A Weekend in Sedona With Kids. Heading to Sedona for the weekend? Sedona has so much to see and do, it can be hard to decide where to begin. Here are some of the highlights from our family trip to help you on yours!
A good place to start is by driving to State Route 89A and looking for the free public parking lots. Once we parked, we enjoyed the diverse offering of niche shops. Our kids especially enjoyed a shop that made candles. You could watch the artists as they carved designs into the wax and revealed layers of surprising colors under the surface. We bought tea, and sampled honey and chocolate. Our longest pit stop was, of course, in a toy store.
We ate lunch in a cafeteria-style eatery called Canyon Breeze. There were several restaurants all inside of one building, and beautiful views of the red mountains from a back patio seating area.
My family wanted to get a good overview of the land and take in the scenic mountains and famed red rocks. We didn’t have the time to devote to hiking this trip, so we decided to try a guided ride with Trolley Tours.
Being fans of the cartoon Daniel Tiger, our kids are already enamored of trollies. They could not wait to hop on board and take off. Ding Ding! (That’s a Daniel Tiger joke there, folks!)
We chose the 55 minute “B” tour to West Sedona and Boynton Canyon, which showcases more of the natural beauty of the region. You can book your tour ahead of time to ensure you have a seat. Prices are $22 for adults and $14 for children ages 12 and under. Our whole party enjoyed the tour. It was fun being together and learning about the area from our knowledgeable and funny guide.
One element to note, however, was that even though it was not a cold day, the trolley sides are open, and the breeze was very cold! We all wished we had brought jackets.
After the trolley ride, we spent the afternoon strolling up and down the main street, wandering in and out of shops. I highly recommend stopping at the Black Cow Cafe for some truly unique and delicious ice cream cream and pie. One of my favorite activities of the whole trip was sitting on a bench with our ice cream, enjoying the views of the surrounding mountains, and relaxing with my family and friends.
For this short weekend away, we stayed in Sedona Springs Resort villas, a spacious two-bedroom place with a townhouse feel that we found on Airbnb. You can also book directly from their website. This was a great place for our party, which included three adults and three kids. There were two full bathrooms, a full kitchen, a living room and loft, and an outdoor patio that looked out onto the pool. My husband loved the location as it is within walking distance to a Starbucks.
Our kids loved the small playground on site. At one point, we had a delay of plans, and the playground kept the kids from feeling frustrated during the wait. We also enjoyed the indoor pool, however, even though it was heated, it was still really too cold to be comfortable, so we didn’t swim for long. But we visited in March. The outdoor pool in the summer months would probably be fantastic.
A Weekend in Sedona With Kids
After checking out of our room, the last stop of the trip was the Chapel of the Holy Cross. This is a beautiful structure built lovingly into the mountains of Sedona. It is an inspirational place of reverence, calling the visitors to enjoy a moment of reflection and prayer. You can light a candle for a small donation, or visit the shop downstairs.
Outside of the chapel, the views are stunning, and every angle presents a new photo opportunity. There is not much to do at the chapel except enjoy the walk up the pathway, say a prayer, and look around. But the experience is well worth the visit. Experiencing the chapel will leave you feeling refreshed, and appreciative of the natural beauty of the area.
What have you done in Sedona? Share your hidden gems in the comments!
More family-friendly things to do in Sedona can be found here!
