With its acclaimed resorts, dining, shopping and nightlife, Scottsdale offers everything you'd expect from a premier vacation destination, plus something delightfully unexpected - the stirring beauty of the Sonoran Desert.
Scottsdale’s lush desert landscape offers nearly endless opportunities for outdoor adventure. Watch the sunrise from the gondola of a hot air balloon. Explore rolling mountain foothills on a hike in Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Or unleash your inner cowboy and saddle-up for a Western-style horseback ride. Just make sure your cell phone is fully charged so you can capture the desert’s breathtaking scenery and technicolor sunsets.
Prefer your adventure with an urban edge? Head for Old Town where art galleries and boutiques cozy up to some of the state’s most popular chef-driven restaurants. Old Town also boasts award-winning craft breweries and wine-tasting rooms, as well as two of the city’s most popular museums – Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. And anchoring Old Town’s northern edge are Scottsdale Fashion Square, the Southwest’s largest shopping destination, and the city’s Entertainment District, a mecca for high-energy nightlife. No matter how you slice it, Old Town Scottsdale is just about the most fun you can have in one square mile!
Beyond Old Town, you can discover the beauty of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture at Taliesin West, hear Paolo Soleri’s melodious bronze windbells at Cosanti, and stroll among thousands of colorful species at Butterfly Wonderland. Scottsdale also is home to world-class events, including the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction, Cactus League Spring Training and the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show.
And when you’re ready to relax and enjoy some Scottsdale-style self-care, the city’s renowned resort and day spas are standing by with pampering treatments that blend Sonoran Desert-inspired indulgences and Native American healing traditions.
Known as much for its sophisticated urban flair as its magnificent Sonoran Desert setting, Scottsdale is a city that’s sure to fill you with pure vacation inspiration.
