Things to do in Scottsdale
Top things to do in Scottsdale include Old Town Scottsdale, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Old Town. Plan each day around one neighborhood to avoid backtracking, then add your dates to check opening hours and booking needs.
First visit? Start with these — and plan each day around one neighborhood:
- Old Town ScottsdaleWalkable historic core with galleries, boutiques, restaurants, public art, and nightlife clustered around Main Street and Scottsdale Road.
- Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art★ 4.3 · 1.2k reviewsCompact contemporary museum beside the Center for the Performing Arts, useful as an indoor anchor in hot weather.
- Old TownFirst-time base for galleries, restaurants, nightlife, museums, and walkable resort shuttles.
- Getting aroundOld Town is walkable, but Scottsdale as a whole is spread out.
By TripSapien · Updated November 3, 2026
About Scottsdale
City overview
Scottsdale is the desert-resort edge of metro Phoenix, with Old Town galleries, Sonoran trailheads, spa hotels, spring-training baseball, and golf spread between walkable historic blocks and car-dependent resort districts. The best months are sharply seasonal: winter and spring are premium outdoor windows, while summer is an extreme-heat trip built around pools, early starts, and indoor backups.
Food & drink
Scottsdale dining splits between resort restaurants, Sonoran and Mexican food, steakhouses, cocktail bars, health-conscious brunch spots, and polished Old Town dining rooms. Old Town works without a car for dinner, while North Scottsdale resorts and trailhead restaurants require rideshare or driving.
What Scottsdale is best for
Scottsdale is best for nature, wellness, food, nightlife, and adventure.
- Typical budget
- Higher-end
Top sights
Ranked using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Taliesin West
- 2McDowell Sonoran Preserve
- 3Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West
- 4Pinnacle Peak Park
- 5Butterfly Wonderland
- 6Spring Training Baseball
1Taliesin West
4.6★ · 2,739Frank Lloyd Wright winter home and architecture campus at the foot of the McDowell Mountains.
Wikipedia
2McDowell Sonoran Preserve
4.8★ · 2,495Large desert preserve with saguaro-lined hiking and biking trails, best early in the day outside winter.
Wikipedia
3Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West
4.7★ · 1,531Museum focused on Western art, Native American material, cowboy culture, and regional history.
Wikipedia
Show 3 more sights
4Pinnacle Peak Park
Popular north Scottsdale trail with granite boulders, city views, and a manageable out-and-back route.
5Butterfly Wonderland
Indoor rainforest conservatory in the Salt River area, useful for families and hot or rainy afternoons.
6Spring Training Baseball
Cactus League games at Scottsdale Stadium and nearby Phoenix-area ballparks during late February and March.
Neighborhoods
1Arts District
Main Street and Marshall Way galleries, Thursday art walks, public art, and dinner reservations.
2South Scottsdale
Lower-key local restaurants, breweries, and easier access to Tempe and Papago Park.
3McCormick Ranch
Golf, greenbelts, lakes, resort hotels, and a quieter mid-Scottsdale base.
Show 26 more neighborhoods
- 4North Scottsdale
Luxury resorts, trailheads, golf, desert views, and car-first access to Pinnacle Peak and Taliesin West.
- 5Kierland / Scottsdale Quarter
Shopping, dining, hotels, and nightlife near the Phoenix border.
- 65th Avenue Shops & Boutiques
5th Avenue Shops & Boutiques in Scottsdale includes vacation rentals and Parsons Villas.
- 7Cinco Soles
- 8Country Trace
Country Trace in Scottsdale features the Frank Lloyd Wright Spire and other public monuments.
- 9Desert Ridge
Desert Ridge in Scottsdale is home to the Musical Instrument Museum.
- 10Desert View Village
Desert View Village has a Black Bear Diner.
- 11East Phoenix
East Phoenix in Scottsdale features UnderTow Arcadia at Century Grand and Century Grand for cocktails, plus Hash Kitchen for breakfast.
- 12Fountain Hills Plaza
An impressive fountain that shoots water up to 560 feet high. The area is near the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and offers access to local parks and outdoor activities.
- 13Mesa Grande
- 14Minnesota Court
- 15North Mountain
- 16North Phoenix
North Phoenix in Scottsdale offers Kierland Commons for shopping, plus sports bars and breakfast restaurants like Original Breakfast House and WeBe Coffee Roasters.
- 17Plaza Waterfront Condominiums
- 18Powell Estates
Powell Estates in Scottsdale is known for bookstore specialties found at Bookmans Mesa Entertainment Exchange.
- 19Rancho Hermoso
- 20Scottsdale Industrial Center
This area is primarily industrial. It contains the Salt Cellar Restaurant.
- 21South Tempe
Changing Hands Bookstore, a notable spot known for its bookstore boutiques.
- 22Sunnyslope
Home to Bookmans Phoenix Entertainment Exchange, a bookstore specializing in entertainment exchanges.
- 23Tempe Marketplace
- 24The Summit At Scottsdale
- 25Valley Presbyterian Church
- 26Vista del Cerro
- 27Westbrook Town Homes HOA
- 28Estate Groves and Valencia Estates
- 29Scottsdale Airpark North
Day trips
15km / 20 min by car
Desert Botanical Garden
Phoenix cactus garden with Sonoran desert plants, seasonal art installations, and Papago Park views.
70km / 1.5h by car
Apache Trail & Canyon Lake
Desert scenic drive with lake views, Superstition Mountain scenery, and old-stagecoach-road drama.
200km / 2.25h by car
Sedona
Red-rock hiking, galleries, and vortex-viewpoint day trip, best started early from Scottsdale.
Getting around
Old Town is walkable, but Scottsdale as a whole is spread out. Use a car or rideshare for resorts, trailheads, golf courses, Kierland, and day trips; in summer, avoid exposed trail time after mid-morning.
Planning a Scottsdale trip?
Add your dates and we'll check every place for closures, limited hours, and booking needs before you go.
Things to do in Scottsdale by month
Pick a month for weather, any sourced events, holidays or observances, and seasonal timing. November, February and March have the most comfortable weather (tagged below).
Common questions about Scottsdale
- Which neighborhoods should I explore in Scottsdale?
- Old Town, Arts District, South Scottsdale are useful starting points. Plan each day around one or two neighboring areas to avoid unnecessary backtracking.
- When is the best time to visit Scottsdale?
- November, February, March balance comfortable temperatures with fewer rainy days in Scottsdale.
- What is Scottsdale known for?
- Scottsdale is best for nature, wellness, food, nightlife, and adventure. For matched places, TripSapien checks available hours, closure signals, and booking links.
Ready to plan Scottsdale?
Turn everything above into a day-by-day Scottsdale plan, with every place checked for closures and booking needs on your dates.