Updated: March 17, 2026
Celebrate Memorial Day among Sedona’s iconic red rocks and pine forests. This guide highlights scenic train rides, relaxing spa treatments, and local winery tours. Whether you prefer hiking rugged trails or driving through wildlife parks, these suggestions ensure a memorable holiday weekend in Arizona’s stunning high desert.
Kick off the summer in sunny, warm Sedona. With temperatures trending toward the 80s during Memorial Day weekend, you’ll find indoor and outdoor activities that will keep everyone busy. Enjoy the fresh mountain air, beautiful red rock, and a pine forest like no other when you enjoy your memorial day getaway in Sedona.
Here are our favorite ways to enjoy memorial day in Sedona.
Contents
- Winery Tour
- Spa Day This Memorial Day in Sedona
- Verde Canyon Railroad
- Sound Bites Grill
- Hiking
- Red Rock Scenic Byway
- Bearizona
- Book a Stay today and Enjoy a Memorial Day Getaway in Sedona
Winery Tour
For the adults of the group who enjoy a glass of vino, the town of Sedona features several tasting rooms, and you’ll find over 20 wineries and vineyards just a short drive away in the neighboring Verde Valley. The unique Sedona weather – the heat of a desert day and the low temperatures of a northern Arizona night – add up to equal a great recipe for wine making. Set out on the Valley Verde Wine Trail and stop at several of the wineries. Special package tours are available from some companies or you can designate a driver and choose your own route.
Spa Day This Memorial Day in Sedona
Sedona and the surrounding area is filled with plenty of things to do and see during your Memorial Day escape, but vacation is also a time to relax and unwind. Choose one of the many spas in the area and indulge in services like facials, body wraps and scrubs, and more. Enjoy a myriad of massage options, including classic Swedish massage, a CBD oil massage, or a deep-tissue massage using heated basalt stones.
Verde Canyon Railroad
Take a scenic tour of the area and leave the driving to someone else. Available any time of year (trains run daily, including a special Memorial Day celebration on the Monday of the holiday weekend), the Verde Canyon Railroad is a fun way to see the area and escape the heat of the Arizona sun. Choose a coach seat and get a view of the canyon and surrounding area while listening to classic railroad music. All cars have access to open-air viewing cars. A seat in first class includes spacious, living room-style seating for a more intimate experience.
The caboose may be the last car of the train, but it contains the best seats. Reserved for a private party of up to six adults, the luxurious experience includes a personal valet. While the historic caboose is not wheelchair accessible, several other cars on the train are fully ADA compliant and feature manual wheelchair lifts.
Enjoy a champagne toast upon boarding, full-service cash bars with premium liquor choices, and appetizers served at your seat. Set out onto an open-air viewing platform for a better view of the red rock and pine forest scenery.
If you enjoy your ride, come back for a St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Cinco de Mayo, “grape” train escape, or Christmas-themed tours.
Sound Bites Grill
Enjoy live music from local musicians with your dinner when you eat at Sound Bites Grill this Sedona Memorial Day weekend. Come to any one of their “no cover” music performances with your meal like Wineaux Wednesday’s – live music and wine tasting event, Chill on the Hill Thursday’s, We Made It Friday’s, Showtime Saturday’s, and Jazz Brunch Sunday’s. Check out their calendar to see who’s playing and what’s special on the menu.
Hiking
Sedona offers hundreds of hiking trails leading to beautiful red rock vistas dotted with the greenery of a forest of ponderosa pines, junipers, cottonwoods, and many more. There are hikes appropriate for all ages and skill levels. Take hikes to see landmarks like Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, and Chapel of the Holy Cross.
Red Rock Scenic Byway
Take a tour of the area on a drive along the Red Rock Scenic Byway (SR 179). The byway itself is just ten miles long, but you can spend hours along the route at the many scenic pull-off points as you marvel at the towering natural beauty of Red Rock Country and get as many pictures as possible any time of day. Or take in the fresh mountain air later in the day for a view of the reds and golds of sunset. Take a drive through the pine forests of the Coconino National Forest and make a stop at the forest visitor center for maps for your hiking and biking excursions.
Bearizona
Get up-close to black bears as well as javelina, prairie dogs, North American river otters, wolves and more. Stay socially distanced from other guests as well as the animals as you drive your own vehicle through the park on a three-mile drive you take at your own pace. The company’s ‘Wild Ride Bus Tour’ is available as a 90-minute guided add-on to your visit. Make sure the car you bring is completely enclosed (no convertibles, ATVs, or open-top jeeps) and have operational windows.
Book a Stay today and Enjoy a Memorial Day Getaway in Sedona
You came to Sedona for a fun, exciting Memorial Day. Make sure the feeling lasts all day and all night when you book a vacation rental with Sedona.org. Prepare a home-cooked meal in the fully equipped kitchen. Enjoy the privacy of your own bedroom or sprawl out in an open living space and read a book or watch TV. For the most intimate experience, choose a one-bedroom unit with a kitchenette. For bigger groups there are units up to six bedrooms. Choose a premium unit for upgrades like stainless steel appliances, granite counters, hardwood floors, flat-screen TVs and more!
Contact us today to book your Memorial Day getaway to Sedona!
If you fancy a change from the desert for your next trip, head east to the Great Smoky Mountains. Stony Brook Lodging offers beautiful stays in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, providing a lush, green mountain escape for your family.