Getting to Sedona from Phoenix (PHX, 2 Hours), Flagstaff & the Grand Canyon (Scenic 89A)

Sitting right off Interstate 17 in the geographic centre of Arizona, Sedona is an effortless two-hour drive north of Phoenix and a two-hour drive south of the Grand Canyon South Rim, making a Phoenix → Sedona → Grand Canyon route one of the easiest, most scenic road trips in the United States.

1. Driving from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX, 190 km / 2 Hours North on I-17)

• Take Exit 298 onto Highway 179 North (The Red Rock Scenic Byway): drive north out of Phoenix on Interstate 17 North for 90 minutes, stopping halfway at Rock Springs Cafe in Black Canyon City for a slice of their famous 1918 pecan pie, or at Exit 289 for five-storey Montezuma Castle National Monument. At Exit 298, turn north onto Arizona State Route 179: five minutes later you crest a hill and Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte and Cathedral Rock fill your windscreen for the final 12-kilometre drive into town.
• Travelling from Phoenix Airport Without a Hire Car: Ride Groome Transportation: express shuttle vans operated by Groome Transportation depart directly from Terminals 3 and 4 at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX) eight to ten times every day (check the official site for current one-way fares), dropping you directly in the Village of Oak Creek, West Sedona or Uptown Sedona in just over two hours.

2. Driving Between Sedona, Flagstaff (45 Mins) & The Grand Canyon South Rim (2 Hours)

• Always Take Scenic Highway 89A Through Oak Creek Canyon (Not I-17): when driving between Sedona and Flagstaff (45 km / 45 to 50 minutes) or the Grand Canyon South Rim (175 km / 2 hours 10 minutes), set your GPS to go via Highway 89A through Oak Creek Canyon. It winds along the shaded creek past Slide Rock and climbs six thrilling hairpin switchbacks up the Mogollon Rim into the ponderosa pines of Flagstaff.
• Closest Commercial Airport: Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG, 40 Mins North of Sedona): served by daily American Airlines regional flights from Phoenix (PHX) and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW).