Best Things to Do in Phoenix, Arizona: A Local Guide

After living here and exploring the Phoenix metro area for 25+ years below are the things to do in Phoenix that I would recommend to my visiting relatives or friends. Each activity includes what each experience is best for, how much time you’ll need, what it costs, whether it’s worth the drive, and what you can combine it with.

When to Plan Your Phoenix Activities

Ideally you’ll want to explore Phoenix from October through April, when temperatures are much more comfortable for hiking and other outdoor activities. If you’re visiting in summer, don’t plan on hiking. It is dangerous to hike during the summer months in Phoenix, especially if you’re not used to the intense sun and heat in the desert. Visitors die every year or need to be rescued because they hike in the summer. Plan outdoor activities for early morning or evening and use the hottest part of the day for museums, restaurants, and other indoor attractions.

Want the month-by-month breakdown? See my guide to The Best Time to Visit Phoenix – Month by Month Guide.

Best Things to Do in Phoenix for First-Time Visitors

Originally published September 7, 2026— Last updated

If you’re looking for the best things to do in Phoenix, start with the Sonoran Desert, then add a little history, art, and Phoenix’s surprisingly good museum scene. You don’t need to see everything on your first visit. In my opinion, these are the places worth making time for. Below, I’ve grouped the best Phoenix attractions by interest so you can skip the things that don’t appeal to you and go straight to the experiences that do.

My top three things to do in Phoenix for a first visit are the Desert Botanical Garden, Musical Instrument Museum, and South Mountain Park. They each give you a different look at the city, and you can easily choose based on how much time you have and what you’re interested in.

Best Outdoor Things to Do

Some of the best attractions are found outdoors. The mountains surrounding the city provide endless opportunities for outdoor adventures. National Geographic voted the Valley as having some of the best urban hikes in the country.

South Mountain Park

Why go: One of the easiest ways to experience Phoenix’s desert landscape without committing to a difficult hike.

Best for: First-time visitors, scenic drives, hikers, sunset

Time needed: 1–3 hours

What to do: Drive to Dobbins Lookout, hike a short trail, or combine both.

Read my complete guide → South Mountain Park

If you Love History

• The Heard Museum
• Heritage Square
• Tovrea Castle
• Mystery Castle
• S’edav Va’aki Museum

Tovrea Castle

Read the complete guide → Tovrea Castle

Best Things to Do With Kids in Phoenix

• Odysea Aquarium
• Arizona Science Center
• Goldfield Ghost Town
• Phoenix Zoo & Papago Park
• Children’s Museum of Phoenix.
• Hall of Flame Museum
• Museum of Natural History in Mesa
• Read the complete guide → Indoor Family- Friendly Fun in Phoenix

If you Love Nature

• Desert Botanical Garden
• Take a boat ride at the Lake
• Tube down the Salt River
• Read the complete guide → Scenic Drives in Arizona
• Read the complete guide → Arizona Botanical Gardens Worth Visiting

Desert Botanical Garden

If you’re a first-time visitor to Phoenix I always recommend The Desert Botanical Garden because it showcases the Sonoran Desert better than anywhere else in the city. Plan to spend about two hours exploring the trails. Best for nature lovers, first-time visitors, photographers. Tip: visit early in the morning or for a different perspective in the evening.

Read the complete guide → Visit the Desert Botanical Garden .

If You Love Hikes

• Camelback Mountain
• South Mountain
• Read the complete guide → Phoenix Hikes

Camelback Mountain

Camelback Mountain is a beautiful area to hike, but it is not usually the hike I recommend to visitors unless they are experienced hikers. It is fun, but it is also a steep, difficult hike many underestimate. Best for nature lovers, experienced fit hikers, adventure seekers. Tip: hike early, don’t hike in the summer, bring more water than you think you’ll need.

Read the complete guide → Hike Camelback Mountain.

South Mountain

This is a great mountain for first-time visitors because you can drive to it and/or you can hike the many trails. No matter your fitness level you can enjoy the views from South Mountain.

Read the complete guide → South Mountain Park

If you love Architecture

• Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesen West

Read the complete guide → Taliesen West

If you Love Museums and Art

• Roosevelt Row
• The Heard Museum
• Musical Instrument Museum
• Phoenix Art Museum
• Cosanti Bells
• Take a behind-the-scenes tour of the oldest theatre in Phoenix.
• Farmers’ Market. Check out the local vendors in downtown Phoenix.

Things to Do Near Phoenix

Phoenix is spread out, and some of the area’s best experiences are technically outside Phoenix city limits. I’ve separated those from the attractions actually in Phoenix so you know what you’re getting into.

• Old Town Scottsdale
• Goldfield Ghost Town
• Superstition Mountains
• Lake Pleasant

Goldfield Ghost Town

Read the complete guide → A Guide to Arizona’s Ghost Towns

Best Phoenix Museums & Cultural Attraction

Best Historic Places

Things to Do for Architecture Lovers

Unique Things to Do in Phoenix

Free Things to Do in Phoenix

Things to Do in Phoenix When It’s Hot

Things to Do at Night