Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Scottsdale - Grand Canyon - Santa Fe - Sedona
100% customisable for you
Your American adventure starts today. Glide through airport formalities and relax in the lounge before boarding your ten-hour-and-50-minute flight from London to Phoenix.
Touch down in Arizona in the early evening and collect your rental car. The first drive of your trip is an easy 12 miles (around 30 minutes) east to Scottsdale. As the city lights glow against the desert backdrop, settle into your boutique Old Town hotel for a two-night stay. Grab a bite to eat in the hotel or one of the nearby restaurants before hitting the hay.
If jet lag nudges you awake early, embrace it – Scottsdale is glorious in the morning light. This Arizonan city impresses no matter the season, and today is all about discovering its charms at your own pace. After a hearty American breakfast, begin your day at the Desert Botanical Garden, where more than 50,000 arid-land plants reveal the beauty of the Sonoran Desert. Scottsdale enjoys an enviable 300 days of sun per year, and these gardens are the perfect place to soak up some vitamin D.
Afterwards, step back into the 1880s at the atmospheric Rawhide Western Town, or swing by Taliesin West, the home and studio of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Come evening, head back to the Old Town where you’ll find streets packed with bars, lounges and restaurants within walking distance of your hotel. The last decision of the day is a nightcap at the bar or an early bedtime... we’ll leave that one up to you.
Fuel up at breakfast before setting off for Tucson, a 120-mile drive south through rugged desert scenery, taking just under two hours. To break up the journey, stop at Picacho Peak State Park, where short trails and picnic spots sit among wildflowers and volcanic peaks.
Arrive in Tucson and check into your hacienda-style hotel, framed beautifully by the Santa Catalina Mountains. Spend the evening unwinding with a cocktail and a taste of regional cuisine followed by a romantic Tucson sunset.
The next two days are all about diving into the life-sized playground that is Tucson. Hikers can explore Saguaro National Park, home to the world’s largest cacti, while active travellers can try rock climbing on Mount Lemmon or guided horse riding through the desert. For a cultural fix, visit the Arizona State Museum, home to 13,000 years of regional history.
Food is central to Tucson’s identity – it’s the first and only US city designated a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Your Concierge can reserve tables at standout restaurants showcasing the region’s blend of Native American, Mexican and pioneer flavours.
As the sun goes down, choose between downtown rooftop bars, live DJs, or a show at the atmospheric Fox Tucson Theatre.
Fill your bellies with one last Tucson breakfast before hitting the road for Silver City, a 200-mile (around three-hour) drive into neighbouring New Mexico. Settle into the drive with our curated USA playlist as the scenery shifts from cactus plains to rugged desert hills.
Arrive in Silver City, a small but spirited town of around 10,000 people. Once a mining town, it now draws artists, ranching families and free-spirited locals who give the town its relaxed, creative edge. Your hotel sits in the heart of the town, so take some time to unwind after your drive before heading out to make the most of the remaining day. Downtown has a collection of historic buildings, shops and restaurants that are perfect for browsing, eating and getting to grips with Silver City.
Silver City may be small, but it brims with stories. Begin at the Silver City Museum, housed in a restored 19th-century home, then explore the Western New Mexico University Museum, where Mimbres pottery and Native American artefacts reveal centuries of cultural heritage. Your Concierge can arrange a private tour if you’d like deeper insight.
Later, enjoy a picnic in Gough Park or venture ten miles north to Gila National Forest, where three million acres of protected wilderness offer spectacular hikes and biking trails.
Buckle your seatbelts because today’s drive is the longest of the trip, covering 300 miles in just over five hours. Break the journey in Albuquerque – made famous by the TV series Breaking Bad – to stretch your legs and grab a bite to eat.
Continue to Santa Fe, America’s oldest state capital, and check into your gorgeous Spanish-colonial style hotel for a three-night stay. Freshen up, then explore Santa Fe’s bright night lights: evenings here are all about sampling the city’s culture. Music ranges from country blues to Latin American beats, and the cuisine is infused with Spanish, Mexican and Native American flavours. Let’s fiesta!
The next two days are all about exploring Santa Fe at your own pace. Your itinerary includes entrance tickets to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, where 140 oil paintings and nearly 700 drawings of the legendary artist’s work are exhibited.
Other Santa Fe hotspots include the Plaza – which has been the city’s cultural hub since 1610 and buzzes with a lively atmosphere, galleries and shops – and Downtown Santa Fe, where you can get a taste of the city’s vibrant nightlife, trendy bars and live music venues.
Wave goodbye to both Santa Fe and New Mexico, as you set your sights on Winslow, Arizona. The four-and-a-half-hour drive (326 miles) passes through Albuquerque again, or for a change of scenery, you can check out Gallup – a small city known for its Native American crafts and dramatic red rock backdrop.
As you drive into Winslow, be sure to turn the volume up for Eagle’s Take it Easy, the song that mentions this historical hub. Check into one of Route 66’s most historic hotels, once frequented by Amelia Earhart, Albert Einstein and Franklin D. Roosevelt. This is your first and only night in Winslow, so enjoy a hotel dinner under the desert sky before exploring this charming railroad town.
After breakfast, hop back in the car and continue north on a two-and-a-half-hour (145-mile) drive to the Grand Canyon. Approximately five to six million years old, this natural wonder has stood the test of time. Your lodge for the next two nights sits close to the canyon’s South Rim, making it easy to explore viewpoints and walking trails.
As night falls, enjoy dinner with canyon views. Thanks to minimal light pollution, the sky becomes an inky canvas studded with brilliant stars – it’s the dreamiest blanket to fall asleep beneath.
Today, take to the skies and experience the Grand Canyon from above. Board a 45-minute scenic flight (with a maximum of seven passengers) and soar over the Painted Desert, the Colorado River, and the canyon’s immense spires and gorges. The aircraft has panoramic windows for 180-degree visibility, comfortable raised seating and a low noise level. What more could you want?
Rise bright and early to catch the sunrise along the South Rim trail – find a viewpoint with open views to the east to witness silhouetted ridges and amber skies. With photos snapped and canyon trails traversed, hop back in the car and head southbound for Sedona, a two-hour (110-mile) drive through shifting desert landscapes.
Check into your hotel, dump your bags and then head into the town to admire the red-rock skyline and relaxed desert-town feel. It’s almost impossible to pull your eyes away from the surrounding scenery, but set your sights on the streets and you’ll find an array of Mexican-influenced restaurants to fill your rumbling bellies.
These next two days are yours to uncover Sedona’s natural and artistic wonders. Start with a visit to Slide Rock State Park, where streams weave around red sandstone to form natural swimming holes. Arrive early to secure a parking space and remember to bring plenty of water and suncream.
Afterwards, wander through Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village, often referred to as the ‘Art and Soul’ of Sedona. Here, world-class galleries, boutique shops and year-round festivals showcase the town’s creative energy and southwestern style.
As the day winds down, head to the Courthouse Vista to watch the sun set over the crimson rock formations. With a warm desert breeze and sweeping panoramic views, it’s the perfect finale to your Sedona adventure.
Enjoy one last all-American breakfast before driving to Phoenix to catch your evening flight. Wave goodbye to the desert views as you roll along for around two hours, covering 116 miles. Drop off your hire car (and thank it for covering over 1,300 miles with you), speed through security and head to the airport lounge. You’ll have plenty of time to reminisce over your southwest American adventure as you flick through photos on your ten-hour overnight flight to London.
Land back in the UK the following day, with memories of wide-open roads, luminous sunsets and spectacular canyons. Your Southwest adventure might’ve come to an end, but its golden glow will linger long after you’ve unpacked...
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
