Top Attractions
Phoenix's top attractions take full advantage of its dramatic desert setting and year-round sunshine, offering experiences you simply cannot find in most American cities.
Desert Botanical Garden
Set in Papago Park, this 140-acre garden showcases more than 50,000 desert plants from around the world. The collection of towering saguaro cacti, blooming wildflowers, and rare succulents is extraordinary. Evening events like the luminaria walk in December — when the garden is lit by thousands of candles — are magical. The garden also hosts rotating art installations that blend seamlessly with the landscape.
Heard Museum
Founded in 1929, the Heard Museum is one of the finest institutions in the country dedicated to the art and culture of Native American peoples of the Southwest. The permanent collection includes Hopi katsina dolls, Navajo weavings, and contemporary Native art. The annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market each March is one of the premier Native arts events in the world.
Camelback Mountain
The most iconic natural landmark in the Phoenix area, Camelback Mountain offers two challenging hiking trails — Echo Canyon and Cholla Trail — that reward climbers with 360-degree views of the entire Valley of the Sun. Start early in the morning to beat the heat, and bring plenty of water. The summit sits at 2,704 feet and the views stretch to the Superstition Mountains in the east.
Old Town Scottsdale
Just east of Phoenix, Old Town Scottsdale is a walkable district packed with over 100 art galleries, boutiques, and restaurants. Thursday evening ArtWalks let you explore galleries with complimentary refreshments. The area blends Western heritage — complete with hitching posts — with a thriving contemporary art scene.
Food & Dining Scene
Phoenix's food scene has exploded in recent years, driven by a new generation of chefs who draw inspiration from Sonoran Desert ingredients and the city's deep Mexican-American roots.
Must-Try Phoenix Foods
- Sonoran Hot Dogs: Bacon-wrapped beef franks topped with pinto beans, grilled onions, tomatoes, jalapeño sauce, and mayo on a bolillo roll. El Guero Canelo in Tucson won a James Beard Award for theirs, but Phoenix's own Nogales Hot Dogs on Van Buren serves an outstanding version.
- Mexican Seafood: Mariscos Playa Hermosa on Grand Avenue serves ceviches, aguachiles, and seafood cocktails that rival anything in coastal Mexico. The micheladas are legendary.
- Farm-to-Table: FnB in Scottsdale, run by chef Charleen Badman, has earned national acclaim for its vegetable-forward seasonal menu highlighting Arizona-grown produce. She was one of the first Phoenix chefs to win a James Beard Award.
- Fry Bread & Navajo Tacos: The Fry Bread House on Indian School Road serves the real deal — hand-stretched dough fried golden and served with honey or loaded with beans, meat, and cheese as a Navajo taco.
Neighborhood Food Crawls
Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix is the arts district with hip restaurants and craft breweries. Grand Avenue is an emerging corridor of taco shops, Vietnamese pho houses, and Latin bakeries. The Melrose District on 7th Avenue offers brunch-centric cafes and antique shops.
Outdoor Activities
With over 300 days of sunshine, Phoenix is an outdoor paradise — especially from October through April when temperatures are perfect.
Desert Hiking
South Mountain Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country with over 50 miles of trails winding through desert terrain. Piestewa Peak offers a strenuous summit hike with incredible city views. Pinnacle Peak Trail in North Scottsdale is a moderate out-and-back through pristine Sonoran Desert.
Hot Air Ballooning
Phoenix is one of the best cities in the world for hot air ballooning. Companies like Rainbow Ryders and Hot Air Expeditions offer sunrise flights that drift over the desert as the sun paints the mountains in shades of orange and purple. Many flights end with a champagne toast.
Tubing Salt River
From May through September, locals flock to the Lower Salt River for lazy tubing trips through the Tonto National Forest. Salt River Tubing provides tubes and shuttle service for the 2-4 hour float. Watch for wild horses that live along the riverbanks.
Nightlife & Entertainment
Phoenix's nightlife centers on a few key districts, each with its own vibe.
Downtown Phoenix
Roosevelt Row hosts First Friday art walks with galleries, food trucks, and live music. The Van Buren is a premier live music venue housed in a converted 1920s auto dealership. Cobra Arcade Bar combines vintage arcade games with craft cocktails.
Scottsdale Nightlife
The Scottsdale Entertainment District along Camelback and Scottsdale Roads is the Valley's party center, with upscale lounges and clubs. For a more relaxed vibe, Kazimierz World Wine Bar offers intimate wine tasting in a converted house.
Sports
Catch a Phoenix Suns game at Footprint Center downtown, or head to Chase Field for a Diamondbacks game — one of the few ballparks with a retractable roof and a swimming pool in center field.
Hidden Gems
Hole in the Rock at Papago Park
This natural sandstone formation with a large opening provides one of the best free viewpoints in the city. A short scramble up leads to a window-like opening framing views of downtown Phoenix and the surrounding mountain ranges. It is especially stunning at sunset.
Mystery Castle
At the foot of South Mountain, a father spent 15 years secretly building an 18-room castle from found materials — car parts, telephone poles, rocks, and adobe — as a surprise for his daughter. Now open for tours, it is one of the most eccentric structures in the Southwest.
Japanese Friendship Garden
Tucked behind the Phoenix Convention Center, this 3.5-acre traditional Japanese Friendship Garden features a koi pond, tea garden, stone lanterns, and a 12-foot waterfall. It is a startling oasis of tranquility in the middle of the concrete downtown core, and most visitors walk right past without knowing it exists.