If you’re located in Phoenix and you want to get away for the weekend, you have numerous great nearby locations to choose from. Whether you’re looking to explore the beauty of the natural world, visit historic and fun sites, or wine and dine among a vibrant nightlife atmosphere, there’s a weekend-break destination awaiting your presence.

Sedona

Sedona is a couple of hours away from Phoenix and it’s a perfect spot for a weekend vacation. The gorgeous otherworldly red rocks of the region are the main pull. You can explore the terrain of Bell Rock or Fay Canyon, and on warm days, you can head to the natural water slide at Slide Rock State Park to cool off among a beautiful natural landscape. Sedona is also a hub for local artists, so you’ll find plenty of art galleries in the desert town’s Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village. But there are plenty of other Sedona activities besides hiking and seeing artworks. You can admire the architecture of the Chapel of the Holy Cross, go on a guided jeep tour, visit a spa, or even view the amazing redness of the desert from aloft by taking a hot air balloon tour.

Lake Havasu City 

Even though Phoenix is in the heart of desert-country, you don’t have to travel that far to arrive at a gorgeous beach. Lake Havasu City is only around three hours away. It’s home to a lovely beach where you can go swimming, party with your friends, or go jet skiing. There are also plenty of trails surrounding Lake Havasu itself, which are perfect for hiking and cycling. And make sure you check out the majestic mountains at Lake Havasu State Park. There are plenty of other attractions around Lake Havasu City, including gorgeous golf courses and the famous London Bridge.

Bisbee and Tombstone

The town of Bisbee is about three and a half hours from Phoenix, making it an ideal base for a weekend break. In the historic town, you can learn about the region’s mining history at the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum. You can also check out the area’s many alleged haunted sites. Less than half an hour north of Bisbee lies the iconic town of the Wild West, Tombstone, where the Gunfight at the OK Corral took place between the Earp brothers and the Clantons in 1881. You can experience the authenticity of the cowboy era by watching actors dressed up as the most notorious characters from the Earp era, watch a gunfight show, take a stagecoach tour, or visit the famous Boothill Cemetery. If you want to take a trip back in time to know what it felt like to be in the historic Wild West, a weekend getaway to Bisbee and Tombstone comes highly recommended.

The Grand Canyon 

The world-famous Grand Canyon is only a little over three hours away from Phoenix. Around two billion years of earth’s geological history of the Colorado River and its tributaries cutting channels through layers upon layers of rock helped to form the 277-mile long and 18-mile wide Grand Canyon, which attains depths of over one mile. Both the North Rim and the South Rim provide you with lots of activities like hiking and whitewater rafting.

Las Vegas

If hiking trails and seeing beautiful scenery isn’t your thing, you can travel around four and a half hours from Phoenix to arrive at the world-famous gambling destination of Las Vegas. Besides the Strip’s numerous fantastic casinos, Vegas has plenty else to offer, including fabulous shows, amazing restaurants, and vibrant nightclubs. For a glitzy and glamorous weekend getaway not far from Phoenix, spending a couple of nights in the heart of exciting Vegas could be just what you’ve been looking for.