10 Days in Sedona + Grand Canyon Loop
Ten days is the trip that finishes the American Southwest. The first week is Sedona — the hikes, the vortexes, the wine country, Jerome, a helicopter flight, slow patio dinners. Days eight through ten add the loop almost every international visitor regrets not adding: a Grand Canyon south rim day from Sedona, an overnight drive across the Navajo Nation to the much-quieter north rim, and a slow return through Marble Canyon and the Vermillion Cliffs. The pacing matters — three back-to-back driving days will ruin a trip if you also tried to fit eight Sedona experiences in around them. The plan below pre-loads the high-energy Sedona days, leaves a true rest day before the canyon loop, and gives you a calm final two days back in Sedona to recover before flying home.
Day 1 — Arrival, Bell Rock, sunset
Land at PHX, two-hour drive up I-17, grocery-stop in West Sedona, check in by 4 PM. The Bell Rock Pathway 3.6-mile flat loop is the right first-day reset. Sunset at the Airport Mesa vortex. Dinner at The Hudson.
Day 2 — Cathedral Rock and Tlaquepaque
Sunrise Cathedral Rock climb — 1.2 miles, 740 feet of slickrock scramble, the marquee Sedona hike. Late lunch at Elote, afternoon at Tlaquepaque, sunset at the Chapel, dinner at Mariposa.
Day 3 — Pink Jeep, Slide Rock
9:00 AM Pink Jeep Broken Arrow. Lunch, then afternoon at Slide Rock State Park for the natural sandstone water slide. Grill at the rental for dinner.
Day 4 — Devil\'s Bridge, Boynton Canyon vortex
Early Devil\'s Bridge via the Dry Creek shuttle (3.9 miles round-trip; back by 11 AM). Late lunch. Afternoon at the Boynton Canyon vortex for a slower, more contemplative second half of the day. Dinner at Cress on Oak Creek.
Day 5 — Wine country and Jerome
Drive 45 minutes through Cottonwood to Jerome for two hours of wandering and lunch on the Haunted Hamburger patio. Down the mountain into the Verde Valley for the wine country tour — three tasting rooms across the afternoon. Back to Sedona by 6 PM, casual dinner at Pisa Lisa.
Day 6 — Rest day before the canyon loop
The crucial day. Sleep in, hot tub, breakfast on the patio, a slow walk on the Sugarloaf Loop if you want movement. Pack for three nights away. Big early dinner at Cucina Rustica — you want fuel for tomorrow\'s drive. Bed by 9 PM.
Day 7 — Grand Canyon south rim
Out by 6:30 AM. The drive from Sedona to the south rim is 2 hours 15 minutes via Flagstaff and AZ-180. Enter the park at the south entrance ($35 per vehicle, valid 7 days, covers the north rim too). Drive the Hermit Road shuttle loop (closed to private cars March through November) — Mohave Point and Hopi Point are the must-stops. Walk the Rim Trail between viewpoints; the easy section from Mather Point to Yavapai Point is the showpiece. Lunch at the El Tovar Hotel dining room (book at least two weeks ahead) or grab sandwiches at the Bright Angel Lodge. Sunset at Hopi Point, then drive 90 minutes east to Cameron Trading Post on the Navajo Nation — overnight at the historic lodge (book ahead, it sells out).
Day 8 — Cameron to the north rim
Slow morning at Cameron — breakfast at the trading post, browse the museum-quality rug room. Drive north on US-89 across the Navajo Nation, stopping at the Cameron Bridge over the Little Colorado River gorge. Continue to the Vermillion Cliffs viewpoint, then west on US-89A through Marble Canyon (stop at Navajo Bridge — you can walk across the historic span; California condors often soar below). Climb the Kaibab Plateau through the Jacob Lake junction to the north rim — a four and a half hour drive total. The north rim feels like a different park: 1,000 feet higher than the south, surrounded by aspen and ponderosa, one-tenth the visitor traffic. Lodge at the Grand Canyon Lodge (book a year ahead) or camp at the North Rim Campground. Sunset at Bright Angel Point — the most rewarding ten-minute walk in the park.
Day 9 — North rim morning, drive back to Sedona
Sunrise at Cape Royal — 23 miles each way on the Cape Royal Road, the longest viewpoint drive in the park, well worth the early alarm. Walk the short Cape Royal trail; the view through Angels Window is the photograph. Breakfast back at the lodge. Out by 11 AM for the five-hour drive back to Sedona via US-89A, Page (quick stop at Horseshoe Bend if you have the energy), and Flagstaff. Stock the rental again on the way through West Sedona. Easy dinner at Indian Gardens Cafe or grill at the rental. Hot tub. Bed early.
Day 10 — Slow last day, depart
Recovery. Coffee on the patio, a final short walk on the West Fork of Oak Creek for an hour, lunch at The Hudson with one last Bell Rock view. Drive back to PHX in the afternoon — aim to be on the road by 2 PM to beat I-17 traffic.
Stay nearby
A ten-day trip rewards a rental that genuinely feels like home — full kitchen, real outdoor space, hot tub, comfortable beds for the after-canyon recovery. Browse our Sedona vacation rentals. For Grand Canyon trip planning, the official authority outside our region is the National Park Service; for Sedona-side logistics see Visit Sedona\'s itinerary library.
