Jeep Tours in Sedona- Are They Really Worth it?
If you’ve ever looked up pictures of Sedona while planning a trip, I can almost guarantee you’ve seen a photo of a girl standing in front of a Pink Jeep. The “Pink Jeep” company actually started in Sedona in 1960, but now does tours in multiple locations in the country- but by far the most popular are in Sedona and the Grand Canyon. In this post, I am going to review multiple jeep tours in Sedona in addition to reviewing some roads you can travel in your own off-road vehicle.
Disclaimer: This post does include affiliate links, at no extra cost to you.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO DO A JEEP TOUR IN SEDONA?
I’m assuming that by the time you found this article, I don’t have to convince you to visit Sedona. Sedona is world-renowned for its beautiful red rocks and bountiful opportunities for adventures whether you’re young, old, outdoorsy, or indoorsy.
The awesome part about Sedona is that you can visit year-round. Sedona is usually 10-15 degrees cooler than Phoenix. I will warn you, Sedona gets hot in the summer! From June-August, the temperatures top off around 100 degrees. If you decide to tour during this time (I did), do it early in the morning or around sunset.
December-March is my favorite time to be in Sedona. It can get cold, but most of the time you can wear a t-shirt or light jacket. Most of the companies offer blankets or ponchos if inclement weather arises. Snow is few and far between in Sedona, but when it happens it’s beautiful and does melt fast, so doesn’t pose too much of a problem for tours.
SUMMARY: Any month of the year. If during the Summer, Early Morning or Sunset.
WHO DOES JEEP TOURS IN SEDONA?
There are a few main companies that do Jeep Tours in Sedona. Below I will review a few of the tours for each one, along with a review of what it’s like taking a private vehicle on some of the same roads.
PINK JEEP TOURS
Pink Jeep Tours is the most recognizable and most popular Jeep Tour in Sedona. As I mentioned earlier, they were founded in Sedona in 1960. They are located in Uptown Sedona by all the tourist shops and restaurants, which is convenient if you’ll already be there.
Location: 204 N State Rte 89A, Sedona, AZ 86336, open daily 6-8
A DAY IN THE WEST JEEP TOURS
A Day in the West Jeep Tours is a company with deep roots in the Sedona area. I have the most experience with this company. They are located in West Sedona, a few minutes away from Uptown. See them driving around town in their BRIGHT YELLOW jeeps.
Location: 2900 W State Rte 89A, Sedona, AZ 86336, open 7-7 daily
SAFARI JEEP TOURS
Safari Jeep Tours is another company located in downtown Sedona. Their jeeps are mostly black, with a red logo. They have been operating for about 15 years.
Location: 335 Jordan Rd, Sedona, AZ 86336, open daily 8-5
RED ROCK WESTERN JEEP TOURS
Red Rock Western Jeep Tours is also located in Uptown Sedona, and is very highly rated! They can be spotted throughout town and in the wilderness by their bright RED jeeps.
Location: 335 Jordan Rd, Sedona, AZ 86336, open daily 7-7
my opinion on jeep tours in sedona
Okay, let’s get into the details you are looking for. It would be impossible to give you my two sense on EVERY tour from each company, but I will summarize the main tours AND give you alternatives to jeep tours in Sedona. I have been to Sedona over 15 times since I moved to Arizona in 2014, so you can say I know a thing or two about the area! Let’s get started.
PINK JEEP TOURS
WORTH IT
⇒ Broken Arrow Tour ($132/person)- This is one of the most popular, and most expensive, tours. This jeep tour goes deep into the wild of East Sedona. I think this tour is worth it because of how up close and personal you are with the red rocks, and how pretty the viewpoints are. Be aware, this trail is BUMPY! I would not suggest it for older people or those with significant joint pain.
Alternative: You can hike Brown Arrow Trail to Chicken Point (walking trail separate from off-road rail, but you will see Jeeps at the viewpoints)
Chicken Point, Sedona
NOT WORTH IT
⇒ Scenic Rim Tours ($69-90/person)- The scenic rim tour goes out to Schnebly Hill Road in East Sedona. This is one of the most popular off-road trails in Sedona. It is 12 miles in total, climbs over 2,000ft, and connects Sedona to the I-17 near Flagstaff. Don’t get me wrong, the views on this road are beautiful, but the road is just so bumpy and it feels like it never ends. You get so annoyed from knocking knees with your neighbor that the views become less important. When we got onto the smooth road again, I was SO HAPPY. I actually told myself that I’d never go on Schnebly Hill Road again unless it was with a RZR.
Alternative: You can drive with your own vehicle or rent a RZR (2-4 person ATV) to go on this road. You can also hike the Hangover rail from the Huckaby Trailhead on Schenbly Hill before the dirt road starts.
⇒ Diamondback Gulch Tour ($114/person)- This Jeep Tour in Sedona is on the West Side of the city on Forest Road 525. Again, it’s a beautiful place, but you’re pretty distant from the red rocks. In my opinion, if you are going to do a Jeep Tour, you should be up close and personal with the red rocks. I’ve camped and hiked in this area multiple times.
Alternative: You can drive with your own vehicle on FR525c to Robber’s Roost cave. You could also hike in West Sedona- one of my favorites is Doe Mountain.
Pink Jeep Tour on Schnebly Hill Road
A DAY IN THE WEST JEEP TOURS
WORTH IT
⇒ Diamondback Gulch Tour ($89-129/person)- I know that above I said this same tour was NOT worth it for the Pink Jeep Tours, but if you were going to pick one tour from this company, I would do this one. It doesn’t get as up close to the rocks as some other routes, but it is beautiful! You’ll experience a rugged road on this route.
Alternative: Drive your own off-road vehicle on FR525c to Robber’s Roost Cave rail OR hike Doe Mountain
Doe Mountain Trail
NOT WORTH IT
⇒ Mogollon Rim Tour ($89-129/person)- I have personally done this tour. I have been to Sedona over 15 times and never did a Jeep Tour in Sedona until August of 2020 when my family was in town for my medical school graduation. I figured it would be a fun activity to do together, andddd they were willing to pay haha. I had always wanted to go up Schnebly Hill Road, so that’s why we did this route. In the past, I had tried to drive up from the bottom in my F150 truck and it was too much, so we turned around.
No doubt, this route was beautiful. It was just SOOOOO bumpy. I was over it in about 30 minutes. You’re constantly knocking knees with your neighbor and hitting your arms on the edge of the Jeep. I had such a bad headache and got so cranky by the end- I was never so excited to be on smooth road. And FYI, this is coming from someone who does off-roading in their own personal Jeep often. Nothing at all wrong with the company or the guide, but I would rather spend my money another way.
Alternative: Hike the Hangover Trail to get views of Schnebly Hill Road (park on the smooth part of Schnebly Hill Road).
SAFARI JEEP TOURS
WORTH IT
⇒ Seven Canyons Tour ($89/person)- This Jeep Tour in Sedona travels up the Dry Creek Basin OHV trail in West Sedona into a canyon. I highly suggest this tour if you go with Safari Jeep Tours- only a few others use this trail. It’s also a beautiful area of Sedona Wilderness.
Alternative: Hike Boynton Canyon in West Sedona.
READ THIS NEXT
I made a complete trail review for Boynton Canyon to the Subway Cave. Read it here!
NOT WORTH IT
⇒ Rim Run Supreme Tour ($109/person)- As I mentioned before, I’m not a fan of this road. It’s long and extremely bumpy- I wouldn’t do it again.
Alternative: Hike the Hangover Trail to get views of Schnebly Hill Road (park on the smooth part of Schnebly Hill Road).
RED ROCK WESTERN JEEP TOURS
WORTH IT
⇒ Solider’s Pass Sedona Tour ($99-139/person)- This route is exclusive to Red Rock Western Jeep Tours in Sedona- which makes it worth it! This is a beautiful area that I’ve been to multiple times- you’ll be intimately up close and personal with the Red Rocks and get to see some of the most famous sights. I especially recommend this for people who can’t or don’t want to hike for whatever reason.
Alternative: Hike Soldier’s Pass Trail to see Devil’s Sinkhole, Seven Sacred Pools, and the caves.
⇒ Canyons & Cowboys Tour ($89-129/person)- This route is one of the most popular for this company. As mentioned above with Safari Jeep Tours, this Jeep Tour in Sedona travels up the Dry Creek Basin OHV trail in West Sedona into a canyon. It’s also a beautiful area of Sedona Wilderness.
Alternative: Hike Boynton Canyon Trail.
NOT WORTH IT
⇒ Sedona Old Bear Wallow Tour ($89-129/person)- As I mentioned before, I’m not a fan of this road. It’s long and extremely bumpy- I wouldn’t do it again. However, if you decide to do it- go down to Merry Go Round Rock and Window Rock.
Alternative: Hike the Hangover Trail to get views of Schnebly Hill Road (park on the smooth part of Schnebly Hill Road).
ALTERNATIVES: ATV RENTAL OR PRIVATE VEHICLE TRIPS
ATV RENTAL
We’ve just spent the last bit talking about formal Jeep Tours. Now I’d like to talk about some alternatives, including driving your own private vehicle, or renting an off-road vehicle. The first I’d like to mention is renting a multi-person ATV. You can rent a 1-4 person vehicle from West Sedona with Sedona ATV or similar companies. The cost is $375+ tax, which comes out to be between 90-100, pretty similar to the cost of Jeep Tours.
These vehicles can be dangerous, so you need to be careful. They have a much better suspension system than Jeeps, so riding up Schnebly Hill Road or similar roads won’t be as treacherous. I told myself if I ever go up Schnebly Hill Road again, I will only do it with an ATV. If you do take an ATV out, please keep music on low- everyone in the canyon can hear it-trust me!
PRIVATE VEHICLE
If you are road-ripping to Sedona from another area in Arizona or neighboring states, you can take your own Private Jeep Tour in Sedona. Most of these previously mentioned trails, including Schnebly Hill, Broken Arrow, and Diamondback Gulch are accessible to private vehicles. If you are renting a vehicle, I advise NOT going on these roads.
As I said before, years ago I took my F150 from the bottom of Schnebly Road near Uptown Sedona and I had to turn around. I decided to be stubborn and try out Schnebly again by coming from the top. Schnebly Hill is a 12-mile road connecting Uptown Sedona to the I-17 highway by Flagstaff, that climbs 2000ft in elevation.
I read on AllTrails that the top of Schnebly Hill Road isn’t as rough, and you can camp for free (dispersed camping), so I tried it out. The reviews were correct- the first 6 miles down to Schnebly Hill vista are very driveable. We camped 4 miles in + no one was around us.
After we set up camp, we decided to drive a mile and a half past the vista point to Merry-Go Round Rock. I was quickly reminded that I really don’t like driving on Schnebly. We did have a nice time visiting Window Rock and watching the sunset, but the bumps are just so bad. My jeep has high clearance and 4WD, but we still bottomed out on a few rocks.
Now I’m officially drive driving on this road unless by ATV, haha.
SUMMARY- ARE JEEP TOURS IN SEDONA WORTH IT?
YES AND NO.
YES, it’s worth it if it fits in your budget and you have time to explore other areas of Sedona while you’re there. I would NOT replace hiking with a Jeep Tour- you need to hike (if you’re able).
NO, it’s not worth it if you have a tight budget- your money could be used better elsewhere- like on a nice hotel or nice food. NO, the rim tour isn’t worth it. If you’re going to do a tour, do one that I recommended above.
Whatever you choose, please have fun and be safe!
WHAT I WORE TO SEDONA
- Wide-Brimmed Hat, from REI
- Keep Nature Wild crop top
- Dolphin Hem Shorts from Old Navy
- Keen Hiking Boots from REI
