24 Hours in Phoenix, Arizona

Only in Phoenix for 24 hours and looking for a handful of outdoorsy things to do? I’ve compiled a list of three of my favorite places I visited in the state’s capital.

Back when I was a ballet dancer, I often spent 24 to 48 hours in a different city every weekend during audition season, and at least half of that was spent in the ballet studio. This taught me how to see cities quickly in my free time, and pick out the things I wanted to do that really intrigued me.

When I went to Phoenix, Arizona, I knew I wanted to spend my down time outdoors, exploring the beautiful nature and wildlife that I’d never really been around before. I was lucky to have my mom with me for this audition run, so we had a car to see a handful of the sites that Phoenix has to offer.

In my opinion, you really need a car to get around the city. Big American cities are typically not very walkable, and Phoenix is no exception. If you’re visiting in the summer, it is also nice to get out of the heat and have the air conditioning of the car. There were moments where I felt like I was melting. 

My biggest piece of advice when visiting Arizona is to get out into nature, let go, and have fun. Life can be a stressful journey, and being out in the world, surrounded by natural beauty, can be such a peaceful experience. Take these three places as a jumping off point and lose yourself in Phoenix! 

Desert Botanical Garden

Located in Papago Park, the Desert Botanical Garden is home to a large variety of desert plants, like giant Saguaro cacti and agave plants. The garden is a 2.1-mile loop trail that takes about 45 minutes to walk around. 

Tickets are required to enter, with adult tickets going for $24.95 and youth tickets for $14.95. The gardens are fully accessible for those in wheelchairs, and most places are equipped to accommodate strollers as well. 

For your visit, I would recommend wearing comfortable shoes and bringing sunscreen, water, and sunglasses. For those that burn easily (like me), a hat would also be really helpful! Walking around in the Arizona sun is no joke.

When I was visiting, there were really colorful animal statues dotted around the park, from rabbits, to wolves, to meerkats. This was a fun exhibition that brought even more life to the plants and the gardens. 

My favorite part was definitely the Butterfly Pavilion. There were so many different types of butterflies here, with one even landing on my mom which was really special!

I am someone who loves a gift shop, and the Desert Botanical Garden has a fantastic one! The Garden Shop has a wide range of products, from clothing like t-shirts, hats, and sweatshirts, to books, art prints, and even seed mixes and succulents.  

Hole in the Rock

Just a short drive away from the Desert Botanical Garden is Hole in the Rock, a natural rock formation that is a popular hiking spot. To get up to the hole, it was only about five minutes from the car park.

It was a really easy climb and didn't require any special kind of shoes. This formation is in a really popular area for hiking and walking, so you will not be alone during your visit. It wasn’t crazy when I was there; we got our moment in the hole and had time to take a few photos which was nice. 

We had a beautiful view of the trees, desert plant life, and the mountains beyond. This would be the perfect spot to come with friends and hang out for a bit, sitting in the sun and looking out at the world around you. 

Climb the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail

Piestewa Peak is the second largest mountain in the Phoenix Mountains, reaching 2,610 feet tall. It is located in the Piestewa Peak Recreation Area within the Phoenix Mountain Preserve.

My mom and I had an amazing view of this mountain from our hotel room, and decided to hike up in the morning before flying out of Arizona. 

Based on other hikes that I’ve done, this wasn’t a challenging climb. I really enjoyed myself, and did it wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and gym sneakers. My mom found it a bit more difficult, and didn’t reach the summit because of her fear of heights. She sat and waited for me on a rocky pass, taking in the views. 

When you get near the top, the path does get thinner and there was a bit of rock scaling that had to be done. The views at the top were beautiful, with gorgeous green landscapes and endless mountains. It was at this moment, sitting at the top of Piestewa Peak, that I really fell in love with Arizona. 

I think it took me about two hours round trip, so this was a really nice morning hike. It is a busy trail and open all year round, so you’ll always be coming across other people on the journey up and down.

If you are looking for more hikes after this one, the area is full of them. You are not short of options in Phoenix!

Where to Stay

While I was in Phoenix, I stayed at the AC Hotel Scottsdale North by Marriott. My mom is a superstar when it comes to picking hotels, and she found this one for us. It was really comfortable, super clean, and in a great location! As it’s a Marriott hotel, prices for rooms are not crazy and you can often use points towards your room depending on what kind of hotel membership plans you have.

The hotel has four room options - Double Queen, King, Double Queen with Mountain View, or King with Mountain View. We had a mountain view and it was beautiful! Opening the curtains to this was a great way to start the day. 

There’s also an outdoor pool and a restaurant on the premises, which was handy. We went for both the breakfast buffet and dinner and thought the food was very nice. I sadly didn’t have time to test out the pool, but it was being put to good use by other hotel patrons. 

If I was going back to Arizona, I would definitely look into staying at this hotel again!