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Not Your Average One Day in Sedona Itinerary | sunrise to sunset
After spending nearly a month in Sedona, hiking at times four different trails all in one day, we put together the most epic one day in Sedona itinerary.
This one day in Sedona itinerary is from sun up to sun down. It’s full of some of the most iconic views of Sedona, caves, and even added time to slow down and enjoy a sit-down breakfast!
Whether you’re visiting Sedona in one day because that’s all the time you have, or you’re planning an epic longer trip to Sedona and are wanting a detailed post on an individual day, this one day in Sedona itinerary is for you!
We include a couple of extra add-in options for those who really want to see and do it all in Sedona. However, for the main itinerary, we kept it simple, yet full, with time built in to really enjoy the iconic Sedona landscape.
For the add-in options, you’ll see a little drop-down arrow. Click on the arrow to read the extra bit of information for each add in.
Alright.. let’s dive into this EPIC one day in Sedona Itinerary.
Sunrise Hike
Sugarloaf Mountain
Location | 34.876326, -111.794149
Parking | Free at Sugarloaf Trailhead | 34.87429, -111.796447
Duration | 1.52 miles
Elevation | 338 feet
Terrain | mixture of sand and red rock
A day in Sedona would not start out right without being up for sunrise, and we’ve got just the spot. Sugarloaf Mountain is right in the heart of Sedona, offering 360-degree views of beauty.
This hike is less than two miles round trip, and only has a little bit of elevation gain. But be warned, the elevation is all at the end, and is a bit deceiving. We were both surprised at how tired our legs were.
With that said, the views are worth the elevation gain! Just give yourself a few extra minutes of rest on your way up the “mountain”.
READ MORE | A Complete Guide to Hiking Sugarloaf Trail Sedona Here
Breakfast + Coffee
Cafe Jose | 34.863869, -111.801799
If you have a cooking set up, come back down the mountain and make yourself some breakfast and coffee in the parking lot. The next hike takes off from this same area.
If you don’t have a cooking set up, or would rather just not cook for yourself, head down to Cafe Jose for some freaking amazing biscuits and gravy and/or chicken fried steak!
At Cafe Jose, you won’t find overpriced food or judgment for going in grungy. You’ll find loads of locals enjoying a meal and coffee, and super friendly and attentive staff!
In 2023, we paid $3.25 for unlimited coffee, $7.99 for a whole order of bomb biscuits and gravy ($4.99 for a half order), and $9.99 for chicken fried steak with eggs, toast, and hash browns! Talk about a steal of a deal.
Best part is, heading there right after a sunrise hike at Sugarloaf, you’ll get there before 9:00 AM and get the early bird special on whatever deal they have going on at the time. Check their menu and current pricing here.
Extra Hikes for the Avid Hikers
If you are an avid hiker, there are a couple of hikes in the area that you can do to kill time until Keyhole Cave is lit up.
Witches Mountain is a trail-blazing hike that goes up the crevice past Keyhole Cave and then up along the ridge of the mountains. The views look epic from here. But it’s bushwhacking for part of the hike, and we only recommend this if you are an experienced hiker.
Download the app, maps.me and you’ll find the trail leading to both Keyhole Cave (the hike next in the itinerary) and part of Witches Mountain before the scramble to the top.
If you aren’t in really good shape for hiking up a mountain, or aren’t comfortable trail-blazing and finding your own way, consider hiking to Chimney Rock, Coffee Pot Rock, or Bare Rock Summit. All of which can be found on maps.me.
Late Morning Early Afternoon Hike
Hike to Keyhole Cave for Mid-Day Light
Location | 34.887286, -111.799163
Parking | Free at Sugarloaf Trailhead | 34.87429, -111.796447
Duration | 2.31 miles round trip
Elevation | 518 feet
Terrain | sandy trail with rock scramble at end
Keyhole Cave is a super cool cave in Sedona that’s relatively easy to access, and offers freaking epic views!
In fact, I think the views from inside Keyhole Cave may be some of the best cave views in Sedona. With that said, you’ve got to get there with good lighting. Thankfully, the good lighting is right smack in the middle of the day.
Perfect for this itinerary!
While visiting Keyhole Cave, keep in mind, if you’re not comfortable climbing up into the cave, do not do so. Only go as far as you’re comfortable with, it’s not worth risking getting stuck in the cave or worse.
READ MORE | Complete Guide to Keyhole Cave Sedona
READ MORE | The BEST Hiking Shoes for Sedona
Lunch Time
Picnic or Lunch to Go
We recommend grabbing a lunch to go from somewhere in town and then enjoying it at the next stop. However, if you’re here when the days are longer, aka not in the winter, you’ll have extra time to sit and enjoy lunch at a restaurant instead.
A friendly reminder though… you don’t need to go out to eat to not have to cook for yourself!
READ MORE | Quick and Easy Meals on the Road
Save your budget, go to a grocery store, and grab lunch instead! At the deli in both Safeway and Bashas, you can find lunch meat and cheese that you can purchase by the slice, or even just grab a salad from the deli section for lunch.
Alternatively, some fruit and yogurt, crackers with cheese and tuna, or a pre-made salad from the produce section will work great for lunch too! We also saw things like hot whole chickens, hot chicken strips, and wings and fries in the deli section of the grocery stores too!
Whatever you choose, grab a lunch and make sure you have snacks and water too, and then be on your way.. trust us, a picnic at the next stop is a great place to have lunch!
This is a great time to add, that days like this are why we love traveling in our converted minivan! If you don’t have a van, don’t worry — did you know you can actually rent campervans?! Check out what’s available from Phoenix here.
Second Caves of The Day
Explore the Wind Caves
Location | 34.841467, -111.780223
Parking | Free at Wind Caves Trailhead | 34.84192, -111.776332
Duration | .67 miles round trip
Elevation | 94 feet
Terrain | mix of large gravel and large rocks
The Wind Caves are caves just off Highway 179, right on your way to the iconic red rock formations in the south.
Some people refer to the Wind Caves as Raven Caves, but after a bit of research, I believe they were first called Wind Caves, but I suppose either work!
Anywho, these are some pretty cool caves. You can walk right into the caves and all throughout them. We recommend grippy shoes here, as some of the spots are sketchy to walk on.
Below the Wind Caves is Oak Creek. If it’s super hot out, and again, you’re visiting when sunset is much later in the day, jump into the creek for a refreshing dip!
Chapel of the Holy Cross Vortex
If time allows, make a quick stop at the Chapel of the Holy Cross Vortex. It’s nothing you’re going to spend more than 15 minutes at.. so plan for about 30 including parking time and walking to the chapel.
Chapel of the Holy Cross is a chapel that’s literally built right into the red rock cliffs. The chapel itself is a site to see, but so are the views from the chapel.
The Chapel of the Holy Cross Vortex is right at the base of the Chapel, but you cannot climb on the vortex itself, so if you’re looking for the vortex feelings, you likely won’t get them here.
With that said, still visit! It’s a really pretty place. The chapel is open from 9AM till 5PM, so be sure to get there before it closes! You only need about 15 minutes here.
Check more information and mass times for Chapel of the Holy Cross here.
Sunset to End the Night
Cathedral Rock Sunset + Epic Rock Scramble
Location | 34.818815, -111.792184
Parking | $5 on Back O Beyond Trailhead | Only Open Monday – Wednesday | 34.825141, -111.788297
Hike | yes, 2.4 miles of rock scrambling
A one day Sedona itinerary would not be complete without visiting Cathedral Rock.
Cathedral Rock is a dramatic rock formation that you can see from nearly all areas of Sedona. In fact, it’s probably the most photographed rock formation in Sedona.
Hiking, or should I say rock scrambling, to Cathedral Rock for sunset is an absolute treat. It’s an intense hike with 1,000 feet of elevation gain in one mile. However, with the hike being more of a rock scramble, you really don’t notice it.
Our idea for going up the red rock was just to go all in. Get up there as fast as we can and our tired legs won’t feel it. And honestly, with it being more of a fun rock climbing/scramble experience instead of a normal “hike” it really wasn’t too bad.
Keep in mind, this is your fourth hike of the day. And it’s a hard one, but it’s also extremely fun and exhilarating! You’ll feel like a kid again on this trail!
Be sure to stick around the saddle until after sunset. You may get some really epic extra colors in the sky right after the sun dips behind the mountains.
Cathedral Rock Shuttle Times
Sedona has recently established a shuttle system for some of the most popular trailheads. And honestly, the system sucks!
Hopefully, they work out all of the kinks, but as of now, every day during the high season and Thursday-Sunday in the low season, you cannot access Cathedral Rock except via adding extra miles of hiking from Yavapai Vista Parking Lot, along the Templeton Trail, or with the shuttle… and the last shuttle LEAVES the Cathedral Rock Trailhead at 5:12, meaning you wouldn’t be able to stay for sunset.
Check Current Cathedral Rock Shuttle Times Here
This is really a bummer, and unfortunately, it’s just the way it is if visiting Thursday-Sunday, or during peak seasons.
Bell Rock | An Alternative Sunset Location
If you’re not up for the extra couple miles to get to Cathedral Rock for Sunset, instead check out Bell Rock. The sunset there is pretty, and it’s a fun hike as well!
Dinner + Bed
RV Share or Hotel If You Don’t Have A Van
Wrap up your day with dinner at wherever you fancy. We only ate at Cafe Jose in our month in Sedona. It was that good.. as are our van meals! Haha. So we can’t really recommend a dinner spot for you.
Likewise, we stayed in our van and camped the entire month in Sedona, so we don’t have any accommodation recommendations for you either. But, you can Search Hotels at momondo.com and Save Up to 35% here.
If hotels aren’t your thing.. check out RV share below to rent an RV or van for your trip to Sedona!
Adventures made simple – Rent an RV from RVshare
If You’re Camping
If you plan to wild camp / boondock / camp for free in Sedona, the closest place to camp to Cathedral Rock legally is down Highway 179. Just before the ranger station, you’ll get out of the no-camping bubble that’s annoying all around Sedona.
From there, use your best judgment to find a place to stay. iOverlander had a couple of okay spots, and at the end of Highway 179 we saw a big area of legal camping.. and it’s really not too far away from Sedona if you can’t find a place you’re comfortable with.
READ MORE | 12 FREE Dispersed Camping Locations Near Sedona
More On Sedona!
We spent a month in Sedona finding the best hikes, sunset locations, sunrise spots, and more. We even made complete guides for each trail that wasn’t so easy to find.
Sedona Vortexes | 7 Sedona Vortexes (with a map)
Airport Mesa Sunset Locations | Alternative Sunset Spots Than Cathedral Rock + Bell Rock
Red Rock Loop Road | 5 Stops to Make on Red Rock Loop Road
Airport Mesa Hikes | 3 Hikes to Do on Airport Mesa
Recommended Gear For Sedona
FIND MORE | The BEST Hiking Shoes for Sedona + A Complete Packing Checklist
Save + Share Here
Don’t need to purchase anything for your trip… No worries! You can still support us by saving and sharing this post with the images below! And hey, that way you have easy access to it later.. another win-win!