Things to do in Phoenix, splurging
The Heard and the Musical Instrument Museum, Fry Bread House, and dinner at Kembara.
This is Phoenix for the traveller who eats seriously, shops deliberately, and still wants good coffee before any of that starts. The days move between the arts-heavy downtown core, the design-conscious corridors of Midtown, and the polished north end of the valley, with a proper destination dinner anchoring every evening.
Day 1: Roosevelt Row to Evans Churchill
Start with specialty coffee and street murals, burn a couple of hours inside the Southwest's largest art museum, then give the evening to French cooking at Sottise and local craft beer at Arizona Wilderness.
- 9:30 AM
Fair Trade Cafe
Fair trade coffee, bagel sandwiches and breakfast burritos by the Roosevelt light rail stop.
Map - 10:30 AM
Roosevelt Row / First Fridays
Phoenix's walkable arts district, stroll the murals and galleries along Roosevelt Row.
Map - 12:30 PM
- 2:30 PM
Phoenix Art Museum
Southwest's largest art museum, 19,000+ works including strong American and Latin American collections.
Map - 7:30 PM
Sottise
French bistro in an old house in Evans Churchill; steak frites and a cocktail on the patio.
Map - 9:30 PM
Arizona Wilderness DTPHX
Arizona Wilderness craft-beer bar in Evans Churchill, great cocktails and local beers to close the night.
Map
Day 2: Midtown: coffee, culture, and Ocotillo
Valentine sets the tone over a careful pour, the Heard Museum delivers the most serious cultural hour of the trip, and Ocotillo's indoor-outdoor room is where you spend real money at dinner.
- 9:30 AM
Valentine
All-day cafe and bakery on 7th Avenue; a pastry and a cortado, or a full breakfast plate.
Map - 11:00 AM
Frances
Local boutique for Arizona-made gifts, jewellery and cards, a short drive from breakfast.
Map - 12:30 PM
Fry Bread House
Acclaimed Tohono O'odham fry bread; have it as a taco, then one with honey and sugar.
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
Indoor-outdoor room with a big patio and fire pits; seasonal American plates and a long cocktail list.
Map - 9:30 PM
kid sister A WINE BAR
Small neighbourhood wine bar; ask for a glass from the short, changing list.
Map
Day 3: North Phoenix and Kembara's table
The Musical Instrument Museum earns its two hours, an easy Ocean Prime lunch keeps the pace slow, and Kembara's Asian dinner closes the trip.
- 10:30 AM
Musical Instrument Museum (MIM)
5,000+ instruments from ~200 countries with wireless headsets, the MIM is a world-class experience worth 2 hours.
Map - 12:30 PM
Ocean Prime
Ocean Prime is a well-known destination steakhouse, the place for a serious sit-down lunch.
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 Global Ambassador
The Global Ambassador is the splurge-traveller's obvious Phoenix address: design-forward, well-positioned for Midtown and the north-end dinners, and genuinely good at hospitality.
Arizona Biltmore
The Arizona Biltmore is a Frank Lloyd Wright-influenced landmark with the pool situation and grounds to match a three-night stay at this level of spending.
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