Scottsdale
Pressed against the east side of Phoenix, Scottsdale has kept from its youth as a small ranching town an old centre with covered boardwalks, now the district of Western art galleries and cocktail bars. To the north, Frank Lloyd Wright built his winter studio in the desert, at the foot of mountains protected by a 12,000-hectare preserve where you walk among the saguaros.
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Scottsdale · Photo Tom Jackson / Pexels
Things to do in Scottsdale in 4 days
Day 1
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Scottsdale's Museum of the West, opened in 2015 in Old Town, telling the story of the American West through painting, sculpture, saddles, Navajo weavings and Native American art.
💡 On Thursdays from November to April, the museum stays open until 8 pm, which combines well with the ArtWalk in the neighbouring galleries. It is closed on Mondays in summer. Price: $28, about €24, adults; $12, about €10, ages 6 to 17.
PamMcP / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)Learn moreMore
The historic heart of a town founded in 1888, with timber facades, covered boardwalks and an adobe mission, surrounded by dozens of Western, Native American and contemporary art galleries.
💡 Park once and for all in one of the district's free public car parks and do everything on foot. Come on Thursday for the ArtWalk, in the early evening, then have dinner nearby. Price: free.
Bernard Gagnon / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Day 2
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Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home, studio and school of architecture, built from 1937 by his apprentices in desert stone and concrete, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019.
💡 The audio-guided tour lasts 60 to 75 minutes and is booked online, as places are limited in high season; bring a phone and headphones. The site is closed on Tuesdays in October and May, at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Price: $44, about €38, adults from October to May, $39, about €34, in summer; $22, about €19, ages 6 to 17 ($19, about €16, in summer).
InSapphoWeTrust from Los Angeles, California, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)Learn moreMore
The contemporary art museum set in a former cinema redesigned by Will Bruder, with Knight Rise, a James Turrell skyspace that frames a square of changing sky, best at dusk.
💡 Book online, it is $3 cheaper than at the ticket desk. The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Visit Knight Rise at the end of the day, when the blue of the sky darkens. Price: $13, about €11, online, $16, about €14, on site; free up to age 18.
Dru Bloomfield from Scottsdale, Arizona, USA / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)Learn moreMore
The studio of architect Paolo Soleri, a former Wright apprentice, with earth-cast concrete vaults where the famous Soleri bronze and ceramic windbells are still poured on weekdays.
💡 The gallery, where you buy the bells, opens daily. The bronze pour can be watched without booking or a tour. To enter the workshops and go under the vaults, book the guided tour online, offered on weekdays at 10.15 am. Price: gallery free; guided tour $30, about €26, adults, $10, about €9, up to age 18.
Day 3
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More than 12,300 hectares of protected Sonoran Desert with over 370 km of trails among saguaros, from the easy Gateway loops to Thompson Peak and the granite tower of Tom's Thumb.
💡 Start with the Gateway Loop, about 7 km, at sunrise. The Gateway trailhead has water and toilets, while Tom's Thumb has no water. The preserve is open from sunrise to sunset. Price: free.
Scotwriter21 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)Learn moreMore
A granite spire above the Troon golf communities, with a wide 3.2 km trail along its flank among century-old saguaros, offering views of the McDowells and the valley at sunset.
💡 Dogs and bikes are not allowed on the trail. Opening hours change with the season, so check them on the city's website before setting off, and come early at weekends, as the car park is small. Price: free.
Alexander Haynes / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Day 4
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In Tonto National Forest, a river where wild horses drink at dawn and a lake between red cliffs explored by kayak or paddleboard, with tubing down the river in summer.
💡 Buy the Tonto Pass before you set off, as it is required per vehicle at the river and lake sites. Keep at least 15 metres between you and the horses, as they are wild. Price: $8, about €7, per vehicle per day from a vendor, $12, about €10, at the machine on site.
Hiroooooo / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)"Book" (hotels) and "via GetYourGuide" (activities) are affiliate links (Booking, GetYourGuide). Prices, times and distances are approximate.
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Good to know before you go
🍽️ Must-try food
Burgers and barbecue
brisket and ribs cooked low and slow, done differently in every state.
Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl
the classic lunch on the San Francisco waterfront.
Mexican food
tacos from a truck in Los Angeles, a Mission burrito in San Francisco.
Pancakes and weekend brunch
a national habit, generous to the point of excess.
Craft beer, and California wine from Napa and Sonoma.
Dishes to look for in the good places: Scottsdale.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Tipping is not optional: add 15 to 20% in restaurants and bars.
- Prices on menus and in shops exclude sales tax, which is added at the till.
- Do not plan more than four or five hours of driving a day: the distances are larger than they look on the map.
- Never travel without health insurance. A night in hospital can cost thousands of dollars.
- In summer, do not hike down into the Grand Canyon in the heat of the day: the climb back out is where people get into trouble.
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The little details that make all the difference once you're there.
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