Cheap things to do in Phoenix
Street tacos, red rock climbs and cold beers without blowing the budget.
This is a Phoenix trip built around what the city actually does well: cheap, serious Mexican food, desert parks you can walk into for nothing, and a downtown arts strip that rewards slow strolling. It suits anyone who would rather spend money on a second round of tacos than on a hotel minibar.
Day 1: Roosevelt Row and the Arts District
Start with coffee and murals in Phoenix's most walkable neighbourhood, then work through tacos, a Victorian streetscape and fried chicken before finishing at the Churchill's laid-back beer garden.
- 9:30 AM
Fair Trade Cafe
Fair trade coffee, bagel sandwiches and breakfast burritos by the Roosevelt light rail stop.
Map - 10:15 AM
Roosevelt Row / First Fridays
Stroll Phoenix's walkable arts district, free murals, galleries and bungalow storefronts all within a few blocks.
Map - 12:30 PM
- 2:00 PM
Heritage Square
Block of restored 1890s houses, including the Rosson House museum, with free grounds to wander.
Map - 7:30 PM
Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken
Memphis-born spicy fried chicken with a crackly crust; a two-piece plate keeps it cheap.
Map - 9:00 PM
The Churchill
Laid-back beer garden with a local crowd, cheap drinks and a great spot to wind down the night.
Map
Day 2: Camelback Mountain and Arcadia
Earn your lunch on Echo Canyon's rocky summit scramble, then ease into the afternoon with free local art at Shemer and cheap burgers and cold beers in the Arcadia corridor.
- 10:15 AM
Camelback Mountain Echo Canyon Trail
Tackle the steep, rocky Echo Canyon summit scramble (handrails help) for a jaw-dropping 360° Valley view, completely free.
Map - 12:30 PM
Tee Pee Mexican Food
Old-school Arizona Mexican since 1958; George W. Bush ate here, and the enchilada plates are the move.
Map - 2:30 PM
Shemer Art Center
Free community art museum just minutes away, rotating local exhibitions and a quiet, unhurried afternoon browse.
Map - 7:30 PM
The Stand Arcadia Burger Shoppe
Arcadia burger stand with a drive-thru; get a double with fries and eat on the patio.
Map - 9:00 PM
J T's Bar & Grill
Arcadia's tiny dive bar: cold beer and wings, two sauces a basket, with a game on.
Map
Day 3: Papago Park and the Red Buttes
A morning of sandstone and desert trails, vintage fire engines through the hottest hours, and a late walk once the sun drops.
- 9:30 AM
Papago Golf Club
Clubhouse grill at the municipal golf course with a view of the Papago buttes; call ahead for morning hours.
Map - 10:30 AM
Papago Park Hole-in-the-Rock
Short scramble up to a sandstone window with a wide view over the city; free, and best in the morning.
Map - 12:30 PM
Hall of Flame Fire Museum
Hall after hall of fire engines from the 1700s on; $19 adults, closed Sunday and Monday.
Map - 2:30 PM
Papago Park trails
Flat loops past the red buttes with almost no shade; carry water and save it for a cool part of the day.
Map - 7:30 PM
North Italia - Tempe
Fresh Italian pasta and wood-fired pizzas, solid neighborhood standby near hiking trails.
Map
Where to stay
FOUND:RE Phoenix
Budget-priced and sits right on the edge of Roosevelt Row, so Day 1 starts the moment you walk out the door.
Hampton Inn Phoenix-Midtown
Cheap, reliable and central enough to reach Camelback, Papago and downtown without a long drive each morning.
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