Things to do in Phoenix
Arts districts, native food, and the restaurants Phoenix actually talks about.
This is a Phoenix for people who'd rather eat a great-value huarache than a hotel buffet, and who think a good brewery counts as a proper night out. Days move from the walkable arts corridor downtown through Midtown's cultural anchors to the far northeast, where one of the city's most interesting restaurants sits near one of the world's best museums. Moderate budget, no filler.
Day 1: Evans Churchill: Arts, Murals, Thai
Start slow with neighbourhood coffee and a koi garden, eat local at lunch, then spend the evening on Roosevelt Row before a top-rated Thai dinner and cold beers a block away.
- 9:30 AM
Fair Trade Cafe
Fair trade coffee, bagel sandwiches and breakfast burritos by the Roosevelt light rail stop.
Map - 10:15 AM
Japanese Friendship Garden (Ro Ho En)
3.5 acres of koi ponds, waterfalls and a tea house tucked into downtown Phoenix.
Map - 12:30 PM
Huarachis Taqueria
Mexico City-style huaraches at the great-value spot, beloved cheap fixture, exactly the casual local lunch to aim for.
Map - 2:00 PM
Roosevelt Row / First Fridays
Walk the murals and poke into galleries on Phoenix's walkable arts strip, all free, all local.
Map - 7:30 PM
Lom Wong
Yotaka and Alex Martin's Thai dining room in a downtown bungalow; book ahead and order to share.
Map - 9:15 PM
Arizona Wilderness DTPHX
Arizona craft brewery one block away, proper cocktails and local beers to close the night without going far.
Map
Day 2: Midtown: Fry Bread and the Heard
A loose midtown loop that earns its afternoon at the Heard Museum with an iconic fry bread lunch, then closes at Ocotillo's patio and a proper wine bar nightcap.
- 10:30 AM
- 12:30 PM
Fry Bread House
Iconic Native American spot locals swear by, the fry bread is the whole reason to visit.
Map - 2:30 PM
Heard Museum
Definitive Southwest American Indian art and history museum, 12 galleries, contemporary wing, sculpture court.
Map - 7:30 PM
Ocotillo
Ocotillo's outdoor patio and seasonal American menu make it the memorable Midtown dinner worth the splurge.
Map - 9:30 PM
kid sister A WINE BAR
Nightcap at kid sister, a proper cocktail-and-wine bar that locals swear by, well before midnight.
Map
Day 3: Northeast: MIM, Korean BBQ, Kembara
A morning at the Musical Instrument Museum, Korean BBQ for lunch, Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in the afternoon, then Kembara for dinner.
- 10:30 AM
Musical Instrument Museum (MIM)
5,000+ instruments from ~200 countries with wireless headsets, one of the most unique museums in the US, totally worth a few hours.
Map - 12:30 PM
Sizzle Korean Barbecue
Solid Korean BBQ that locals love, great value, interactive, and satisfying after a museum morning.
Map - 2:30 PM
Taliesin West
Frank Lloyd Wright's desert home and studio; book a guided tour of the drafting room and living quarters.
Map - 7:30 PM
Kembara
Asian-inspired dining room at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge; share several plates across the menu.
Map
Where to stay
The Camby
The Camby sits at moderate rates between Midtown and the Biltmore corridor, close enough to Day 2 without blowing the budget on a resort.
Westin Phoenix Downtown
The Westin Downtown puts Day 1's Roosevelt Row, Lom Wong, and Arizona Wilderness all within easy walking distance, a genuinely useful base for the first two days.
Make Phoenix your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Musical Instrument Museum: a few days ahead
- Desert Botanical Garden: a few days ahead
- Orpheum Theatre: weeks ahead
- Phoenix Symphony: weeks ahead
- We-Ko-Pa Golf Club: weeks ahead
- Troon North Golf Club: weeks ahead
Skip these
- Basing in Scottsdale when your list is Phoenix, or the reverse, adds a 25 minute drive each way daily.
- Camelback is not a casual pre brunch stroll. Piestewa Freedom Trail or Papago is the casual version.
- Downtown is quiet on non event Sundays and Mondays, and several top tables are Wednesday to Sunday only.
- Timeshare and resort credit presentations at corridor resorts, and Van Buren airport hotel bargains.
The full Phoenix travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around