MODULE 3

Phoenix and Central Arizona:

The center of the state is also the center of, well, everything. Mixing urban excitement with a relaxed sensibility, the Phoenix Metro area offers:

• World-class golfing and resorts

• Quirky dive bars, local hotspots and James Beard Award-winning restaurants

• Hiking and biking trails right in the city

• Boutique shops and the Southwest’s largest mall

• Musical Instrument Museum, the largest of its kind in the world

• Stadiums for every major US sports league

North Central Arizona

Discover charming frontier towns full to the brim with local flavour and incredible views. From sampling wines in the Verde Valley, to taking in Sedona’s otherworldly red rocks, to touring the mining history of Jerome, this region has much to offer curious visitors.

Sedona is known for its Vortexes: thought to be swirling centres of energy that help with healing, meditation and self exploration.

Sedona is a great place to visit if you're looking for outdoor adventure: hiking, mountain biking, and pink jeep tours.

The Verde Valley & Cottonwood, popular wine regions in Arizona are just a 30 minute drive from Sedona.

Prescott, AZ is located within the largest stand of ponderosa pine forests in the U.S. Once the territorial capital, Prescott is home to the world famous Whiskey Row, rich in abundant history and historical landmarks, and Prescott Frontier Days, the World's Oldest Rodeo.

Northern Arizona

The large region classified as Northern Arizona offers such vastly different landscapes, it’s hard to imagine you’re still in the same state.

The first surprise is the thick pine tree forests in towns like Flagstaff, Showlow and Pinetop/Lakeside, which turn into snowy ski resorts in the winter.

Further north, you’ll see some of Arizona’s most famous rocky landmarks such as the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and the Petrified Forest.

And near the northern state border, the town of Page offers watersports on Lake Powell, along with sightseeing at two nearby landmarks: the wavy walls of Antelope Canyon and the Colorado River view at Horseshoe Bend.

At Antelope Canyon in Page, entry is restricted to guided tours led by authorized Navajo tour guides. The canyons are formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone

Other Slot Canyons in Northern Arizona include:

Canyon X

Vermilion Cliffs

Secret Canyon

The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is 1 mile deep, 277 miles long and 18 miles wide.

The entrance to the South Rim is from town of Tusayan. If you are entering from the East Rim, that would be through the town of Cameron.

Tusayan is about 3.5 hr drive from Phoenix.

Grand Canyon National Park provides experience from a few hours to a few days , including motorised tours, scenic drives, hiking trails, guided hiking tours, camping, shopping, white water rafting, dining and lodging. It is recommended to book accommodations well in advance.

Permits cost around $10 and are required if camping/hiking overnight.

Williams/Flagstaff/Sedona are the nearest towns. People often stay here and drive to the Canyon for the day.

In 2019, Grand Canyon celebrated their Centennial (100 year anniversary of being designated a National Park).

Grand Canyon National Park welcomes approximately six million domestic and international visitors each year.

Often, people confuse Grand Canyon West with Grand Canyon National Park. Grand Canyon West is not a national park; it is located on Hualapai tribal land. Here there is the skywalk, zip lining, horseback riding and white water rafting It is about a 2 hour and 15 minute drive from Las Vegas.