Home › Travel Guides › North America Travel Guide › United States of America › Arizona › Phoenix › Things to do in Phoenix
Image gallery

Sonoran Desert in bloom, Phoenix

© 123rf.com

-700
Phoenix Local time

Weather in Phoenix
Sunny
2
9
°C
United States of America

Things to do in Phoenix

Hot air balloon rides

Locals will tell you that the best way to see Phoenix and the outlying Arizona landscape is from the basket of a hot air balloon, and there are plenty of companies in the city that can provide you with your ideal trip. Dawn flights, Champagne tours and mountain excursions can all take place a few hundred feet above the earth. Several of the companies will arrange to pick up from your local hotel as well, and if you book an all day expedition, lunch is generally provided.

Hot Air Expeditions
Website: www.hotairexpeditions.com

Gold panning

Follow in the footsteps of the original prospectors and take to the hills on a gold panning expedition. The Weaver Mountains are a two-hour drive from Phoenix and were the location of several large finds by early settlers. Tour companies will show you the ropes and then send you off to search for your fortune. You’ll learn how to pan the rivers, try your hand at sluicing, and make use of modern metal detectors in your hunt for the precious metal.

Arizona Gold Adventures
Website: www.arizonagoldadventures.com

Arizona Desert Tours
Website: www.azdeserttours.com

Golf

Golf is a popular sport in Phoenix and it boasts nine courses. The most popular is Stone Creek Golf Club because it hosts the city’s international events and competitions. Most courses offer short range practice courses and driving ranges alongside their traditional 18-hole standard courses, and there are lessons available for adults and children who aren’t quite up to speed. If you’re not there to play, then the courses host spectator events regularly throughout the golfing season. Some clubs have additional facilities for guests, including award-winning restaurants and spa treatments.

The Boulders
Website: www.theboulders.com

Dude Ranches

Arizona is the ultimate destination to experience the cowboy lifestyle and there are a number of dude ranches offering the chance to do just that. Spend a day or a week on a working ranch, driving cattle, learning how to rope steer and take wagon rides. Adventures can include camping out overnight or staying in western saloon towns, and they are geared towards providing a full-on western experience. Some tour companies provide touches of luxury, and fly you into the desert by helicopter instead of bus.

Grand Canyon Ranch
Website: www.grandcanyonranch.com

Tanque Verde Ranch
Website: www.tanqueverderanch.com

Recommended Sites:

Protect yourself from malaria
Before you travel, find out if your holiday destination is in a malaria zone.
(An educational initiative organised and funded by GlaxoSmithKline Travel Health. UK/MARK/0173/10 September 2010)
Travel insurance
For residents of over 150 countries. High levels of medical, evacuation, emergency & most adventure activities covered.