Arts & Culture
The Real McCoy Photography
Have a specific spot in mind or need more than a 30-minute mini-session? Book a fully tailored experience, custom sessions offer limitless...
The Real McCoy Photography
Phoenix is the capital city of Arizona and is located in the central region of the state. People may know it for its year-round sun, desert beauty, and world-class resorts and golf, but as the fifth-largest city in the U.S., it also offers sophisticated urbanscapes, southwest culture and lots of outdoor adventure.
Sometimes, bigger really is better. Phoenix (the "Valley of the Sun" to locals) invites you to enjoy major destinations for recreation and relaxation, must-visit venues in the culinary and cocktail kingdoms, and long-standing arts, civic and cultural institutions. And that just scratches the surface of things to do in Phoenix.
The Valley Metro public light rail system pulls up right outside Chase Field, the downtown Phoenix ballpark that's home to MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks. Footprint Center, the arena that's home to the NBA's Phoenix Suns, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and the IFL's Phoenix Rattlers, is just a few blocks west. On any game day, you'll find flocks of fans pre- and post-gaming at nearby sports bars, upscale eateries and neighborhood taquerias.
South Mountain Park Preserve, the nation's largest municipally managed park, is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts to experience Phoenix activities. Hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders have more than 50 miles of trails, while bicyclists can test their endurance on the roadways that climb across three mountain ranges. On "Silent Sundays," the park even closes its main road to motor vehicles, allowing cyclists and hikers to enjoy the roadways without the buzz of automotive traffic.
The luxury resort scene in Phoenix includes a long list of historic and modern properties that go big. Families enjoy epic-sized pools with monumental play features. Wellness travelers find spa treatments and fitness programs that add euphoria to vacation days. And for those who find their bliss on a golf course, many of the area's top resorts boast some of the best year-round courses in the country.
Some of the country's most innovative restaurateurs hone their culinary creations and prowess in Phoenix. The best-known restaurants in Phoenix have racked up regular plaudits from national newspapers and magazines and nominations from the James Beard Foundation. In 2022, local chefs and restaurants were named semifinalists in eight different categories.
The city's cocktail and craft brew culture are as strong as some of the pours you'll find therein. While beer and cider drinkers sample flights and drafts at a local microbrewery or meadery, those in search of higher spirits can content themselves with a well-composed tipple in one of the city's many other popular gathering spots.
The galleries and exhibits at the Musical Instrument Museum draw from a collection of more than 8,000 instruments from around the globe, including opportunities to see and hear the instruments played … and sometimes play them yourself. Those who might prefer to leave the playing to the professionals, meanwhile, can reserve tickets for a Phoenix Symphony or Arizona Opera performance at Symphony Hall, one of many performance venues that make downtown a cultural center with a vibrant arts scene all around.
One of Phoenix's first cultural institutions, the Heard Museum has grown into an international destination to learn about Native American art and history, while the Pueblo Grande Museum and Archeological Park is a must-see Phoenix attraction that takes visitors on a path to remnants of a ballcourt and platform created by the Hohokam people who lived in this area from A.D. 450 to 1450. And at the 140-acre Desert Botanical Garden, more than 50,000 desert plants illustrate the beauty and variety of desert plant life.
Road Trips & Tours
Join us on a five-day tour through the cultural delights and historic sights of Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, and Chandler.
Must Do
There's more to Phoenix than golf and resorts. Look closer, and you'll find unusual attractions and off-the-beaten-path delights in this "Valley...
Trip Tips & Ideas
Consider this your introduction to the East Valley of Arizona's largest city—the essential, can't miss, make-sure-you-check-out things to see...
Eat & Drink
Koral Casillas and Michela Ricci, owners of Monsoon Market, strive to bring a carefully-curated selection of the best natural wine, gifts and...
Arts & Entertainment
Just beyond Camelback Mountain and a little north of the Salt River lies a region ripe for exploration. In the northwest corner of the Valley of...
Leisure & Relaxation
Forget drone deliveries and big-box greeters. Phoenix is bristling with indie boutiques that sell everything from locally made cocktail mixers...
Eat & Drink
In a city as vast as Phoenix, the options for sweets and desserts are equally endless. From cream cheese pies to creamy strawberry milkshakes,...
Insider Guides
If you want to know what makes Arizona such a special place to visit, ask a local — so we did. Join us as we explore Phoenix with Marshall...
Eat & Drink
Cookbook author and vegan chef, Tess Challis, shares her insight on greater Phoenix’s vegan food scene, including her favorite vegan and...
Eat & Drink
Why dine inside when these Phoenix-area restaurants give you "al fresco" options like airy patios and drinks with rooftop sunset views.
Eat & Drink
Visiting Arizona’s wine country makes for a delightful day trip from Phoenix or Tucson. But if you can't make the trek, taste the fruits of our...
Arts & Culture
Have a specific spot in mind or need more than a 30-minute mini-session? Book a fully tailored experience, custom sessions offer limitless...
Performing Arts
The Red Rocks Music Festival educates, engages and challenges audiences through a unique collaboration of musicians from leading Arizona...
Hiking & Trails
The REI Adventure Center in Scottsdale offers adventures for all, including guided hiking, road and mountain biking, kayaking, rafting, and...
Arts & Culture
Rising Youth Theatre is a youth leadership organization working at the intersection of art and social justice. We believe that theatre and...
Nature & Wildlife
Arizona does have water! In fact, Arizona has some of the most beautiful lakes and rivers to explore by kayak or paddleboard. Riverbound...
Outdoor Adventure
Pete Weldy and I am an RRCA Certified Running Coach. Whether you’re a recreational or an elite runner, there is so much that running can...
Boating & Water
Book your next boat chart with Salt River Boat Charting to Saguaro, Canyon or Roosevelt lake with your captain, Matthew Bolt, who has more...
Performing Arts
Shopping
Spas & Luxury
Beautifully reimagined to reflect the beauty, warmth and community spirit of the Sonoran Desert, The Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch...
Galleries & Museums
In 1919 the very first home was built in the newly named Phoenix neighborhood of Arcadia, to house the foreman of the Arcadia Water...
Hiking & Trails
Welcome to Shendo Cat Racing, proud adventurers and producers of the XTERRA Arizona Trail Series and the Fat Turkey Trail Run.