Arizona is a choose-your-own-weather adventure, which is why I love using this Arizona Travel Guide to plan trips by season:
Spring (March–May): Chef’s kiss. Perfect hiking temps, wildflowers blooming, pool weather in Scottsdale, and the kind of sunshine that makes you want to extend your trip forever.
Fall (September–November): Another all-star season. Fewer crowds than spring, still warm, and ideal for Sedona, Flagstaff, and national parks.
Summer (June–August): HOT. And I mean “don’t touch your rental car seatbelt” hot. But it’s great for lake days, water activities, early-morning hikes, and snagging luxury resort deals. The higher elevation towns (Flagstaff, Williams, the Grand Canyon) stay surprisingly cool.
Winter (December–February): Mild in Phoenix and Tucson (hello, golf and sunshine), but snowy and magical up north. If you want a two-season vacation in one trip, this is your sign to visit in winter.
If you’re using this Arizona Travel Guide to build your itinerary, start with these highlights:
Bucket list–level views that look Photoshopped in real life.
Red rock hikes, vortexes for your mystical side, and the best sunrise scenery in the state.
Experience the famous light beams of Antelope Canyon and the dramatic curve of Horseshoe Bend.
Foodie heaven, relaxing spas, golf, shopping, and resort pools that deserve their own award show.
Cool mountain weather, breweries, and a great home base for Route 66 or Grand Canyon adventures.
An entire park dedicated to giant saguaros — peak “Arizona aesthetic.”
For when you want to feel like you’re inside a movie scene. Because you basically are.
Flying into Arizona is super easy, and this Arizona Travel Guide breaks down the best options:
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX): The main hub with endless flight options, rental cars, and quick access to Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe.
Tucson International Airport (TUS): Perfect for Southern Arizona trips (Tucson, Saguaro NP, Bisbee).
Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG): A smaller airport, but incredibly convenient for Northern Arizona and the Grand Canyon.
Las Vegas (LAS): Believe it or not, it’s a popular starting point for Grand Canyon, Page, Lake Powell, and Monument Valley road trips.
A few things I always tell people (and now they’re officially in this Arizona Travel Guide):
Hydrate like you’re training for the desert Olympics. Seriously — bring electrolytes.
Start hikes early. Sunrise will be your new best friend.
Don’t rely on cell service. Download offline maps before you go.
Pack layers. Arizona can swing 30 degrees in a single day—desert drama.
Respect tribal land rules. Places like Antelope Canyon and Monument Valley are Navajo Nation lands and require guided tours.
Sun protection is not optional. Hat, SPF 50, sunglasses, the whole kit.
This Arizona Travel Guide recommends renting a car — and I mean strongly recommends. Arizona is built for road trips, scenic drives, and hopping between destinations at your own pace.
Options include:
Rental Car: Best flexibility for all major regions.
Rideshare: Fine for Phoenix/Scottsdale but not designed for national park days.
Tours: Great for Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and Grand Canyon day trips if you prefer not to drive.
Booked this Bryson City yurt for the ‘ber months and it’s already my top fall pick this year. 🍂
The Junaluska Yurt sleeps six but feels more like a stylish cabin than a yurt, two real queen bedrooms with actual doors, a full kitchen, and a private bathroom with a walk-in shower. Check-in is just a door code texted to your phone, no lobby, no waiting.
The real win is outside: wraparound porch, private fire pit, free firewood, a gas grill, and Smoky Mountain sunsets that stop you mid-sentence, picture all of that with October color on the ridgeline. Heads up, the last stretch in is a gravel road, so skip the low-profile rental, and there’s no restaurant onsite, you’re minutes from Bryson City, Dillsboro, and Sylva for dinner.
Two to three nights is the sweet spot. (We actually stayed in the dead of winter and it was still stunning, fall just takes it up a notch.) Full review linked in bio.
Italian food felt like the last thing I expected to find in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains... until I sat down at Ilda in Sylva.🍝
They call it Italian-Appalachian, and that’s not just a tagline. Homemade pasta, craft cocktails, local ingredients pulled straight from the mountains around it, this is the kind of meal that makes you forget you’re two hours from the nearest city. It’s cozy, it’s a little upscale, and it is not a walk-in kind of place, call ahead, because tables go fast on weekends.
It’s not cheap, and it’s not trying to be. But if you’re already making the trip out to Sylva, this is the one reservation worth planning your day around.
Full write-up, including what to order, link in bio.
Booked my fall cabin before September even started, and I’m not sorry about it. 🍂
These are the stays that make you actually want the cold to hurry up fireplaces, mountain views, the kind of porch you don’t leave. Not every one of these is going to fit every trip, but if a cozy fall getaway is on your radar, this is the roundup to start with.
One of my favorite travel seasons is almost here, and I have zero chill about it. 🍁✈️
There’s just something about fall trips cooler air, apple orchards, that first flannel of the season, food that actually makes sense with the weather again. I’m already mentally packing for it before September even starts.
If fall is your favorite time to travel too, tell me where you’re headed... I’m taking notes for the list.
Pack your bags... ✈️🧳My hiking and road trip gear shop just got a refresh, and this is everything that actually earns a spot in my bag. The dry bag pulls double duty for beach days and trail days, the Osprey backpack is the one I grab for anything motorcycle or day-hike related, and the GoPro comes with me literally everywhere at this point.
Nothing on this list is filler it’s all stuff I’ve used, packed, and repacked more times than I can count. Full shop linked in my bio if you want to build out your own kit before your next trip.
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
