Arizona is known for its stunning landscapes. Towering hills meet saguaro-cactus-covered hills, and arid valleys hide towering waterfalls. Archaeological ruins such as cliff dwellings and petroglyphs often enhance the otherworldly landscapes. Our list of the best places to visit includes iconic natural landmarks like the Grand Canyon as well as quirky attractions like underground restaurants, magical art installations in Phoenix, and a midcentury chapel perched atop the red rocks of Sedona.
Best Places to Visit: Grand Canyon National Park, Underrated Hidden Gem: Petrified Forest National Park, Best for Families: Horseshoe Bend, Best for Couples: Chapel of the Holy Cross, Best for Solo Travelers: Yayoi Kusama’s Firefly Infinity Mirror Room
Read on to find out the rest of our picks for the 20 most beautiful places to visit in Arizona.
Grand Canyon National Park
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As Arizona’s number one tourist attraction, the Grand Canyon is hard to leave off any list of must-see destinations. Its sheer size is staggering, stretching nearly 300 miles across the state, averaging 10 miles wide and one mile deep. (For comparison, the Mariana Trench, the deepest point on Earth, is 7 miles deep.) Explore this awe-inspiring national park by hiking, biking or taking a park shuttle.
Petrified Forest National Park
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Arizona has only three national parks (out of 22 managed by the National Park Service), and while the Grand Canyon gets all the attention, Petrified Forest National Park is lesser known. This stunning park is known for its Rainbow Forest, a colorful collection of petrified trees that are over 200 million years old. It also contains petroglyphs and paleontology exhibits.
Horseshoe Bend
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Horseshoe Bend has become one of the most photographed places in Arizona. The perfect horseshoe-shaped bend in the Colorado River is located within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, near the town of Page, Arizona, and near the vast Lake Powell.
Chapel of the Holy Cross
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Built among the vibrant red rocks just outside Sedona, the Chapel of the Holy Cross is one of the most unusual churches in the U.S. Located within Coconino National Forest, the chapel draws pilgrims and tourists alike who visit for its striking midcentury architecture and stunning views across the desert landscape.
Yayoi Kusama’s Firefly Infinity Mirror Room
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The Phoenix Art Museum’s Firefly Infinity Mirror Room was conceived by renowned Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Her piece, “Disappearing in a Swarm of Dancing Fireflies,” is exactly what it sounds like: a mixed media installation that uses LED lights and mirrors to create the effect of being surrounded by fireflies in the middle of the night. It’s truly magical.
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Formally known as Coyote Buttes North, The Wave is just one landform in the vast 112,500-acre Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. This spectacular rock formation resembles a wave made of sandstone and is so photogenic that it has long fascinated tourists and photographers who go through a competitive permit process and brave the arduous 6.4-mile round-trip hike to get there.
Havasu Falls
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The stunning turquoise waters of Havasu Falls have been attracting visitors for years. The falls are located on Havasupai land near the isolated community of Supai and Grand Canyon National Park. Access to the village, the falls, and the spectacular, closely guarded views requires ample advance planning and permits.
Wupatki National Monument
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Wupatki National Monument is a must-see for travelers interested in how ancient people survived and thrived in the hot Arizona desert. The monument is set in a beautiful landscape, but it’s the pueblo ruins that are the real attraction. Three structures still stand, dating back to the early 1100s. The sandstone and limestone buildings pay tribute to the thriving community of pueblos who lived and traded there.
Grand Canyon Caves and Grottoes
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Caverns Grotto offers the most unique dining experience, dining 210 feet below the surface in a 345-million-year-old cave network. The menu is simple, but the views are out of this world. Subterranean diners are treated to 360-degree views of the ancient caverns that stretch for 60 miles from Peach Springs, Arizona, to the Grand Canyon.
Biosphere 2
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Billed as “the world’s largest geoscience experiment,” Biosphere 2 is a controlled environment created to understand Earth’s ecosystems and the effects of climate change. Visit this University of Arizona laboratory to experience diverse ecosystems, including lush mangrove swamps and wet rainforests, a far cry from the arid desert that covers much of the state.
Shay Valley National Monument
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The vast Canyon de Chelly National Monument has been inhabited by various Native American groups for thousands of years. This stunning monument features 800-foot-tall spires, prehistoric rock art, towering sandstone cliffs and stunningly lush desert canyons. The park is located on Navajo land in the northeastern part of the state.
Antelope Canyon
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The canyon in northern Arizona is on Navajo land and requires a tour guide to enter. It’s worth planning ahead to hike the narrow canyon and see the light reflecting off the red rocks. There are two locations, Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon. Once you’re there, you’ll understand why it’s so photographed; it’s one of the most beautiful places in Arizona.
Meteor Crater National Historic Site
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If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a meteorite hit Earth, head to Meteor Crater National Monument near Winslow, Arizona. Nearly a mile wide and 550 feet deep, this dramatic crater was formed by the impact of a 150-foot-wide meteorite. Visitors can walk along the crater’s rim or view the vast depression from the visitor’s center at the crater’s edge.
Saguaro National Park
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Part of the national park, which is shared by the city of Tucson, it plays an important role in protecting the cactus-filled Sonoran Desert landscape. But in addition to being home to the largest cactus colony in the USA, Saguaro National Park also offers trails to petroglyphs and drives through the Arizona desert’s most spectacular scenery.
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
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Imagine this: a vast valley dotted with towering sandstone pinnacles that rise up to 1,000 feet high, seemingly rising from the earth. This is Monument Valley, a park on the Navajo Reservation that offers some of the most incredible desert scenery in the world. After taking in the views, visit artisans selling handmade jewelry and Navajo goods.
Montezuma Castle National Monument
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Located in Camp Verde, Arizona, this monument protects a group of rock-cut dwellings built by the Sinagua people between approximately 1050 and 1425. The 20-room dwellings are beautifully preserved and show how these ancient people survived in the harsh desert.
Desert Botanical Garden
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The Arizona desert is home to an incredible variety of plants and trees, a fact celebrated at Phoenix’s Desert Botanical Garden. The 55-acre garden features otherworldly cacti surrounded by mountains and several walking trails filled with vibrant wildflowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
Chiricahua National Monument
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Utah isn’t the only state with bizarre hoodoos and precariously balanced rocks: Chiricahua National Monument in southeastern Arizona has been nicknamed “Rock Wonderland” for its surreal rock formations. Rising from the desert, the Chiricahua Mountains contain five biomes ranging from dry grasslands to forests, and are home to a diverse range of wildlife, including peccaries and mountain lions.
Coconino Lava River Cave
A visit to this mile-long lava tube in Coconino National Forest, about a 30-minute drive from downtown Flagstaff, is a magical experience. Geologists believe it was formed by a nearby volcanic eruption and is about 700,000 years old. Evidence of the lava “rivers” that carved out the cavern can still be seen, including “lava rocks” (tiny stalactite-like formations formed by the dripping) and a wave-like floor.
Walnut Canyon National Monument
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Walnut Canyon National Monument is one of Arizona’s geological wonders. The canyon is deep, 350 feet below the rim, and is located southeast of downtown Flagstaff, Arizona. Walnut Canyon is an amazing place, but the park also protects the ruins of ancient cliff dwellings built into the rock.
