Albuquerque to Sedona drive: Best stops, distance & time
The distance from Albuquerque to Sedona by car is 350 miles, with a 5h25m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Albuquerque to Sedona drive are El Malpais National Monument, Petrified Forest National Park and Flagstaff AZ.
Planning an Albuquerque to Sedona road trip itinerary
The Albuquerque to Sedona drive takes you from the biggest city in New Mexico to arguably the most spectacular town in Arizona.
Fabulous Albuquerque experiences include a sunrise hot air balloon flight, old town ghost walks, nature tours by bike and guided hops between craft breweries . You can also pay a visit to the castle-like Turquoise Museum and old town food tours focusing on New Mexican flavours.
Great Albuquerque accommodation choices include the historic, adobe-style Casas de Suenos and the old town’s art-filled Hotel Chaco.
Desert town Sedona sits in an inspirational setting amid red rock buttes, canyons and forest. It’s no wonder so many artists choose to live there.
The surrounding desert trails and state parks are magnificent for hiking and biking. You can also explore on a scenic helicopter flight, outback Jeep tour, guided ATV adventure or e-biking at Cathedral Rock.
Other Sedona experiences include Verde Valley wine tours, Jeep tours of the mystical Sedona vortexes, glassblowing workshops and nighttime stargazing sessions.
For great Sedona accommodation that makes the most of the views, try the Sky Ranch Lodge or Amara Resort.
Albuquerque to Sedona distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Albuquerque to Sedona is 350 miles. That makes for a driving time of around five hours and 25 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-40 and AZ-89a.
The best stops to add to an Albuquerque to Sedona road trip itinerary are El Malpais National Monument, Petrified Forest National Park and Flagstaff AZ.
Albuquerque to Sedona road trip attractions: El Malpais National Monument
A short diversion to the south from San Rafael, El Malpais National Monument covers a landscape formed by volcanoes. Get a special permit, and you can go caving in the lava tubes. Otherwise, there are several satisfying hiking trails. The 4.8 mile return hike to the top of cinder cone El Calderon is arguably the highlight.
The most popular sight is the Ice Cave by the Bandera Volcano. This is privately owned, and there’s a small charge to enter.
Albuquerque to Sedona drive: Petrified Forest National Park
Petrified Forest National Park in eastern Arizona gets its name from the vast fossil deposits of petrified wood. Most come from the Late Triassic period, and the short walk to the Giant Logs is arguably the best place to see what it’s all about.
But this national park has much more to it than the petrified wood. It is part of the Painted Desert, and several walking trails show off the multi-coloured Badlands. Try the one mile Blue Mesa Loop or 1.2-mile Tawa Trail from Tawa Point to the Painted Desert Visitor Center for particularly impressive, yet accessible, scenery.
Best stops between Albuquerque and Sedona: Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff AZ is largely known as a gateway to the Grand Canyon. You can take a Grand Canyon day tour from here, but you can also do a day trip to Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend.
Other Flagstaff experiences include haunted pub crawls, e-bike tours and an adventure course of wobbly bridges, ropes and ziplines. Stargazing enthusiasts can also take a tour of the Lowell Observatory and the Walnut Canyon National Monument is just to the east of the city. The latter is home to several ancient cliff dwellings.
Good Flagstaff accommodation options include the utterly charming Little America, and the great value Elev8.
For more suggestions of where to stop, read the guide to the Albuquerque to Flagstaff drive.
More Albuquerque road trips
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More Sedona road trips
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