Things to Do in Scottsdale Beyond Golf, Spas & Old Town
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Things to Do in Scottsdale Beyond Golf, Spas & Old Town
Scottsdale gets over 330 days of sunshine a year and sits at the edge of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, a 30,500-acre stretch of protected desert that covers roughly 28% of the city's total land area. The dining scene has a James Beard Award-winning chef, the arts go back over a century, and day trips to Sedona, the Superstition Mountains, and the Verde Valley wine region are each under two hours away. Most Scottsdale travel guides point you toward golf courses, spa packages, and a loop through Old Town. This Scottsdale, Arizona guide goes further.
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Should You Visit Scottsdale?
Yes, and you'll probably want more days than you planned for. There's a lot to see in Scottsdale beyond Old Town, and most visitors find their schedules filling up faster than expected between the trail access, the food, the galleries, and the day trips. It's also a city that works at different speeds. You can pack a day with a morning hike, an afternoon in the Arts District, and a dinner reservation, or you can spend the whole day by the pool and save the exploring for tomorrow. That flexibility is part of what makes it work as well for a long weekend as it does for a full week.
What Is Scottsdale Known For?
Scottsdale's identity starts with the desert. Frank Lloyd Wright moved his winter studio here in 1937, artists followed for the light and landscape, and the city now has one of the densest gallery concentrations per capita in the country. Chef Charleen Badman won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest in 2019 for her work at FnB, and Arizona Bike Week fills WestWorld of Scottsdale every April with over 100,000 riders.
What Is the Best Time to Visit Scottsdale?
The best time to visit Scottsdale is late October through May, when temperatures are comfortable for hiking and outdoor activities, the event calendar is full, and the city is running at full energy. Summer is a different conversation, and important to understand before you book.
Winter
60s - 70sTrails in prime condition. Snowbird crowd fills resorts and golf courses. Celebration of Fine Art runs mid-Jan through late March.
Spring
75 - 100+Cactus League, WM Phoenix Open, and Arizona Bike Week. Highest prices and biggest crowds of the year.
Summer
105+July 2023: 31 consecutive days above 110 in the metro. Outdoor activity moves to sunrise. Hotel rates drop to year's low.
Fall
80sOctober starts the comeback. Trail conditions improve, prices haven't climbed back to spring levels.
2026 Scottsdale Events to Plan Around
Celebration of Fine Art
10 weeks of working artists at Civic Center Mall
Cactus League Spring Training
MLB exhibition games across the Valley
Arizona Bike Week at WestWorld
Over 100,000 riders, five days of events
Scottsdale ArtWalk
Year-round, 7-9 PM in the Arts District
How Many Days Do You Need in Scottsdale?
Three for hiking, Old Town, and a couple good meals. Five if you want to add a Sedona or Verde Valley day trip without rushing.
Three to five days is the perfect amount of days to spend in Scottsdale. Three gives you time to hike, eat well, and cover Old Town without rushing. Five lets you add a day trip to Sedona or the Verde Valley and still have a morning where you don't set an alarm. If you're here for Arizona Bike Week or spring training, plan your city time around the event rather than stacking everything into the same days.
Hiking and Outdoor Activities in Scottsdale
Phoenix gets a lot of credit for its desert access, but when it comes to Scottsdale hiking, the McDowell Sonoran Preserve is hard to compete with.
McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Covers 30,500 acres in the northern part of the city, with over 230 miles of trails that are free and open from sunrise to sunset. If you only have time for one hike, Gateway Trail is where most people start, but Tom's Thumb has the best views in the preserve. Start early and bring more water than you think you'll need.
Best Hikes in and Around Scottsdale
Best at sunrise in spring through fall. Later starts are fine in winter.
Hot Air Balloons, Jeep Tours, and Desert Experiences
If you'd rather see the desert without lacing up hiking boots, there are plenty of ways to get out there. Most balloon operators fly at sunrise when the air is calmest and the light over the saguaros is at its best, and the horseback and ATV tours run out of the open terrain north of the city.
- Rainbow Ryders Hot Air Balloon Co. Balloon
- MacDonald's Ranch Horseback
- Desert Wolf Tours Tomcar
- Arizona Outback Adventures Multi-Activity
- Stellar Adventures ATV / UTV
- Desert Monsters ATV Tours ATV
- Arizona Desert Mountain Jeep Tours Jeep
Scottsdale's Arts and Culture Scene
Scottsdale has been pulling in artists since the early 1900s, and it shows. The gallery district in Old Town is one of the densest in the country, and the Thursday night ArtWalk is the best single evening to take it in. If traditional galleries aren't your thing, Wonderspaces at Scottsdale Fashion Square is an experiential art space with rotating interactive installations that's open any day of the week.
Thursday night is when the entire Arts District opens up: galleries stay open 7-9 PM for ArtWalk, and SMoCA (Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art) offers free admission. Build dinner reservations around it.
Galleries and Art Experiences
- Wonderspaces Fashion Square Experiential, interactive installations
- Bonner David Galleries Old Town
- Wilde Meyer Gallery Old Town
- Scottsdale Arts District ArtWalk Every Thursday
- Xanadu Gallery Old Town
- Medicine Man Gallery Old Town
Museums
Several of the best museums in the metro area are in or just outside Scottsdale. Taliesin West is about 25 minutes northeast of Old Town, and it's the kind of place that deserves more than a quick stop. The Musical Instrument Museum is technically in north Phoenix but only about 15 minutes from Old Town, and SMoCA in the Arts District is free every Thursday.
- Taliesin West 25 min NE Frank Lloyd Wright's winter studio
- SMoCA Arts District Free Thursdays
- Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West Old Town
- Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) 15 min from Old Town
- Scottsdale Historical Museum Old Town
- Heard Museum Phoenix, 20 min
Scottsdale Food and Dining
Chef Charleen Badman of Scottsdale's FnB won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest in 2019. Her focus on local, seasonal produce put Scottsdale on the national culinary map and helped move the city's food identity well past the resort steakhouse reputation.
Old Town has the most restaurants in one walkable stretch, but some of the best meals are a short drive into central and north Scottsdale.
Restaurants
- The Mission Old Town & Kierland
- FnB Old Town James Beard winner
- SumoMaya North Scottsdale
- Atlas Bistro Central Scottsdale Prix-fixe BYOB
- Herb Box Multiple locations
- Andreoli Italian Grocer North Scottsdale
- Citizen Public House Old Town
- Old Town Tortilla Factory Old Town
- Pizzeria Virtù Old Town
- Maple & Ash Old Town
- Café Monarch Old Town
- Chula Seafood South Scottsdale
- The Montauk Old Town
- Roaring Fork Central Scottsdale
Craft Breweries and Wine
If you want to try Arizona wine without leaving Old Town, there are a few tasting rooms within walking distance of each other along the gallery strip. The brewery scene is more spread out across the city, but Goldwater and Craft 64 are both close to the Old Town core.
- Goldwater Brewing Co. Brewery
- O.H.S.O. Brewery Brewery Multiple locations
- State 48 Brewery Brewery Lager House
- Craft 64 Old Town
- Fate Brewing Co. Brewery
- PHX Beer Co. Brewery
- LDV Winery Old Town Tasting room
- Aridus Wine Company Old Town Tasting room
- Carlson Creek Vineyard Old Town Tasting room
Scottsdale Nightlife
Once dinner wraps, Old Town keeps going. The west side of the district leans toward cocktail lounges and wine bars, while the blocks closer to Saddlebag Trail are where the louder club scene picks up on weekends. Rusty Spur Saloon has had live country music and no cover since 1951, and Coach House is a cash-only dive that's been around just as long.
- Rusty Spur Saloon Country Live music since 1951, no cover
- Coach House Dive Cash only
- The Beverly on Main Cocktail Lounge
- Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row Country
- Riot House Club
- Maya Day & Nightclub Day Club
- Boondocks Patio & Grill Patio Bar
- AZ/88 Restaurant Bar
- Bottled Blonde Club
- Casa Amigos Cocktail Lounge
- Pretty Please Lounge Cocktail Lounge
The Roads Out of Scottsdale Are Why People Ride Here
Sedona, Jerome, the Superstitions, and the Verde Valley wine country are all within two hours. October through May is prime riding season, and local owners deliver to hotels across the metro.
Find Your Scottsdale BikeWhat Are the Best Day Trips from Scottsdale?
Scottsdale day trips are what turn a regular vacation into a full Arizona experience. All four of these are doable in a single day, and each one shows you a different side of the state. If your schedule only allows for one, make it Sedona.
Sedona is the day trip most people add first, and for good reason. The red rock formations are visible from almost everywhere in town, the hiking is world-class, and the drive through Oak Creek Canyon on Highway 89A is one of the best roads in Arizona. Slide Rock State Park has a natural waterslide carved into the creek bed, and Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village is a Tuscan-inspired courtyard complex where you can easily spend an afternoon. If you're coming from San Diego and adding Southwest riding to your trip, Sedona makes an easy extension from Scottsdale.
- Cathedral Rock Trail
- Bell Rock
- Slide Rock State Park
- Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village
- Red Rock Scenic Byway (Highway 179)
- Oak Creek Canyon (Highway 89A)
- Chapel of the Holy Cross
Arizona wine has come a long way over the past decade, and the tasting rooms between Cottonwood and Cornville are where most of it is being made. You can hit four or five in an afternoon without rushing. The trip pairs well with a stop in Jerome, a former mining town at 5,000 feet that had a population of 15,000 during its copper mining peak and dropped to under 100 by the 1950s before artists and shop owners brought it back. The road into Jerome has tight switchbacks and views that make it a favorite among riders.
- Page Springs Cellars
- Javelina Leap Vineyard & Winery
- Alcantara Vineyards
- Oak Creek Vineyards
- Jerome (galleries, wine bars, Douglas Mansion, switchback roads)
Cave Creek is about as close to old Arizona as you can get without a full day commitment. Harold's Corral has been serving burgers and beers since the 1930s, and during Bike Week in early April, the town runs its own events with free entertainment along the main strip.
- Harold's Corral
- The Horny Toad
- Frontier Town
- Cave Creek Trail Rides
- Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area
The Superstitions rise east of the Valley and are one of the most photographed mountain ranges in Arizona. The Peralta Trail runs 5.8 miles to Weaver's Needle, and the Apache Trail (AZ-88) winds through the mountains past Canyon Lake and Tortilla Flat, a roadside stop with a population of about six and walls papered with dollar bills.
- Peralta Trail (to Weaver's Needle)
- Lost Dutchman State Park
- Apache Trail (AZ-88)
- Canyon Lake
- Tortilla Flat
- Goldfield Ghost Town
How to Get Around Scottsdale
Old Town is walkable, and the free Scottsdale Trolley runs a 20-minute loop through the core Monday through Friday. Beyond that, you'll need some form of wheels, especially for trailheads, North Scottsdale restaurants, and any of the day trips.
- Free Scottsdale Trolley20-minute loop through Old Town, Monday through Friday.
- Valley MetroBuses connect to the Phoenix metro. Service can be infrequent outside the core.
- RideshareUber and Lyft cover the city. Surge during spring training, Bike Week, and the WM Phoenix Open.
- Car rentalEasy parking in Old Town, much of it free.
- MotorcycleBest for desert roads, day trips, and reaching trailheads on your own schedule.
Exploring Scottsdale by Motorcycle with Riders Share
If there's one city where a motorcycle makes more sense than a rental car, it's Scottsdale. October through May is prime riding season, the roads are well-maintained, and the routes to Sedona, Jerome, and the Superstitions are the kind of rides people plan entire trips around. Riders Share has the largest peer-to-peer motorcycle rental network in the Scottsdale and Phoenix metro area, with bikes from local owners who know the roads and can point you toward the best routes to ride.
What's Available
- Rentals starting at $34/day
- Cruisers, sport bikes, adventure bikes, and touring motorcycles
- 15+ brands including Harley-Davidson, BMW, Honda, Yamaha, and Ducati
- Pickup across the metro, with many owners offering hotel or airport delivery
Oak Creek Canyon & Jerome Loop
This loop combines almost everything that makes Scottsdale a destination for riders: scenic byway, switchback climbs, red rock canyon descent, and an old mining town in the middle. Plan it as a full day, leave early, and gas up before Camp Verde.
For longer rides, check our guide to the best self-guided motorcycle tours in the U.S. and our San Diego to Seattle route breakdown if you're extending the trip.
Rental Costs and Gear for Desert Riding
Summer riding in the Valley is restricted to early mornings and after sunset. ADV bikes handle the mix of pavement and forest service roads well if you want to extend past the scenic byways.
Scottsdale Travel FAQ
If you're trying to piece together how Scottsdale actually works once you're there, these are the questions that come up most.
What are the best things to do in Scottsdale?
Hiking the McDowell Sonoran Preserve (Gateway Trail and Tom's Thumb are the top routes), eating at The Mission or FnB, exploring the galleries and shops in Old Town, visiting Taliesin West, and making at least one day trip to Sedona or the Superstition Mountains.
Is Scottsdale walkable?
Old Town and the Arts District are walkable, and the free Scottsdale Trolley covers that area on weekdays. Beyond Old Town, you'll need a car, rideshare, or motorcycle.
What is the best time to visit Scottsdale?
Late October through May. January through March is the busiest window with higher hotel prices. November, early December, April, and May offer comfortable weather with fewer crowds. Summer averages above 105 degrees.
How far is Scottsdale from Phoenix?
About 12 miles east of downtown Phoenix, roughly 15 minutes from Sky Harbor International Airport.
What are the best day trips from Scottsdale?
Sedona (1.5 hours), Verde Valley Wine Trail (2 hours), Cave Creek (30 minutes), and the Superstition Mountains at Lost Dutchman State Park (45 minutes).
Is there public transportation in Scottsdale?
The free Scottsdale Trolley loops through Old Town on weekdays. Valley Metro buses connect to Phoenix, but service can be infrequent. Most visitors rent a car or use rideshare.
Ride the 89A, Not the Tour Van
Oak Creek Canyon, the Jerome switchbacks, and the Apache Trail are the kind of roads people fly in for. Local bikes available across the metro.
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