch of it in the Prescott National Forest is set aside for recreational gold panning. Follow the rules and check with the Prescott National Forest before you go.

Do

For a different way into the hills, this guided UTV or ATV desert tour explores the trails of the Bradshaw foothills, about 45 minutes north of Phoenix.

Check out Governor Hunt’s Tomb

The white pyramid of Governor Hunt's Tomb behind iron railings at dusk in Papago Park, Phoenix
Governor Hunt’s Tomb in Papago Park at dusk

Trying to find unusual things to do in Phoenix? Governor Hunt’s Tomb is one landmark in Papago Park that you won’t want to miss.

Why? It’s a unique (and somewhat morbid) piece of Phoenix history: a gleaming white-tiled pyramid on a hilltop where Arizona’s first governor, George W. P. Hunt, is buried with his family. Hunt presided over the convention that wrote Arizona’s constitution and served seven terms as governor after statehood in 1912.

It’s free to visit, and the hilltop gives you good views over the park, so it’s one of the best cheap things to do in the city.

Eat old-school Mexican food at Carolina’s and Tee Pee

Phoenix has some brilliant old-school Mexican restaurants, and two of the best-loved have been feeding the city for decades.

Carolina’s Mexican Food has been serving its famous thin, 13-inch flour tortillas since 1968. The original is a no-frills spot in a South Phoenix barrio; order the chilli verde or crispy shredded beef tacos, and take a pack of tortillas home.

Tee Pee Mexican Food, on Indian School Road at 42nd Street in Arcadia, is a family-run institution that opened in 1958. Its walls are lined with photos of famous diners, and the chimichanga plate, smothered in cheese, is the thing to order.

Pay a visit to Lake Pleasant

Boats moored at the marina on Lake Pleasant with desert hills and white clouds, near Phoenix
The marina at Lake Pleasant under big blue skies

Sure, Phoenix is a sprawling city, but the Arizona capital is also surrounded by an abundance of nature. And, better yet, you don’t need to travel far: head to Lake Pleasant Regional Park.

About 45 minutes’ drive north-west of downtown, the lake is a big reservoir ringed by desert hills, and it’s popular with locals and visitors alike for boating, fishing, swimming, camping and even scuba diving.

The park is open from 6am to 8pm between November and April and from 5am to 9pm between May and October. The Pipeline Trailhead is closed from 10 November 2026 to 10 March 2027.

Top Tip

For epic sunset views, book this kayaking tour and experience the peaceful side of Phoenix at dusk.

Sip low-intervention wine at Sauvage

It’s no secret that I’m a huge wine lover. If you’re also keen to try some unique, well-curated natural wines on your trip to Phoenix, look no further than Sauvage, a wine bar and bottle shop at 149 West McDowell Road, just north of Roosevelt Row.

Its low-intervention wines come from small producers around the world, chosen with the utmost attention to detail, and there are snacks and provisions to go with them, plus rotating chef pop-ups.

Not sure where to start? Try an orange wine (no citrus involved), or just ask the staff and see what they suggest. It’s open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 5pm on weekdays and earlier at weekends.

Tips for visiting Phoenix

  • How long to spend: three to four days is enough for the city’s highlights at a relaxed pace, which is the best way to enjoy Phoenix. Add a day or two for day trips to Sedona, Montezuma Castle or the Grand Canyon, and see my one day in Phoenix itinerary if you’re short on time.
  • When to go: I visited in February, and late autumn to spring is the most comfortable time of year, with warm days and cool nights. Summers are famously scorching, with highs regularly above 40°C (104°F) from June to August.
  • Getting around: Phoenix is huge and spread out, so a car makes life much easier. The Valley Metro light rail is handy for downtown, the Heard Museum and Phoenix Art Museum, and links to Sky Harbor Airport via the free PHX Sky Train.
  • Beat the heat: in the hotter months, hike at dawn, carry plenty of water and check for trail closures, as Camelback and Piestewa Peak close from 9am to 5pm during extreme heat warnings.

Where to stay in Phoenix

Stay downtown or in Midtown for museums, restaurants and the light rail, or along the Camelback corridor and in Paradise Valley for resorts.

FOUND:RE Phoenix is a fun, art-filled boutique hotel on North Central Avenue between Midtown and downtown, with a pool, city views and a pet-friendly policy. For a romantic hideaway, The Hermosa Inn in Paradise Valley is a historic adobe inn built as the home and studio of cowboy artist Lon Megargee, with casitas set in desert gardens and its restaurant, LON’s. For a classic resort, the Arizona Biltmore opened in 1929 and is known for its Frank Lloyd Wright-influenced architecture, lush grounds and several pools, including the historic Catalina Pool. See my guide to where to stay in Phoenix for more.

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Papago Park buttes, a green cocktail and smoked chicken with text overlay: the best things to do in Phoenix, Arizona, USA
USA Travel Guides
USA Travel Guides

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