Sedona Tours Without a Jeep: Red Rock Hikes, Scenic Drives and Private Days Out

By the TrekWest guides · Updated October 20, 2026

Hiker standing beside a creek under red rock walls and golden fall leaves

The short version

Sedona’s signature tours are open-air Jeep and 4x4 rides: 1.5 to 3 hours of bumpy fun on forest roads with big views. Great for kids and for anyone who cannot hike. Not a full day, and not a hike.
The best scenery in Sedona is free: Red Rock Scenic Byway (SR-179), Oak Creek Canyon (SR-89A), Red Rock Loop Road and Airport Mesa at sunset.
If you want to be on the trails with someone who knows them, book a guided hike, not a Jeep.
A private day from Flagstaff can combine Oak Creek Canyon, a Sedona hike and sunset, or link Sedona and the Grand Canyon across two days.

The honest menu of Sedona tours

	Jeep / 4x4 ride	Guided hike	Scenic drive (self)	Private guided day (TrekWest)
Length	1.5 to 3 h	2 to 5 h	As long as you like	Full day
What you get	Rough forest roads (Broken Arrow, Schnebly Hill, Soldier Pass), overlooks, a driver with stories	On the trail with a guide: route finding, geology, pacing, safety on slickrock	The views from the road and the big pull-outs	Oak Creek Canyon, a trail matched to your group, a picnic, sunset; or Sedona one day and the Grand Canyon the next
Group	6 to 10 per vehicle	Small	You	Your party
Physical	None (bumpy)	Moderate	None	You choose
Best for	Families with young kids, limited mobility, short on time	Walkers who want more than a viewpoint	Budget, flexibility	Couples and families who want a whole day designed around them

The scenic drives you can do without a tour

Red Rock Scenic Byway (SR-179, 7.5 miles). From the Village of Oak Creek into Sedona past Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte and the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Pull-outs everywhere. Do it in the morning with the sun behind you.
Oak Creek Canyon (SR-89A north, 14 miles to the switchbacks). Slide Rock State Park, West Fork, the Oak Creek Vista at the top. The best drive in Arizona per mile, and the way to Flagstaff. On to the Grand Canyon from here.
Red Rock Loop Road (west Sedona, 11 miles, partly unpaved). Crescent Moon Picnic Site for the Cathedral Rock reflection at Red Rock Crossing.
Schnebly Hill Road. The first mile is paved to a fine overlook; beyond that it is a rough road best left to the Jeeps and high-clearance vehicles.
Airport Mesa at sunset. Tiny car park; walk up from the lower lot.

What a private day with us looks like

We are a Flagstaff company, 45 minutes up Oak Creek Canyon from Sedona, and we build Sedona days for private groups rather than running a fixed Jeep loop. A typical version: pickup in the morning, the drive down Oak Creek Canyon with stops, a trail chosen for your group (Fay Canyon and Doe Mountain for families; Bear Mountain or West Fork for walkers), a picnic lunch, the Chapel and the Red Rock Scenic Byway in the afternoon, and sunset from Airport Mesa or back at the Oak Creek Vista. Or split it across two days with the Grand Canyon: red rock one day, the big canyon the next, from one Flagstaff hotel.

Pickup: hotel and vacation-rental pickup is included within Flagstaff city limits (and the Williams area on our Williams tour). We can often arrange other pickup points for an extra fee. Ask us before you book.

Things worth knowing before you book anything in Sedona

Spring break and October are the busiest periods; roundabouts on SR-179 back up for an hour. Start early.
The Sedona Shuttle is free and the only way into the Cathedral Rock and Devil’s Bridge trailheads on peak days.
Vortex sites (Airport Mesa, Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, Boynton Canyon) are also simply the best viewpoints; you do not need a specialist tour to visit them.
Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend are 2.75 hours north of Sedona; they are not a Sedona day trip. Plan them from Flagstaff instead.

Ask about a private tour

@trekwesttours

Dozens of reels from the trail

Quick tips, hidden overlooks, road-trip tricks and the places we love around the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff and Sedona. New ones every week, straight from our guides.

Watch on Instagram