Sedona to Santa Fe road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time
The best road trip stops on the Sedona to Santa Fe drive are Petrified Forest National Park, El Malpais National Monument and Albuquerque. The distance from Sedona to Santa Fe by car is 412 miles, with a 6h5m driving time.
Planning a Sedona to Santa Fe road trip itinerary
The Sedona to Santa Fe drive takes you from central Arizona to the capital of New Mexico.
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.
Santa Fe is one of the oldest cities in the US, and has a huge arts scene. The glut of adobe architecture makes the New Mexico capital highly photogenic. These buildings are best seen on an architecture walking tour.
Fab Santa Fe experiences include history walks covering the city’s past, on-the-move photography classes and New Mexican food tours through the evocative Santa Fe Plaza.
For other options, try small group e-bike tours through lesser-known areas of the city and ghost story tours.
If you want memorable Santa Fe accommodation, try the Hacienda in the Railyard Arts District or the adobe-style La Fonda on the Plaza.
Top tip for Santa Fe
The Canyon Road Arts District plays a huge part in Santa Fe’s distinctive character. But with 80-plus galleries, it’s difficult to know where to start looking. Taking a Canyon Road Arts District tour with an art historian guide helps you zero in on the most interesting works. You’ll also get to chat to the artists and gallery curators. Find out more here.
David Whitley, editor of Best3Stops.
Sedona to Santa Fe distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Sedona to Santa Fe is 412 miles. That makes for a driving time of around six hours and five minutes. The quickest route is along the I-40 and I-25.
The best stops to add to a Sedona to Santa Fe road trip itinerary are Petrified Forest National Park, El Malpais National Monument and Albuquerque.
For more suggestions, see the guides to the Sedona to Albuquerque drive and Albuquerque to Santa Fe drive.
Sedona to Santa Fe 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.
Sedona to Santa Fe 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.
Best stops between Sedona and Santa Fe: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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.
Santa Fe road trips
Albuquerque to Santa Fe | Amarillo to Santa Fe | Austin to Santa Fe | Colorado Springs to Santa Fe | Dallas to Santa Fe | Denver to Santa Fe | El Paso to Santa Fe | Flagstaff to Santa Fe | Houston to Santa Fe | Las Cruces to Santa Fe | Phoenix to Santa Fe | Santa Fe to Tucson.
More Sedona road trips
Albuquerque to Sedona | Denver to Sedona | Sedona to Grand Canyon (South Rim) | Mesa AZ to Sedona | Phoenix to Sedona | Prescott to Sedona | Scottsdale to Sedona | Tucson to Sedona | Williams AZ to Sedona AZ.