Sedona is a destination for mind, body, and soul. Visitors come to this Arizona sanctuary for solitude, healing, spiritual exploration, and outdoor adventure. The moment you see the towering red rock formations, many people feel a shift — an awakening that primes you for a transformative experience.
This remarkable landscape sits about two hours north of Phoenix and roughly 30 miles south of Flagstaff. At Red Rock State Park you can join guided hikes such as the SPEX Sedona Philosophy Experience. These walks often begin with meditation beside a running creek, then move into reflective conversation. Guides weave philosophy and personal storytelling into the hike, drawing on ideas from thinkers like Socrates, Descartes and Aristotle to help hikers reflect and gain fresh perspective.
Sedona’s wellness offerings extend well beyond guided meditative hikes. The area is home to about 15 spas where treatments blend modern and traditional elements. Notable options include A Spa for You Sedona Day Spa and Sedona’s New Day Spa. At Sedona’s New Day Spa, for example, you’ll find Native Wisdom rituals such as Wheel of Life Gem Stones readings, Sweat Lodge ceremonies and Vision Quest-inspired treatments, plus Desert Nature body therapies featuring botanicals like Turquoise Sage Mountain Arnica and Cedarwood Citrus Wild Chaparral.
Food in Sedona is another form of nourishment. The culinary scene ranges from fine dining to beloved local eateries. Restaurants like Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill, Cress on Oak Creek and Elote Café showcase regional flavors and high-quality ingredients. For a more casual, health-focused experience, visit ChocolaTree Organic Oasis, a café and marketplace known for gluten-free, vegetarian and low-processed-sugar options. Its outdoor dining areas and small gardens supply some of the restaurant’s produce. The venue also hosts workshops and community events—meditation sessions, gardening classes, live food demonstrations and om chanting—alongside a selection of local crafts, supplements and essential oils. Wineries and breweries in the area add another layer to the region’s culinary attractions.
Cathedral Creek © SEDONA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND TOURISM BUREAU
No visit to Sedona is complete without exploring its famed vortex sites, places many people believe offer uplifting energy and healing benefits. Sedona hosts several well-known vortexes, with popular spots including Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock and Boynton Canyon. Each site offers a distinct atmosphere—some energize and invigorate, while others encourage deep relaxation. Many visitors leave vortex sites feeling refreshed and centered. Guided experiences, such as tours with Sedona Soul Adventures, can deepen your understanding and appreciation of these locations.
Yoga classes are widely available across Sedona, sometimes even held at vortex sites through groups like Aumbase Adventures. You can also find Reiki practitioners, psychics and tarot readers throughout town. Because Sedona’s skies are exceptionally clear, stargazing tours led by astronomers are another popular activity.
If retail therapy appeals to you, Sedona’s galleries, boutiques and artisan shops offer a wide selection of art, jewelry and locally made goods. Accommodations range from luxury resorts such as L’Auberge de Sedona to creekside cabins, private villas, Airbnbs and more modest lodgings. The Sky Ranch Lodge is renowned for dramatic Red Rock views that stretch across the valley below.
Tourism is central to Sedona’s economy, accounting for an estimated 70–75 percent of local revenue. City leaders and regional organizations continue to plan improvements to enhance visitor experience and community life. According to Molly Spangler, director of economic development for the City of Sedona, new hotels are likely to open in the near term while the community explores ways to expand bike lanes, improve walkability and address parking. The Sedona Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Forest Service Red Rock Ranger District are collaborating on the Western Gateway trail system project, which will add about 27 miles of multiuse trails for hikers, bikers and equestrians in the coming years, says Kegn Moorcraft, the Chamber’s director of communications.
What draws people to Sedona, Moorcroft says, is the chance to reconnect: “Your spirit will soar and rejoice in the silence of nature when you explore Red Rock Country. Seek off-the-beaten-path sites and reconnect to the Earth, your family, your partner, your children and your friends.”
Scenic Drives
Driving through Sedona offers continual panoramic views of red rock formations and expansive desert vistas. The route to Phoenix reveals stunning scenery and a calm, often sparsely populated stretch of road where traffic is light and the landscape commands your attention.
Within three hours you can travel from Sedona to other iconic natural destinations. A northbound drive through Oak Creek Canyon—a 16-mile gorge filled with streams, rock walls and seasonal waterfalls—is especially spectacular and a beautiful lead-in to the Grand Canyon experience.
If you head east toward Payson, the route takes you through Camp Verde and the small community of Strawberry, home to Arizona’s oldest schoolhouse, built in 1885. The roughly 90-mile drive to Payson follows twisty forested roads through High Pines country. Along the way, consider stopping at Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. Once in Payson, outdoor recreation abounds, including trails and scenic overlooks along the Mogollon Rim, a 7,000-foot escarpment that drops dramatically more than 2,000 feet to the valley below.