Sedona or Tucson? Plus other Phoenix questions.

Sedona will be beautiful! Very touristy! Lots of shops and food choices. We live in Phoenix and very rarely go to Tucson.

We are in the Phoenix area now, were in Sedona in October, and will be in the Tucson area for all of January (for the 2nd winter in a row.) Keep in mind that both Sedona & Tucson can be almost a 2-hour drive from Phoenix depending on where you're going, so 4 total in a day plus activity time. There are plenty of saguaro cacti around Phoenix, so you don't have to go to Tucson to see them.

Sedona is unquestionably stunning for hiking. It is also very busy every day of the week and you'll have to pay for parking at any trail head where you should arrive very early to get a spot. There are pay kiosks where required that take cash or card. The city is full of shops, restaurants, everything, you will have no trouble finding gluten-free there. If you only have one place to go hiking and you don't mind other people, Sedona will wow you.

Tucson also has great hiking in Saguaro N.P. (both districts), Mt. Lemmon area (could be snowed out at higher elevation, will be cold up there in January) and Tucson Mountain Park. I think the saguaros there are prettier than those around Phoenix. It is more "desert-y" than Sedona, not red rock. The Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum (zoo, aquarium) is fabulous. Feast restaurant was very good (I'm gluten free, had no problem) Blue Willow is on my radar in a few weeks.

We'll be at Lost Dutchman soon, friends highly recommend any of the trails there. All of the Maricopa Regional Parks (7 surrounding Phoenix) have excellent trails and activities. Also to note is that the Phoenix valley is very wide, and it can take 1.5 hrs to cross from the west to the east.

Have fun and happy DD birthday!🙂

I’ve never been to Tucson, but I loved the Sedona area and would highly recommend it.

The Mesa swap is insanely crowded also. So you would need to plan on several hours to go through it with all the people.

Grab one of the maps of Sedona when you get there. I was out there every year for about 10 years and when I went back a couple of years ago, there were things that I had never seen in all the years, and they weren't new things either.

www.phoenixzoo.org/plan-your-visit/daily-activities/

Giraffe Encounter
Giraffe Encounter at the Phoenix Zoo

Giraffe Encounter

Get up-close and personal with the tallest mammal at the Phoenix Zoo! This experience is sure to become a favorite destination spot on your visit to the Zoo.

Price:
$5 members | $6 general
Children 2 and under are free. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by a paying adult.

Hours: (weather permitting)
October 1 – May 31: 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. & 2 – 3 p.m.
June 1 – August 31: 9 – 10 a.m.
September 1 – 30: 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Wow that's pretty harsh! We love visiting Tucson, although our visits are geared more for the live music scene. But we always mountain bike there, and we love the trails and the city.

Phoenix native here.

I love Sedona and agree with all the recommendations to visit there. 

Added: I almost forgot. Drive up Hwy 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff through Oak Creek Canyon. It's absolutely gorgeous! 

Lisa

I also don't share the "wretched" opinion of Tucson. We've loved much of our time there, and are looking forward to more soon.

hi! You can still feed the giraffes, for an extra fee of course lol...they do it a few times a day, you can ask when buying your ticket what the times are.

I am zero help for gluten free places, sorry on that...

Sedona is very beautiful and I would choose that... but it is relative, you will probably have fun at either place. There is also a smaller zoo in Tucson call Reid Park Zoo ( not sure if they do giraffe feedings or not)

Have fun on his trip.

Saguaro National Park is spectacular for hiking. Really amazing.

In a word, Sedona

I am not sure where you have been in Tucson but I think there are many amazing places to visit.. Sabino Canyon you can hike to the waterfalls. Take a quick trip up to play in the snow at Mt Lemmon.

/www.theoutbound.com/arizona/hiking/hike-to-seven-falls

Haven't spent a lot of time in Tucson so I'm partial to the Phoenix Zoo, Desert Botanical Garden (don't miss the butterfly exhibit) and Sedona. Lots of hiking options in Sedona as well as in Phoenix.

if you are here before January 19th, the Phoenix Zoo has their Zoolights at night. Its awesome! Info can be found on their website regarding admission and hours of operation.

Fun restaurants to consider:

Modern Round
Culinary Dropout
Rawhide at Wild Horse Resort (taken by wagon to a large campfire dinner)
Bowlero (bowling, but the food is actually very good)
Dave & Busters or Main Event (similar)

....lots of escape rooms if your family enjoys those

Have a great trip!